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Old 01-07-2017, 07:37 PM   #1
Almi
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Default Good Shelf?

What do you guys think of this for inside a hamster habitat? It's not plastic coated.

https://www.amazon.com/Whitmor-6026-...dp/B004BDP656/
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Old 01-07-2017, 07:45 PM   #2
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Good Shelf?

It would probably be cheaper to make your own shelves.You'd just need some bass wood sheets or balsa sheets or another hamster safe untreated wood,wooden dowels,and Elmer's glue.You would need to cut the dowels to size but that should be simple enough with a basic hand saw,and since you'd be able to make as many shelves as you have materials for and it would probably stay in good shape far longer it is worth the investment.They're usually not an expensive tool anyways.

You'd probably want to paint and seal them though just to be safe.Hobbycraft sell milk paint and milk paint seal from the same brand,and they now ship worldwide.Their shipping to the US is $12 I believe,but if you get plenty products that are worth the shipping it is definitely a good idea.You could also paint some wood toys with the same paint but sealing them wouldn't be necessary.
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Old 01-07-2017, 07:55 PM   #3
pinkneon
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Default Re: Good Shelf?

I think a hamster would get its legs stuck in between the bits Might be cheaper to make something similar, with a ladder or something to get up to it
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Old 01-07-2017, 07:55 PM   #4
Drago
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Default Re: Good Shelf?

Though it might seem like a good idea to purchase that, you can't be sure what type of wood that is, and certain kinds of wood are toxic to hamsters. Another thing that would make me wary is that you can't be sure if it was treated or not, and treated wood can be harmful to hamsters. As amityville said, making your own would not only be cheaper and simpler, but also safer as you will know for sure what species of wood it is and whether or not it was treated. Shelves are fairly easy to make, I make them for my chinchilla quite often.
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Old 01-08-2017, 03:44 AM   #5
chesca_27
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Default Re: Good Shelf?

The gaps look far too big for a hamster! The listing claims it's made of pine, but doesn't say if it's treated or not. Generally, I wouldn't recommend pine as pine shavings are toxic to hamsters. I would only ever get solid floor shelves. As Amity and Drago have said it would be better to make your own shelves.

If DIY really isn't as option, these Ikea magazine racks work. You just have to remove one side of the rack (can be yanked off) and block up the holes. I have these for Jasper and they work perfectly.
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Old 01-08-2017, 08:38 PM   #6
Almi
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Default Re: Good Shelf?

I was thinking of lining the shelves with something, or setting something like tiles on them, so that they aren't a slatted surface for the hamster to walk on. Even if I left it as is, I think it'd be okay. There's not a very high risk of a limb getting caught; the slats are about 1 inch apart and thick enough enough for a hamster to get a grip and balance easily. A hamster could probably even squeeze its body between the slats if it wanted.

Sure, it's almost always cheaper and more economical to make your own. This shelf is fairly cheap though, and sometimes people don't want to make their own. I like having options, and I like having safe, affordable options that I can suggest to other people.

What I really liked was the size on this - it's only 11 inches high when assembled, and the footprint of it is about 25 x 12 inches. It could quite comfortably fit in a 40 gallon aquarium, and it looks like it'd be extremely useful and versatile. $15 for two levels that size is quite a bargain I'd say. Scratch that, this one is slightly larger and costs less.

Thank you for the ideas and suggestions, AmityvilleHams. You seem pretty handy. I do have a handsaw, some dowels, and other materials laying around that I may just use for this purpose. I don't think it would be necessary to do anything to the wood, though. Honestly, I feel better leaving untreated wood untreated.

It says that the wood used for this shelf is "all natural" and that it has a "natural finish." People talk about sanding and treating it in the reviews, and customer service said it should not be put outside because it is not varnished. Customers also said there is no protective coating; it is bare, unfinished wood.

It does say the wood is pine. I've never actually heard of a hamster becoming ill or passing away by coming into contact with a natural, unshaved wood, including pine. I even used pine shavings for years back in the day with seemingly no problems. Is there evidence of this happening?

It doesn't say what kind of wood it is on a lot of items, regardless of what its marketed for. What kinds of wood should we avoid? This shelf looks like the same kind of wood a lot of pet items are made out of, and it also looks like the same kind a lot of dowels are made out of. Which, as far as I know, is usually pine or some other kind of soft wood.

For example, this is made out of pine (I had to look in the questions), this is made of pine, and this item doesn't even say if it's wood or not. If you're worried about your hamster breaking legs in slats, stay away from that last one.

Chesca, thank you for the suggestion!
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Old 01-09-2017, 05:13 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Good Shelf?

Pine wood is fine for shelves and houses (the shavings are a debatable issue - the surface area is greater with shavings). I also would be wary of something that wasn't specifically made for pets. Although it says it's untreated pine (should be ok) the wood itself can be treated before the furniture is made up. It's probably ok. Pet houses and shelves that are made with untreated pine are intended for pets. I had a similar issue looking at wood chopping boards to make into a shelf They said "natural wood" but they had a coating on them.

There are probably easier/other things to make a shelf from that don't need the slats covering. I think I wouldn't take the risk of the wood being untreated or not - but it's probably ok if it is untreated pine. I would want to seal it with plastikote probably.

Ikea sell all kinds of things that people make shelves out of. Knuff magazine racks are popular.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=kn...oYA7UQ_AUIBigB

I am not a diy person at all but I did try a bit now we have a hamster! Sanding is quicker and easier than I thought! As is painting with plastikote petsafe waterproofing paint. And I even ventured to stick legs on our hammies large wood house so it sat above the substrate without sinking. For that I used hardwood dowels. Very cheap and you just glue them on - or you could use a tack if you're careful and it's well hammered in (and the hamster isn't a chewer). I try and use nail-free items generally.

So just buying a piece of wood and some dowels would easily make a shelf. I bought 30cm dowels and cut them down to size a bit. You can get things cut to size in the hardware shop.

Even if pine is untreated, you need to know it has been kiln dried as well.
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Old 01-09-2017, 05:28 AM   #8
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Good Shelf?

Speaking of shelves - I absolutely love the "racetrack" shelves the Germans use in their tanks - gives a whole extra mezanine level!

A bit like the first photo on this page. They have a kind of narrow shelf all along the back of the tank with a little fence (mini dowels?) so they can't fall off easily. Then a sort of ramp at both ends. And they call it a racetrack. This particular one looks a bit high - some are much lower. I tried to do something similar in my cage - had a shelf at each end with a joining shelf and tube - he could get from one side of the cage to the other without touching the ground

Naturnahe Hamstergehege: Gehege - Cages - Jaulas

There's another one on here - second photo down - doesn't go all the way round. So I can see you are looking at achieving that kind of effect with the shelf unit you linked - and I too would rather buy something with legs than stick them on! But sometimes you can never quite find the right thing and sticking some dowels on a piece of wood isn't too diy-ish

Naturnahe Hamstergehege: Terrarium

I have drooled over this site before. She makes custom aquarium shelves and houses

Ebenen / Etagen / Rennbahnen - Hamster Wohnwelt

Basically though it's a piece of wood with dowels for legs and a ramp up each side.

I think they are just pieces of wood on dowel legs so the shelf sits above the substrate.

Last edited by Pebbles82; 01-09-2017 at 05:39 AM.
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