What's The Best Cage For A Syrian?

[Sean]

Hello There!
Im new to the forum and preparing to get my first hamster. I would like to get a syrian, as i have read they are ideal for beginners. I have also read that they need a big cage and hamster wheel due to their large size, but im only 15 so im on a budget :| I have around £50 to get a hamster and cage.
I know some people don't agree on getting pet shop hamsters for a whole manner of reasons, so is there a way i find find breeders near me? or does anyone on here have a litter of pups, [Is pups the right word lol :P ] that needs a home?
Anyway back on topic, can anyone suggest to me a good size cage in my budget that would suit a syrian hamster?
I hope i have posted this in teh right place, so I apoligise if it isn't.
Thanks for your help,
Sean x

[Gust0o]

The cage review section has some good suggestions - I think the most popular, for your budget range, being the Gabber Rex.

They are available on ebay, from £27.99 + shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Criceto-Rex-XL-De ... dZViewItem (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Criceto-Rex-XL-Delux-Hamster-Cage_W0QQitemZ250209584676QQihZ015QQcategoryZ1286Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

You can haggle over the price, however.

I've just ordered two, for my Syrians, and I'm looking forward to receiving them - and you should have change out of your £50 to replace the wheel (which needs doing - see my post about wheels for Syrians) and some decent toys :)

Hope that's helpful :)

[Sean]

I didn't like that cage at first, but the more i looked at the the more it frew on me and now i really want one :D
Just one question though, is there enough room for a wodent wheel to be placed at the side of the cage rather than in the middle?

[Holly]

The Gabber Rex is a bvrilliant cage for a Syrian - there is a review (my review!) in the cage review section :wink:

http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2578 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2578)

There are other options - I also like the Savic Cambridge:

http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2570 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2570)

Imac Fantasy:

http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2773 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2773)

Other (both larger) options are:

Zoozone 2:

http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2587 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2587)

Savic Hamster Heaven:

http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2522 (http://www.hamstercentral.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2522)

HTH!

[Holly]

... is there enough room for a wodent wheel to be placed at the side of the cage rather than in the middle?

Yep - you can fit a wodent anywhere in the main space :)

[Sean]

Thanks for your replies :D
Yay now i know about the Wodent Wheel can go anywhere in the main space i love the Gabber Rex even more.
I also do like the look of the Imac Fantasy, so bright and colourful, also double floor space. Only trouble is that it has tubes and i got advises to steer well clear of tubes. Is this true, should i go for a none tubic-cage?
[Tubic - is that even a word? Lol :shock: :roll:]

Thanks again :D

[sammys/mum]

My syrian sammy has the Hamster Heaven and loves it. Personally, I think that Syrians prefer bar cages. However you might have to deal with bar-chewing! Thankfully Sammy is moved in to the bathroom each night. I got it at pets at home for £56 (I had a 20% discount :D ) Maybe you could get that? As it isn't really stretching your budget much further!
Good Luck Beccy

[Spacemonkey]

Wilkinsons do a huge double platform cage for £19.99, I have 3 of them and my Hamsters adore them. Lots of room for a jumbo wheel and other toys and won't make a huge dent in your budget :wink:

[Bunsey]

i think i'm the only one in the world who doesn't like the IMAC! there's no room for a syrian-sized wheel in the extension levels, it's difficult to get at the hams through the teeny door, they can twist the caps off the roof, a big syrian can't get much speed up in the floor space and it's difficult to clean for a number of reasons including the bedding gets stuck in all the little ridges and they don't drain. The hams also kick bedding out of it. it just really annoys me!

[Basia]

He-he, we're all different Bunsey, I think I am the only one on here who is not so keen on the gabbers! My bar-chewers all live in the gabbers. None of the hamsters in the barred cages chew bars at all. The gabber residents also seem restless and bored compared to the others who are happily climbing bars and entertaining themselves in the other cages.

[Gust0o]

Ha, I'll trade you Basia - Bob's a manic bar-chewer, despite best efforts. Her Gabber can't get here soon enough! :lol:

That might come as something of a system shock for her, but I'm sure some inventive toy placement/purchasing should cover it - and Hobbs has never been in a barred cage to develop the habit.

I think we've got a pretty comprehensive best-cage shortlist going here - and then it's horses for course thereafter, in terms of picking the best one for your needs.

I would love a Hamster Heaven, all told - perhaps when my job title is "Head of ..."! :lol:

I'm hoping I can persuade Al to a few more Syrians - and at £25 per Gabber, I think she might be amenable - but £60 per HH might take a little more persuading :roll:

Sean, will you let us know how you get on with this? Maybe post some pics, show us what you got - and, most importantly, introduce your new hamster? :)

[Holly]

I think we've got a pretty comprehensive best-cage shortlist going here - and then it's horses for course thereafter, in terms of picking the best one for your needs.


I'd agree with that, Gus - the main thing is they are all large enough for an active Syrian hamster to live in - unlike some of the cages on the market that newcomers get fooled into buying.

Like Basia, I've got several bar chewers (all girlies except for one) and, for me, the Gabbers are the best way of thwarting the bar chewing habit as it's fairly easy to block off the parts of the roof that they can reach to chew - not so easy in a wire cage.

I'd agree that my boys in Imacs and the Cambridge do seem to really enjoy climbing in them - unfortunately I've had a girl with a badly cut face from chewing the bars and another two well on the way to the same and I just can't have that :(

[Basia]

My bar chewers are all girls. The strange thing is you may remember that Cara was driving me to distraction in the gabber so I put her into the Duna because I thought she wouldn't be able to reach the roof. Well she proved me wrong there. Well I had an empty Cambridge because I had moved Berry and I put her in because I thought at least she can chew the bars without breaking her neck - she hasn't chewed a bar since I put her in, over a week ago. :roll: None so contrary as a (female) hamster!

[Sean]

So many choices :D

The reason i've become so intrested in hamsters is because, for one of my best friends birthday i got her a syrian hamster. After spending more and more time with him i have come to adore little Seb, and now i would like my own :D He is the cutest little guy, im not an expert with colourings but he looks like a cow :shock: :P . Only trouble is he is a little nippy and on the night when my friend put her hand in the cage to let him sniff her and he took and chunk out of her hand and there was blood everywhere. :( and he is starting to settle in now :D

Anyway the point of that was Seb loves to scale the cage and do little acrobat moves, so if i got a gabber would my hamster-to-be miss out on this?
And on the imac can you add as many extentions as you like? But i would guess teh more you add more cleaning you are giving yourself!

Thanks so much for your help so far everyone :D

[Basia]

There's a photo somewhere of Holly's babies hanging upside down from the roof of a gabber! They do monkey bar on them and you could put toys in for them to climb over as well.
This is the Imac I had for Basil when he was my only hamster. You can theoretically go as high as you like but they get a bit wobbly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/gdb234/basil009.jpg

Hamster bites do bleed don't they! Seb will become tame with a bit of patience though. Have you read the taming articles on here? There are some useful tips. Is Seb black & white?

[Sean]

Thanks Basia :D
Just found the picture of Holly's babies, so cute! I see what you mean by the hanging from the roof!
With the Imac how do you find syrians and tubes? Ive read dont put syrians and tubes together, is this true?
As for Seb, Ive never seen so much blood. You wouldnt think a hamster bite would cause that much to pour out. Yep he's black and white, i suggested calling him Moo but Ellie prefered Sebastian. :P
I can't wait to get my own hamster, but i dont want torush into it so i'll take my time and do lots of research first!
Thanks for your help :D

[Basia]

I've got 4 Imacs at the moment. None of the hamsters are too big for the tubes and Gizmo is a big boy I bred myself. I have taken the tubes off him and Chunky though and put a willow bridge ladder through the big hole in the middle of the floor instead. This was purely because they are both long-haired hamsters and they were rubbing their coats on the tubes. As I intend to show Gizmo I want to keep his coat as full as possible. My largest hamster, Pudding, a whopping 230g, squeezes through the same sort of tubes in the playpen but I do hold my breath sometimes! Not many hamsters are that big though.

[Sean]

Thanks for your reply :D
I love this forum as im learning new things all the time :D

Im still stuck between imac or gabber!
I like the idea of being able to extend the imac if needed, and i like the gabber for its cool interior design ad big area space!
This wil be my first time hamster so which would you siggest would be best for a newbie? I need to think about ease of cleaning etc!

Thanks again for your help :D

[sammys/mum]

I love the rex as I have it for my two boy dwarfs:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh285/Sammymummy/P1010045.jpg

They LOVE it and I do too. Its really easy to clean and it offers huge amounts of space. Its easy to clean as it hasnt got horrid ridges in the base so it all slides out. Also I like the fact you get undisturbed views of them through the plastic.
I've also been told that hamster prefer wide spaces to wonder (gabber rex) over lots of little spaces (imac). Thats my personal opinion though, I know i'd be tempted with the imac.
Good Luck
Beccy

[Gust0o]

Ooh, you've got a hanging rope bridge!

I was considering getting one of those - and was wondering how it might actually fit in the Gabber!

Do yours enjoy it?

[Basia]

For ease of access to your hamster, easy cleaning and plenty of room for toys I would go with the gabber. Most people on here really love them and I do like mine, I am just not as much of a fan as everyone else. You also have the option of taking the shelf out and putting more things in if you want to, which I have done with a couple of mine. You can hang things from the bars like Sammys mum. You would be more restricted for space with an Imac because it is a bit smaller floorspace, although you get the extra levels, but at an added cost. Either cage would make a good home for your hamster.

[Holly]

I'd also go for the Gabber, I think - it's easy to clean, you get a good view of your hamster and it's easy to get to ahamster you are taming.

I've got Gabbers, Imacs and a Cambridge - have you considered the Cambridge, it's a great cage?

[Basia]

The Cambridge is probably my favourite cage and I am sure I would also like the hamster heaven if I had room. The only reason I haven't got more than 2 cambridge cages is because they are too tall for my shelves.

[Gust0o]

The only that stopped me getting a Cambridge was the height - I didn't know how I would be able to load them all into my car! :D

[sammys/mum]

Sammy my syrian had the rope bridge first of all and didnt pay any notice too it at all (and when he did was to big for it). But when I put it in my dwarfs cage they clambered all over it and love it.
Also as the Gabber is a relatively low cage if they fall from the top part it won't be that bad but in higher ones it could be quite serious.
Saying this I know Syrians who like it better.

[Sean]

Thanks for all your replies.
I hadnt really looked at the cambridge much, would you say thats a better otpion than the gabber?
Thats a superb cage sammys/mum :D

[Gust0o]

It's got more levels Sean - and it's a plastic base with bars, so more scope for attaching things.

It's also £39.99 SRP - something to weigh up.

Good cage though - Savic always put out some good quality.

[Basia]

If you are planning to get your hamster from a petshop and it is going to need taming I would probably get a gabber rex because it is much more accessible. If you are getting a hamster which has been tamed then any of the cages suggested would be good. :D

[Sean]

Well im unsure where im getting my hamster from yet! I would ideally like to get it from a breeder, but at 15 thats easier said than done, so may i end up with a pet shop one!

So i may get a gabber rex just to be on the safe side!

[Holly]

Where do you live, Sean - roughly? There are several upcoming litters on this forum :)

[Mollz]

I would reccomend a gabber personally. They are my absolute favourite cage.
As Holly said, there are a fair few litters or matings due within the next couple of months on the forum and there are a fair few breeders dotted around the country. I all depends on where you are!

[Sean]

I live in chesterfield, derbyshire. It's really close to sheffield!
I would love a hamster off a forum member, as from the pictures ive seen everyone on here as superb hamsters!

[Holly]

Ah well, you are perfectly situated! There are shows in Mapplewell (Barnsley), Rotherham and Willington (Derby) and plenty more just a little further afield from you. I think there are several breeders near you - Souffle or Pophammy might be able to help you with details. :)

[Matty Day]

if you are on a budget i have to more recmendatoins try your local paper there are always loads of secondhand cages in there quite cheap as well. or if there is a wilkinsons near you they do a fab range of cheapeish cages i recomenf the 20 quid rat one with a few modificatoins it would do you well.

[Hanlou]

I live in chesterfield, derbyshire. It's really close to sheffield!
I would love a hamster off a forum member, as from the pictures ive seen everyone on here as superb hamsters!

I live near you, in Bolsover. :D

If you can get a hamster from a breeder I would do, knowing the two pet shops in Chesterfield fairly well..... :P

You could also always try the Kirkby-in-ashfield rescue as she often has Syrian hamsters in. I can find her number for you if you want.

You could always try the Chesterfield Rspca (http://www.chesterfield-rspca.org.uk/small%20furries%20or%20bird_adoption_page1.htm) too but it looks like they only have dwarf hamsters at the moment (Campbells from what I can tell from the pic) - they seem to have been there for a little while as they were there about three months ago when I got my rats from there.

[Sean]

Well im in luck, my friend who i bought the hamster for has enrolled in a hamster trainer while they go away for half term. She is hoping the trainer will be able to help Seb get over his "fear" of people and not bite, and also show her some tips on how to handle him and keep him calm.
The trainer is also a breeder as has a few litters that are stil with their mother. With luck i might be able to get one of the pups :D
Me and my friend want to go to shows together. I dont think i'll enter as,
1. i dont know what you actually do at shows :oops:
and
2. Im no where near as experience as some of you hamster legends on here! :D
But i feel it would be nice to just go along and see what they are all about as well as gaining more experience about the "hobby"!

[souffle]

Goodness me sean we all started somewhere and we all started in 'pets'. I hope you get a lovely baby and when you have it nice and tame take it to a show and enter it in pets. Then you can chat to everyone who will be friendly and find out all about showing. Looking forward to meeting your newby when you get him. Hmmmmm hamster trainer... wonder if I qualify for that title too :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Gust0o]

I'll refer you to my "Manners maketh..." post in the Winter White forum - it's not so much training, as a hamster finishing school :lol:

[Sean]

Hehe souffle, i had to read up what you meant by pets before i got what you where saying :oops: hehe well im only starting and i have alot futher tto go and alot more to learn! Its so much fun, the more i learn about hamsters the more im intrested :D i cant wait to start attending shows :D should be great fun!
Im sure you would qualify for that title :D There are newbies out there that always need help, and dont discover great forums out there! My friends are paying the trainer, i dont know how much i'll find out!
I saw that thread gust0o! They are amazing pics, i couldnt stop laughing! You have some really cute and "proper" hamsters there! :P
Im just imagining a HC hamster finishing school all sat around a food bowl like gust0o's two!

[Basia]

Goodness me sean we all started somewhere and we all started in 'pets'. I hope you get a lovely baby and when you have it nice and tame take it to a show and enter it in pets. Then you can chat to everyone who will be friendly and find out all about showing. Looking forward to meeting your newby when you get him. Hmmmmm hamster trainer... wonder if I qualify for that title too :lol: :lol: :lol:

Definitely souffle and live hamster encyclopaedia! Can't tell you how much you have helped me since I joined the boards. :D

[souffle]

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
Thank you Basia. I try my best to be of assistance when I can and I hope it rubs off on others so that it makes our forum a happy, helpful place to be where everyone helps each other. I like to adopt the Disney's 'Thumper' attitude when he says 'If you cant say something nice dont say anything at all'
To tell you the truth I would not charge to tame a hamster. It would be a positive pleasure and a challenge. We have taken a few that people have bought as Christmas presents and tamed them up for the big day when the kiddies received their new pets with strict instructions on how to care for them. I might ask for a small donation for a rescue charity if the person offered though. Pophammy is the best hamster tamer though as she is fearless having tamed since she was two and having a certain knack as youngsters do :lol:

[Bunsey]

the first show i went to, i didn't even take a hamster and a few shows after that i only entered pets! no-one expects newbies to know anything about the show world and everyone is very friendly and keen to explain things. The willington show made a loss last year and i'd hate to see it dropped as it's one of only 2 venues that's only an hour away from us

[Holly]

I feel like a sponge when I'm around Souffle - just soaking up the info 'til I'm saturated :P

Willington is very close to me as well, Bunsey - just a twenty minute drive - I'd be devastated to see it go, lets try and get millions of people to attend.

[Gust0o]

Yay, the Gabbers arrived! :D

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/Gust0o/19022008234.jpg

Just waiting on the Wodent Wheelies now :)