Tubeing and Dwarfs?

[Teddy]

Well, I got some tubing for Teddy as I thought I could make use of some of the off the floor space for him. Not sure what I was thinking though as he seems too small to climb the vertical turns in the tubing.

Do you guys bother with tubing for small hammies as it strikes me they look too narrow for Syrians but too steep for dwarfs to climb them.

I have now made it so the vertical parts are more slanted like a ramp so he doesn't have to try and climb up, but on a slant, but still not sure if that is a little ambitious for him?

Kinda wishing I'd not bothered but you see so many cages and setups with tubing and I thought he'd enjoy having a little system to scoot about in.

What are you experiences with tubing and little hammies? Any good?

[souffle]

A lot of dwarfs just cannot climb up the vertical tubes at all and if they can they are too scared to drop down again and can hurt themselves if they fall.
A gentle slope is OK though and they can enjoy them just laid on the floor to run through though they can hide in them and be difficult to get out.

[Teddy]

Yeah, I didn't think of that ... I might just put in a little U turn and use the rest for playtime out the cage. Silly me, thought I'd come up with a right plan and just ended up wasting my money

[Cheeky]

Habitrail Ovo line just released a dwarf version of tubes that are supposed to be narrow enough for dwarfs to climb vertically. petplanet.com has the starter set for £25.99. Buy a couple extra tubes and you get free shipping. I have a huge Ovo setup for one of my hams (Syrian) and she loves it. She never liked her Criceti 15 (strange hamster) but I put her in the Ovo setup and she was happy as pie. She loves going through the tunnels. I have 3 huge living pods attached for her, plus lots of extra dens and a mini maze. I think it depends on the hamster's personality. Pippa despises tubes and loves open space. Lila hates the open space and just wants to go through tubes!

If you have the tubes set up at an angle that the dwarf can walk up (like a ramp) i think he may enjoy it if his personality is anything like Lila's.

[tireesix]

My stepsons russians really don't like the tubes in the dwarf habitrail, they are fine on a gentle slop but anything vertical is a no no.

[Teddy]

Poor Teddy is too weak and small for the light slant too ... I've just kept a small u tube around the cage to see if he likes it, if not I'm gonna take them out as they just take up space. Thanks for the advice. I'll look up the Ovo, but TBH he is so small I'll imagine he'd still struggle and it's not fair on him cos he really does try to get in there and scoot around and keeps falling out. Cute but creul. It's like when his wheel was just a cm too high, he just keep trying to get in and flopping out untill I could get my hand in and move it down a notch. Persistent is not the word.

[fluffymunchkins]

my simple solution! using fleece tucked into the tubes
pegs has many vertical bits in her cage and by folding the fleece over the top to keep i up and round the tube like a lining she finds it pip squeak to climb. Then with longer tubes (rotastak spagetti junction) i cut hole in the fleece an threaded wire throught them and the holes in the tubes to keep it in place.

My main reason for first trying this was because the rotastak ladder fell on dot, my other robo. Injurying her eye!
therefor i feel they are completely unsafe

Hope this helps

[fluffymunchkins]

i will get some pics if you need some!
My explaining is terrible

[Teddy]

Sounds a great idea although I'm not sure I'm crafty enough to do a good job. Pictures would be great though, it is defo something to try at the weekend, although if Teddy wees in it, I'll be scuppered

[fluffymunchkins]

fleece is dead simple to bung in the wash but luckily pegs doesn't pee in the tubes
I will work on some pics tonight and post them asap!