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Old 07-09-2019, 08:16 PM   #41
10Minutes
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

I think you've put a lot of time, effort, and money into creating this set-up. It looks gorgeous, but many might feel it's not functional. Maybe you don't comfortable about giving up on your effort, but you don't have to feel discouraged - I personally think you can still get a bigger cage than the Ferplast (that meets the required floorspace) and connect it to your beautiful bookshelf. Or, as others have mentioned, keep the bookshelf for a playpen?

The bookshelf itself will still have to be improved on, because I'm just not comfortable with the gap. You say your other pets won't attack it, but what about strays? Rats, etc. from the outside could sneak in. In my house, a stray kitten may occasionally sneak in to the bottom floor, that's why I keep my hamster locked in my room upstairs, where the kitten doesn't even have a chance of going near it. My room may be cramped with my hamster bin in it, but I just don't feel safe leaving her downstairs.

The Ferplast looks like it is perched a little precariously though. You have many other pets, and even if they don't mean harm, it would be quite easy for them to accidentally knock the Ferplast to the floor. I wouldn't even trust myself not to accidentally bump into that and cause it to topple over (because I'm a klutz). I'm sure you're more careful than me, but with so many pets around, you may have to reconsider something more stable for it.

Floorspace-wise, I've read a lot of information that do promote continuous floorspace. Your cage is your hamster's world. The photo depicting the hamster's home network is a very interesting share, but I think the photo shows a home, not a world. You have the space, the finances, and amazing DIY skills, so let's try to give more to your hamster if possible, because it may be small but it's still a life.

I'm afraid you'd probably consider my bin very ugly, but it's fine by me because my main concern is functionality - comfort and safety. My DIY skills are bad, so I don't really care if it looks ugly. BUT you really do have such amazing skills in building that bookshelf and all, I'm sure you have a way to make something really gorgeous. Please try to make something beautiful even better. You have great skills, it shouldn't be a problem to come up with a safe beauty. I really hope you can show us more of your gorgeous work that will be made better with ample floor space and more safety measures.

Last edited by 10Minutes; 07-09-2019 at 08:23 PM.
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Old 07-11-2019, 02:08 AM   #42
Artur26
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Minutes View Post
I think you've put a lot of time, effort, and money into creating this set-up. It looks gorgeous, but many might feel it's not functional. Maybe you don't comfortable about giving up on your effort, but you don't have to feel discouraged - I personally think you can still get a bigger cage than the Ferplast (that meets the required floorspace) and connect it to your beautiful bookshelf. Or, as others have mentioned, keep the bookshelf for a playpen?

The bookshelf itself will still have to be improved on, because I'm just not comfortable with the gap. You say your other pets won't attack it, but what about strays? Rats, etc. from the outside could sneak in. In my house, a stray kitten may occasionally sneak in to the bottom floor, that's why I keep my hamster locked in my room upstairs, where the kitten doesn't even have a chance of going near it. My room may be cramped with my hamster bin in it, but I just don't feel safe leaving her downstairs.

The Ferplast looks like it is perched a little precariously though. You have many other pets, and even if they don't mean harm, it would be quite easy for them to accidentally knock the Ferplast to the floor. I wouldn't even trust myself not to accidentally bump into that and cause it to topple over (because I'm a klutz). I'm sure you're more careful than me, but with so many pets around, you may have to reconsider something more stable for it.

Floorspace-wise, I've read a lot of information that do promote continuous floorspace. Your cage is your hamster's world. The photo depicting the hamster's home network is a very interesting share, but I think the photo shows a home, not a world. You have the space, the finances, and amazing DIY skills, so let's try to give more to your hamster if possible, because it may be small but it's still a life.

I'm afraid you'd probably consider my bin very ugly, but it's fine by me because my main concern is functionality - comfort and safety. My DIY skills are bad, so I don't really care if it looks ugly. BUT you really do have such amazing skills in building that bookshelf and all, I'm sure you have a way to make something really gorgeous. Please try to make something beautiful even better. You have great skills, it shouldn't be a problem to come up with a safe beauty. I really hope you can show us more of your gorgeous work that will be made better with ample floor space and more safety measures.
Thanks for the feedback and advice.

No, my DIY skills are bad, I often struggle to do the simplest of things .. All I had to do was to silicone glue 3 acrylic sheets and remove 2 shelves. Spent like 15€. The bookshelf I already had it and it was less than 100€.


There are no wild animals here, doors are closed, the only pet that has access to the room is a chihuhua and cats. The half open enclosure is maybe 1.5M from the ground, I could add another sheet of acrylic to make it less open, but as it is now it will be easier to clean and the pets cant jump in and if they tried I doubt they would fit in that 30cm gap.

I recorded 6hours of the hamster in this new setup, just to see if he was getting along. As you can see he explores every inch of it and is very active.


https://imgur.com/gallery/YAYfUoT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK6UjqRyaFo

He goes to sleep in his nest in the minute 3.41m.
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Old 07-11-2019, 03:28 AM   #43
Ria P
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

With Arnie's cage attached to the book shelf i think it works and is certainly a visually very attractive set up. That gives him a home and playground combined which is a great idea.
Ok, i still have reservations about the cats getting their claws in.....
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Old 07-11-2019, 03:37 AM   #44
Pebbles82
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

Interesting timelapse video! It's so fast I had to watch it a few times to see the hamster lol!

Yes they do spend a lot of time in their wheel at night. I can see he is exploring the bookshelf set up, however mostly he is passing through it to get between his main home and his wheel. He is also testing the roof of the cage to see if he can get out. This could become frustrating over time. And it's why the large cages with continuous floorspace allow them to do everything in one large area - eg doze in the nest, dig and burrow, and run in their wheel - without having to leave the cage.

It is also the problem with rotostaks - people see the hamsters using all the tubes and think they're enjoying it, but actually they have no option but to use the tubes - to be able to get to something they need - eg wheel or food and water.

I think - if you replaced the Ferplast cage with one big enough to have everything needed in one larger area - eg wheel, nest, plenty of substrate, a good house, and food and water - he would very rarely leave the cage and stop exploring the bookshelf. Unless he was trying to escape. Any tube from the cage to the bookshelf would need to be very securely fixed in and even then hamsters can chew at them. External tubes can be a common escape route.

I think we all agree that the open area on the bookshelf is a hazard - especially when you have cats. It's important not to underestimate the determination of a cat to catch a hamster, or the determination of a hamster to escape and scale things or leap high to escape.

I think you could put mesh over the open gaps which would make the bookshelf safer and also still give ventilation. Although mesh doesn't look attractive but safety comes before beauty! I can't quite see the areas in the bookshelf well, but ventilation is very important in all areas. What is in front of the wheel section?

The burrow system you linked on the earlier page is understood for hamsters nesting and hoarding instincts, and Rodipet make large labyrinth houses with rooms for that very reason. The Germans are very big on hamster houses (ie nesting boxes) with "rooms" - eg separate areas for nesting, toiletting and hoarding. I have one of the large labyrinth houses and they do instinctively, nest in one room, hoard under their nest and in another room, and use a toilet in another room. It mimics the "underground burrow" because they do like to have a dark place to retreat to.

Their other instinct is to come out of the burrow at night and explore and run a lot and have exercise, but they also like to chill.

So my advice/suggestion would be - if you want to keep the bookshelf set up is:

Attach a large, secure, cage or tank style cage to it and in that large cage have a good sized house/nesting box - somewhere dark inside for building a big nest, his wheel, a platform and his food and water and the odd toy/tunnel. And then see if he still leaves the cage to explore the bookshelf. Generally they just stop bothering to leave the cage - because they have everything they need in there and more freedom of movement.

The way the current cage is, the house is on a shelf - not a good place for building a nest - he can't bury hoards under his nest and may pee in the house and it need cleaning out a lot and his nest removing. Maybe he isn't actually nesting in the house, I dont know - if the house doesn't meet their needs they will often build a nest under a shelf instead.

I am not wishing to knock your creativity - but safety comes first, and the ability of the hamster to be able to have normal behaviours.The normal behaviours are - nesting, foraging, digging, space to roam and have activity (open space), something to sit on or under, easily accessible food and water (and I would say wheel as well).

You could leave the bookshelf set up as it is - if it is secure and well ventilated - and add something like a 100cm cage with a large nesting box and another wheel and a shelf and some floor toys/tunnels etc.

Then at least he can do everything in one good sized area of space, and still use the bookshelf if he wishes.

If you're not keen on barred cages, then Zooplus sell the 100cm Skyline Marrakesch, which is a good sized cage for a syrian and has wood end panels so you could attach the tube entrance to one end by cutting a hole in one of the wood end panels. But whenever you add an exit tunnel to one end of a cage you are reducing the usage of space in that area of the cage which makes it a bit smaller in effect and you would probably not be able to fit a huge amount into it once there is a wheel and house. It is also not particularly tall, so a wheel will fit at one end with virtually no substrate and you'd need to have deeper substrate at the other end. In that case the position of the tunnel would need to be fairly high up the side of the cage to allow for substrate depth.

I really do think it is risky having the tunnel leading from the cage to the bookshelf when you have cats. Unless they are kept completely out of that room.

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...es_wood/437277

Personally I think you'd be better spending the money on another Eco Habitat and scrapping the bookshelf idea.
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Old 07-11-2019, 04:04 AM   #45
Pebbles82
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

Here are some videos and links to the rodipet labyrinth houses and ceramic burrow system. They are not essential of course, but you can see that it is all about nesting, foraging, burrowing and other natural instincts. With a large house with rooms they are very neat organised little things and keep their toilet away from their hoard and their nest.

With nesting systems that large, if needs an even larger cage, to have the "terrain" outside the burrow/house. Open space to forage, climb, explore and dig freely.

This is a dwarf hamster in the dwarf hamster version of the labyrinth house and exploring outside it



This is the Syrian sized version. It would almost fill the Ferplast cage!

https://www.rodipet.co.uk/houses/rod...erracotta.html

This fits well in the 100cm Barney and I have one in there.

This Rodipet's ceramic burrow system within a cage. There is a video on this page that shows hamsters digging in the wild and how the ceramic burrow system mimics their rooms and tunnels - but all this is just for nesting and foraging and exploring so these ceramic burrows are within a large cage with "terrain" outside.

https://www.rodipet.co.uk/houses/rod...use-16-cm.html

I am not saying it is necessary to have these large houses, but it is an example of meeting their basic needs to nest in a dark place, have space for hoards and open space to roam, forage and dig in.

With your current set up he has opportunity to exercise and explore, but I don't think it can meet all the basic needs unless you have a larger cage or tank attached, with a good depth of substrate and with a wheel, food and water and a house for building a good sized nest, all within the same cage.

Safety-wise also, hanging toys with chains are a risk - there are many hamsters who have been found hanging by a broken leg with their foot caught in a chain, or falling and injuring themselves, so the toy hanging by chains would need to be adapted for safety (sisal string or rope is safe to use).
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Old 07-11-2019, 04:07 AM   #46
Pebbles82
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

My main issue right now with the set up is that the hamster can only access his wheel by leaving the cage and running through the bookshelf set up to get to it.
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Old 07-11-2019, 04:21 AM   #47
Artur26
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
My main issue right now with the set up is that the hamster can only access his wheel by leaving the cage and running through the bookshelf set up to get to it.
It's not visible in the video but there is another wheel (smaller but suitable for dwarf) and water bottle, and food scatered in the left cage (including on top of the house/cage, maybe its why he is there).

About your other advice I will make some changes to improve security.

In the big wheel compartment he has about 3cm of bedding, a watterbottle behind the wheel, and a little house, the acrylic is open too there, so there is ventilation.

This is an older video of him eating on top of that chained toy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eGACTnn_wA

You are right, I guess there is that possibility, but look at the chains in comparinson with his feet, they seem quite big for his tiny dwarf feet to get stuck, but I'm not 100% sure, I can remove it.
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Old 07-11-2019, 04:55 AM   #48
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

If I'm being completely honest, even the laziest most wonderful sweet cat is still a cat and needs to be kept away from hamsters and any similar prey species at all times. I can definitely speak from experience having a sweet "gentle" cat, she may be the nicest to humans but happily and quite brutally tears apart living things if she manages to get to them!

Chains aren't safe even if feet won't get stuck. They're dangerous no matter the size unfortunately, as accidents can and most certainly do happen and they don't require getting a foot stuck. Preventing those accidents from ever happening is the best possible thing for his welfare.
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Old 07-11-2019, 05:05 AM   #49
Artur26
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

Quote:
Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
If I'm being completely honest, even the laziest most wonderful sweet cat is still a cat and needs to be kept away from hamsters and any similar prey species at all times. I can definitely speak from experience having a sweet "gentle" cat, she may be the nicest to humans but happily and quite brutally tears apart living things if she manages to get to them!

Chains aren't safe even if feet won't get stuck. They're dangerous no matter the size unfortunately, as accidents can and most certainly do happen and they don't require getting a foot stuck. Preventing those accidents from ever happening is the best possible thing for his welfare.
Thanks, it is better to be safe than sorry, I will remove them.

Yes, I feel confortable because my cat is incredibly gentle to other pets (dogs and turtle). However I've seen him tearing apart cockroaches or flies..

But he can not absolutely get inside the left cubicle, check the picture. I only worry that the hamster could jump down IF he started putting bedding to create a "ladder" next to the acryclic.. buut thats a bit far fetched I guess.
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Old 07-11-2019, 05:10 AM   #50
Ria P
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Default Re: DIY homemade cage attempt

Simply replace the chains with rope but check them from time to time. My hamster decided to chew through the rope holding his suspended tunnel in place so i replaced it with a thicker one.
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