Water bottle stopped working

Graceread · 03-16-2017, 07:58 AM

We have a dwarf hamster named Coffee. We bought a Kaytee Cage and it came with an attached water bottle. We filled it up and make sure it worked and of course every time we moved the cage the water spilled out. The other day I noticed that there wasn't as much pee on the hamster wheel. I tapped my finger on the little ball at the end of the water bottle and no water came out. I played around with it and still could not get any water out. I filled up a little container of water and Coffee drank a bunch of it. I called Kaytee because I was very much upset. If I hadn't noticed there could have been a problem even though the water bottle was completely full. We continued to tip the water bottle upside down and did end up getting it to work again. Either way she is getting a water bowl and a water bottle. Kaytee said this is a very rare occurrence but she did have it happen to one other person. They are sending me a new water bottle. I'm just posting this so it doesn't happen to anyone else.

AmityvilleHams · 03-16-2017, 08:04 AM

Kaytee(Critter Trail,generally)cages aren't actually suitable for any species

The water bottles are generally not that good either,you can definitely get some cheaper bottles from Petsmart,Petco,etc.A 4 oz standard bottle is fine,it doesn't have to be anything too fancy or expensive!

cypher · 03-16-2017, 08:23 AM

It's always good to have at least one spare water bottle just in case something goes wrong & you need to give them a thorough clean about once a week anyway so it helps to have another bottle to put in the cage while you do that.
If you're stuck for a bottle use a small shallow bowl, about the size of a tea light holder or a tiny reptile dish, mine all prefer bowls anyway!

Drago · 03-16-2017, 11:34 AM

Amity is correct in that kaytee cages are unfortunately too small for hamsters

the minimum cage size written on paper is 450 sq inches of uninterrupted floor space. However, some hamsters need larger cages than others so if you have an active and confident hamster, I'd go as large as you can possibly afford! I'm not sure where you're located, but I know that in the US (and occasionally Canada) you can find a pretty spacious bin known as the IRIS Christmas tree storage bin which is fairly cheap for its size

You could also go and buy a detolf or even a 40 gallon breeder tank as this would be way more suitable. Like cypher said, having spare bottles can be a helpful thing. You could also use a bowl, though this requires a bit more maintenance, there's nothing wrong with a shallow high quality dish. I'd upgrade as soon as possible, and if you have any questions or need help with the process, make sure to ask as everyone will be more than happy to help out

**Cinnamon Bear** · 03-16-2017, 12:25 PM

I have 4 Kaytee brand new 4 oz clear water bottles & none of them give out any water. I threw one out in the garbage last month cause it wouldn't work.

Pet-Co has every single water bottle drips, the opposite problem. I tested about 8 bottle at the store, they let me do this & all of them dripped. The employees say the are having a hard time with their live animals on the floor.

Pet-Smart also has dripping water or no water. I have a bottle (that are good

lfor each hamster except Heaven uses a bowl. But no back up bottles. I'll go to Pet Smart tomorrow & look.

There must be alot if suffering animals out there. Pet-Co uses a company called You Me or something like that & they are terrible.

AmityvilleHams · 03-16-2017, 12:37 PM

Standard bottles always drip,there's no way around it.I personally use a Petsmart bottle,and it does leak occasionally,but nowhere near enough to completely soak substrate.Of course,if you use deep and absorbent substrate it shouldn't be an issue to have minor dripping,but if the bottle is over a solid surface it will be problematic.

**Cinnamon Bear** · 03-16-2017, 12:48 PM

No, all my bottles work perfectly with no dripping. For the past 3 yrs I've been able to purchase good bottles That work with zero dripping.

This is something new, this last 6 mo

Edit: I bought 2 Kaytee bottles that are blue from a store in the mall. Came home & they give zero water out. Poor hammies. The store owner must know but apparently they don't care.

It's a problem, there should be no dripping with a bottle that isn't defective.

I feel very strongly annoyed by this problem

As for the small critter trail cages, you can attach a 4 oz bottle outside the cage with a metal clasp that usually comes with the water bottle cardboard packaging

Pebbles82 · 03-16-2017, 01:49 PM

Graceread - until you get another bottle you could put a little dish of water out for your hammy. It's best if on a shelf (or somewhere it won't get full of substrate) and you might need to refresh the water at least twice a day or it can get contaminated by paws, food and all sorts

It does sound like maybe you need a cage upgrade as well. A lot of people in the US make bin cages. Ikea make a Samla bin that's a good size for a dwarf hamster bin cage. It's this one

SAMLA Box - IKEA

You need to cut out most of the roof and attach mesh with cable ties, and cut out panels at the front and back and attach mesh with cable ties. Here are a few examples.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Sa...iw=911&bih=405

You need to leave enough space below the side panels for plenty of deep substrate. One of the best things you can give a dwarf hammy is 25cm or more of substrate - so they can dig tunnels

A lot of people then use industrial velcro to attach a bottle inside.

If that level of diy doesn't appeal, then the other options are glass tanks (which are good value when Petco have their dollar per gallon sale on). A 40 gallon breeder tank is a popular size. There are a couple of cages that are a suitable size for a dwarf hammy but they're expensive - about $150. The Lixit Mickey 2XL on Amazon. com and the Marchioro Kevin, available here $119

Marchioro Products Marchioro Kevin Small Pet Cage Small Pet Cages

There is also this perspex tank which is a good size for a dwarf hammy and less expensive at about $60

It's the top one - the Fop Tamburino. It's a nice cage and if you don't like diy it's a good choice.

HAMSTER CAGES

Another option with a bit less diy is an Ikea detolf tank - you tip it on its side and leave the glass door off - so it makes a long glass tank. It then needs two lids making out of just strips of wood with mesh attached. It's an amazing habitat for a hamster and looks good in a room. Fits on top of two small kallax units to give storage underneath. The detolf is about $60 but it gets more expensive if you buy kallax units as well. Or it might fit on top of a sideboard or something you have already. Or two Ikea Lack coffee tables (cheaper option).

DETOLF Glass-door cabinet - white - IKEA

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=de...iw=911&bih=405

The Fop Tamburino is the smallest you'd want really for your hammy though.

Graceread · 03-18-2017, 06:18 PM

Hi Everyone, I'm super excited to tell you, we took everyone's advice! We bought a new water bottle and WE MADE A BIN CAGE! It took absolutely all day. From shopping for everything to finding a tool to cut the bin and putting it together. We bought 2 new wheels (we are gonna let her pick her favorite). You should have seen her check out her new cage when we were finally done. Coffee was so excited!!! I think it is super cute. I will post a picture (I only know how to post super large pictures so I asked admin how to post correctly). Once I figure it out...I will show everyone. My daughter hung Coffee's shingle as a finishing touch. It is a picture of a cup of coffee with the name Coffee on it. Ha ha soooooo cute!

**Cinnamon Bear** · 03-18-2017, 06:42 PM

Congrats!! Sounds like you have a beautiful cage set-up for coffee & your family to enjoy