Cage Suggestions?

Bella_01 · 04-03-2018, 12:19 PM

Hi!
I'm thinking of possibly changing my hamsters cage in the future but I'm not entirely sure what I should change it to and there is no rush.
Bella is a syrian hamster who is around 1 and a half. She is very active and is always busy building up her nest or running on her wheel. I have an 11-11.5 inch wheel for her so that has to be able to fit.
At the moment I have the Little Friends Grosvenor Rat and Hamster Cage. She is not stressed in her cage, however she has many toys and I would like her to have more space to run around. I was thinking of the Detolf or something similar but I wanted to see what other hamster owners who may have owned these type of cages thought.
The cage would also need to be suitable for every type of hamster.
Thanks

actual junk · 04-03-2018, 12:34 PM

If you are up to a little bit of diy and have access to an ikea the linnomon enclosure is a decent size (877 sq inches) and has served my Syrian very well

there is a tutorial for it on 'vanillahamham's YouTube channel, and cost me around £50 in total.

Pebbles82 · 04-03-2018, 12:42 PM

You have a number of options. I agree the Grovenor is ok but not a lot of space to fit things in. It would be great to keep for a holiday cage though if you ever need to take your hamster with you on holiday for a week or something, as it folds flat and would be more portable than a new larger cage.

Popular cages for a Syrian are the Barney and Alexander cages on Zooplus. Most Syrians are more than happy in those - they are both 100cm cages. The Barney has a bit more floorspace but the Alexander has slightly more height and the almost full extra level. Both have 7mm bar spacing so would be find for any species of hamster - although they are quite tall for dwarf hamsters so you might need a full level (in which case the Alexander would be easier to convert in that respect).

Hamster Cages | great selection at zooplus

The detolf is also a great choice and I would be tempted with that myself if upgrading. If you don't mind a little bit of diy to make two lids for it. It does need to stand on something really as well.

The Savic Hamster Plaza is also a great 100cm cage with a big front opening door which is good for access and taming and means the roof is free for attaching things. It's about the same height as the Alexander though and could really do with extra shelving which adds to the cost. The bar spacing is slightly under 1cm so it's fine for a Syrian or dwarf hamster but not a Roborovski I'd say. Again for a dwarf hamster you'd need to make a full level really to avoid fall risks if they climb to the top.

Those are the main options for an upgrade I think. There is also a 120cm wood and perpex cage which is rather nice. The wood is painted to be wipe clean. It's not cheap though!

Super Large 120x60cm Hedgehog CageÂ*& Exotic Pet Home

If you like the idea of a detolf I would go with that. If you prefer a barred cage and your hamster is used to it and you want something futureproof I'd go with the Alexander.

Bella_01 · 04-03-2018, 12:54 PM

I looked up the Youtube video and it looks great. The cage looks very tall, did you make a lid?
It looks very spacious and my hamster would love it so I will look into it.
Thanks!

Bella_01 · 04-03-2018, 12:58 PM

Thanks Serendipity, I'll be looking into those cages too and see which ones work best.

actual junk · 04-03-2018, 01:55 PM

Its 50cm tall, I did make a lid for mine, though my ham can't reach the top, but if you wanted to add a level they would be able too!

Here is what I used to make the lid -
A single plank of redwood from Wickes cut into 4 pieces, I believe it was this one.
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Redw...ingle/p/166380
Sheet of mesh, also Wickes, its nice and small so your ham will be safe.
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-6mm-...900mm/p/187720

I cut the wood into two 100cm and two 60cm pieces [diagonal cut at each end so as to join the planks together] and used wood glue to stick them together, securing the joins with a few staples and a staple gun. I then used a staple gun to attach the mesh to the wooden frame. Its not the neatest thing in the world but its functional 👍

Bella_01 · 04-11-2018, 03:39 AM

Thank you for the instructions!

Is redwood used as a lid safe for hamsters?

Pebbles82 · 04-11-2018, 03:51 AM

Some people say redwood isn't safe. I'm sure actual junk's lid is fine as the hamster probably can't chew it and there won't be that much wood in the lid. But ideally choose some kind of standard pine wood.

Bella_01 · 04-11-2018, 04:56 AM

Would hardwood from Wickes be ok?