Bin cages!

[Ellie]

I'm thinking of making a bin cage for Dynamite.. I'm not going to move him into it for another month or two as I don't want him to get confused and stressed out but the cage he is in really isn't big enough. He has enough room in there for a wheel (he gets one 20 mins a night) seesaw tube and a wooden playground up the top but it is a tight squeeze and will not be suitable for when he is a big boy (we knew that anyway) I was going to move him to a zoozone, as I didn't like the idea of a bin cage, but when I seen Lisa's i really thought HEY they don't look so bad Anyway back to the point....

I think it will take us a while to make as we are not very DIY people, so will probably do it bit by bit.. So I want to start getting materials within the next week... So I have a few general questions!

What do you all think of your own bin cages?
Are they safe and sturdy??
What type of plastic do you need that a hamster can't chew through?
Does anyone take any precautions as they don't trust the bin cage completely?

I am a bit concerned after what poor Wofunny went through, and do not want an escapee as would be devasted if I had to go through the hell he has...!

[mangoandmimi]

i use those *unbreakable boxes* from b&q for about £12 but you can get bigger ones from ikea for like a tenner.
my robos love theirs but mimis in it atm.
simple critter bases make greats lids btw it fits perfectly - ziptied to bit of wood.
it also has curved sides do dont need to drill holes

[wofunny]

What do you all think of your own bin cages?
i love Smokeys, it is so easy to clean and extremely easy to customise! as i have added a shelf.. and am looking to add a wire door.
Are they safe and sturdy??
Smokeys is a bit flimsy, but it is very big! and you have to be vert carefull when cutting the plastic as it can crack!
What type of plastic do you need that a hamster can't chew through?
No idea
Does anyone take any precautions as they don't trust the bin cage completely?
i used to put weights on top of the lid, as it doesnt have clips... untill i realised Smokey defiantly couldn't take off the lid

I am a bit concerned after what poor Wofunny went through, and do not want an escapee as would be devasted if I had to go through the hell he has...!
i dont think it would happen to you... Smudge was a very servire case of chewing... he chewed his bars all night.

[lisab]

the ones i use are a mixture from asda and the range. they are really sturdy and the lid stays on without anything needing to be put on the top.

it shouldnt take to long to make one, we can make 10 in an hour, (well we did the other night)

just dont use a drill (i found out the hard way of a spilt box) use a soldering iron to make the windows and put the wire on the inside not the outside or they will nibble out.