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Otaku · 11-17-2019, 08:10 AM

After a 5 year hiatus I have decided to get another hamster. I had gotten rid of my old cages, with the exception of my Tom Rat Cage (measuring 80H x 80W x 50D).
I think the Savic Plaza is a fantastic cage, but I don't have space for the length of the cage, which is why I am going to adapt the Tom Rat cage to make it safe and suitable to house a Syrian. (I live with my parents in a bungalow - I don't want the cage on the floor because I don't want the hamster disturbed by footfall and also because it is colder on the floor. My room has 3 exterior walls, which again are colder so I have only one wall for the cage to sit which shares wall space with other furniture.)

The first thing is shelves. I have drawn a blueprint for my father to cut 6 shelves of varying shapes and sizes, to be placed every 10cms after the first at 20cms up (the base is 15cms deep). I have seen threads discussing woods for custom made shelves, but my dad (a window installer) said he has lots of plastic from which he can make the shelves. Plastic is smooth and doesn't have any grip so does anyone have any suggestions of materials I could line the shelves with? Or do you think I should use wood instead?
I will use large rat/ferret/chinchilla tubes, wooden bendy bridges (covered to protect tiny toes), and a ladder to go between levels and to fill gaps to ensure any falls are no more than 20cms. Hammocks will serve as safety nets (I used to make hammocks out of tea towels for my rats as they can cover larger areas) and other accessories will furnish the cage for enrichment.

Substrate is the next issue as I am still undecided. Kaytee Clean & Cosy is very popular but the health warning (that is contains chemicals known to cause cancer) is worrying, especially as the cage is within a foot of my pillow (I'm not worried about the hamster as their lifespan is too short for them to develop cancer related to these chemicals). The pros are that the white colour means I can spot soiled bedding and it's supposed to be great for burrowing.
Fitch is also recommended in this forum though less popular, so I'm just hoping my forum members can assure me that Kaytee is the better choice or to go with Fitch considering the close proximity of the cage with my bed.
I plan to purchase Ikea's 11ltr Samla box with lid to attach to the side of the cage, upright, as a makeshift burrow tower. Holes will be cut into the lid for entry/exit points, along with the removal of the top end (entirely) to ensure adequate ventilation. For the burrow box I was thinking of Hugro hemp because it is supposed to be great for burrowing and provides variety. Does this sound ok? Should I buy some soft hay or mix with another substrate to help keep the form of the burrow?

I was thinking of using chinchilla sand in the litter tray so the hamster had access should it wish to enjoy a sand bath, but I was curious. What’s it like for odour control when soiled?

Any suggestions, advice, or recommendations would be most welcome. (^_^)

11-17-2019, 08:10 AM
Otaku Hamster Pup Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 125	Customised adaptions to cage After a 5 year hiatus I have decided to get another hamster. I had gotten rid of my old cages, with the exception of my Tom Rat Cage (measuring 80H x 80W x 50D). I think the Savic Plaza is a fantastic cage, but I don't have space for the length of the cage, which is why I am going to adapt the Tom Rat cage to make it safe and suitable to house a Syrian. (I live with my parents in a bungalow - I don't want the cage on the floor because I don't want the hamster disturbed by footfall and also because it is colder on the floor. My room has 3 exterior walls, which again are colder so I have only one wall for the cage to sit which shares wall space with other furniture.) The first thing is shelves. I have drawn a blueprint for my father to cut 6 shelves of varying shapes and sizes, to be placed every 10cms after the first at 20cms up (the base is 15cms deep). I have seen threads discussing woods for custom made shelves, but my dad (a window installer) said he has lots of plastic from which he can make the shelves. Plastic is smooth and doesn't have any grip so does anyone have any suggestions of materials I could line the shelves with? Or do you think I should use wood instead? I will use large rat/ferret/chinchilla tubes, wooden bendy bridges (covered to protect tiny toes), and a ladder to go between levels and to fill gaps to ensure any falls are no more than 20cms. Hammocks will serve as safety nets (I used to make hammocks out of tea towels for my rats as they can cover larger areas) and other accessories will furnish the cage for enrichment. Substrate is the next issue as I am still undecided. Kaytee Clean & Cosy is very popular but the health warning (that is contains chemicals known to cause cancer) is worrying, especially as the cage is within a foot of my pillow (I'm not worried about the hamster as their lifespan is too short for them to develop cancer related to these chemicals). The pros are that the white colour means I can spot soiled bedding and it's supposed to be great for burrowing. Fitch is also recommended in this forum though less popular, so I'm just hoping my forum members can assure me that Kaytee is the better choice or to go with Fitch considering the close proximity of the cage with my bed. I plan to purchase Ikea's 11ltr Samla box with lid to attach to the side of the cage, upright, as a makeshift burrow tower. Holes will be cut into the lid for entry/exit points, along with the removal of the top end (entirely) to ensure adequate ventilation. For the burrow box I was thinking of Hugro hemp because it is supposed to be great for burrowing and provides variety. Does this sound ok? Should I buy some soft hay or mix with another substrate to help keep the form of the burrow? I was thinking of using chinchilla sand in the litter tray so the hamster had access should it wish to enjoy a sand bath, but I was curious. What’s it like for odour control when soiled? Any suggestions, advice, or recommendations would be most welcome. (^_^)