Savic Rody (including Deluxe) ~ Cage Review

[souffle]

I would not agree with your two points that hamsters need bars to climb and gnaw on. Many hamsters have been badly injured from falls caused by bar climbing. The bones are very delicate and can break with a short fall. Bar chewing is also often a sign of boredom and requires a rethink of the cage set up and more stimulation or a move to a different cage. It should be discouraged as again they can hurt their noses quite severly with bar chewing till they are red raw and can also break the teeth. Tank cages prevent bar chewing on the whole. It is normal for hamsters to spent lots of time wheel running. In the wild a hamster would run many miles in a night and this mimics normal behavior.

[Bunsey]

i've never kept anything in a rody other than a robo and for robos i must say they are excellent. My robos adore these cages. i've put robos in many types of cages and they are clearly happiest in the rody. i have no idea why, but they love them and start becoming more outgoing and playful once they go in a rody. they seem to feel safer in them, even compared to the ferplast duna which is very similar. i have no explaination for it, but that's something i've observed time and time again and i'll be sticking to rodys for robos

[borrett71]

Originally Posted by souffle

I would not agree with your two points that hamsters need bars to climb and gnaw on. Many hamsters have been badly injured from falls caused by bar climbing. The bones are very delicate and can break with a short fall. Bar chewing is also often a sign of boredom and requires a rethink of the cage set up and more stimulation or a move to a different cage. It should be discouraged as again they can hurt their noses quite severly with bar chewing till they are red raw and can also break the teeth. Tank cages prevent bar chewing on the whole. It is normal for hamsters to spent lots of time wheel running. In the wild a hamster would run many miles in a night and this mimics normal behavior.

I'd agree with what you say, to be honest . What I am talking about is extreme repetitive behaviour where the animal does nothing else, loses weight from wheel running and is very agitated, which I have seen in a Rody. Both extreme bar chewing and wheel running can be signs of an animal being unstimulated and distressed. I expect my hamsters to have a good run at night on their wheels, but not to the point of getting unhappy and out of condition. Its not often that you see this happening, but it is sometimes seen. My robbies, when I had them, had lots of toys too, and a safe nest, but got fixated with the wheel to the point of making themselves ill. I moved them into the big rotastak system that Daisy is in now, and the stereotypical behaviour stopped, and their condition improved. Every animal is different and it could be that the Rody just didn't suit these particular robbies.

I'd agree with the bar chewing dangers too, especially danger from heights. My experience of this cage is different to others, and maybe there is a design difference in the height of the wheel and spout. In my cage the wheel is less than a centimetre higher than the base. I had to check several times a day that the water bottled had not emptied due to substrate being pushed against the spout.

i do good cage reviews too there are plenty of good ones, but I really do not like the Rody.

[Basia]

I keep a couple of Rodys which I sometimes use when I am taming. I hang the water bottle from the roof and put a wodent wheel in so I take the green shelf thing out.
Generally though I prefer wire cages. As long as they are not too high, the hamsters do seem to enjoy climbing and I have been lucky, my hamsters have not really been bar chewers.

[borrett71]

That's a good idea about removing the accessories. I'll maybe play around with the Rody a bit.

I like as deep as substrate as possible, you see, to encourage burrowing and rummaging. I hide food in it to keep them busy and its lovely in the morning to find a new burrow has been created.

The Chinese dwarfs create very complex systems of tunnels and compartments.. I will show photos sometime when I find a decent new substrate... and they cannot do this in the Rody as it is now.

[Holly]

I really like the Rody for our robo, Bean, though I'd like to get him a larger glass tank if I can find one.

I also don't agree that hamsters "need bars to climb on", borrett - I think they are all different, some want to climb, some go nuts if you put them in a wire cage (maybe they feel too exposed?). I've used all types of cage and the only ones I've ever needed to replace with something different are the wire cages - if you ever have a hamster that rubs her face 'til it's raw and bleeding by chewing the bars - then still carries on chewing - you'll know what I mean

I'm a huge fan of tank type cages like the Rody for this reason - though the Rody is too small for an adult Syrian, too small for anything other than a single dwarf really. Many poeple have very happy hamsters in large tank cages like the Gabber Rex or Zoozone - they have toys to climb on and some swing from the roof bars but I don't believe they "need" bars to climb on. I'm also aware that draughts can be fatal to hamsters - living in a cold house I worry far less about my tank caged hamsters than my wire caged ones - they always seem to be moving nest area and I always seem to be giving them more bedding. I hate Rotastak type tanks but the large tanks with roof bars for ventilation are great for keeping them snug.

I do agree about the space thing, the more the better, and I like big open spaces you can fill with hideaways and toys to climb on so the hamsters can do what they do naturally - running, climbing and hiding away (there are no bars in the wilds of Syria!)

[jayne]

I think it is all down to the hamster and if they like it at the end of the day. My chinese loved their cages, even when they were together. They were still able to burrow and make their tunnels that they loved.
As mentioned, i made some underground tunnels myself by placing a toilet roll tube under the substrate and they loved it!
Everyone has their own opinion and you have obviously had some bad experience with the Rody.
I will admit i agree with your comments about the wheel and water bottle, however i quickly solved the problem by replacing the wheel with a silent spinner and not putting as much substrate under the bottle. I must have been lucky but my chinese realised that if it was piled high with shavings under the bottle it would leak :P Therefore they would actually kick some of it away from under the bottle and voila! No leakage!

[crawleytown]

I've got a Rody for my Syrian, but she seems to obsseisvely chew those bars at the top of the cage. She does it for hours on end, I'm guessing she's bored out of her mind so I'm looking to get another cage.

How do you get that tubing in the top of the Rody? If you could let me know that would be great, then I can buy another one and connect it!!

Originally Posted by crawleytown

I've got a Rody for my Syrian, but she seems to obsseisvely chew those bars at the top of the cage. She does it for hours on end, I'm guessing she's bored out of her mind so I'm looking to get another cage.

How do you get that tubing in the top of the Rody? If you could let me know that would be great, then I can buy another one and connect it!!

Its the Rody deluxe that comes with a hole in the bars for the tubing. A Rody is a bit on the small size for a Syrian - which is probably partly why your girl is bored and chewing. If you're considering buying another Rody to attach, can I suggest you get a Gabber Rex or a Zoo Zone instead? They're a much better size for a Syrian but still the same tank style. Cost-wise, there's only a small difference between one of these and buying an extra Rody.

[Matty Day]

Originally Posted by East London Chick

Its the Rody deluxe that comes with a hole in the bars for the tubing. A Rody is a bit on the small size for a Syrian - which is probably partly why your girl is bored and chewing. If you're considering buying another Rody to attach, can I suggest you get a Gabber Rex or a Zoo Zone instead? They're a much better size for a Syrian but still the same tank style. Cost-wise, there's only a small difference between one of these and buying an extra Rody.

i would try a bigger cage if i wee you but if your after something easier to get it might be better to get an imac or a Cambridge available from Tesco direct and pets at home respectively. however these are barred cages to so maybe a gabber or a lux would be a better choice. i wouldnt recomed another rody the tubes might quickly become to small for her

just a note elc bar chewing doesn’t denote boredom some hamsters will even do it in rex, zoozone or hamster heaven. its some kind of strange hamster addiction