Caging questions.. be gentle I am so new to this

shannonfbc · 05-12-2016, 05:02 PM

I am getting two winter white dwarf hamsters from the breeder I purchased the following cages for them online with tubes to connect them in the hopes that it would provide more space (this was before I saw dyi bin cages, i couldnt find any big hamster cages in the shops here in canada) 2 habitrail ovo studios, 1 habitrail retreat, 1 habitrail ovo loft and 1 habitrail ovo home..... I then managed to find these second hand and will add them 1 habitrail ovo twist, 1 crittertrail extreme challenge and 1 crittertrail 2 level habitat I will be putting these together on a shelving system and bought a bunch of extra tubing and connectors...... my question is will having alot of small cages makeup for not having a large space and will the ovo tubing be okay for dwarfs as i was unaware that there was tiny tubes for dwarf hamsters..... or should I just use the parts from these to create a stacked bin (im hoping thats not the answer as it seems such a huge waste these things were very pricey)

AlfredHam · 05-12-2016, 05:20 PM

As far as I'm aware it's better to have one large space with pairs as they can become territorial, something like the Dettolf would be good and fairly inexpensive. Could you return the cages you've got already?
Hopefully someone with more knowledge will be along soon

AmityvilleHams · 05-12-2016, 05:26 PM

Use the parts,it honestly is a huge waste of money

Modular cages are unsuitable for a pair anyways.Since hamsters are terrestrial,they need a large floor space instead of a cage with many levels or additions that is just one solid floor space instead of many tiny ones.

The added bits can definitely be used in certain ways,but tubes and modular cages in general aren't good with pairs.The "cages"(far too small for permanent living)make wonderful carriers,or can be used as a separate litter area in a particularly large cage such as square metre(100 cm by 100 cm or roughly 40 inches by 40 inches or 1,550 square inches)cage.

For a dwarf hamster though,having each hamster in their own 5 square feet cage isn't bad and that is probably somewhere around 720 square inches.In a pinch you might be able to modify a rat cage or rabbit cage for one hamster,but with a pair you cannot have any levels which most rat cages would need to make them safe as they are almost always very tall and not suited to the natural needs of hamsters

Sorry if it's a lot of information,I know it can all seem a bit insane when you're first getting into this subject!You're probably better off keeping one dwarf per cage by the way,since you can do a lot more with the tubes and things that you have and make them a lot more useful instead of a giant waste of money.

shannonfbc · 05-12-2016, 05:50 PM

two separate cages it is then... im surprised to here they would fight since the breeder sells them in pairs and threes I assumed they would get along fine... im going to see about returning the new ones so I can then use the money for supplies to build dyi cages ( hopefully I can pull it off Ive never built anything before) and I will keep the second hand ones for now...

AmityvilleHams · 05-12-2016, 06:09 PM

Any hamster can fight,even dwarf hamsters.If the breeder doesn't acknowledge that,it really does bring into question how thorough they are with informing new owners if necessary

Honestly building might work out cheaper.Not sure on the prices in Canada or what stores you have,but I know in the US you can get big sheet of melamine that would make about two cage bases with a little bit of excess material that could be reused on sides if you want mesh sides to hang toys and bottles and have better ventilation.Building your own cage is pretty much always the cheaper option though,and it's very good since you can have any size cage you want with whatever you want inside as well within reason and meeting certain safety precautions

**DrKMcK** · 05-12-2016, 06:22 PM

Hello Shannonfbc. I've had a pair be together up until one passed away. They never fought and seemed to be a happy pair. I was always listening and watching as I know they can fall out at any time and for what looks like no reason at all. And I always had a second cage ready to house one if they fought. But my little fluffs did well.

I didn't like having to always be worried about them though and decided that I would only have singles in future. It's never guaranteed, but dwarf hammies can live together happily. We have a number of folks on HC who've done well with pairs. Shelves, tubes and levels can encourage territory issues which lead to fights. So keep that in mind. They are fine for a single hammy.

shannonfbc · 05-12-2016, 06:47 PM

Any suggestions for good solid stackable storage boxes from amazon.ca that I can use to make two seperate cages... I think I will make two multilevel bin boxes that way both hamsters have lots of space and I can still use all these tubes and accessories for them without causing fighting. I saw a really nice design with a roof top terrace but the creator was american and I cant find that bin

oddlyoblivious · 05-13-2016, 01:46 AM

The general guideline for pairs is have a separate cage ready in case, and work in pairs rather than trios, but usually if they are from the same liter and are provided a space that is difficult to get territorial over pairs have been kept successfully. Not sure if you can get these in Canada but they are what my Syrians are currently housed in until their cages are built and I love the space and room it allows for extra substrate. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-...Black/49527425

CMB · 05-13-2016, 03:55 AM

Same sex pairs from the same litter may live together ok or they may fall out and need separating. You could try keeping them together and have a spare cage ready in case separation is needed or separate them from the start. They will adjust to living alone.

If they are kept together they will need two wheels, water bottles, food bowls or scatter their food instead. Houses with two holes so one can't block the other one in.

Levels and separate areas connected by pipes,as well as platforms and levels can cause fighting. The bigger the cage the more space they have to get away from each other if needed.

Pebbles82 · 05-13-2016, 04:53 AM

Hi and Welcome

Generally habitrail type things aren't seen as good housing, unless they are an add-on to a main cage with a good sized floor area. The main problem with them is they don't allow deep bedding, which hammies need. Or space for enrichment toys. I think the minimum recommended continuous floor area in the US is about 480 square inches which is a base of about 70cm by 40cm. For a pair you would need something a bit bigger than that.

If you are up for making a bin cage, that could be an option if you can make one big enough for a pair - you'll need two houses, two wheels, two food bowls, two water bottles - two of everything. To avoid territorial behaviour leading to fighting. Any sign of bullying or fighting and they'd need to be separated as it can lead to fatalities.

Another option that could be good is a detolf - it's a fairly cheap option - it's an ikea glass cabinet tipped on its side with the door left off and you make a couple of lids out of wood and mesh - which could well be easier than making a bin cage. It makes a great hamster habitat, and could also be divided in the centre with a piece of wood to make two cages approx 80cm x 40cm if you ever needed to separate them.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ha...ynBnMQ_AUIBigB