How to hamster proof my Zoozone2

[Charliestar]

Help!

So I just brought home my new Syrian today and have put her into a Zoo Zone 2 cage - she’s called Peaches and is a youngish female around 4/5 months so is stilll pretty small. I’m having an absolute nightmare since she can actually escape through the bars at the top of the cage but standing on her log cabin hidey house. This is currently the only hide she has in the cage so don’t want to remove it all together - for now I’ve had to remove the roof since that what she was using to climb onto and escape.

I need some quick and easy fixes to secure the top of her cage! Please send me links to everything I will need - I use Amazon Prime so hoping to get stuff off there.

Thank you

Charlie

[alpacassei]

You’ll need to mesh the lid so she cant get through the bars

[Pebbles82]

Hi. Yes unfortunately the Zoozone 2 has 2cm bar spacing which is too large for hamsters. You can get 1cm square mesh cut to the size you want at a diy store. You need to mesh the inside of the lid, because if you mesh the outside they can get through the bars and get trapped under the mesh. But also need to check there are no sharp edges on the mesh inside, either by clipping any protruding bits close with wire cutters, or, what some people do is fold the edges of the mesh under so there is no sharp edge - this can hurt your fingers so best to wear gloves when doing it! Probably easier to get a piece cut slightly bigger than you need and fold the edges under - then you use plastic cable ties to securely attach the mesh to the inside of the lid (especially round the edges). It's not as onerous as it sounds.

Sounds like you need to do it today before she wakes up! They can even scale up the side of a hamster wheel to get to the top so it does need doing and having lower substrate or lower items won't help.

Meanwhile if you can find something to put over top that covers the gaps but still lets air in it will help prevent her escaping - eg some wire cooking grids or something?

Here are some descriptions of meshing zoozone lids to give you an idea! This one uses duct tape at the edges. I would have thought that could be chewed but you could keep an eye on it and if it's accessible for chewing or starts getting chewed it would need re-meshing differently!

Meshing Zoozone 1

Here's another tutorial - also uses duct tape so I guess it's ok!

Zoozone ideas and adaptations

Another one here - no masking tape - it looks like you can do it without masking tape as long as there are no sharp edges inside the cage - but I reckon any cut edges would need filing to make sure they weren't sharp. On this one, the corners of the mesh protrude on the outside so no sharp edge inside, but might be sharp for the owner!

Confessions of a Hamsterholic: Zoozone 1 Review

[cypher]

You'll need galvanised mesh which you should be able to get on Amazon, check the size of the holes though, shouldn't be more than half an inch I think. Plus cable ties for fixing I think, I haven't meshed a zoozone only a bin cage so not sure!
If you google meshing a zoozone you'll find videos showing how to do it.

[mangoandmimi]

If you can get hold of 6mm x 6mm mesh I highly recommend that. I’ve meshed too many zoozones to be honest and 1cm mesh has always given a messier finish as the cable ties cannot line up exactly with the bars. With 6mm you can get a perfect fit which is important if you want a smooth opening & closing lid that doesn’t constantly get stuck.
This is mine : http://www.hamstercentral.com/commun...960-post7.html

[Pebbles82]

Yours looks lovely and neat M&M And no masking tape. I would be a bit worried about tape being chewed myself. How did you do the edges so they weren't sharp? Or are the mesh edges actually outside the cage interior in a groove or something so not an issue?

[mangoandmimi]

Serendipity - yes the mesh is just smaller than the frame so kind of fits inside. I used a sanding block (nail file might work) in an attempt to smooth sharp bits. No pointy sticking out bits of mesh either as I cut very close to the square bit if that makes any sense. I don’t think duct tape is safe either especially not for a Syrian. They can and will chew it! That and pouching sticky things is dangerous too. That said my zoozone was meshed for chocho so didn’t have to worry about any monkey barring or chewing as she couldn’t even reach the top

[Charliestar]

Thank you guys so much for the quick replies! I have ordered some mesh sheets of Amazon and for tonight will just secure them on top with books at either end, getting cable ties tomorrow! Peaches is settling in well and I’ve moved her hut further into the bedding so she can’t reach the top for now! 🍑🐹 I’ve also made Peaches her own Instagram @peachesonthegram incase any of you love a furry insta!