Say hi to Aurora!

[EnerHam]

Aurora is Speedy's mum ( http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/syrian-hamster/66489-meet-speedy.html ). I don't know everything about her past but here's a brief history.

She was initially purchased from a pet shop at the beginning of this year, but was then returned for unspecified reasons. A few days after she was brought back she had nine beautiful babies. At that point she was only around three months old herself.

She has spent the next three months living in a glass tank that's roughly 20x30cm with 1cm of wood shavings, a bowl of water, a scattering of food and no toys. She is not tame. She shared this with her babies for a few weeks and then spent most of her days begging for attention and attempting to climb out of her home.

She is now living in a zoozone 2 and is totally addicted to burrowing and chewing everything in sight. I've already had to take out a wooden house I gave her because she was chewing large splinters off it and leaving the wood uneven. She has since made her den underneath her chill 'n' chew mat or inside one of the tissue boxes I buried (she's made herself a tunnel system and I can't tell exactly where she sleeps).

She doesn't currently have a wheel as she is a pretty large hamster and I don't have one big enough thanks to her being an unexpected arrival. I'm going to find a suitable one and purchase it ASAP.

I'll post pictures when Tinypic decides to cooperate.

[freyashamsters]

Aurora sounds lovely, I'm sure you'll get her tame soon. Can't wait for pictures :D

[cypher]

Really looking forward to hearing more about Aurora as she settles in, it sounds as though she's thoroughly enjoying her new home with all that lovely substrate to burrow in & toys to chew!
So glad you took her in & gave her the home she deserves, I'm sure little Speedy is smiling down on you both, glad to see his mum happy at last.

[EnerHam]

Here are the pictures:

You can see the little brown spot she has on her belly in this one:
http://i67.tinypic.com/2rgc6tk.jpg

http://i63.tinypic.com/2mqoobr.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2z4iywl.jpg

Peekaboo!

http://i64.tinypic.com/15ewbb5.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/2hdpeo4.jpg

[Pebbles82]

Ooh she looks really happy in there. Hello Aurora :-) Glad you liked the name!

[SKB_Hamsters]

Auroa looks gorgeous and she is such a lovely colour. She looks so happy in these photos and I really like the 4th photos of her peak-a-booing.

[cypher]

She really is lovely, those eye rings are gorgeous & her little pink nose is soooo cute!
I love the peek a boo shot too :)

[EnerHam]

I love the name (and so does she!). :)

She has the same colouring as a hamster I lost in January called Bella, but her face and personality are totally different.

That peekaboo shot is a favourite of mine. Every time I look over at her cage she's always doing a meerkat impression!

I handled her for the first time today. I usually like to leave that until after they've been here at least a week and she's built up confidence around me, but I put my hand in there and she just hopped on--clearly she had other ideas! Now she knows there's a whole room outside of her cage she's itching to get out. She's trying to push the lid off her home as I type this...

I'm looking around for a wheel, and I figured I'd go with a Karlie Wonderland wheel--but should I go with the largest one or the next size down? I'm not sure a 29cm wheel will fit in a zoozone 2 with 3-5 inches (depending on the area) of substrate in the base.

[EnerHam]

...and she's still looking for an escape route over 2 hours later.

[Coco61]

What a lovely looking girl she is. Hello Aurora and welcome to HC. The photo of her standing up showing her tummy spot is doubly cute! She has a wonderful home now so I hope she settles down with you Enerham.

[Pebbles82]

The 29cm wheel will fit - if you have it on the base of the cage and minimal substrate around the wheel base. Some people put the wheel at one end, or in one area, and "fence it off" so there is lower substrate one side of the fence and deeper the other side. I have just sloped the substrate away as well so lower near the wheel and going up higher opposite/to the side of it.

The 29cm definitely fits in the maxi duna multy which is supposed to be the same height, but the top of the zoozone looks to curve in at the corners on the top so it might be limited to in the centre of the cage.

This is a 29cm karlie wheel in a maxi duna multy (I love that set up!)

http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/diy-do-yourself-hamster-projects/41909-obis-natural-set-up-complete.html

The 27cm wodent wheel definitely fits - shown on this zoozone 2 set up. And the 28cm Trixie wheel probably will as well.

http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/cage-reviews/2270-hagen-zoo-zone-2-cage-review-5.html

[Pebbles82]

This is Barley's 29cm karlie wheel set up with the wheel in the centre (maxi duna multy again).

http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/cage-reviews/59159-ferplast-maxi-duna.html

If the wheel had to go in the centre you could maybe have one end as deeper substrate for digging. I think the 29cm karlie wheel is quite hard to get hold of now, without being expensive (eg on amazon). The 27cm wodent is out of stock at petplanet and the sugarglider shop as well. I think that's why the 28cm trixie wheel seems popular these days!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Exercise-Wheel-colours-vary/dp/B00365P9NY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468886694&sr=8-1&keywords=28cm+trixie+wheel

[Thin Lizzy]

Oh my goodness! She's so blooming gorgeous! I so love her pink nose and her eye rings are so heart melting!

[EnerHam]

I love those eye rings too. She's a lovely girl.

I noticed a lot of large wheels were out of stock. What's going on lol? Zooplus say they're getting the Karlie in on the 22nd of this month so I figured I'd wait until then.

That natural set up is amazing.

The only problem with the trixie is Aurora currently resides in my bedroom and I don't have room for her anywhere else at the minute, so while I wear earplugs I'd still like it if the wheel was as quiet as it can be and I've heard mixed reviews about the trixie's noise levels.

[freyashamsters]

I'd still like it if the wheel was as quiet as it can be and I've heard mixed reviews about the trixie's noise levels.

Willow's Trixie wheel isn't silent but it's not noisy either. If you're looking for something guaranteed to be silent I'd stick with the Karlie Wonderland Wheel :D

Her eye rings are beautiful :D

[Pebbles82]

Oh good point (silent wheel). There's also the cork lined Karlie one! :-) 28cm internal diameter.

Costs about £26 with postage though. It does mean you don't have to worry about checking for splinters and sanding any splintery bits and it's a nice running surface - says delivery between 28 July and 16 August. Someone on here plastikoted the inside and said it keeps it waterproof.

I sent for one and it's really nice - same wheel but cork inside instead of struts. It just wasn't quite big enough for our big hammy lol! It says 28.5cm but I measured it at 28cm internal diameter and a whole cm made a bit of difference for a large hamster. He has a 30cm silent one now (the Silent Runner - not Silent Spinner) but that costs even more and wouldn't fit in a Zoozone.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Karlie-Flamingo-1030975-Hamster-Diameter/dp/B00L38LXNQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468916617&sr=8-1&keywords=Karlie+Flamingo+cork+wheel

Zooplus haven't had the 29cm karlie wheel in stock for ages. Zooplus in Ireland have them in stock now though

Wonderland Exercise Wheel: Great Small Pet Accessories at zooplus (http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/rodents/accessories/exercise_wheels/134479)

Someone gave me that tip recently about them being in stock at Zooplus in Ireland :-)

Rodipet in Germany sell the 27cm wodent wheel in various colours - but costs £27 including postage (translated from Euros) although I find they deliver very quickly after ordering. The wodent wheel is usually fairly silent I've found.

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/laufraeder/27-cm-hamsterrad-wodent-wheel-weissdunkelblau.html

The standard Karlie wheel from zooplus.ie is probably cheapest option (lol - forget that, it's also showing out of stock now! Back in stock "approx" 22nd July).

You might have noticed I have a wheel fetish lol.

[cypher]

I think the wooden wonderland wheels are probably better than the cork ones, both are silent & the cork ones are lovely wheels but they are hard to plastikote thoroughly, Whisper's old one had a good few coats & in spite of lots of disinfectant still smells of pee! It probably gets under the cork.
The other thing is there's no wear on nails with the cork & I think running on a hard surface must make a big difference in helping to keep nails trim.

[EnerHam]

Haha I feel like I'm taking an exam on hamster wheels now! Great information, thank you everyone.

I get woken up by relatively quiet sounds (hence the earplugs) so I really need something that's going to be whisper quiet. Aurora's already got a thing about chewing her water bottle... :rolleyes:

I've only had one hamster pee in a wheel before, I'm hoping Aurora doesn't make 2, but to be on the safe side I might stick with waiting on the Karlie. I'll need to get a couple of Bendy bridges and fence off an area to put in anyway so I guess it makes more sense to order everything off of zooplus.

That rodipet wheel would be a lot more tempting if it wasn't that price.

Nail wear is also a great point. Hers are great at the moment but that's always something to consider.

Anyone have experience with/knowledge of the third wheel Zooplus sells? Wooden Exercise Wheel Speedy at zooplus (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/accessories/exercise_wheels/254367)

[EnerHam]

Here's a flattering image of Aurora's escape attempt...

http://i64.tinypic.com/qo9075.jpg

[Pebbles82]

Lol! Look at her. Well why not see what's up there? There's air coming through it :-)

That other wheel you linked I think I did see/hear some not good reports about it - nails and splinters I think. The Karlie wheels don't have nails and probably a better bet.

[cypher]

lol! she's really full of beans isn't she :) Going to keep you busy this one I think!

I haven't had that wheel but did have one that was similar quite a long time ago & even with plastikote it was a real pain to clean, bits of everything just get stuck between those small pieces of wood.
It looks as though it's just asking to be chewed to me too ;)

[EnerHam]

Nails and splinters... I can't count the amount of toys I've had to throw away thanks to those. And now you come to mention it that wheel definitely looks like a chew toy. Thanks.

She already is keeping me busy! She's set on exploring every large centimetre of space when I take her out. It's like watching a clockwork toy. :D

[Josie]

Hello Aurora and welcome to HC, she is such a lovely colour :cool:

[EnerHam]

Thanks Josie! I love that colour too.

Aurora had a lovely night chewing the living daylights out of... something. I got woken up at 2:50 by a lovely sound...

She seems to have moved under bed in the night from underground to overground. There's now a tissue explosion in one corner.

Edit: Zooplus have got the Karlie wheel back in stock! Yay!

[cypher]

Tissue explosion lol! I know just what you mean ;) Maybe she was getting a bit warm underground or just from all her exhausting chewing, she's having loads of fun by the sound of it!

Great news about the wheel.

[EnerHam]

The funny thing is, I don't think the tissue explosion is occupied. She seems to be sleeping inside the tissue box still. Maybe she moved the tissues out to keep cool. She's certainly finding a fair few ways to keep herself occupied. It's lovely to see (though not so much to hear!).

[EnerHam]

...someone tell this girl it's not night time yet. She won't listen to me!

http://i65.tinypic.com/161dowp.jpg

[Coco61]

Look at those lovely ears, all up and ready to listen.....!

[SKB_Hamsters]

How cute is that face?! Aurora is adorably cute, beautiful colouring with such lovely ears. This is such a good photo of her and she looks like she was having fun even though it wasn't nighttime.

[cypher]

lol! too much fun to be had :)

[Pebbles82]

Brilliant photo - I love her look :-) She does seem happy and excited and loving her cage.

[EnerHam]

"Human! Down here--pick me up!"

http://i65.tinypic.com/ilccug.jpg

"Thaaaank you... this is a funny sort of ladder."

http://i67.tinypic.com/r2jck2.jpg

"Huh? What do you mean it's not a ladder?"

http://i66.tinypic.com/2litf.jpg

"Oh well. Your bed is mine now, human."

http://i64.tinypic.com/2isb621.jpg


...ouch.

[Pebbles82]

Goodness she looks fearless lol! The human ladder is a good way of getting out lol. She looks really quite tame! I love that last meerkating photo :-)

[Coco61]

Great set of photos and I too think that last one is just too cute!

[SKB_Hamsters]

These are great photos of Aurora, I really like the first and last one, are so cute. She looks like she really friendly, it so sweet she was using your arm as ladder!

[cypher]

She has such an expressive face! Love that first photo :)

[EnerHam]

Aurora seems to have decided that daytime is a lot more interesting than nighttime, and currently wakes at around 10-11am, goes to sleep around 1pm and then comes back out at 4pm until around 6:30pm. I don't hear anything at night.

[Pebbles82]

How strange lol! Nice though.

[badwolf]

Aww she looks just like my wee Chibs! Lovely name :)

[Thin Lizzy]

Oh my she's just amazing! Nothing fazes her. She looks so innocent lol!

[Elliiy]

she is so cute lovely photos !

[EnerHam]

Haha, glad to see you all think she's as adorable as I do. :)

She's settled in well, and aside from discovering she can chew the hole her water bottle comes through (and drive her owner mad!!) she's great! There are a lovely rim of teeth marks on the perspex now lol.

[freyashamsters]

Haha, glad to see you all think she's as adorable as I do. :)

She's settled in well, and aside from discovering she can chew the hole her water bottle comes through (and drive her owner mad!!) she's great! There are a lovely rim of teeth marks on the perspex now lol.

She certainly is ;)

Haha Willow does that too! It drives me crazy! When she can't chew the hole she chews the bottle which is even noisier :rolleyes:

[cypher]

She does like to keep busy doesn't she lol! Quite a character :)

[CMB]

You may want to look in the thread about repairing holes chewed in cages. There may be something you can do to help stop Aurora chewing her way out.

[EnerHam]

Thanks CMB, will do. She only does it when I'm near her cage--the little attention seeker!

The bottle chewing is hilarious! She'll start trying to chew the metal closest to the plastic, her teeth slide down the spout and she ends up drinking a couple of drops of water before trying again.

She has quite the set of teeth...

http://i64.tinypic.com/2552i51.jpg

[cypher]

Some of their cheeky habits are really funny but they can get a bit fixated once they start chewing on the bottle itself & she may have problems with taking on too much water or damage her teeth so it might be worth seeing if you can find a way to stop her.
Sorry to be putting a damper on your fun Aurora!

[EnerHam]

I tried to put something in front of her bottle (temporarily) to see if she would go off and do something else, but nope. She just shoved it out the way and continued chewing with a lovely streak of water running down her front. Sigh...

[Gimleyand Meeko]

What a lovely cute ham! :)

[cypher]

They can be sooooo determined when they want to be, she sounds like my little Zen & her obsession with cable ties ;)

[Pebbles82]

I reckon she might chew through the perspex there! There is something about those water bottle holes that seems to make hamsters chew at them. Maybe they can smell fresh air through the hole and it ramps up the escape instinct! I've seen people use these screw in wood chews to block the hole and give something else to chew - then either use a bottle stand inside the cage or stick the bottle on the inside with velcro (although I guess velcro could be chewed if she was determined but it would be mostly out of sight).

This screw in carrot thing (a reviewer says they are £1.50 at Pets at Home but that is for the small ones - this is the large size - not sure if the screw would be long enough on the small ones). She could chew on the wood instead.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Carrot-Gnawer-suitable-Hamsters-Gerbils/dp/B00BQM31IY

And also this one - seen it in cages but it doesn't say what wood it is

https://www.amazon.co.uk/fitTek-Grinding-Platform-Hamster-Chinchilla/dp/B015ZL5HXS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1469860711&sr=8-7&keywords=Hamster+shelf

Or some people just block the hole with a bolt and a washer on the outside.

[AmityvilleHams]

A water bottle inside might not be a good idea unless a glass one is used.Plastic ones on the inside of cages most often do get chewed,and bottle holders and guards tend to not protect the entire bottle so there will always be some vulnerable area.However,glass water bottles inside cages would work better due to being chew proof!

[cypher]

Blocking off the hole & giving her a bottle or bowl (if you can find a suitable place to put one!) might be the only option in the long term, worth a try anyway.

It's usually the spout they tend to get fixated on so a glass bottle probably wouldn't be any better as far as potential teeth damage goes.

[Pebbles82]

She probably wouldn't chew the bottle anyway if it wasn't in the hole :-) I used to have the classic mouse bottles in a stand in the cage and it was fine. Glass bottles can be very heavy and I worry about them being pulled over and hurting the hamster if in a bottle stand.

[AmityvilleHams]

A bowl could be worth trying anyways!It would be more natural,if a suitable option can be found.Not sure on the UK luck with shallow resin reptile dishes or I'd be able to recommend them even more as they can be very nice :)

[CMB]

Some hamsters will walk in the water bowls or put food/bedding etc in them (even if they are on a shelf). A bottle prevents this. Bottles with holders held on with suction cups are available. There are also bottles that attach to the bars at the top of the cage and hang down.

[EnerHam]

Wow, thanks for the ideas everyone. I figured out the only reason she was trying to chew through the perspex was because the hole was facing the rest of the room, so she could smell freedom on the other side. Plus she only did it when I was near her cage (my desk is about 1.5 metres away, so that was often). I turned the top of the cage around so it's facing the wall so the water bottle is supported by the wall and the holder I made out of duct tape, and low and behold she's stopped!

She's now discovered she can cling to the mesh and turn herself upside down. When I want to take her out I sometimes have to wait until she's fallen off before I can lift the cage lid off. Oh, and walnuts. She loves walnuts. I'll post some more pictures soon.

[EnerHam]

Aurora, as much as I like your cute little belly I'd rather look at your face!

http://i63.tinypic.com/i5qao6.jpg

That's better...

http://i67.tinypic.com/jj0521.jpg

[cypher]

lol! she's so full of beans I love it :)
Monkey barring is definitely an improvement & better way to have fun!
Good idea to swap the cage lid around.
She looks adorable in that second photo, I really love her colouring & markings but it's those eyes that get me most & make my heart melt ;)

[Thin Lizzy]

That second pic is oh so very cute!

[EnerHam]

I love that second pic as well. :)

Well the wheel has come, and Aurora loves it. I decided to let her try it untreated and she ran like a little clockwork hamster for a while, and then decided it was a good place to do a pee. :rolleyes:

I can't find my plastikote, so out comes the pet safe paint instead...

edit: found the plastikote. I forgot this stuff makes me cough...

[cypher]

lol! I think peeing on a wheel is the sign of utmost approval ;)

Have you got water based plastikote? I know the other kind has an awful smell & seems to give off a ton of fumes so maybe you have that rather than water based which doesn't smell really or give off fumes?

[EnerHam]

Does that apply to humans as well? I hope so...

Not sure, but in the end I didn't use it. I gave it a couple of sprays and clung to my clothes and made me cough, so after getting changed I just used the paint. I've given it a couple of coats, I'm thinking one more for luck and then we'll see how Aurora likes her new pale blue wheel!

[Pebbles82]

Glad she likes the wheel :-) Sounds like it's not the water based one if it's a spray. Hope the other petsafe paint does the trick :-) I get the water based enamel Plastikote that you paint on - doesn't smell of anything and dries quickly - for next time maybe :-) It's thin and watery and covers well and a coat is dry in a couple of hours, although I tend to leave it overnight before doing the second coat. I just use a half inch standard paint brush.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastikote-B8W-Enamel-Paint-Bottle/dp/B003KIT0TQ/ref=pd_bxgy_60_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T647Q4ZXNX74GKYCE0GB

If it's any help Charlie never pees in his wheel - except when it's a new one lol - just the once.

[EnerHam]

I've got a bit of a crisis on my hands at the moment.

See more here: http://www.hamstercentral.com/community/hamster-chat/66979-aurora-has-escaped-gone-through-hole-skirting-board.html#post821972

[EnerHam]

The wheel is all painted, Aurora has been cleaned out and all is right with her world.

http://i65.tinypic.com/w6v32q.jpg

She seems to have calmed down after her little adventure as well.

[Pebbles82]

She really is adorable! That face! You'd never guess she had been on an adventure.

[cypher]

Maybe the adventure got a little bit scary & now she appreciates her home comforts a bit more ;)
She does look lovely, such beautiful eyes, & such an innocent face lol!

[Josie]

Love the photos of Aurora, she is so photogenic :mrgreen:

[Thin Lizzy]

She's absolutely gorgeous. So very photogenic.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Aurora is so gorgeous. It must be nice seeing her in her cage again. She looks so innocent in that photo.

[EnerHam]

Every time I move around the room she does those little poses, so it's very easy to get photos of her.

I've never had a hamster that comes out in the day so often. When I first got her I figured it was just all the excitement at being in a cage several times larger than her old home, but it's been about a month and she's still doing it!

She comes out at around 10:00am-11:00am, 12:30pm-2:00pm and then 4:30pm to 5:30pm. I hear her around in the night as well, but I've got no idea what kind of times she keeps. So strange!

[Pebbles82]

Wow that is quite a lot. She sounds like an insomniac hamster lol! I believe girls are more active than boys, but that's a bit of a generalisation. Charlie used to come out during the day for a drink at one time but not any more. He definitely has nap time between about 8pm and 11pm so maybe Aurora does that too.

[EnerHam]

The best photos I have of my two boys are nothing compared to the ones I get of Aurora. They wiggle around so much something is always blurry, whereas...

http://i65.tinypic.com/255mijb.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/5oh2z5.jpg

I think this lady has a liking for the camera.

[Coco61]

Great photos but the first one is really special!

[Pebbles82]

They are special photos :-) She is definitely a very photogenic little lady! Really gorgeous. She looks so tame there as well.

[Thin Lizzy]

So very beautiful! Especially that first one, her little cute angelic face and her little paws Aww!

[cypher]

She really is a little poser lol! Such a beautiful cute girl :)

[EnerHam]

This one makes me laugh.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2iu7sb8.jpg

[Pebbles82]

Ha ha :-) I do love Aurora!

[Thin Lizzy]

Aww! I so love her face! Her expressions make me smile!

[cypher]

Such a sweet cheeky face!

[EnerHam]

Sorry about the slow down on updates, I've been busy as of late.

Aurora is very happy. She seems to think the back of her wheel is somehow going to transport her to the outside of her cage again and keeps clambering around it. Every now and again she stops and all I see is a pair of ears poking above the base of the cage.

She's still coming out in the daytime, she's still running out of her house and staring at the lid hopefully each time I move past her cage and I still have a massive hole in my floor. Thanks Aurora!

[lady jocardi]

She's a beautiful gal x

[EnerHam]

She really is. :)

I just got some concerning news from the pet shop I got Aurora and Speedy from. Apparantly the woman who dumped Aurora when she was pregnant has just dropped off a litter of babies at the shop, 6-7 week old males and females all in together. Maybe this was an accidental litter (though not sure how that could happen...), but she still has the mother and judging by the above it doesn't sound like she knows a whole lot about hamsters. Aurora was only around 3 months old when she gave birth...

[AmityvilleHams]

That person absolutely needs to be stopped :( Is there any way you could somehow figure out who the person is and then report her to the RSPCA or something like that?

[Gimleyand Meeko]

Aww such a cute little expression :)

[Cujo]

Aurora is so pretty! I also have a hammer named aurora^-^
She sounds like an absolute pleasure to have

[Thin Lizzy]

She really is. :)

I just got some concerning news from the pet shop I got Aurora and Speedy from. Apparantly the woman who dumped Aurora when she was pregnant has just dropped off a litter of babies at the shop, 6-7 week old males and females all in together. Maybe this was an accidental litter (though not sure how that could happen...), but she still has the mother and judging by the above it doesn't sound like she knows a whole lot about hamsters. Aurora was only around 3 months old when she gave birth...

Reading this has really peeved me off, irresponsible people who don't have a clue and breeding hamsters without the proper experience and knowledge.

[EnerHam]

Thanks for the kind words. :) Aurora is very happy. Nice to hear she has a name twin out there!

I'm annoyed too. I'm glad Speedy was born in the pet shop: heck knows what she would have done with him. I'm going to take a guess and say she doesn't know a lot about hamsters full stop. I think most people can work out putting girls and boys in the same enclosure = pregnancies. Kind of makes me wonder what sort of life Aurora had before she was taken to the pet shop.

I don't think anyone knows the woman's name, much less anything else about her, Amityvillehams. The pet shop doesn't keep very good records of things like this. As frustrating as it is, I'm just going to hope she doesn't bring in another litter. Ugh.

[Thin Lizzy]

I would've thought that Pet Shops would ask her for name, address etc because she's given them a litter of babies. Common sense, but, with pet shops I've started to see another side to them.

[EnerHam]

Aurora thinks you guys haven't seen enough of her face lately.

http://i67.tinypic.com/2njby90.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2jadbfd.jpg

[cypher]

She was right there!
I can't help but smile when I see that little face :)

[Coco61]

What a cute little face there!

[EnerHam]

Hey everyone, sorry about the lack of updates. I got swept away by other commitments and updating this thread (and checking forums in general) sort of slipped my mind.

Aurora is great. She's happy, she's healthy, and she just enjoyed a nice Christmas a nice christmas tree chew. I brought one of those pets at home pet parcels for hamsters -- not 100% sure I'd buy again, but Aurora and my other two seemed to enjoy the contents.

Speaking of my other two, my oldest hamster, Mitch, has undergone a pretty radical transformation since I moved his cage in the autumn. He's two years one month old now, and he's climbing bars, running in his wheel like mad and waking up at 9pm (or earlier) every single day like he's half his age. I've never seen a hamster his age climb the bars (or try and go upside down and give his owner a heart attack!!!) so much before.

I hope you guys and your fur babies are all well! :)

[cypher]

Great to hear Aurora & the other hams are doing so well.

[Thin Lizzy]

Those pics made me go Awww several times, she's got such a cute and innocent face. Great to hear you and your Hamily are well.
Happy New Year to all of you!

[SKB_Hamsters]

So nice to hear Aurora is still doing well along with the rest of your hamily.

[EnerHam]

I rearranged Aurora's cage and added a couple of wooden houses and platforms, and she spent the next three hours chewing on the houses nonstop. She knocked a platform off, tried to burrow under the house, and then sat on the top of the knocked off platform and looked at me to fix the mess she'd made. When I did she wasted no time messing it up again. Oh, Aurora... you're lucky you're adorable.

[Hamsterita]

Aurora is a cute little girl!!

Is funny how all hams try to show us proper stylish interior cage design ;)

[Thin Lizzy]

Lol! You know you've done a grand job of rearranging the cage when they come out and attack everything. I know that look they give when they want something fixed. It's her way of showing you she likes what you've done.

[EnerHam]

Aurora and I have reached an uneasy peace over the arrangement of her home: she doesn't bring the platform down if I let her have it (slightly) wonky. Sigh... now if only I could persuade her to stop chewing the base of her wheel. If attacking things is a way of saying she likes something then she must be in love with that poor wheel lol.

I have a sort of update about the pet shop situation I mentioned months ago. There's been a steady stream of young hamsters turning up at the shop and one of the people who works there is sure they're coming from the same person, but he doesn't work on the days they turn up so can't be sure. If it's true, I sincerely hope they're not all coming from the same hamster, but the gaps between each "delivery" make that possible.

[Pebbles82]

I hope they track the "breeder" down. Aurora is so funny! She clearly likes destroying things and a bit of modern art in her home :-)

[EnerHam]

Yeah, she seems very pleased with herself after destroying something. I'm going to have to renew two thirds of the things in her cage--thank you so much, you cheeky little lady. My two year old has had some of the toys in his cage since I got him and they're still totally intact (he chews bars instead... -.-)

I don't know what's going to be done about that possible breeder. I hope something''s done soon, though. The pet shop owner doesn't have much of a clue when it comes to hamsters.

[Crayolalaura]

Aww how gorgeous she is now one lucky ham!
I adopted Margot and she's 5 months old- far as I know all she had was the same as aurora, now she has more substrate than she knows what to do wth lol! Just loves to burrow and tunnel :)

[Hamsterita]

Poor thing. Maybe you can get her a chewable house, those that are made with herbs and things like that... A ceramic house sounds good too. The tunnel system looks super fun and awesome but... yeah, I think that you're right and it's too expensive and not so practical

[Hamsterita]

I feel a little bit stupid. My last post was meant for another thread -.-"

[EnerHam]

Haha I think that happens to all of us at some time or another!

Sounds like Margot is a lot like Aurora in that respect, Crayolalaura. After being deprived of a decent house for so long I don't think she knew what to do with herself when she first got in her zoozone 2! The digging obsession is still alive and well almost six months later, lol. Margot sounds very cute. :)

[EnerHam]

Aurora really saved me from tears today. I just watched one of my guinea pigs fade and die in less than 48 hours--and I have no idea why. The emergency vet was no help--one dose of metacam, some critical care to take home and off we went.

The stress upset my stomach, my 21st birthday is tomorrow and I can't even think about celebrating, and I've barely slept. But there was this little face poking out of a house, and I couldn't help but smile. Aurora came up, demanded to be taken out of her home and played with, and I could feel myself smiling again even though I'm still in shock.

Thanks, little lady. You really made my day.

[Coco61]

Very sad news. So very sorry for you. So many of us have piggies or have had them in the past. Adorable pets. Any loss is very hard indeed but we all understand. Bless little Aurora for making you smile. Try to enjoy tomorrow. It is still special.

[SKB_Hamsters]

I'm very sorry to hear about your Guinea-Pig and my condolences are with you. But it so nice that Aurora made you smile and comforted you.
Happy Birthday for tomorrow - try to enjoy it as much as you can as it is still a special day. Aurora will be there to help you feel better.

[Hamsterita]

I'm sorry for your loss, but I least I'm glad that Aurora helped you on those critical moments.

Try to enjoy your birthday! I'm sure that your guinea pig would wanted you to have a beautiful birthday

[Thin Lizzy]

Happy 21st Birthday Enerham!

So sorry for the loss of your guinea pig, remember you were with her in her final moments and that will have been a comfort. Bless little Aurora for sensing you were upset.

[cypher]

I'm so sorry for your loss, it's always hard to lose one of our pets but not knowing why always makes it harder, so glad that you have Aurora to comfort you.

Hope you can still enjoy your special day.

[EnerHam]

Thanks everyone. It wasn't a great day. I still felt ill so I didn't do much other than bury my pig. Still have no idea what happened to her, and its really bugging me now. I keep on checking her two cagemates for any signs of illness, much to their annoyance.

The hamsters birthday gift to me was an orchestra. Aurora dangled from the side of her cage (I'm going to try and get a picture later) and began chewing the lid, Mitch climbed the bars and had a nice chew of them, and then Ben joined in and decided to run in his wheel so quickly he made the entire cage vibrate. I didn't know who to take out first!

[Hamsterita]

It's always hard, but it's even worse if things like that happen on special dates. With time I'm sure you'll be better.

Sometimes I think that some hamsters must be musicians in other life. If you need a rattle (wheel with food inside) shaker I can share one ;)

[cypher]

It must have been a difficult day but I'm glad the hams made you some special music to take your mind off things bless them!

[EnerHam]

Thanks Hamsterita! Once I work out who the conductor is I'll ask them. ;)

Yeah, they're all being their usual cheeky selves and it's helping to cheer me up. Another thing that's helping is that the two pigs I had with the one that died seem to be getting over the shock a bit themselves.

[Thin Lizzy]

Aww what a fab gift from your very musical hams lol!

[EnerHam]

I tried to get some photos of Aurora's little face last night, but she decided she'd rather show me her belly (she just hangs there until I take the lid of her cage off).

http://i63.tinypic.com/10er2md.jpg

She did, however, decide I could show you her bandmates. So, presenting Mitch, the hamster doesn't seem to know he's old:

http://i66.tinypic.com/2whdpbr.jpg

And Ben, cage vibration specialist.

http://i66.tinypic.com/20j1m6a.jpg


Edit: no idea why two of those pictures are sideways or so big...

[cypher]

lol! she is so funny :) Her band mates are adorable too, they both have such lovely expressive faces.

[Hamsterita]

They are very cute!!!

I usually use this link Free Online Picture Resizer - Crop and Resize photos, images, or pictures online for FREE! (http://picresize.com/) to resize the images on line

[SKB_Hamsters]

It was so nice that you hamster made some special music for you. Aurora looks so sweet hanging from her cage like that. Both Mitch and Ben looks handsome.

[Thin Lizzy]

Lol! Such a cheeky face, brought a huge smile to my face.

[EnerHam]

Aurora seems a little annoyed with me at the moment. She decided right next to her wheel would make a nice secondary toilet and also chewed a bit of the stand, so now she has a wheel with the delightful aroma of pee. Sigh...

Anyways, I gave her a full cleanout and tried my best to put everything back how it was, but she wasn't impressed with the result and spent the next three hours digging, chewing and shoving things everywhere. She then did a massive pee on the base of her wheel. -.-

[flowerfairy]

Would half cage clean outs be better for her? Its what I do with my lot.

[cypher]

oh dear! I think she may be trying to make a point after the clean out! Hopefully she'll settle again once she's put things to rights & all will be forgiven!
What wheel does she have, plastic or wood?
Having Chinese hams I'm used to wheels that have to be aromatic! I just clean mine once a week & leave well alone in between.

[EnerHam]

Sadly it's this one Wonderland Exercise Wheel: Great Small Pet Accessories at zooplus (http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/accessories/exercise_wheels/125485)

I've painted it, but of course paint was no match for some persistent teeth. Half cage clean outs sounds like a good idea. I'll definitely be trying that in the future. Thanks!

I need to go on a wheel hunt soon anyway. My boys need new ones as well.

Aromatic? That's putting it lightly lol. Aurora is by far the stinkiest hamster I've ever owned. I'm starting to consider getting her in a barred cage just for the extra ventilation!

[cypher]

It doesn't take much to chew through plastikote when they're determined I know!
Might be worth looking at the silent runner if she doesn't chew plastic, great wheels & so easy to clean even when they get peed on every day!
I've only had a ham in a tank very briefly but I have noticed with my bin cage which has mesh at the front as well as on top it's a lot smellier than my barred cages which rarely smell at all.

I never do full cage cleans either, it is stressful for them, depends on the size of the cage, the smaller it is the more you need to clean but I only do about a third at a time.

[AmityvilleHams]

I'd have to recommend the Silent Runner as well!While there are other wheels on the market that could potentially work,they're not as good and generally aren't as sturdy of a plastic so would be chewed easier.Plus,when you don't have a solid wheel stand you can come into some extra problems during cage cleaning along with the issue of some hamsters wanting to chew on their wheel stand which isn't going to be anywhere near as easy with a solid wheel stand.The Silent Runner is the safest wheel on the market,and even with the price it is a worthy investment that in almost any case will last more than just one hamster anyways!

[Thin Lizzy]

Some hams prefer part cleans, less stressful for them and for you.

[EnerHam]

Thanks for the wheel reccomendations, I'll definitely look into the Silent Runner. Aurora has chewed the top half of the zoozone 2 where the water bottle supposed to come through along with a plastic extendable tunnel, so plastic does not perturb her. But we'll see--maybe she'll be kind and let a new wheel last longer than 5 minutes. Maybe...

I usually do partial cleans for 3 weeks and then a full clean on the 4th week, but the last few weeks have thrown a couple of unexpected events my way and my routine got knocked off course. I'll try doing partial cleans every week instead. Thanks!

[Pebbles82]

I do a partial clean about every 2 to 3 months! :mad: In between I hardly even do any spot cleaning as Charlie uses his potty. I empty that every 5 days or so. I do half the substrate during the partial clean, and do the wheel as and when in between and the toys as and when in between. That way they always still have something smelling familiar rather than everything cleaned at the same time.

If she chews wheels - hmm - maybe the cheapest one you can get?! :mad: On the other hand it needs to be something that will cause least damage to her if chewed. You could try a Trixie wheel maybe - she might like it if it's enclosed and get distracted from chewing it - and if she does, they're not too expensive to replace.

She does sound like a little tinker though lol.

[ladyntramp002]

As for wheels, I higly recommend a Wodent Wheel.

[cypher]

Maybe with a less intensive cleaning routine she could be a bit less set on destruction, I think those holes for water bottles are just asking to be investigated & probably chewed tbh, hopefully she might be a bit less inclined to chew a nice new silent runner & you can always get spare parts if a bit does get damaged rather than having to buy a whole new wheel each time.

[EnerHam]

Two to three months?! Wow. I'm pretty sure Aurora's cage would smell horrendous if I left it that long even with potty cleans lol.

Yeah, the silent runner is expensive and while it looks wonderful I don't want it destroyed in five minutes! Maybe a cheaper wheel would be best for Miss Nibbles. I suppose I'll have to compare the price of spare parts for the runner with the price of a cheaper wheel.

Less intensive cage cleans sound good. Anything to tone down this excessive nibbling!

[AmityvilleHams]

Not likely,as long as you spot clean enough and have lots of substrate!The bigger the cage with good ventilation and deep substrate,the less likely you are to have problems with odor control :) In fact,in cages that are a square meter and larger it's completely possible to go up to a year or so without full cleans if the substrate is deep enough.

The Silent Runner is a harder plastic than most wheels from what I remember,so it would be more durable than cheaper wheels.So,you'd end up buying several cheap wheels before you need to replace just one Silent Runner,and thus you'd most likely be saving money especially if you only need to replace a few parts occasionally!

[cypher]

The more you clean the more they tend to scent mark & pee on things to reestablish territory, 2-3 months may be too long for her but monthly partial cleans may work & never doing a total clean.
I just do about a third of the cage at any one time, clean nest areas maybe every couple of weeks if they need it less if not & always put back some of the old stuff.

[Pebbles82]

Have to say I don't think I would want to invest in a Silent Runner for a chewy hamster either lol! You can buy spare parts for Wodent Wheels but they are quite hard to find in the Uk now and I only know Rodipet that sell spare parts - which doesn't make them cheap because of the postage. The sums are difficult to work out. I remember one US member getting a metal Raptor wheel with a solid running surface - not chewable but very expensive. I think I'd just go the cheap route and replace lol. She might do well with both a wheel and a flying saucer - if she has two things to use she may spend less time chewing the wheel. I haven't heard of a hamster chewing a flying saucer. We had this one for Charlie temporarily when his wheel broke and I'd have loved to keep them both in the cage but didn't have space at the time. I really liked it - it was quiet, easy to maintain and so on.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Running-Plastic-Disc-30/dp/B0089DCAXA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485770030&sr=8-2&keywords=running+wheel+for+degus

I wouldn't have one instead of a wheel because they don't always run on it properly, but if she had a main wheel as well it could be a nice extra. As the Karlie wheel is open you maybe could try an "enclosed" wheel and see if that makes her chew less.

Also I don't think the Silent Runner would fit in the Zoozone. It's 35cm tall on its stand, compared to 31 to 32 cm for a trixie or wodent wheel. As she's quite a large hammy the 11" wodent wheel might be a bit on the small side as well. I found it not quite big enough for Charlie (220g). So he had the 12" wobust for a while and that does fit in the Zoozone (just). But it's very bulky and I had some issues with it on the floor of the cage - which is when I got the Silent Runner. But have had a Trixie wheel as well and it's a good size even for a larger hamster. That 1cm diameter can make all the difference with a bigger hamster. (ie wodent wheel is 27cm Trixie is 28cm but they're both classed as 11").

Re the cleaning - Charlie is a very clean and tidy ham :-) Which does make it easier. I have his substrate about 6" deep. The only area that gets smelly is round his toilet area when it goes over the edge sometimes and filters down.

I agree that they do tend to pee more and chew more maybe if their scent is removed a lot. But she might just be a very chewy hammy and I believe girls can sometimes be a bit more smelly than boys :mad: Presumably because they come on heat every 4 days ?

She maybe just chews the Karlie wheel because it's wood though. Charlie also only pee'd in his wheel very rarely. If I cleaned his wheel out he would ignore it for days until I put a treat in it to tempt him back (either he couldn't find it because it smelled different or he thought it was someone else's wheel maybe lol). When he did use it after it had been cleaned he always pee'd in it! Lol! Staking his claim to it I guess. So I tended to just give it a wipe mostly and not have it perfectly clean and smell-free.

[EnerHam]

Hmm... what you said about ventilation got me thinking, Amityvillehams. I have the same cleaning schedule with my other two boys (but I'll change theirs as well now--thanks again for the info everyone) and they don't stink.

That could be due to Aurora being female and going on heat every 4 days as you said Serendipity, but I wonder if it's also the lack of air circulation around the zoozone. I still think Aurora is one stinky little hamster, but I think the problem be exacerbated by the restricted ventilation.

I'll get a few photos of the damage she's inflicted on the cage and its contents later, but I have a feeling she's just not happy in there either. She seems to chew where the air comes in. I think she'd be far more comfortable with an open cage (and I'll need to replace the zoozone soon anyway--you'll see why later). If the chewing is stress related, then perhaps getting her a new barred cage would help.

As for the wheels, I really like the silent runner. It seems like a nice, sturdy wheel and everyone seems to rave about them on here--you're tempting me! But if it doesn't fit in the zoozone then I may wait until I've made a decision about the cage before getting a new wheel. Something's telling me anything new in that cage is going to get semi-destroyed anyway, and Aurora loves her current wheel--not sure what she'll think about it being gone. I think my torturous cage clean (sorry Aurora!) was enough excitement for her for a little while.

[Pebbles82]

Sounds like she might do well in a Barney or Alexander :-) I think you're right. She sounds very energetic and a hammy that would do well with more space/levels and ventilation. The Barney actually comes with an 8" wheel so you could see if she destroys that if you got one. If she doesn't (ie if it was stress making her wheel-chew) then you might be tempted to invest in the Silent Runner. I did find it hurt a lot paying that much for a wheel. But it's the best wheel I've had. No issues whatsoever in almost a year. Plus I have it screwed to the bars in the Barney (another blooming £5 on top for the cage mounting plates!) which means I could put it anywhere in the cage basically and keep it quite high up so I could have the substrate deep underneath it (ie same depth right through the cage). The Barney also comes with a good sized house and shelf and is cheaper than the Alexander. But it's still almost £50. I think it's a great cage for a Syrian though.

[EnerHam]

Yeah, I think you're right Serendipity. A Barney sounds good. Here's the damage she's inflicted to the zoozone and her wheel...

There are these weird indentation things on one of the shorter sides of the zoozone, and she had chewed both of them. She has chewed it all the way through on one so there are now some (pinprick sized) holes, and this is the other.

http://i66.tinypic.com/fcthth.jpg

This is where the water bottle is supposed to come through, but I do have something to cover this normally.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2sah2xl.jpg

And this is the wheel. I think she must have peed on it again recently, as that wood was dry last night.

http://i63.tinypic.com/262usud.jpg

http://i68.tinypic.com/egnukk.jpg

[Pebbles82]

Oh my she really has had a feast on that wheel! It does seem like she is chewing the cage to get out/frustrated or something. It's a tricky one. Because - it might also be that she is just a big chewer - and could be a bar chewer then. Has she been in a cage before? I assume it was a very little one when you got her. Just wondered if she had chewed bars before. It's not that easy to chew 7mm bar spacing though (although not impossible!). Such a shame about the Zoozone! She's really done a lot of chewing at it.

I suppose ideally a large glass tank might be the way to go - just in case she is a bar chewer as well. But they cost a fortune - unless you can find a second hand fish tank or have a detolf without the bars in (I think people have to seal the edges with aquarium sealant if they don't have the bars in the detolf).

[AmityvilleHams]

With the length of the Detolf you'd want to support the glass,otherwise you've got the risk of bowing to worry about which is very bad.

In terms of bar chewing,there's also the issue that even if a large wire cage is purchased it still might not be the solution no matter how well it is set up so she could still become a bar chewer and just need a much bigger cage than many people would be willing or prepared to have.

A double Detolf could be good though,if a single Detolf doesn't work on its own.A proper support system would need to be made,along with the very simple sealing of the edges just to make it safe from any potential urine soaking.However,it is still a decent value for the potential cage size once you make a double Detolf and while it wouldn't be the best solution it is still a possible option that would be fairly simple :)

In terms of ventilation though,the Detolf just isn't a very good solution.There is the potential for removing panels off a wire cage and connecting several wire cages together,but that makes it much more expensive.It would have incredibly good ventilation though,so for that reason even if it would cost more it would still be better at least for ventilation.You could do either the double Detolf or using 2-3 wire cages directly connected over time though,which means it wouldn't be as difficult as spending tons of money all at once and gradual expansion would be possible which can be good for more nervous hamsters!

[EnerHam]

Yeah, she hs been in a wire cage before. I have an old Savic Cambridge I sit her in whenever I clean her out. She climbs and chews the bars like crazy, but that could just be boredom/the stress of being out of her usual environment.

I love the idea of having a deltof, but the practicalities of it are putting me off. I have three other cages in the room Aurora is in, I don't have another place I could move them to (or move Aurora to) and without doing that there isn't enough space for a deltof.

I don't think I'm going to be able to afford an appropriately sized tank, and to be honest I'm not a massive fan of tanks. The weight of them + cleaning sounds like a bit of a nightmare.

Connecting wire cages together poses that same space issue again. I was thinking getting her in a barred cage might be better because she'll have more height to play around in, and therefore I can fit more toys/levels, but I could go with the smallest bar spacing I can find. She's not the biggest hamster I've owned, but she's not far off. I doubt she'd be able to get her teeth arounnd bars 7mm apart.

Now I'm not sure what to do!

Editing to add Aurora seems to be having a bad influence on my oldest, Mitch. He's taken to climbing and chewing the bars of his Alaska a lot lately. The plus side: I can see his front teeth are fantastic. The downside: I'm not sure how long they're going to stay that way if he keeps this up!

[AmityvilleHams]

Maybe some sort of bin setup that you fit into the room?If you can figure out a way to use several directly connected bins that would give more space and you could easily modify the bins to add as much or as little ventilation as you want,and it would also be very inexpensive to do so.The bonus of bins that the Detolf could never have would be that you can make them fit into far more areas!

If you could do a rack system for the current cages that would be very good for both you and potential housing ideas for Aurora!Rack systems or stacking cages would mean you only have to set aside space for a single cage of one particular size,but it will be taller,and if you wanted you could use a rack system for some of the cages but then use part of it for supply storage as well.

Relying on levels to be just as good as floor space isn't a good idea :( No matter how many levels you add,they aren't going to be the same as having a cage with lots of continuous floor space.

[cypher]

It is difficult to know what to do for the best, the bar chewing in the cage when you're cleaning her out is probably due to stress but there's never any guarantee that they won't chew the bars if they move them, I totally understand your reluctance to go for a tank, I had one & moving it, cleaning etc was a nightmare & I ended up just getting rid.
It's a bit of an investment I know but I do think a barred cage would be worth a try, with more height space for toys, levels & hanging things etc she would be able to have a lot more enrichment & might well do fine.
Fingers crossed Mitch is just reacting to what's been going on with Aurora & will give up on the bar chewing idea very soon!

[CMB]

A barred cage seams a good idea. You could add full wooden level(s) depending in which cage you bought.

You want a big floor space, but if you had a rat cage with small enough bar spacing, you could have the base and 2 or 3 levels depending on the height of the cage.

What size space do you have? And what size was the last cage? Just to get an idea of what may or may not fit.

Even in a new cage provide lots of wood chewable items as your hamster obviously liked to chew.

There may be other chews your hamster may like. Wicker balls, willow sticks, loafer, sea grass (tunnel) etc.

[Hamsterita]

OMG. I can't believe what I'm seeing. She's a destroyer :mad: Poor wheel!!

About the ventilation I don't think that you would have problems with a detolf if you regularly spot clean. I have a 80 cm tank (half the size of a detolf) and it doesn't smell. And I'm very picky with smells, If I clean his potty and I don't empty the bin where I put the the dirty sand, I can smell it the hole day, because the bin is next to my desk. I spot clean every day (I remove the poops and I remove the "sand rocks" of wee) and I haven't clean his cage since I got it (later on October, at the beginning of November) so... That's something to consider.

Maybe you should try hanging chews or chews that she doesn't have to pick from the substrate. I've notice that my ham doesn't chew the chews that I spread around the substrate, but he chews things that he doesn't have to hold to chew.

[EnerHam]

My current cages are in a (sort of) rack system: gerbils are on top of an old fish tank stand, Ben is underneath on the lower rungs and then there is a cupboard above them, and mitch is next to them with a cupboard above him. That takes up two-thirds of one wall in the room, and there isn't enough space for another cage there. Aurora is on a different side of the same room, but the door opens out to the right of her and there are things I can't move to the left, so the space is pretty much fixed at the size it is.

Her cage is a zoozone 2, so approx. 100X50x37cm (external measurements). I can't give her any more continuous floor space without moving her to another room, and that's not an option. I know levels aren't going to replace or act as a substitute for floorspace, that wasn't my intention. I was thinking extra levels would give her more enrichment, and a taller and barred cage would enable me to provide this plus ventilation wouldn't be an issue.

Bins are great, I've used one before, but I'm not so great with DIY and making a hole on the side of it for more ventilation was a real hassle (in the end I had to heat up a chisel and melt the plastic away--that stank). Plus finding a sturdy bin with similar dimensions to the zoozone 2 could work out to be just as expensive as buying a barred cage.

She's a little picky with chews. I've tried some wicker which she totally ignored, a hyacinth tunnel she has about half left of, some wooden chews that got a few nibbles in the corner than then that was about it, and then there's the laundry list of things I don't want her to chew (like plastic tunnels), but she chews them anyway. Oh, and she stripped the coloured outside off a cardboard tunnel once.

Aside from a chewer shes also a burrower, and I'm thinking a burrowing box along with the apprx. 5 inches of substrate she has might provide her with more fun. I haven't tried it thus far because the height of the zoozone is restricting what I can and can't put in there, so I guess that's me adding another vote for a barred cage. Hanging chews is an interesting idea, I might just buy a few more and have a go with that!

I really wish the deltof was an option, but space just isn't allowing for it at the moment. Thanks though, and thanks for all the suggestions and advice everyone!

[CMB]

So a cage 100cm x 50cm but taller than 37cm. Anyone know of a wire cage with dimensions similar to these?

Have a look for rat cages with suitable bar spacing as they are often higher so you add the extra levels you were thinking of.

[cypher]

I was going to say the Borneo L would be perfect but just discovered no one delivers it to the UK any more as far as I can see :(
The new savic cage (https://www.zoo-bio.co.uk/savic/22085-hamster-plaza-knock-down) is about the only other one I can think of off hand.
ETA I forgot the Mamble (http://www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk/mamble-rat-hamster-narrow-bar-100cm-cage/) which would be another good & cheaper option.

[EnerHam]

Thank you. I just wish the bar spacing was a little narrower on those cages--doesn't sound like Aurora would have too difficult of a time chewing the bars.

[cypher]

I can't think of any other narrow bar cages that would be as tall as you'd like, it might be a bit of a difficult one to get everything you need in one cage, isn't it almost always!
About the only thing I can think of (not totally sure about bar spacing) is the imac plexi 100, they are really, really expensive though!

[CMB]

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/small-pet/rat/rat-homes/savic-zeno-3-empire-rat-and-chinchilla-cage

How about this one. 100cm x 50cm x 115cm?

I did a quick image search on rat cages and there are a few Slavic cages that may be ok.

[Pebbles82]

The Alexander and Barney are both well over 37cm tall and have 7mm bar spacing. I measured the internal height of my Barney and it's about 43cm (quoted as being about 46cm so maybe that includes the handles or the bits that stick up from the top roof opening). I reckon the Alexander might be good if you could spend that much. The three shelves give virtually a whole extra level (it's a few cm taller than the Barney but only about 3 or 4cm I think. Again it's quoted as 50cm tall but internal height is more like 47 or 48 I seem to remember, having asked someone once!).

Also it has the long house in which leaves most of the floor area for substrate. Charlie had a house like that in his travel cage and it worked really well - he nested at one end and his potty was at the far end beyond the door and he hoarded in between. It does limit how much substrate you have at the house end (unless you submerge it and have a tunnel down to the door) - but I had considered putting cardboard round the inside of the bars at the opposite end and sectioning it off as a deep digging end. In fact I find Fitch doesn't fall out through the 7mm bars anyway so you can pile it up against the bars anyway.

I think you're right, extra levels would add to the enrichment. The Barney is cheaper though and although not quite so tall it's still tall enough for shelves like in the Alexander and you can use the whole of the roof for attaching/hanging things as it's flat, and the wheel can go anywhere due to the flat roof.

There are a couple of other amazing cages with 7mm bar spacing but they're not cheap!

This one is like two Barney's on top of each other (I nearly got it but as Charlie was getting older decided to go for a one level cage). It says currently unavailable now though. There used to be a Uk seller of it - in the Uk it was called the Sky Rat.

https://www.amazon.de/Schulte-M%C3%A4use-Hamsterk%C3%A4fig-CARLOS/dp/B005MXNSOA/ref=pd_sbs_199_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8XPNRCNB78ZPH122M92T

This is one I really wanted! But about £150!!!! Has 7mm bars, a perspex base for deep substrate and it's 100cm by 72cm so masses of floorspace and shelves.

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00H4Z2PYI?psc=1

In my dreams lol - someone on here has one. They also say they no longer ship to the Uk. Hmm it's maybe a post brexit thing if the Borneo says the same.

Skyline do a version of the Borneo with shelves and a red base instead of grey and that's available to ship to the Uk (sold by Amazon) but it's 100 euros so about £85 to £90 which isn't cheap and would need more shelves as well as it's really tall (57cm tall).

https://www.amazon.de/Skyline-2423-Gonzales-Nagerk%C3%A4fig-bordeaux/dp/B016OB33TS/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1485957152&sr=1-1&keywords=speedy+gonzales

Unless you reduce the height by putting 20cm of bedding in at the front (I reckon it will hold 20cm before you get to the door opening :-) But it would still need extra shelves probably.

I went all round the houses and came back to the 100cm Barney :-)

[cypher]

The skyline version of the borneo is a good find! The borneo is such a great cage that one with the shelves as well would be really good & maybe easier to set up.
I have a borneo EnerHam so can say from experience it really is a nice cage, well made & a ton of space so it might be the answer to your dilemma if it's not too expensive for you.
Shame the San Marino is no longer available to ship to the UK, it seems to just be Petgard at the moment not a general brexit thing, really hope that doesn't happen!

[Pebbles82]

One thing I forgot to add about the Barney - it is 54cm deep. That 4cm makes a big difference to the floorspace usage (almost 2"), which is great. But may be an issue for your shelving system at present. Whereas the Alexander is 50cm deep.

[Thin Lizzy]

My goodness at the pics of Aurora's destruction.

[EnerHam]

Haha, I had a reply all typed out and then... my browser decided to randomly close. :rolleyes:

Yeah, that hamster never ceases to amaze me with her destructive capabilities, Thin Lizzy. She's an adorable nightmare!

Wow, so many cages! Thanks a lot, everyone.

I found a UK seller of that Sky Rat cage, and sadly its unavailable there, too. :(
If it wasn't, I'd be buying that. A cage like that sounds perfect.

The Borneo and the Skyline version look amazing. They're a little above my price range, though. The lack of shipping to the UK is annoying--I really hope this isn't a brexit thing too.

The price on that imac plexi is way too high for me lol. Aurora would be in a nice but empty cage for half the year!

I think that rat cage may be a little too tall, cmb, but thanks anyway. After paying that price, I'm not sure I'd be able to afford enough levels, hammocks, sputniks etc., to ensure Aurora doesn't fall from a great height and injure herself. I'll definitely have a look around at a few rat cages though, and see if there is anything more suitable.

I do have an Alexander--it houses gerbils. Far from an ideal environment given they like to burrow, but they destroyed their last cage and I happened to have one on hand. I'm not planning on getting anymore gerbils and the two I have are not young, so I improvised and made them a large burrowing area but blocking the bars so the fitch can't fall out. They seem happy enough. But yeah, it's a nice cage. I hope the gerbils don't destroy it too much--maybe a future ham would enjoy it if it's still intact!

I love the Barney--I have Ben in the old 80cm one but I'd love to get the new one, too.

So my list at the moment is

Barney - Zooplus - £49.99

Skyline sky rat cage - Amazon UK - Unavailable

Savic Hamster Plaza - zoo-bio.co.uk - £79.53

100cm mamble - littlepetwarehouse - £52.99

I think my price range for the cage is stuck at around £80. It would have been more if Fluffy (guinea pig I lost) was still around and I didn't have to visit an emergency vet. :( Sorry, I'm still grieving that little trouble-maker.

[cypher]

Of course you're still grieving for your little guy, it takes time to come to terms with a loss like that.

Your shortlist is looking good, tough trying to decide but I'm sure Aurora will appreciate it!

[EnerHam]

I found the Sky Rat cage!

Sky Rat 100 (http://petcagesuk.co.uk/rat-cages/sky-rat-100)

Too bad about the price... but man am I tempted!

[BorisPasha]

So you've made your short list one longer now then EnerHam ;) It's hard trying to decide on cages I find as there always seems to be good things and not so good things about each one (or maybe that's just because I'm fussy!). Still can't get over those destruction photos lol, her poor wheel.

[EnerHam]

I'm exactly the same. I go through all the reviews I can find, nitpick every tiny detail.. in fact, that's what I've spent a good portion of my afternoon doing. I love the Sky Rat 100, but there are so few reviews of it. Not sure why I'm looking at a cage £50 above my price range anyway.... but I just can't help myself!

Yep, her wheel has suffered. As has the poor cage lol. She's a persistent little monster, I'll give her that!

[Hamsterita]

WOW. It's normal that you're tempted. It's huge! It would be Aurora's palace, But yeah, it's a little bit pricey. All cages look good to me, so... at this point I can't suggest anything!

[EnerHam]

Yeah, it would be her own private hamster palace! Thanks anyway, Hamsterita, it's nice just hearing opinions on it.

So I'm thinking in terms of overall size and price, the Barney is going to be the best option. If I get the Barney, I'll have enough money to afford more toys than if I bought the other two that are within my current price range.

But the Sky Rat does look amazing, and part of me is tempted to save for a bit longer and get that. On the plus side, Aurora hasn't chewed anything she isn't supposed to since Sunday, so it looks like I have some time to decide.

[CMB]

The Sky rat 100 cage looks good, but for that price you could get two Barney cages and extra toys.

The sky rat 100 cage would also require extra platforms/levels to help minimise risk of falls from bar climbing, so would cost even more than just the cage cost. Then lots of extra toys to fill up the space.

Hope you find a cage that will work for you and your hamster.

[EnerHam]

Yeah, you're right. Thanks for talking some sense into me lol. The Barney is the cheaper option, and that means I can get her more toys. No point having a massive near-empty cage, no matter how tempting it seems.

[AmityvilleHams]

Cage size is only as good as you make it!Hopefully it works for Aurora,but be prepared that it might not be enough of a change to make a difference.

[EnerHam]

Maybe not, but she seems a lot more settled now than last weekend. She only chews something when she wants me to pay attention to her and/or pick her up, and when I put her back she's fine again.

[Thin Lizzy]

Good that Aurora is more settled.

[cypher]

That's good to hear, maybe it was the cleaning routine that was unsettling her & causing her to get up to so much mischief.

[EnerHam]

Aurora really likes her routines. I was running a little late with chores in the evening, so everyone got fed later and handled later. Mitch and Ben were fine about it, but Aurora... oh boy. Cue half an hour of angrily chewing on her wheel. When I took her out it was like someone had attached a rocket to her back!

The damage to the wheel was minor (compared to what's already there), but I was concerned the damage to my fingers would be worse. The last time I took her out this late she had a nice time trying to bite the palm of my hand, but this time she settled for licking my thumb and trying to pull the plaster off my middle finger before zooming around again. I think I've learned my lesson...

Note to Aurora: please stop storing hamster mix on your toilet!

[Pebbles82]

I was choosing between the Barney and Sky Rat/Carlos as well :-) Then decided on an Alexander and it was out of stock for ages so got the Barney - but I did spend on extra shelves and things for the Barney. I would have got the Sky Rat/Carlos if Charlie hadn't been the wrong side of middle age at the time. I forgot about that Uk seller. I think they ship it from Germany and then bump the price up. There was a place in Germany that sold it as well as Amazon (might have been petgard though) - I'll see if I can find it - because it used to be 99 euros (about £80 something pounds) and I think it worked out about £90 with shipping. £129 is quite expensive for it.

Here it is (one place anyway - there might be others - I'll keep looking).

They ship to the Uk. Shipping cost is 14.95 euros. Total cost 114.9 euros converted into pounds at today's exchange rate is £98.18.

Mäuse- & Hamsterkäfig CARLOS 98 x 52 x 89 cm bei Zoostore.de online kaufen (http://www.zoostore.de/Kleintiere/Maeuse-Hamsterkaefig-CARLOS.html)

[EnerHam]

Wow, thanks Serendipity! Too bad it's unavailable, but that does look like a far more reasonable price. If you do find another seller, it'd be great to know. If the cage is that big then I don't mind splashing out on extra toys to fill it.

[Pebbles82]

Aw is it unavailable? Didn't notice that. The seller you linked in the Uk were selling it for £99 a year and a half ago - maybe exchange rate thing? I did some working out of layouts with the Skyrat. You don't actually get two full cagesworth of floorspace as there's a hole in the top cage base for access down - I reckoned it would need some kind of wall/house/fence round it so you could have a decent depth of substrate in the top cage. Otherwise all the bedding would fall down the hole! It is still extra floorspace though - but I did achieve a kind of extra level in Charlie's Barney cage with an extra shelf along the back and a shelf via the top of his house, and tying a tube to the roof. Maybe the nearest thing spacewise to the Skyrat is the Alexander.

[Thin Lizzy]

Bless Aurora, she sure likes her routines.

[EnerHam]

She adores her routines lol. Everything as been back to normal for the last few days so she's happy again.

Yeah, I've been thinking about the ramp and the hole in the sky rat. I have a bit of wood left over from the alexander and a few ideas for that, provided the ramp is removable. But yeah, the alexander is definitely something to consider. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!