Housing Recommendations ASAP

megzo · 04-09-2019, 04:10 PM

I would love to get my ham a new home as she has grown a habit of chewing and climbing bars which scares me greatly due to her falling and also keeps me up. I was planning on eventually upgrading her home regardless but not this soon as I've only had her a few weeks. If anyone could recommend me any affordable (I'm a student, I've set aside savings for hamster necessities but this would be a larger investment for me) aquariums/homes preferably without bars I would greatly appreciate it! I've looked at the Detolf but it is rather expensive for me at this time (I'm looking for a new job.) and I'm not too sure whether second hand ones would be okay in the sense that they may have been polished/cleaned out with chemicals that would then be harmful to animals? If anyone has any links/recommendations please do leave them for me! I'm from the UK if that affects purchases etc.

chloeeruth98 · 04-09-2019, 05:07 PM

Hi there! A modified IKEA or similar brand storage bin could be a good option? Bin cages are brilliant, as they are about the cheapest way to house a hamster, and they are fairly easy to transport. One of my fave youtubers VictoriaRachael made a great video on making bin cages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5e-2yKLX2Q Just one idea anyways, hope it's helpful

Shannonmcn · 04-10-2019, 12:30 AM

I think if you can find a second hard detolf in decent condition you could definitely use it. A scrub down with pet safe cleaner should get rid of any residues on the glass and I don't think the end pieces are even close enough to real wood for someone to treat them with wood polishes etc

Making a lid is a bit of work though, and depending on where you get your timber it can add up. If you have a syrian you definitely need a lid and tbh I wouldn't risk not having one even with a dwarf or a robo.

I agree a bin cage is a good shout, the 130lt IKEA samla is £13 with the lid, mesh I got from B&Q for about £6.50 and cable ties are pennies. I did have access to a soldering iron to cut the holes in the lid tho, which is an extra £15 maybe if you have to buy one.

If you're already looking at second hand options you can sometimes get old aquariums, even cracked ones since they don't need to be watertight and can be fixed with some £5 sealant.

bithead007 · 04-10-2019, 02:25 AM

I had a similar thing initially (for the first week) with mine then got the Prevue 528 after posting on this forum. I'm glad I did, but my guy is a bit of a climber too. So far it seems to be working out OK. He does seem to have quite a bit of skill at it but it still makes me worry.

CJ