DIY Cage Platforms - Page 3

AprilPearl · 06-02-2017, 10:23 AM

No no I understand perfectly Hamsterita and that's a great idea, thank you

AprilPearl · 06-02-2017, 10:26 AM

If I do go with the metal screw hook things to attach the ramps to the platforms, are there any metals I should avoid? I read somewhere that zinc is toxic to hamsters, but most metal objects seem to be treated with zinc in some way.

I am thinking of something like this

AmityvilleHams · 06-02-2017, 11:18 AM

Elmer's glue is a US product.However,UK Amazon did have it although I can't remember exactly who had found it but I don't think it was too expensive(I could be wrong though,but still worth checking).

I think a bigger worry than metal toxicity would be the potential injuries a screw or similar metal object could cause,since you could never predict when a hamster would chew enough to expose a dangerous piece.I'd just stick to playing around without glue,and eventually if you really want to you could simply glue a bendable bridge or DIY safe bridge down.

cypher · 06-02-2017, 11:51 AM

The metal isn't really an issue tbh but Serendipity made a good point in the glue thread about possible gaps & feet getting caught when you use hooks, as I said before you probably won't need fixed ramps anyway & you can use other things for access, cork tubes/tunnels as Serendipity pointed out or bendy bridges are good.

CMB · 06-02-2017, 12:05 PM

Rather than lots separate platforms, maybe 1 platform on the left hand side and 1 platform on the right hand side going from the front (where the door is) to the back. If the platforms are thin enough they could slot inbetween the cage bars.

The wheel could go in the middle at the back of the cage with either a extendable bendy tunnel or a slope ramp coming from each platform leading to a flat mini platform over the wheel.

Golden_Syrian_Hammmies · 06-02-2017, 02:03 PM

With really good deep substrate the full depth of the base you prob won't need ramps for your platforms. There are lots of platforms on eBay/Amazon for good prices and all different shapes and sizes. I thought these were good and you could place one one each side of the cage:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300888121055

Ranchhousecages do a good selection on eBay also. And all you need to do then is plastikote them with no hassle. Or you can even buy some with ramps attached likes these though they are a bit more expensive:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172696430133

Pebbles82 · 06-02-2017, 03:26 PM

I sometimes think it's easier to make a full level

With a tall cage it is either a case of reducing the height by having deeper substrate (ie putting something round the inside of the bars - which is ok until you want to take the cage top off!), or making sure there are no fall risks. Maybe a 50cm cage isn't quite tall enough for a full level though.

What I did in the Barney cage was had the one long shelf on one side, had a labyrinth house on legs (to make it higher) on the other side, which made another shelf at the right height, then a long narrow shelf along the back, covering the bit the labyrinth house didn't cover, so it was like a racetrack of shelves, similar to in the Alexander, but with a gap for the wheel. This then leaves a square in the middle that needs to have nothing hard on the substrate that can be fallen on. But I think they can hurt themselves falling onto the edge of a shelf and bouncing off it as well (hence a full level prevents this) - so I used to put the hemp mats on the shelves to prevent that.

This was the house with the legs stuck on (just wood dowels). I stuck two on the front and one on each side - the back of the house rested on the edge of the cage base so the side dowels had to sit far enough forwards that they didn't get caught up in the curved base. The idea was to get the dowels exactly the right length - the height of the edge of the cage base, but I ended up having them a bit longer and then cutting them down to size with a little mini saw.

The house is 41 cm wide and makes a good shelf for most of the depth of a cage (you can have another smaller corner shelf over the gap where it doesn't reach the full depth of the cage). It also doubles up as a good house! With rooms for nesting, potty and hoards and it's dark inside.

This isn't a good photo to show where all the shelves are, but you can just about see. The house sits just above the substrate so is high enough to make a shelf (and hamster can tunnel under it if they want!). You can just see the long shelf along the back that covers the gap where the house roof stops. And you can just see the Barney shelf on the left. And Charlie

This is the labyrinth house from Rodipet. I really liked it as a shelf at one end. It's not cheap - but you could maybe make one - it's just a box really! Or you could make a shelf on legs by just putting legs onto a piece of wood.

https://www.rodipet.de/shop/haeuser/...x26cm-7cm.html

These also make quite good large platforms. I did think about having two of these in current cage. They are 21cm tall so sit well above the substrate level.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Natu...natural+living

It can get quite expensive in shelving, trying to sort out a tall cage. But if you can make some it helps. You could also glue dowel legs onto knuff magazine racks to make shelves.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Ik...w=1366&bih=608

Pebbles82 · 06-02-2017, 03:31 PM

I think this was the long narrow shelf I had from Ranchhouse cages. It was either this 45cm x 15 cm or it was the 30cm by 15cm

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AprilPearl · 06-02-2017, 11:41 PM

Thanks everyone. I won't use the metal hooks then! Do you think something like a hinge would work? Or would that also be dangerous? If not, I may either have free standing ramps with a bump of wood on the underside at the top which slots over a bump of wood on the platform to give support (is that ok?) or glue them on. Will gluing the ramps in place be ok?

I also think having just a few large platforms will be better than multiple smaller interconnecting ones. That's kinda what I was envisaging anyway.

I will have a look at the links you all provided and have a think too. It isn't easy is it? Lol. Still, I've got time to plan before the cage arrives.

AprilPearl · 06-03-2017, 02:13 AM

Any suggestions on where I can buy big pieces of untreated wood or kiln dried pine (or anything else which is safe) that I can then saw down to the size and shape I want?

I want planks of wood which are at least 20cm wide and 50cm long. Not sure how deep, maybe 2 or 3 cm so I can attach them to the sides of the cage with washers etc.

Also, would sheets of plywood or MDF be unsafe?

In fact, if anyone could give me a list of safe wood materials I can use that would also be amazing.

Having troubke finding plastikote online. Can someone give me a link? Or at least tell me who makes it or what the bottle should look like?

Thanks.