Hamster cage

[Cocothesyrian]

Right now i have double the recommended size for my Syrian hamster but recently she has started monkey climbing and chewing everything I'm assuming that she isn't happy with the size of the cage anymore, i currently have two bin cages connected with a tube but I'm considering buying a guinea pig cage if i can get one just wondering if anyone uses guinea pig cages and can help me with which ones are best? or have any other ideas i don't have room to connect another bin cage and all the hamster cages i can see aren't big enough
How big is the one from ikea and is it any good? the detolf i think

Thanks in advance

[AmityvilleHams]

Two bins connected with a tube isn't giving twice the floor space.That could be part of your problem,but still might not be a complete fix even with both bins directly connected to each other.

The Detolf is very long but narrow,in fact for a Syrian it's narrow enough to not be that great of a cage The Lack as mentioned in another thread would be great,but only using 4 tables instead of two to get a square meter cage.

You could mesh a very large guinea pig cage that is a square meter in floor space as well,which has its own pros and cons.It would require less tools potentially(depending on if you can get melamine cut in store and other things)but overall it would be a perfectly suitable option if done well!

If Little Pet Warehouse ever loads properly I can get a link,but they sell a 100 cm x 100 cm cage for guinea pigs which would be ideal

[Drago]

Like amity said, bins connected via tubes do not add actual floorspace since hamsters need to change motions/stop to make it to the other area. You could try attaching the two bins by cutting out a side panel on each and then zip tie the two bins to each other. I'd try doing this and adding some more stimulating toys first and see if this improves the situation at all. If, after several weeks, the behavior continues or worsens despite the changes, then I would invest in something like a meshed guinea pig/rabbit cage or a detolf

[AmityvilleHams]

Indoor Square Cage Rabbit & Guinea Pig by Little Friends - Little Pet Warehouse

Much better than a Detolf once meshed Yes it will cost more than a Detolf,but that's not considering how much space you get for the money(or the lid a Detolf needs to have made anyways,so mesh is an irrelevant cost to begin with).You'd probably end up paying £50+ with wood included,not even considering mesh,for the Detolf.That's without factoring in a stand(or mesh as previously stated)while the guinea pig cage mentioned could technically be used without a stand(therefore still saving money and providing more space).

The size difference is massive too,given 1,074ish vs 1,550.You can add so much more enrichment with that extra space,which is crucial(but not enough without a large enough cage combined,neither are good enough alone).

[Cocothesyrian]

Thank you! that cage looks so big that definitely a possiblitly my hammy loves chewing on bars though :\

[Cocothesyrian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy-GKabRQdY

Just saw this on youtube wondering if this would be a decent size for a syrian

[AmityvilleHams]

The Lack as mentioned in a previous thread would work too You could probably use 4 more Lack units as a stand as well to keep the cost low!Just make the 4-unit square shaped version with solid sides(melamine sheet,cut to size for each side except the front)and acrylic/perspex as the front.Search for local sources of perspex,and find the best possible value.It just requires a good drill to attach the perspex to the front(aquarium sealant will not work with perspex,it doesn't bond properly and will just fall apart)but other than that if you get materials cut for you it's not much work.

Do invest in aquarium sealant but only use it for the edges/corners to waterproof.It won't do any good to hold the front together,but it would probably be fine to also make a sealant border near the edge of the perspex where it meets the edges of the Lack tables.

The Billy is a bad idea for Syrians,it just isn't big enough or tall enough.Even if you wanted to use four units(which would make it more appropriate in floor space)it wouldn't have enough height for a proper wheel.