syrian hamster bed

kate30 · 10-22-2019, 01:23 AM

Hi there,

I adopted a syrian last month and have since upgraded the cage to a much bigger one (Savic plaza) which she has settled into well I think. However I kept the small plastic house from her first cage as didn't want to change too much at once and she has always used it for sleeping in and storing food (and still does).

However, I feel it is way too small, has a plastic base which I've read isn't good and think it gets too stuffy and perhaps damp in there as no ventilation.

I am trying to decide the new house to get but confused with what is best, I want it to have a open base and some ventilation so thought the Igloos looked good but don't know if they are dark enough?

I have concerns with wooden house as she does tend to chew on wooden things so would be concerned about splinters/unsafe products. But the separate compartments you can get seem good for storing food?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Kyrkogrimr · 10-22-2019, 02:07 AM

Have you considered making a house out of a cardboard box, if only as a temporary solution while you're making a decision about other materials/styles?

Shannonmcn · 10-22-2019, 03:04 AM

The wooden houses with the separate chambers are the ideal thing to have for nesting. What you currently have (plastic, small, no ventilation) is the other end of the spectrum.

A big cardboard box with a hole, a pre-made wooden hamster house or even just a big pile of bedding under a shelf would all be decent options. I use a small wooden IKEA crate (KNAGGLIG) turned upside down for a nice big nest box. Only one ham has chewed hers but she would have chewed through a brick wall if you'd let her.

kate30 · 10-22-2019, 04:48 AM

Great thank you both for your advice I will look at getting the wooden house with chambers I found then - this is what I am thinking of- https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...n_houses/36374

And in the meantime until it arrives I am pretty sure I will have a cardboard box I can make use of, I just hadn't wanted to unsettle her too much by continuously changing her house and where she is nesting

Thank you!

Shannonmcn · 10-22-2019, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kate30

Great thank you both for your advice I will look at getting the wooden house with chambers I found then - this is what I am thinking of- https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...n_houses/36374

And in the meantime until it arrives I am pretty sure I will have a cardboard box I can make use of, I just hadn't wanted to unsettle her too much by continuously changing her house and where she is nesting

Thank you!

That house is great for dwarfs but one of the entrances is only 5.5cm in diameter so it would be tight for a syrian. You definitely wouldn't want them going through that with full pouches either. Rodipet have a multi-chambered house suitable for syrians, but you pay a lot more for Rodipet stuff.

Kyrkogrimr · 10-22-2019, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kate30

And in the meantime until it arrives I am pretty sure I will have a cardboard box I can make use of, I just hadn't wanted to unsettle her too much by continuously changing her house and where she is nesting

Thank you!

I had the same concern about adding a sand bath when I first got Cadmium and someone on here (sorry, I don't remember who off the top of my head) told me that they tend to be more ok with things being added than moved or removed- and I've found this does consistently hold true with Cadmium. Maybe try adding a cardboard house for now, rather than switching one out for another, and see how she gets on?

kate30 · 10-22-2019, 08:02 AM

Ah ok I hadn't realised about the size of the entrance, I will take a look at the other one.

And yes good idea about adding one for and then she can decide if she wants to go into it or not as a bed while I sort the new one.

Thanks again for the help!

kate30 · 10-22-2019, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kyrkogrimr

I had the same concern about adding a sand bath when I first got Cadmium and someone on here (sorry, I don't remember who off the top of my head) told me that they tend to be more ok with things being added than moved or removed- and I've found this does consistently hold true with Cadmium. Maybe try adding a cardboard house for now, rather than switching one out for another, and see how she gets on?

Also on that note of the sand bath, if she is mainly using it as a toilet am I better off putting different material in there so it can be used as a toilet then trying a separate sandbath as currently having to change the sand super regularly as don't want her sitting or rolling in the dirty sand

Pebbles82 · 10-22-2019, 02:00 PM

I have the Rodipet labyrinth house in the savic plaza

On the legs they sell - it doubles up as another shelf and means they can burrow down inside it. It is expensive though and the two room one linked is fine as well. The Leif house is great but yes the entrances are a bit small for a syrian. You could make the holes bigger and it may be ok depending on how big the syrian is (some grow very big!).

This is the one I have

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

A cheaper option is to get the Ferplast sin rabbit house. It's far too small for a rabbit - just a large wood house. It doesn't have rooms but big enough to fit a litter tray inside and smaller than the Rodipet labyrinth house. It is also quite tall so it works well sat on the base of the cage with substrate piled around the outside and some inside to reduce the inner height and allow for burying hoards. If that makes sense. That also reduces the size of the door which is huge. I had this house before the rodipet one and it worked well. The roof lifts off (for checking inside and emptying the litter tray) and it also makes another shelf with the flat roof. I put a medium sized bendy bridge over the door which makes it darker inside and provides a ramp up to the roof.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-46...1777799&sr=8-1

This is it on the photo below, in the Barney cage. On the first photo it was supported underneath so sits higher. The second photo is the same house in a smaller cage (same size as the Hamster Heaven) and the house was too big for the cage!

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Pebbles82 · 10-22-2019, 02:10 PM

Cheapest option is a shoe box house. It doesn't need supporting underneath as it's light. Cut the base out of a shoe box and a hole at one of the long ends for a door. Keep the lid as a lift off roof. Easily replaceable later as well! I can highly recommend getting a corner litter tray to put inside the house. If they have a large house all ours have moved their toilet corner inside the house - ensuite bathroom, so if you put a litter tray in they should use it. You put chinchilla bathing sand in the litter tray. It's great - cage stays clean and dry and you just lift the roof off the house to empty the litter tray every few days. Put the litter tray at the back at the end nearest the door as they always nest at the end away from the door where it's darker.

A similar option to a shoe box house is this large cardboard hay house. The door is in the middle though but that's ok as you can put a bendy bridge over the door so it's darker inside. It needs pushing down into the substrate as it's quite tall but also light and doesn't need supporting. Plus they like pulling the bits of hay off the inside. Just a tip though, I always freeze these for a week first just in case anything is living in the hay! Doesn't have a lift off roof though. I like houses with a lift off roof as it means you don't have to take the house out so their nest doesn't fall apart (they are very fussy about their nests)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Na...45&sr=8-1&th=1

With a wood house though, you really need to paint at least the inside with plastikote (pet safe water based enamel paint). So it is wipe clean in case of accidents, or it can ruin the house. It works well. This is the Rodipet house in the Savic Plaza (it is supported on the legs they sell for the house).

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