New cage plans - advice needed

Lau · 08-09-2019, 04:42 AM

Hi!
I was planning on setting up a cage for a hamster I'll be getting in the next couple of months.
So far I have this much planned out:
- CAGE: It'll be a Ferplast Plaza 140 or 160, probably the later, which I plan on covering with mesh to make it hamster appropiate.
The issue I have with this is how to properly mesh it, without sharp edges. Everywhere I look it says you have to mesh too spaced bars but not how to do so.

- BEDDING. I was looking into Hemparade because it's so cheap and looks safe, but I read that it's sharp and unsuitable to use alone. Does any of you have any experience with it?
My plan B was mixing it with Rodipet.co.uk birch bedding so it's softer but I live in Spain and the shipping fees are quite high (10 euros) so I would have to bulk buy.

- FOOD: I was thinking of the Rodipet Junior Syrian mix and supplementing it with crickets, grasshoppers, timothy hay and fresh veggies and fruits. By itself it lacks in protein and fiber but mixing the other stuff I believe it'll be balanced and it looks really natural.
I wanted to scatter feed, so that it has some more fun, and putting in some millet/oat sprays around.

- WHEEL: The Trixie Wheel 28cm. I would love the CSE wheel but shipping is 35 euros

We don't have much variety around here, is the Trixie silent or does it rattle a lot?

- SAND BATH: I wasn't thinking of a masive area, just something big enough to have a hideout with no base so he can pee comfortably and an area he can dig and roll around. I can't find play sand, is filter sand like the one sold in Leroy Merlin good? Otherwise I could buy chinchilla sand but it's way more expensive so I couldn't change it as often. Also, I have easy access to beach sand, which I use for my aquariums and have never had any issue with.

- SOIL AREA: I would give a 50*30cm area, about 25 cm deep, with peat from rodipet. How often should this be changed?

I would really thank feedback on these plans

alpacassei · 08-09-2019, 08:27 AM

Ikve never meshed a full cage or used the substrates you’re loooking at but hopefully someone can comment soon with advice about that. I use Kaytee Clean and Cozy though, which can be expensive but usuall yonline there are good deals for the larger sized bags and with a large cage you wont be doing clean outs often amyway, just spot cleaning small areas as needed.

The food you’ve chosen is good, I’ve found not all Syrians like insects though but mine love freeze dried chicken (sold as cat treats) which is also a good protein source. Dried herb and flower mixes are also more likely to be eaten than hay, though hay can still be used in the cages for a more natural environment. As well as millet and oat sprays, I recommend buying sorghum/dari and flax sprays as my hammies love both and it gives more variety.

The wooden trixie wheel is silent but the plastic one is quite noisy tbh.

I use childrens play sand for my hamsters but as long as its properly cleaned and seived through beach sand should be okay.

For both the sand and soil areas, just regularly check them and remove soiled parts as needed.

Lau · 08-10-2019, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpacassei

Ikve never meshed a full cage or used the substrates you’re loooking at but hopefully someone can comment soon with advice about that. I use Kaytee Clean and Cozy though, which can be expensive but usuall yonline there are good deals for the larger sized bags and with a large cage you wont be doing clean outs often amyway, just spot cleaning small areas as needed.

The food you’ve chosen is good, I’ve found not all Syrians like insects though but mine love freeze dried chicken (sold as cat treats) which is also a good protein source. Dried herb and flower mixes are also more likely to be eaten than hay, though hay can still be used in the cages for a more natural environment. As well as millet and oat sprays, I recommend buying sorghum/dari and flax sprays as my hammies love both and it gives more variety.

The wooden trixie wheel is silent but the plastic one is quite noisy tbh.

I use childrens play sand for my hamsters but as long as its properly cleaned and seived through beach sand should be okay.

For both the sand and soil areas, just regularly check them and remove soiled parts as needed.

Hi!
Thank you so much for your reply <3
The Trixie wooden wheel has to be varnished, right?
I had no idea about freeze dried chicken! I intended to supplement with fresh cheese (Burgos style, no salt cheese), boiled eggs and some boiled chicken so that he wouldn't get bored of insects. I'll look into it, hopefully we have those treats in Spain

Schwartzie · 08-10-2019, 04:21 AM

Hi there...I bought a rabbit cage and successfully meshed it over. Go look on Ragna cage setup thread and there is a picture there.

We chose chicken mesh that was very bendy and pliable. We used cable ties and literally took it, unwound it and laid it over the cage and fixed it on. We then cut along where the doors were.

Schwartzie · 08-10-2019, 04:26 AM

If you are going to use the wooden one make sure you seal it first with plastikote or something similar that isn’t harmful to hamsters. My hamster peed on his and it wasn’t sealed...nightmare!

I use megazorb and Fitch..I live in Saudi Arabia at the moment and it’s the cheapest shipping wise. I use chinchilla sand not powder and Ragna is fine. I would have a base though in case the hamster pees in it. It will be difficult to scoop out of no base.

With regard to food...I google hamster nutrition, variety and quantity and chose the hamster hideout link. It gives you a breakdown of all the food.

My thread Road to Ragna and Ragna cage setup is filled with things I learnt before I got a hamster. This forum is rich with resources and hamster owners who can help you.

Bosse_Hamsterdam · 08-13-2019, 04:51 AM

I have the Trixie 28 cm plastic wheel and I think it's really quiet, at least so far (I've had my hamster for 2 weeks).

For a sand bath I use the Ikea MIXTUR, it's cheap and works well.

Lau · 08-17-2019, 03:55 PM

Hi! Sorry for taking so long to reply, I'm in the middle of a trip and a bit offline.
Ragna's cage looks awesome!! The meshing is just what i wanted to do to Tomate's cage. In the end, I've bought a 160 x 60 cm cage, I''ll mesh it over the next week, once I get the mesh shiped home

In the end I decided to get a CSE wheel. It was about 60 euros with the shipping but if it lasts years I feel it's a good inversion.
I bought reptile sand just because I have limited space in my room, so I couldn't fit a too large bag, in addition to the bedding, food, herbs...
I got quite a variety of herbs, I hope he likes them. Do I have to introduce them slowly to avoid diarrhea or that's only with fresh veggies?
I managed to find freeze dried chicken with no additives at a great price!! I'm super happy

I aldo got some hides, although I'll be DIYing some more toys and slowly buying more stuff for his cage
Is there anything I might be forgetting?

Pebbles82 · 08-18-2019, 08:21 AM

Sounds great

With a cage that size you will need plenty of floor toys so there isn’t too much open space. I really like the large cork logs that Rodipet sell - two might be good. I get the ones that are open underneath and in the largest size so they make an interesting thing to climb over as well as to run through. They also make a good ramp up to a shelf if wedges under it or next to it. I find Syrians aren’t too bothered about a sand bath but I use sand in a litter tray and they will use a litter tray (and maybe sit in it for a wash as well). The corner litter trays are good. Then the cage stays clean and dry longer and you just empty the litter tray every few days. The trick is to wait to see where the hamster chooses to have a toilet area then spot clean that area and pop the litter tray there. Putting a tiny bit of the peed on substrate on top of the sand first time encourages them to use it.

Pebbles82 · 08-18-2019, 08:23 AM

I would also recommend a shelf or platform or two in a large cage. They like the security of a shelf to sit under and also it’s somewhere else to go on the shelf and a good place to put heavier ceramic items so they don’t get tunnelled under and squash them. If

Schwartzie · 08-18-2019, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lau

Hi! Sorry for taking so long to reply, I'm in the middle of a trip and a bit offline.
Ragna's cage looks awesome!! The meshing is just what i wanted to do to Tomate's cage. In the end, I've bought a 160 x 60 cm cage, I''ll mesh it over the next week, once I get the mesh shiped home

In the end I decided to get a CSE wheel. It was about 60 euros with the shipping but if it lasts years I feel it's a good inversion.
I bought reptile sand just because I have limited space in my room, so I couldn't fit a too large bag, in addition to the bedding, food, herbs...
I got quite a variety of herbs, I hope he likes them. Do I have to introduce them slowly to avoid diarrhea or that's only with fresh veggies?
I managed to find freeze dried chicken with no additives at a great price!! I'm super happy

I aldo got some hides, although I'll be DIYing some more toys and slowly buying more stuff for his cage
Is there anything I might be forgetting?

Snap! My new cage for Ragna is 165cmx50cmx50cm.

Serendipity is right...the open spaces need to be filled with all sorts of climbing things and hideouts to make him feel ok with wondering out.

I might suggest wearing gloves when you work with the mesh. Also, this is probably common knowledge to you but it took me a couple of cable ties to cotton on...make sure the head of the cable tie faces out so your little one doesn’t form a hobby of eating them off...lol!

Please take pics as you go...I adore all things cages, layout and decor! I will post pictures tomorrow on Ragna’s cage setup of the first stages.

I was deeply disappointed when I saw that the knuff magazine rack from ikea isn’t stocked in the city I am...very irritating. Those kind of things would work well with large cages. You cut off the one side and lay it that way down to create a nifty platform. Will have to figure something else out.