Re: A bigger cage for Sam - advice please?

Sams Mum · 01-14-2010, 07:20 PM

Hi all,

Thanks to all who responded to my post in the Behaviour section about my dwarf, Sam, who I thought was sexually frustrated! It seems he is just bored.

I'd like to get him a better cage, more like his natural habitat and also more roomier. However, his very first cage was HUGE (cost me £80), designed for Syrian hamsters, and he escaped from it. I'm new to dwarf hamsters, by the way, in case you couldn't tell!

So, I have found what I think may be a better alternative for him on Amazon. The colour is unfortunate

but I'm most interested in what would be best for Sam's welbeing.

Would anyone mind taking a look at the cage for me and telling me if it would be suitable for a dwarf? I think the tubes seem to start nice and low to the ground but I'm worried the bar spacing on the ventilation bars in the top section might allow an escape. Sam is a determined little houdini!

The link for the proposed new cage is:

Rotastak Pink Fun Palace Hamster Gerbil Mouse Cage Home: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone is able to give! Sam will appreciate it!

All the best,

Sam's Mum

shazzy · 01-15-2010, 02:06 AM

Hi Sams Mum. I voted no for the cage because to be honest, Rotastak cages arent the greatest. Some people like them, but most people on here will tell you that they dont offer a great deal of running space, have poor ventilation and are a nightmare to clean out - there is also still the chance of hammy escaping if the tubes aren't locked together properly.

I use the Ferplast Duna Multy for my Syrian (and she's a big girl

) and it's a great cage that I think will offer lots of room for a dwarfy. The floor space is a good size allowing lots of stuff (house, bed, toys etc) to be put in it. It's a plastic cage so no bars to squeeze between. The lid is barred, but the spacing is about 1cm (which I think is ok for a dwarf) and to be on the safe side you could avoid putting too high things in the cage to stop little Sam getting up to the bars.

You can buy the cage from here:
Cages : Ferplast Duna 'Multy' Guinea Pig and Rabbit Cage + FREE DELIVERY : www.EquineCanineFeline.com the place to buy all your Pet Products, Horse Products and Pet Supplies online

It's a good price for that size cage too!

I hope you find the right cage for Sam, but I really do reccommend the Multy

souffle · 01-15-2010, 04:18 AM

I agree with all Shazzy said.
If he has grown a bit and you have the large cage still I would try him in that. Is it a hamster heaven or a savic cambridge as dwarfs are normally OK in these. You could try him in it in the bath.
For a single dwarf ours just love the FOP Bernie Deluxe or the Ryden Mill House both of which are reviewed in the Cage Review section.
I hate rotastac. They are so hard to clean, give little room and are very hard to get the hammie out of especially if they run up the tube. They are also stuffy especially in the sleeping pods and the condensation can cause chest infections.

annie81 · 01-15-2010, 05:25 AM

i dont like that cage either

i use the mini duna for my dwarf hamster...she is lazy so the mini is more than enough for her

the duna multy is really great i think. its really big and the bar space at the top is small enough so the wee hamsters really cant escape. its pretty cheap as well...

Katty_Sheldon · 01-15-2010, 05:44 AM

I voted no.
Generally bunch of tubes look pretty for the owners, but hamsters tend to make nests all around them and stuff them and they are hard to clean. Plus not much floor space. After much consideration, i bought a Savic Cambridge for my dwarf hamster.
good luck!

Fidgetthefirst · 01-15-2010, 08:15 AM

I voted no - i think you should consider a bin cage, or a tank, allthough ive heard tanks are a bit expensive and hard to clean out, and there heavy. But bin cages are great! There cheap, quite easy to make, easy to clean out, and you can have loads of floor space if you get a nice and big one

My cage isnt like, a make, i just bought it from my pet store. It was only £30 and there loads of floor space

Sams Mum · 01-17-2010, 01:41 AM

I'm really pleased I asked this question before buying a Rotastak! I have decided upon a Rydon Mill House cage for Sam (single dwarf). Would this be suitable for him despite the fact that he bar chews and managed to escape from a Hamster Heaven?

Thanks!

Fidgetthefirst · 01-17-2010, 02:10 AM

That looks like a nice cage and im pretty sure its suitable for Sam .

Flissy · 01-17-2010, 09:39 AM

I think the rydon mill house should be fine for him, as it has no bars. Other good cages that are similar are the mini duna or the zoozone cages if you want to go bigger although it would need the top bit meshing over as the zoozone cages are for guinea pigs

souffle · 01-17-2010, 10:19 AM

Our dwarfs have always loved the Ryden Mill House and it is actually quite spacious. Only issue can be with the water bottle but I think you can see from the review that we chose to drill out the side to attach a bottle. With a dwarf though you can use the internal bottle holder but we prefer it on the exterior as it save it dripping.