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Old 09-28-2019, 02:57 AM   #1
TBurns1327
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Default Shelving/ladders for dwarf hamsters

Hi everyone,

We adopted our first dwarf hamster yesterday, and currently have him housed in a Savic Mickey 2XL cage (we adopted from the RSPCA and it was the only cage large enough with small enough bars to suit requirements!)

We want to change out the wire platform and ladder, however are struggling to find the best replacement ladder/platform combo that still work for a dwarf. The plastic base is quite deep and we’re struggling to find any ladder/ramp type toys that don’t need to be attached to the wire bars to help him get up to a second level. If we attach his bottle to the wire it’s too high up for him to reach without some sort of platform/stand arrangement underneath, does anyone have any tips for us? We were thinking a small wood bridge type thing underneath initially but would like him to have the option of a second platform level still if possible.

Thanks
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Old 09-28-2019, 04:27 AM   #2
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Shelving/ladders for dwarf hamsters

I would recommend staying away from ladders. Solid ramps made from safe materials are much safer, while the barred ladders(such as parrot ladders) or ladders with any kind of holes or gaps(even at the tops of ladders) can cause injuries.
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Old 09-28-2019, 02:38 PM   #3
keiraxblackburn
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Default Re: Shelving/ladders for dwarf hamsters

you could possibly make your own either by lollypop sticks or simply a piece of wood and wooden poles . its advisable you may instead of ladders get a bendy bridge (there are long ones available on amazon and zooplus)as there are no gaps for your hamster to get caught in these also make a great chew toy! you may want to do this either sides of the cage.you could also look on amazon for ledges that attach to wire bars either for small pets or even birds. just avoid ones with gaps (very small 0.5) cm ones ect will be suitable though. hope this helped
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Old 09-28-2019, 05:14 PM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Shelving/ladders for dwarf hamsters

It's a great cage - I have it. It sounds like you need more substrate in it. 3 to 4" deep is the minimum recommended, but 5 to 6" would be better - especially for a dwarf hamster as it means less height to fall from if they climb to the top and more to dig in.

The beauty of the narrow bars is the substrate doesn't fall out if you fill the base It might sound like a lot of substrate - and it will use a lot, but the more you have, the less often you need to do clean outs - and that's better for the hamster as cleanouts can stress them as it removes all their familiar scent. Instead you can "spot clean" - ie take out the odd handful of soiled substrate and replace it with a new handful and mix it in a bit. The bottom half should stay clean and dry mostly. With spot cleaning you can easily go 6 to 8 weeks or more in a large cage, before needing to change the substrate.

So if you fill the base, the water bottle shouldn't be too high. It's still good to have a shelf though as they like some overhead cover. Ranchhouse cages on ebay make some good shelves and they come with the fittings, washers etc to attach them to the bars.

The coloured bendy bridges they do are good too, as they can screw to the bars to make a ramp. Bendy bridges are good toys generally - they can make a ramp or tunnel.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_s...Shelf&_sacat=0

I also used a flat roofed house as a house/nesting box/shelf in that cage.

This house is good - it fits together like a jigsaw so no nails or glue, and it means the roof can be lifted off to check inside, so you don't need to take the house out (stops their nest falling apart). It's called a guinea pig house but far too small for a guinea pig and a good size for a nesting box/shelf for a hamster.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-Gu...y&sr=8-2-fkmr0

This was my set up in that cage for our robo. The last photo was the set up for our Syrian (so wheel is larger).

Attachment 49075

Attachment 49076

Attachment 49077

Last edited by Pebbles82; 11-27-2022 at 06:46 PM.
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Old 09-29-2019, 02:54 AM   #5
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: Shelving/ladders for dwarf hamsters

I'm not quite sure what you are after, but have you looked at trixie wooden shelves, I have 2 that I stagger over each other in my cages and then I use bendy bridges and the top of my hamster houses for my hamsters to get to them. I need to sort out my photos so I can;t attach one at the moment, but I have a video on it if that helps. You may need to saw off the tinniest little bit on one corner of the shelves for it to fit into the cage. I'm not sure how wide the bars are in the cage you have, so you may need to check that the shelf attachments (screw things) would fit - I think they are abut 0.5 cm thick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR5Sav8YuXQ&t=234s
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:02 AM   #6
TBurns1327
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Default Re: Shelving/ladders for dwarf hamsters

Quote:
Originally Posted by LunaTheHamster1 View Post
I'm not quite sure what you are after, but have you looked at trixie wooden shelves, I have 2 that I stagger over each other in my cages and then I use bendy bridges and the top of my hamster houses for my hamsters to get to them. I need to sort out my photos so I can;t attach one at the moment, but I have a video on it if that helps. You may need to saw off the tinniest little bit on one corner of the shelves for it to fit into the cage. I'm not sure how wide the bars are in the cage you have, so you may need to check that the shelf attachments (screw things) would fit - I think they are abut 0.5 cm thick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR5Sav8YuXQ&t=234s
Thanks both, Serendipity7000 looking at your photos we definitely need a bit more substrate.

LunaTheHamster1 do you attach the bendy bridge to anything on your shelves or just let it rest on them? We were a little worried that if we didn’t attach it to the wire at both ends it might collapse or move when Dallas stood on it, so weren’t sure how to use a bridge between shelves without wire. Are we just being worried first time parents?
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Old 09-29-2019, 04:55 AM   #7
LunaTheHamster1
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Default Re: Shelving/ladders for dwarf hamsters

Quote:
Originally Posted by TBurns1327 View Post

LunaTheHamster1 do you attach the bendy bridge to anything on your shelves or just let it rest on them? We were a little worried that if we didn’t attach it to the wire at both ends it might collapse or move when Dallas stood on it, so weren’t sure how to use a bridge between shelves without wire. Are we just being worried first time parents?
I bend it so it hooks in to the higher shelf. As always, whenever I set up a cage I always watch what my hamsters do, just to make sure everything is safe and doesn't need moving/adjusting. You can try it, watch and if you aren't happy take it out.
If you were really worried, you could always get some safe string such as jute or sissal and tie it around the bendy bridge in a couple of places and tie it to the side of the cage. Just make sure it's safe for your hammies little feet. I imagine the string should be thin enough to slip thru the individual pieces.
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