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Pebbles82 · 07-24-2016, 12:57 AM

Hi again

Yes the top cage has a small floor area and is far too tall unfortunately and risky. Height can be got round by making a full level but they are much better with a lower cage with a lot more floor area - around 30 to 36" wide by about 20" deep or larger. The second one is better but really is a bit small - especially depthwise. It's really hard to find good sized cages in the US - there are two I know of but they're not cheap. The best of the two, and least expensive is probably the Marchioro Goran - and it is a great cage with a big front opening door. It is good for a Syrian but not a dwarf hamster due to the bar spacing. I saved this link as it was the cheapest place to buy it. It has become very expensive on Amazon and Dr Foster and Smith no longer stock it. It's still about $125 from here though, which isn't cheap.

MARCHIORO GORAN RAT CAGE | Sundown Supply Company

The other one is the Mickey 2 X-Large. I had this cage for our Syrian - but it costs even more at $145 and to be honest it is better for a dwarf hamster than a Syrian - I found it only just big enough as it is quite low for fitting a Syrian sized wheel in (although an 11" wodent wheel fits). Of the two the Goran is a better choice for a Syrian and the Mickey 2XL for a dwarf hammy.

https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Animal-...vic+Mickey+2XL

Both have great access with a very large front opening door - particularly the Goran which also comes with an excellent rat tube which is a good toy for a syrian (hamster tubes tend to be too small for syrians and large syrians can get stuck in them).

Other options are the detolf, mentioned above - it costs $69.99

DETOLF Glass-door cabinet - black-brown - IKEA

It does need a lid making though. You tip it on it's side without the glass door added, so it makes a tank, but they are not escapeproof without a lid - hamsters can scale wheels, water bottles and all sorts to escape (or just build a mountain of substrate in one corner and climb out!) Most people make two lids rather than one big one, as it's easier to take them on and off and more flexible that way (sometimes you only need to access one half of it). It is a cheap option for a large glass tank style. But if Petco have a $ a gallon sale on it would be cheaper to buy a $40 gallon breeder tank. You can buy a Zilla lid to fit this so no diy (they aren't too expensive). There are a number of tutorials that show how to make a detolf lid without needing lots of diy skills or tools. A few tacks and a stapler and hammer would do. You get pieces of wood cut to size at a hardware store, tack or screw them together with corner joints, get 1cm square mesh cut to size and staple it onto the wood frame. Here are some examples

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=de...GCAX8Q_AUIBigB

Another US member also mentioned this option from Petsmart - the 36" All Living Things reptile terrarium (there are two sizes - the 36" one is just right - the other is too small). It costs $91.99 but does come with a lid that is meshed, which is good. It probably needs buying in store as it says out of stock for delivery every time I look.

All Living Things

There are some storage bins big enough for making a bin cage for a Syrian but they're not easy to find sometimes.

This Sterilite bin is a good size, and would make a good bin cage for a dwarf hamster, but at only 13" tall it would be a bit low for a Syrian as an 11" wheel might not fit easily and you'd be limited to how much depth of substrate you could fit in - they need 4 to 6" ideally but the deeper the better. You can see why bin cages are popular! It's cheap! You just need to buy some mesh and cable ties and there are lots of bin cage tutorials. Cutting the bin is the hard bit - I think people use hot knives or soldering irons.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterilite...8604/204725029

Ikea also do this large Samla bin. Which is taller, but slopes in a lot so the floor area isn't really big enough for a Syrian in my opinion. Again this is a good option for a dwarf hamster though and lots of height for deep bedding. It might just be ok for a Syrian but as their wheels and toys are bigger I think it could be a bit cramped really and they need a bit more floor space - you'd probably need lower substrate to fit a syrian sized wheel in. There are much better options for a Syrian (although not as cheap).

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90102971/

You can also sometimes get Christmas Tree bins which are quite long, but not always wide enough. Not sure where you would find those.

Anyway - something to be going on with there! Another, cheaper, cage option, can be to buy something like a guinea pig or ferret cage and mesh the whole cage (they have large bar spacing that a Syrian can escape from) but that isn't an easy job! In my opinion anyway. Easier to make a lid for a detolf or a bin cage.

If the Marchioro Goran cage is affordable it is a brilliant cage and you wouldn't be wanting to upgrade to something bigger as it's a good size, but not as massive or heavy as a 40 gallon tank. And if you don't want any diy. If you don't mind a bit of diy and have space for a detolf that might be a good cheaper option. At a push, the sterilite bin would be ok if you make sure the mesh panels are quite high up to leave enough space for substrate, and have the wheel on the floor of the bin with low substrate at that end. But I think the only wheel that will fit will be the 11" wodent wheel - which is a good wheel for a Syrian unless you end up with a very large syrian! Which until they are fully grown you don't know - large ones sometimes need a 12" wheel. The 11" wodent wheel stands about 12.3" tall on its stand so might fit - but the lid will take up about an inch of the height so it might not work. I think really that isn't an option for a Syrian after all.

Unless you can find a really big bin, it looks like the options for a Syrian are, tank, cage or detolf.

This one is a bit cheaper at $83 - the floor area is a good size but it is very tall (designed for ferrets) with dangerous fall risks. If you could make two full levels for it (ie a piece of wood to cover the whole size of the cage with a cut out for ladder access) then it could be good, but apart from the diy that then adds to the cost in materials. Bar spacing is ok for a Syrian though so no meshing required.

https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Habita...ds=ferret+cage

Personally I would get the Goran - if you can afford it - or a detolf.

07-24-2016, 12:57 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Deciding on a cage Hi again Yes the top cage has a small floor area and is far too tall unfortunately and risky. Height can be got round by making a full level but they are much better with a lower cage with a lot more floor area - around 30 to 36" wide by about 20" deep or larger. The second one is better but really is a bit small - especially depthwise. It's really hard to find good sized cages in the US - there are two I know of but they're not cheap. The best of the two, and least expensive is probably the Marchioro Goran - and it is a great cage with a big front opening door. It is good for a Syrian but not a dwarf hamster due to the bar spacing. I saved this link as it was the cheapest place to buy it. It has become very expensive on Amazon and Dr Foster and Smith no longer stock it. It's still about $125 from here though, which isn't cheap. MARCHIORO GORAN RAT CAGE \| Sundown Supply Company The other one is the Mickey 2 X-Large. I had this cage for our Syrian - but it costs even more at $145 and to be honest it is better for a dwarf hamster than a Syrian - I found it only just big enough as it is quite low for fitting a Syrian sized wheel in (although an 11" wodent wheel fits). Of the two the Goran is a better choice for a Syrian and the Mickey 2XL for a dwarf hammy. https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Animal-...vic+Mickey+2XL Both have great access with a very large front opening door - particularly the Goran which also comes with an excellent rat tube which is a good toy for a syrian (hamster tubes tend to be too small for syrians and large syrians can get stuck in them). Other options are the detolf, mentioned above - it costs $69.99 DETOLF Glass-door cabinet - black-brown - IKEA It does need a lid making though. You tip it on it's side without the glass door added, so it makes a tank, but they are not escapeproof without a lid - hamsters can scale wheels, water bottles and all sorts to escape (or just build a mountain of substrate in one corner and climb out!) Most people make two lids rather than one big one, as it's easier to take them on and off and more flexible that way (sometimes you only need to access one half of it). It is a cheap option for a large glass tank style. But if Petco have a $ a gallon sale on it would be cheaper to buy a $40 gallon breeder tank. You can buy a Zilla lid to fit this so no diy (they aren't too expensive). There are a number of tutorials that show how to make a detolf lid without needing lots of diy skills or tools. A few tacks and a stapler and hammer would do. You get pieces of wood cut to size at a hardware store, tack or screw them together with corner joints, get 1cm square mesh cut to size and staple it onto the wood frame. Here are some examples https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=de...GCAX8Q_AUIBigB Another US member also mentioned this option from Petsmart - the 36" All Living Things reptile terrarium (there are two sizes - the 36" one is just right - the other is too small). It costs $91.99 but does come with a lid that is meshed, which is good. It probably needs buying in store as it says out of stock for delivery every time I look. All Living Things There are some storage bins big enough for making a bin cage for a Syrian but they're not easy to find sometimes. This Sterilite bin is a good size, and would make a good bin cage for a dwarf hamster, but at only 13" tall it would be a bit low for a Syrian as an 11" wheel might not fit easily and you'd be limited to how much depth of substrate you could fit in - they need 4 to 6" ideally but the deeper the better. You can see why bin cages are popular! It's cheap! You just need to buy some mesh and cable ties and there are lots of bin cage tutorials. Cutting the bin is the hard bit - I think people use hot knives or soldering irons. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sterilite...8604/204725029 Ikea also do this large Samla bin. Which is taller, but slopes in a lot so the floor area isn't really big enough for a Syrian in my opinion. Again this is a good option for a dwarf hamster though and lots of height for deep bedding. It might just be ok for a Syrian but as their wheels and toys are bigger I think it could be a bit cramped really and they need a bit more floor space - you'd probably need lower substrate to fit a syrian sized wheel in. There are much better options for a Syrian (although not as cheap). http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90102971/ You can also sometimes get Christmas Tree bins which are quite long, but not always wide enough. Not sure where you would find those. Anyway - something to be going on with there! Another, cheaper, cage option, can be to buy something like a guinea pig or ferret cage and mesh the whole cage (they have large bar spacing that a Syrian can escape from) but that isn't an easy job! In my opinion anyway. Easier to make a lid for a detolf or a bin cage. If the Marchioro Goran cage is affordable it is a brilliant cage and you wouldn't be wanting to upgrade to something bigger as it's a good size, but not as massive or heavy as a 40 gallon tank. And if you don't want any diy. If you don't mind a bit of diy and have space for a detolf that might be a good cheaper option. At a push, the sterilite bin would be ok if you make sure the mesh panels are quite high up to leave enough space for substrate, and have the wheel on the floor of the bin with low substrate at that end. But I think the only wheel that will fit will be the 11" wodent wheel - which is a good wheel for a Syrian unless you end up with a very large syrian! Which until they are fully grown you don't know - large ones sometimes need a 12" wheel. The 11" wodent wheel stands about 12.3" tall on its stand so might fit - but the lid will take up about an inch of the height so it might not work. I think really that isn't an option for a Syrian after all. Unless you can find a really big bin, it looks like the options for a Syrian are, tank, cage or detolf. This one is a bit cheaper at $83 - the floor area is a good size but it is very tall (designed for ferrets) with dangerous fall risks. If you could make two full levels for it (ie a piece of wood to cover the whole size of the cage with a cut out for ladder access) then it could be good, but apart from the diy that then adds to the cost in materials. Bar spacing is ok for a Syrian though so no meshing required. https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Habita...ds=ferret+cage Personally I would get the Goran - if you can afford it - or a detolf. Last edited by Pebbles82; 07-24-2016 at 01:13 AM.