Why do levels not count and other considerations in cage construction?

oddlyoblivious · 05-21-2016, 10:52 PM

I did it, I went and lost my mind, I decided that since I have four rapidly growing syrians, (The oldest is easily 7 1/2 - 8in from nose to tail) I needed BIGGER cages, but the info has been spotty at best. Some say levels do not count to over all living space while others say they do. I can get more out of the available space by going vertically rather than horizontally but I was hoping for some insights as I started the project.

I should clarify that the size of each level in question is very close to the 100 x 50 cm guideline to begin with.

freyashamsters · 05-21-2016, 11:31 PM

If you use something like the IMac Fantasy (I know you're not lol

) then opinions would be mixed - in the wild, hamsters would live in one open space and therefore having lots of little spaces (below the minimum) would not be natural or sufficient.

However, if one level is over the minimum, then you should be okay! Not only do the levels provide stimulation and further space, but if your hamster decided not to make use of the upper levels, having one level is still an acceptable (but not ideal if you wanted a multi-level cage initially!) way to house your hamster.

So, I think that, as long as one level is over the minimum, you should be okay using a multi-level cage. Hope I helped

Pebbles82 · 05-22-2016, 01:11 AM

I think the idea is that the base should be a certain size and after that levels can be a bonus as they add enrichment and shelter

But counting the floor area of levels as part of the main floor area doesn't count. So for example when I started out with a 3 tier rotostak with a base of 40 x 30 and three add-on units I kidded myself that that was equivalent to 80 x 50 cm of floor space - which it isn't. I think the base needs to be continuous floor space and still give enough substrate digging area after wheels houses and other floor toys. Having a level can free up some floor space by have some toys on the levels, so it's a bit variable, but the floorspace still needs to be enough area that the shelves are a bonus and not instead of.

oddlyoblivious · 05-22-2016, 01:42 AM

x.x But I don't have the space for a 50cm X200 cm cage. at least not 4 of them I was thinking a level for burrowing, so I can give a good 12 in of substrate and then another level for the wheel, toys, food ect so that substrate isn't getting into everything, and to give even more room to expand and explore.

WinnieTheHam · 05-22-2016, 01:55 AM

The minimum recommended is 75 x 40, but you can get 80 x 50 cages like the Alaska. You could stack them?

I think they need a continual length of running space.

oddlyoblivious · 05-22-2016, 02:13 AM

The plan I was working on was right around 100 x 50 per level. I just didn't want to create multiple levels if it wasn't going to be any good for them. using the 100 X 50 I can do two cages per unit and space them around the apartment. The bins I have are a little bigger than the alaska but I also wanted something that looked nicer than most barred cage. And I wanted to give them even more room to roam and explore.

Ceretrea · 05-22-2016, 02:23 AM

The ideal is 80 x 50 for a pet hammy and they certainly do make use of the levels but I'd be concerned about falls depending on how many levels you wanted to use. There's a pretty cage on Zooplus that I forget the name of but it has a tank underneath that adds burrowing capacity. Syrians live in burrow in the wild and only come out to roam for food and water. Entertainment not being essential to survival for them. But as levels and interesting arrangements do provide entertainment and your pet ham enjoys them then I'd prioritise that over floorspace. Rather than go out to 100cm, go up or even achieve something like a gerbilarium so you effectively have levels above and below. One of my babies went to live in something like that and is loving it I'm told.

Pebbles82 · 05-22-2016, 03:04 AM

80 x 50 or 100 x 50 is fine really. I like the 100 x 50 for a syrian because you can fit more big stuff in without overcrowding it. Are you thinking of bin cages? Stacking tanks could be tricky and I don't know of any US cages that would stack well. Having two each on shelving sounds good. I think levels are good in something say 43cm high like the Barney cage, but in the hamster heaven which is lower it's hard to fit a shelf in and have good depth of substrate. Anything taller than 43cm and there are full risk issues and it could do with a full level.

I'm intrigued as to what kind of cages/units you are thinking of lol! Personally I find a shelf is good - it gives them something to hide under as well as somewhere else to go. The difference between my old 80cm cage and the current 100cm one is only 20cm - but that 20cm provides extra floor space that is free'd up and also a 20cm shelf

Are you going the diy route?

I don't think multiple levels in a tall cage is beneficial really - it's just a way of making a tall cage safe - they prefer more ground cover and opportunity to burrow than climbing really.

oddlyoblivious · 05-22-2016, 04:24 AM

There arent many that do, but with as much as Ive noticed they seem to enjoy climbing (or at least escaping) some vertical space wouldn't be a bad thing. What I have in mind is actually similar to a pax hack, though I'm thinking about just straight up building the cages myself rather than purchasing a prebuilt unit.

Ideally there's space for about a foot of substrate, which should appease the tunnelers, (Aurora likes to do laps in her tunnels around the base of the cage) Eve isn't much of a burrower, but I think Pal would be happy anywhere so long as he had evil toilet tissue rolls he could ''protect'' me from. Plus I want to do lighting so I can actually take decent pictures without having to try and catch Eve climbing out. All of them are amazing little climbers. Boris manages to get ontop of his waterbottle which was stuffed in a chew tube and then he launches himself at the bin ledge for freedom. He also loves chip tins and stuffs them with tp instantly. I love the look of the natural set ups and German cages I've seen. I've been eyeing the pax unit particularly.

Pebbles82 · 05-22-2016, 04:32 AM

That sounds amazing

There are also the Lack tables. I looked at that option once. They have a 90cm one and a 118cm one. I reckoned you could use that centre shelf as a back panel possibly. Turn it upside down so the top is the base and either plexi or mesh between the legs. Or even use two of those, and use the top off the second one as a lid and fit sliding doors in the front. It's probably only about 40cm internal height, which is fine but if you wanted 20 to 30cm deep substrate it could be a bit low especially if you wanted levels. Getting two would make it a bit expensive for one cage, although you could cut the legs shorter on one and have a taller cage for deeper substrate.

LACK Coffee table - white - IKEA

If you're good at diy, making your own from scratch could be cheaper I guess. I find they only really climb to get out lol.