Idea: Bin Cage Awareness Movement!

[Mikayla]

Originally Posted by TheFeldhamster

I think the concept of "buying back" the old cage is a great advertising idea. Even if you only find enough funding to do it once and not forever I think it's a great idea. You can always switch to a "we'll trade in your old cage for a new bin cage for free" mode later if you need to.

If you make a few bin cages in advance there won't be any problem where to stick the hamster while the bin cage is built - you give them a ready made bin and take their cage to build the next bin.

It's really too bad that the biggest bins over here are just under our min. cage size requirements or I would steal that idea of bin cage awareness week and promote it over here as well, it's brilliant!

It's still better just under minimum rather that way under! Ours are that way too, but it's still bigger than any other sort of cage.

[Womblehands]

How will you get in contact with people who have small cages? especially those younger hamster owners who's parents have bought the tiny cage in the first place..

I think its a good idea but would be awesome if a large chain supported you.

[Hotch]

I think its a genius idea. I'd never heard of Bin Cages til i joined this forum and if i had the skill's i'd definitely be making one. (i'm more likely to cut my own hand off lol)

Raising awareness is a fantastic idea though really, to bring it to the attention of more people who can change there hamsters living arrangements.

[purple_x]

I think sometimes the cost of a decent sized bin, plus mesh, plus all the other materials, and petrol to get to diy shops (works out A LOT for me as I live in the middle of nowhere!) works out to be more expensive than a decent sized cage.
So while I think it's a great idea what would be even better is if we could somehow just get every store that sells hamsters to sell decent cages.

[Catherine Spark]

So glad people are discussing and debating the idea at least! younr017, I will let you know if it gets started and if you can do anything - thanks for the offer! You'd be welcome to do a trial run of your own wherever you live And if you do and there's anything I can do...

It's clear from here that some people would be really for the idea - or aspects of it at least - and some really against - I think that's the way with any idea, and most ideas get heavily modified before finding something sustainable that works and catches on. A choice of cage workshops is fantastic, if it could be backed and funded - e.g. a wooden one, a bin one, a cabinet one etc. And not everyone has to pay a ton for DIY tools and petrol to get the materials - depends where you live and what you already have access to (remember the mesh comes from previous bad quality cages, and donations of tools and materials would be welcome from anyone, similar to a charity shop); but if you attended the workshop, and the workshop was funded, materials and tools could conceivably be provided there for people to work with. Especially if a chain DID sponsor it. In Britain anyway (well in my experience) I've seen them back some pretty odd or radical things if it makes the store look better/more ethical/more responsible/more compassionate. So although you may be right that they might not back it and might not care, I'm a firm believer that it's always worth making an attempt.

People would be alerted by adverts in papers, on free-ad websites, in any vet surgeries or rescue homes that approve, in animal magazines, in the form of leaflets. Of course, that would be a far bigger scale than anything could start off as, but I know for a fact that it would be within initial capabilities to advertise on free-ad websites, and very possibly also in the form of fliers (I have made up fliers myself and had them printed - sourced well they are really simple and relatively cheap).

The good thing about selling the materials in pet stores (incidentally I wasn't suggesting pushing for that, I was just musing there!) would be that enthusiasts of bin cages, and of hamsters, who make cages specifically because they've seen a hamster they like (plenty of people like that on here) or run a hamstery, and want room to accomodate them cheaply, wouldn't waste petrol and time going to lots of different stores. In the hamstery situation at least it would certainly be cheaper to buy materials in bulk and make lots of cages, rather than buy each cage separately.

Anyway, given the different opinions on here I think it's a plan worth continuing to work on.

[mangoandmimi]

Love the idea, would be brilliant if it went far.
I'm just thinking about its realisticness, as i know some people out there who see anything other than something labelled for hamsters, think it to be unsuitable, even if it's 100x better than a traditional cage. Also of course, bins aren't exactly..a pretty sight But then neither are most barred cages if i'm honest.
I wouldn't be buying any cages off anyone, too skint to get stuff for my own hams let alone others' But even just trading..other than feel happy that someone else's ham is in a nice cage, if you do it for them then it's labour work after labour after labour. Maybe i'm just coming across as lazy, but i'm nearly dead with bloody hands after just one bin and i'm not too sure whether people would be bothered to make bins themselves.

[Catherine Spark]

That is very true - it's what people have the time, energy and inclination for. Some people just don't - and that's absolutely fine I also agree - there are people who say "Well this cage is for hamsters and that one isn't, so this must be better". Trouble is, most things that make hamster cages 'pretty' and space-effective often seem to work against the hamsters' interests! Or at least in my experience, colours, food bowls and possibly hideys aside. But the thing is, when I first saw a bin cage, and that it could be done by me, that actually inspired me to want to build my own, rather than put me off. I'm sure some people who have not been on HC would have the same experience. Not everyone's cup of tea I know, but if it helps even a few hamsters get into more spacious caging who otherwise wouldn't then I would argue it's worth it. And we know some people ARE converted to them at first site, because of testamonials from people who first saw them on this site!

[sully]

deleted.......

[Catherine Spark]

Deleted...? What do you mean? Ah you mean your comment (but comments and threads can't be deleted hence the word?). Sod's law now makes me interested in what you were going to say...

[mangoandmimi]

Originally Posted by Catherine Spark

That is very true - it's what people have the time, energy and inclination for. Some people just don't - and that's absolutely fine I also agree - there are people who say "Well this cage is for hamsters and that one isn't, so this must be better". Trouble is, most things that make hamster cages 'pretty' and space-effective often seem to work against the hamsters' interests! Or at least in my experience, colours, food bowls and possibly hideys aside. But the thing is, when I first saw a bin cage, and that it could be done by me, that actually inspired me to want to build my own, rather than put me off. I'm sure some people who have not been on HC would have the same experience. Not everyone's cup of tea I know, but if it helps even a few hamsters get into more spacious caging who otherwise wouldn't then I would argue it's worth it. And we know some people ARE converted to them at first site, because of testamonials from people who first saw them on this site!

I agree I saw bins as a good alternative when i saw a photo them. At first i was like.. you can't be serious.. but then i got used to them lol.
Well, even if only a few hamsters have better homes, i'm happy If the owners know there's a better alternative, they might give it a go, but some people are completely oblivious to the fact that their cage is unsuitable, so you never know.