Idea: Bin Cage Awareness Movement!

Catherine Spark · 07-21-2012, 04:03 AM

To raise awareness of a hamster's/rodent's cage requirements, and the ability to create cheap, fun accomodation, we offer to buy peoples' small barred hamster cages (for something tiny like £2 per cage) and either show them how to make bin cages, or turn them into custom made bin cages for the owners ourselves! We then give them back to them for free.

One less bad cage in the world, one more good cage, and one more hamster owner who knows about bin cages (and profits from upgrading), and possibly even learns how to make them and passes that knowledge on to other hamster owners. And the companies who make the bad cages don't profit from it, because we buy the cages second hand. We could even include homemade wheels of appropriate sizes as part of the design!

Anyone know if this is an idea that could be pursued? It could be a charity, and get its materials and money for buying the bad hamster cages from donations

I'm getting ahead of myself having not even made one yet and have never set up or run a charity, but I think it's an idea that deserves to grow, don't you?

Younr017 · 07-21-2012, 04:05 AM

I think with great minds behind this , it could b really good. Great idea !

Catherine Spark · 07-21-2012, 04:15 AM

I think there are a lot of ways we could get funding for it too. The National Hamster Council and RSPCA/SSPCA might be interested in helping fund it initially. And places like B&Q, ASDA and Homebase who make relevant materials might think it was worth supporting too, if the idea was sold to them well. And then there are funding events such as buying a stall at a charity sale (and selling home made pet treats and toys or something!).

For me, due to the amount I have on at the moment, it would probably realistically have to begin after August, but those would be good starting points, I would think.

Younr017 · 07-21-2012, 04:18 AM

I think it would take time but man power but with the right minds behind it could go far

Sandti · 07-21-2012, 04:20 AM

I think that the raising awareness would be the most realistic thing to aim for at the moment.
Why would you want to buy old cages and give them new bin cages. Give them bin cages for sure but why buy the old cage?
Or instead of just giving them to people why not set up workshops to show people how to do it themselves and make it look like a fun project :3

Younr017 · 07-21-2012, 04:30 AM

I think it's so they don't get sold on ? But I might be wrong

Catherine Spark · 07-21-2012, 04:32 AM

- Yup

Use old cages to reduce the number of second hand unsuitable cages in circulation, and to show that old cages will not be wasted by the upgrade. That is, buying that nasty old cage and not using it is not going to be a complete waste of money (people will get put off upgrading if they think they would be wasting money as a result). It will still be used - just as part of a better cage.

- Buy the old cage cheaply to encourage more people to make the move to upgrade, and to give us easy materials for making bin cages for the people. People like free services, but I bet they'd like it even more and be more willing to upgrade if they had the opportunity to sell their cages. Again, the whole money motivation. The type of people who would buy tiny little hamster cages at minimum price are probably quite money-conscious (TOO money conscious), so it makes sense to offer a money-orientated motivation for them to upgrade. People who care about their hamsters more than money probably buy bigger cages anyway, and are already aware of what kind of space a hamster needs. Or at least already care enough to join a forum like this, where they will soon BECOME aware if they are not already. But buy second hand so we are not feeding into the companies that make these cages. Also buy the cages at much cheaper prices than they were originally bought for so that VERY money-orientated people don't just buy in nasty old cages and upgrade for the money.

- Upgrade the bins for people so the hamsters don't suffer from people not being bothered to learn how to make suitable cages themselves, or spend money on good accomodation. At the end of the day it's the hamsters' interests that are at stake, rather than the owner's motivations. And upgrade rather than just give bins to people because then we know we are getting rid of poor housing for hamsters at the same time. Plus people who look into a bin cage as their first hamster cage already have the awareness the movement would be raising, so it would be like targeting the converted.

And certainly offer tutorials and workshops for those that CAN be bothered to learn, as you suggest! The good thing about this is that it can start one-man (or woman

) if need be, anyone who wants to can set it in motion at any time, and nobody has to if they don't feel happy about it. Plus it can happen at a local level.

Sandti · 07-21-2012, 04:35 AM

Well instead of buying the cages and then giving them the cage for free why not just do a trade if they are willing, that way you don't have to give them money and also pay out for the materials to make the box.

**kyrilliondaemon** · 07-21-2012, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandti

I think that the raising awareness would be the most realistic thing to aim for at the moment.
Why would you want to buy old cages and give them new bin cages. Give them bin cages for sure but why buy the old cage?
Or instead of just giving them to people why not set up workshops to show people how to do it themselves and make it look like a fun project :3

I think Sandti has a few valid points here. Buying the old cage seems like an extra cost for no real gain.
And where're they going to let the hamster live while you build the bin?

Catherine Spark · 07-21-2012, 04:49 AM

That's true. Well, I suppose we could just upgrade them, but I don't see it making much difference. I mean, the tiny extra cost for buying the cage would be offest though by not needing to buy the mesh, for example. So nothing lost either in the end, and it is a good advertising/enticing ploy. As for where the hamsters would be kept, let me think on that one. I'm sure something could be managed though.

My original idea was actually just to have a Bin Cage Awareness Week where this takes place, along with workshops. Smaller scale and easier to raise funds towards. But it could be done as funds allowed for anyway, even if it started out like that.

What you could do was have it like an ongoing chain. Make a bin cage, trade for conventional cage (or buy it off for cheap amount - up to individual upgrader I'd say, and the amount of funds available), make a bin cage from conventional cage you just obtained, swap that new bin cage for another conventional cage, and so on...That would solve the problem of where the hamster would stay.