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Pebbles82 · 07-21-2020, 04:25 PM

It is a great cage. Because it's so large it will need "filling up"with plenty of enrichment - bedding, toys etc.

You have a couple of options regarding the height. One is shelves - although that can end up a bit expensive and needs very careful setting up. A full level is a good option if you can make one, and safer.

The other option is increase the depth of bedding - which effectively reduces the height. To be able to do this you put something round the inside bars - about 2 to 3 " high of cardboard or perspex. Perspex is see through, but can work out expensive and a bit fiddly to fit. Cardboard is easy. That way you can have about 8 to 10" deep bedding - above the height of the base as the cardboard holds it in.

The only issue with that (not really an issue but again needs careful setting up) is that any houses or toys on the substrate can be tunnelled under and can fall on them, so they need supporting underneath.

I looked at the 100cm version of this cage a long time back and looked at all the options for making it safe

.

The cheapest option is deeper bedding with cardboard (or possibly hemp mat) round the inside and just the one shelf for enrichment- as in most cages - somewhere to put a food bowl and to sit under etc. You can have the bedding up to the bottom of the front opening door.

If you go the shelf route you might need to get the shelves cut to size. I got this done for my cage - the Savic Plaza - ranchouse cages sell pine shelves with fittings in various sizes or made to measure. I got one a bit too big and cut a piece off so it fitted. (If you have a saw and someone who can use it!).

For a full level you could just get one piece of quality plywood (eg non toxic birch plywood). You'd need to sort some fittings so it sits in place. And cut an area out of one corner for a ladder or tunnel up to the level.

With either shelves or a full level you'd end up with something looking a bit like the Alexander cage racetrack shelving (I'll link that below) . What some people do with that cage is use the ladder as a fourth joining shelf that sits across the two longer ones at the front. Then you just have a hole in the middle (for a ramp). But you then also need something hanging over that hole in the middle or they can still monkey bar across the roof, fall down the hole and hit the edges of the shelves on the way down. Something like a grass hammock or rat sputnik hanging over it should do the trick. But then it's attached to the top door inside - which is ok as long as the door still opens ok.

This is the shelving in the Alexander cage. You can see the wide ladder which people use to sit across the side shelves at the front.

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...r_cages/174238

The Borneo XL is much taller than the Alexander cage - so you might even want to do a bit of both - deeper substrate and shelves. Or just a full level.

You also need to factor in where the wheel goes as the shelves/full level will reduce the height for a wheel to sit under. My plan when I looked at this was to use a wheel that screws to the bars at the back (the 12" silent runner wheel is ideal for this and it has special bar attachment plates). That way you can have the wheel at any height you want.

So my plan was shelves like the alexander cage at either end. The wheel at the back sat right next to one of the shelves. And a shelf at the back in the space between the wheel and the other end shelf. So basically the wheel cuts into what would have been the back joining shelf and sits above shelf level.

You could probably get away with just having three shelves, like in the Alexander, if you put hemp mat on the shelves right up to the edges - so if they're fallen on they're not hard. And also have deep substrate to cushion any falls and make sure any floor toys are under the shelves so they can't be landed on.

07-21-2020, 04:25 PM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: Pets at home XL cage for Syrian It is a great cage. Because it's so large it will need "filling up"with plenty of enrichment - bedding, toys etc. You have a couple of options regarding the height. One is shelves - although that can end up a bit expensive and needs very careful setting up. A full level is a good option if you can make one, and safer. The other option is increase the depth of bedding - which effectively reduces the height. To be able to do this you put something round the inside bars - about 2 to 3 " high of cardboard or perspex. Perspex is see through, but can work out expensive and a bit fiddly to fit. Cardboard is easy. That way you can have about 8 to 10" deep bedding - above the height of the base as the cardboard holds it in. The only issue with that (not really an issue but again needs careful setting up) is that any houses or toys on the substrate can be tunnelled under and can fall on them, so they need supporting underneath. I looked at the 100cm version of this cage a long time back and looked at all the options for making it safe . The cheapest option is deeper bedding with cardboard (or possibly hemp mat) round the inside and just the one shelf for enrichment- as in most cages - somewhere to put a food bowl and to sit under etc. You can have the bedding up to the bottom of the front opening door. If you go the shelf route you might need to get the shelves cut to size. I got this done for my cage - the Savic Plaza - ranchouse cages sell pine shelves with fittings in various sizes or made to measure. I got one a bit too big and cut a piece off so it fitted. (If you have a saw and someone who can use it!). For a full level you could just get one piece of quality plywood (eg non toxic birch plywood). You'd need to sort some fittings so it sits in place. And cut an area out of one corner for a ladder or tunnel up to the level. With either shelves or a full level you'd end up with something looking a bit like the Alexander cage racetrack shelving (I'll link that below) . What some people do with that cage is use the ladder as a fourth joining shelf that sits across the two longer ones at the front. Then you just have a hole in the middle (for a ramp). But you then also need something hanging over that hole in the middle or they can still monkey bar across the roof, fall down the hole and hit the edges of the shelves on the way down. Something like a grass hammock or rat sputnik hanging over it should do the trick. But then it's attached to the top door inside - which is ok as long as the door still opens ok. This is the shelving in the Alexander cage. You can see the wide ladder which people use to sit across the side shelves at the front. https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...r_cages/174238 The Borneo XL is much taller than the Alexander cage - so you might even want to do a bit of both - deeper substrate and shelves. Or just a full level. You also need to factor in where the wheel goes as the shelves/full level will reduce the height for a wheel to sit under. My plan when I looked at this was to use a wheel that screws to the bars at the back (the 12" silent runner wheel is ideal for this and it has special bar attachment plates). That way you can have the wheel at any height you want. So my plan was shelves like the alexander cage at either end. The wheel at the back sat right next to one of the shelves. And a shelf at the back in the space between the wheel and the other end shelf. So basically the wheel cuts into what would have been the back joining shelf and sits above shelf level. You could probably get away with just having three shelves, like in the Alexander, if you put hemp mat on the shelves right up to the edges - so if they're fallen on they're not hard. And also have deep substrate to cushion any falls and make sure any floor toys are under the shelves so they can't be landed on.