Space or content: which is more important in a cage?

Aising · 08-05-2017, 12:14 AM

So I have Percy in a Hamster Heaven. I see amazing photos of what people have done with this cage. Some people really pack a lot in. But then that doesn't much floor space for the hamster to move about, without having to clamber over things. My question is, is it better to provide fewer toys (and rotate them) giving more space for the hamster to move around and dig? Or does open floor space matter less, once the hamster has an appropriate wheel to run on? I just want to do what's best.

velma · 08-05-2017, 01:04 AM

I think a lot of it depends on the species & more importantly the individual hamster. Some of mine like space to potter and a few big toys/tunnels whereas I have others who can't have enough stuff in there. It all comes down to getting to know your ham and what they seem to like.

Aising · 08-05-2017, 01:06 AM

Thanks Velma. I only have her ten days.

Pebbles82 · 08-05-2017, 01:13 AM

I think both are important

Big toys can fill the cage up a bit. The good thing with the hamster heaven is, it's not too tall and the door is at the front so you can use the roof bars to attach/hang a lot of toys for enrichment and keep more floorspace. This has the added advantage of giving overhead cover to a hammy when using the floorspace (they can be a bit freaked by too much overhead space I think and like to sit under something).

I like the rat sputniks - they hang low enough in that cage that a hamster can climb in from substrate level. They also provide overhead cover and something to sit under. When I had a similar cage I had a flat roofed house at one end and a rat tube tied to the roof leading between the house roof and the rat sputnik - this gave a roof run so additional things to do while keeping the floorspace.

I did have a problem with not enough floorspace in that (equivalent) cage because our last Syrian was very large and needed large stuff. A 12" wheel took up about a quarter of the cage! But most hammies are fine with an 11" wheel that isn't too deep.

Levels are important for enrichment too, so toys can be on a shelf and still have substrate/floorspace underneath.

I do think you have to think about size/shape of cage contents with that cage so things fit well and still leave enough floorspace.

Pebbles82 · 08-05-2017, 01:20 AM

This was my Savic Mickey 2XL (it's the same cage as the Hamster Heaven but with narrow bar spacing and no external tubes. I ended up putting a bigger house in, to fit a potty inside as our hammy moved his toilet corner inside his house, and at that point I felt there wasn't enough floorspace (along with the 12" wheel as well) and upgraded to 100cm cage. But for an average sized hamster with an 11" wheel I think you could have a balance of enough enrichment plus enough roaming/climbing space.

The first photo was the later set up with the (huge!) 12" wobust wheel and a large house. It was ok but short on floorspace.

The second two photos were an earlier set up with a medium sized house to fit the potty in (house doubled up as a shelf) and before the roof tube and with an 11" wheel - about enough floor space then - but a smaller house and a shelf would have helped. However, if a house isn't big enough I find hammies tend to ignore the house, but they all vary.

Although it was a bit on short space, there was the roof run as well and plenty of climbing opportunies (branch on left and house roof and a little shelf at the back. I did find a 100cm cage easier to set up for both enrichment and floorspace but then it can have a lot of open space above and need roof toys which are difficult to fit in with my 100cm cage which has a top door.

Some of it depends on the hamster. Some are quite happy in an 80cm cage, others seem to need more space.

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Aising · 08-05-2017, 01:34 AM

Thanks a million for all the ideas, lots to think about! Appreciate you taking the time.

Pebbles82 · 08-05-2017, 02:05 AM

You're welcome - you can make stuff as well

A shoebox makes a good flat roofed house with a lift-off roof. You cut the base out and a hole in the front long side for a door and use the lid as a lift-off roof - so you can check inside the house without having to remove it and stop the nest falling apart. The leaves etc were a trial that didn't work! I just went back to using substrate only - Fitch is good.