Feedback on a cage puchase for a newbie

[Moe_29]

Hi all, i am looking to purchase a Syrian hamster (first time, complete novice) for my little one. Done a lot of reading but wanted to get some feedback on the following two cages i am thinking of buying. Not sure which one but any feedback that would be great (you may say both are rubbish!).

1. https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/291749701616

2. https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/hamster...9LQxoCXqzw_wcB

[SKB_Hamsters]

Hi and Welcome to hamster central. I personally wouldn't recommend the omlet cage as it doesn't have sufficient floor space and the vertical tube may be difficult to climb up even for a Syrian. The first option is better but I have seen reviews on it mentioning that it poor quality ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leopet-Wood...ds=Wooden+cage) and for that price I don't think it good value for money but it is an ideal size.

I would highly recommend looking on Zooplus as the Alaska, Barney, Alexander or hamster heaven cages which are great value for money for there size, allowing plenty of room for toys and a suitable size wheel. Hamster Cages | great selection at zooplus

[Moe_29]

Hi SKB, thank you for the welcome & feedback.
I really liked the omlet one but I think that was more about how it looked more thank anything else.

Have had a good look on zooplus. Is there a big difference between a wooden cage or a metal one? I'm inclined to go with wooded but only because of design/look more than anything but of course welfare of hamster comes first

[Pebbles82]

Hi - I agree with SKB. I think the Barney or Alexander cages would be great for your new Syrian (I have the Barney). Of the two you linked, the wood one is a great size for a hamster. They have a few issues - if your hamster turns out to be a chewer for example. It would also probably need painting with petsafe waterproofing paint and checking over for splinters.

The Omlet cage would be good if it was twice the size, didn't have grid round the edges of the shelves or a vertical tube! In other words if it was redesigned lol. I've heard hammies can escape as well by pushing the lower bin out from behind.

The Barney and Alexander are a good middle ground between the two you linked, sizewise. Both come with good sized syrian houses.

Great deals on small pet cages at zooplus: Alexander Small Pet Cage

Barney Pet Cage | Great deals at zooplus!

They will both fit a syrian sized wheel and have nice deep bases for substrate. You'd just need to make or buy a few toys, a wheel and some substrate (and food of course!)

[Moe_29]

Hi there, cheers for the response.

As it stands I most likely will go for the Barney cage.

Another cage did catch my eyes as follow however ;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00...RME9EYVTZ7NR2A

I guess my reservation with the steel cage is perhaps viewing wise it may not be as good as a glass/plastic covering? Although I'd take responsibility of the hamster it primarily is for the purpose of my little one...

[freyashamsters]

Hello and welcome to HC

As the others have said, the Omelet really isn't an appropriate cage and is clearly advertised for looks. Zooplus has a great selection of cages like the Alexander, Barney and the Alaska.

The cage you have just linked (Kerry Terrarium) is actually a bit on the small side for a Syrian. It is recommended that they have cages larger than 80x50cm to accommodate large wheels, houses and toys. That cage would be acceptable for a Syrian however not as a first choice, you're better off paying half the price for something like an Alaska or Barney.

[SKB_Hamsters]

Originally Posted by Moe_29

Hi SKB, thank you for the welcome & feedback.
I really liked the omlet one but I think that was more about how it looked more thank anything else.

Have had a good look on zooplus. Is there a big difference between a wooden cage or a metal one? I'm inclined to go with wooded but only because of design/look more than anything but of course welfare of hamster comes first

I would say either a metal or wood cage are ideal for a hamster I personally prefer metal barred cages as they allow for easy attachment of toys, water bottle however there is risk of bar chewing (but this is a sign of boredom in hamsters so they are less likely to bar chew in a large cage as they shouldn't get bored as easily). Wood cages on the other hand can be great cages but they need to be prepared by using pet safe paint like plastikote - can be a little expensive - to protect the wood from absorbing pee, water etc, and also if your hamster will like to chew wood it can cause splinters to be formed, which can be a little risky. I also really like the design of the omlet cage but as Serendipity7000 said it needs improvement and need to be bigger.

I think the barney cage would be ideal especially for a Syrian and I like these cages as you get some wooden cage accessories that come with it. I would say this cage would be perfect.

The other cage you mentioned is the small pet terrarium Kerry, actually the metal bars don't affect how easily it is to see inside, also metal bars can offer great ventilation unlike a plastic or glass top. The size of the cage would be the minimum size cage you can get, but for Syrians larger cage may be more ideal as Syrians toys are larger.

If you don't mind doing DIY, you could get an ikea detolf (if you search ikea detolf hamster cages in Google you can see some pictures) they are really reasonable price wise at £40 and a really good size (DETOLF Glass-door cabinet - black-brown - IKEA), however you would need to remove the glass door and a DIY wooden and mesh lid would need to be made especially for a Syrian to prevent escapes - there are some tutorials on how to do this.

Or the zoo zone large or the ferplast maxi duna multy can make ideal cages too these are plastic cages, which are ideal for Syrians.

[Pebbles82]

It's a tricky decision isn't it! I spent ages thinking about what to get before upgrading to the Barney and in the end I did that because our hamster was already in a barred cage and it would be more familiar for him. I do love it though. With a cage you can interact with your hammy a bit via the bars and front doors. With a tank style cage you get to see more of them in a different way as it's so clear.

I did a video of my top ten favourite cages recently - it has dimensions and some pro's and cons - that might help narrow things down possibly. I'm wondering if you might like the Eco Habitat. It's a tanks style that has the wood frame, but it is quite expensive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSKzn0g3sVk

I agree with Freyashamsters about the Kerry. If you start out with something bigger you won't be wanting to upgrade later

[flowerfairy]

Havent a look on amazon de the german amazon. You can translate the page. I have the borneo from there. Its wonderful. I love the big door on the front. I also have the barney which is good, i just prefer bigger doors for easy access.

Good luck with your exciting choice!