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WildMouse · 06-28-2022, 09:12 AM

Hello, I will finally be able to get my first hamster in September when I move into my new flat! So I am planning out the cage. Ideally I'm looking for a cage under £200. I have an area of roughly 2mx2m for a cage but I can shuffle furniture around. Originally I was planning to build a cage from scratch using acrylic and plywood however I think an IKEA DIY would turn out cheaper.

Here are some ideas I've had so far...
1. Billy bookcase
Buy 2 of the 202x80x28cm Billy bookcases (£40 each). Lay them down on their backs and stack them to create a cage that is 202cm long, 80cm wide and 56cm tall. I might leave a shelf in each book case to create a divider down the cage so that one half has deep bedding and the other half has things like a wheel and sand bath.

2. Pax
Buy 201x100x58cm Pax (£55). Lay it down on its back to create a cage that is 201cm long, 100cm wide and 58cm tall. Again I might leave a shelf in to create a divider. One bonus of the Pax is that you can buy glass shelves for £20. I was wondering if it might be possible to swap one of these for say, the top of the Pax so that I could see into the cage?

3. Plasta
Buy 2 of the 120x80x55cm Plastas (£50 each). Lay them down on their backs and put them end-to-end to create a cage 240cm long, 80cm wide and 55cm tall. I would remove one of the ends of one of them and leave the other as a divider

The hamster will be the only animal so I would like a cage without a lid but this does mean that the cage needs to be quite deep, especially with lots of bedding.

I had intended to paint all the inside surfaces with a few layers of plastikote, however since the tubs are quite small and I would need a few layers I don't think this will be very cost-effective. If anyone can recommend an alternative to Plastikote that would be great

I would like a divider in the cage so that the hamster has a good area of very deep bedding (at least 30cm) but also an area with shallow bedding for wheels, sand bath, water etc so that I don't have to put them all on stilts. Also I think that this way I will be able to give the hamster very deep bedding without having to spend so much on bedding.
In the past when I have built gerbil cages I have connected areas using tubes but I've heard that these aren't good for syrian hamsters. I don't have many tools and am not very DIY savvy so I'd rather not go cutting holes in the divider. I had thought about steps/bridges but there will probably be quite a drop and I wouldn't want the hamster to fall and hurt themself. Does anyone have any ideas on how to let the hamster access both sides? I would also like the hamster to come and go as it pleases for free-range time so I'll need to come up with another removable bridge or something for that.

Also, for anyone that has tried these cages, is the back of the shelves/wardrobe okay as a cage base once painted? Watching assembly videos has made me wonder if they are a bit too floppy and insubstantial.

Finally, one of the big downsides for me with an IKEA cage is only being able to view the hamster from above. If anyone has any ideas on adding a cheap and easy viewing panel that would be superb

To summarize:
1. Any thoughts on the DIYs listed would be appreciated
2. Alternatives to Plastikote?
3. How to provide access for the hamster to both sides of a divider
4. Suitable flooring for the cage
5. DIY window/viewing panel

Thanks so much! I am so excited for my first hamster

06-28-2022, 09:12 AM
WildMouse Newborn Pup Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 14	DIY Cage Ideas Hello, I will finally be able to get my first hamster in September when I move into my new flat! So I am planning out the cage. Ideally I'm looking for a cage under £200. I have an area of roughly 2mx2m for a cage but I can shuffle furniture around. Originally I was planning to build a cage from scratch using acrylic and plywood however I think an IKEA DIY would turn out cheaper. Here are some ideas I've had so far... 1. Billy bookcase Buy 2 of the 202x80x28cm Billy bookcases (£40 each). Lay them down on their backs and stack them to create a cage that is 202cm long, 80cm wide and 56cm tall. I might leave a shelf in each book case to create a divider down the cage so that one half has deep bedding and the other half has things like a wheel and sand bath. 2. Pax Buy 201x100x58cm Pax (£55). Lay it down on its back to create a cage that is 201cm long, 100cm wide and 58cm tall. Again I might leave a shelf in to create a divider. One bonus of the Pax is that you can buy glass shelves for £20. I was wondering if it might be possible to swap one of these for say, the top of the Pax so that I could see into the cage? 3. Plasta Buy 2 of the 120x80x55cm Plastas (£50 each). Lay them down on their backs and put them end-to-end to create a cage 240cm long, 80cm wide and 55cm tall. I would remove one of the ends of one of them and leave the other as a divider The hamster will be the only animal so I would like a cage without a lid but this does mean that the cage needs to be quite deep, especially with lots of bedding. I had intended to paint all the inside surfaces with a few layers of plastikote, however since the tubs are quite small and I would need a few layers I don't think this will be very cost-effective. If anyone can recommend an alternative to Plastikote that would be great I would like a divider in the cage so that the hamster has a good area of very deep bedding (at least 30cm) but also an area with shallow bedding for wheels, sand bath, water etc so that I don't have to put them all on stilts. Also I think that this way I will be able to give the hamster very deep bedding without having to spend so much on bedding. In the past when I have built gerbil cages I have connected areas using tubes but I've heard that these aren't good for syrian hamsters. I don't have many tools and am not very DIY savvy so I'd rather not go cutting holes in the divider. I had thought about steps/bridges but there will probably be quite a drop and I wouldn't want the hamster to fall and hurt themself. Does anyone have any ideas on how to let the hamster access both sides? I would also like the hamster to come and go as it pleases for free-range time so I'll need to come up with another removable bridge or something for that. Also, for anyone that has tried these cages, is the back of the shelves/wardrobe okay as a cage base once painted? Watching assembly videos has made me wonder if they are a bit too floppy and insubstantial. Finally, one of the big downsides for me with an IKEA cage is only being able to view the hamster from above. If anyone has any ideas on adding a cheap and easy viewing panel that would be superb To summarize: 1. Any thoughts on the DIYs listed would be appreciated 2. Alternatives to Plastikote? 3. How to provide access for the hamster to both sides of a divider 4. Suitable flooring for the cage 5. DIY window/viewing panel Thanks so much! I am so excited for my first hamster