Hamster cage

Re: Hamster cage

bonny10 — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 15:49:59 GMT

I have just ordered this: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/hutches_cages/hamster_cages/hamster_cages/284288

It seems huge and i have bought loads of toys to kit it out with so should keep syril amused. I have just collected syril and he is at the moment sleeping, don't want to disturb him so will try and handle him later. Poor thing is stuck in his original cage until the new one comes.

Re: Hamster cage

Elerrina — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:49:32 GMT

Dont just look at "hamster" cages as they will all be very small ones for rats will be just as suitable and will be a lot bigger. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-Ferret-Plus-Rat-Cage/dp/B000TE0X04/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356608926&sr=8-2 That cage is really big and would give him plenty or climbing space i know our hamster loved to do the monkey bars lol

Re: Hamster cage

Julie-Anne Wilson — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 08:17:41 GMT

Check the actual shop as well. One of my rats had what we suspect was a brain haemorrhage and she lost her balance so I didn't want her in the Jenny in case she fell from the top level. I got a fairly decent sized single level plain cage from P@H for £15.

Re: Hamster cage

Cloudy Weather — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 08:10:56 GMT

aww Syril thats a sweet name:)

Just another suggestion but have your tried ebay? I have had a brand new cage of there before for half the price of in the shops as someones brought one but for what ever reason never ended up getting a pet.

Maybe you could post some photos of little syril once he has settled in :) You sound like you really are going to be a great mum to him :)

Re: Hamster cage

bonny10 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 23:03:48 GMT

Had a good look online and all the plain cages are very small :(

None of them meet rspca standards for size of cage for syrian hamster an d the plane cages that do are more expensive than the original one i was looking at. The hamster heavon is expensive at £65 but it has really good reviews and the worry is if i buy a smaller cage hamster will be unhappy and i will end up upgrading anyway.Will have a think about it but might be original plan after all.

I am calling hamster Syril, not sure how old he is but he is fully grown. Thanks for advice regarding carefresh il have a read about it, they have pellets for hamsters too so will get those.

Re: Hamster cage

Cloudy Weather — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:56:25 GMT

aww well it might allow a less intimidating transition if he goes from a smaller to gradually larger cage anyway especially if you transfer him aswell as his bedding into the new cage.

Such a lovely story:) Whats its name?

I really recommend 'Care Fresh' as a bedding substrate that stuff is great!:) And not sure if they have a hamster range but science plan pellets was great for my mice:)

Re: Hamster cage

bonny10 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:30:14 GMT

I have decided on a plain cage like mentioned above and will kit it out with a better wheel and lots of toys. I will get hamster out daily and i plan on buying an exercise ball for him to have free reign in.

I have found a rescue hamster Olive tree and i am picking him up tomorrow, poor mite has been stuck in a tiny cage with no toys or wheel so i want to provide a nice environment for him. He will have to stay in the smaller cage for a few days until his new one comes though :(

Trip to pets at home tomorrow to stock up on basics and lots of nice treats for him.

Re: Hamster cage

Cloudy Weather — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 18:30:50 GMT

Oh that is lovely you are rescuing one, its so much nicer to give a home to one which really needs it. Have you had a look at shelters yet, if you are struggling to find one I know a few small animal rescues in Yorkshire which re-home small furries which have sadly been abandoned or neglected, not sure where you are based though!

In terms of cages I am not sure as only ever had rescue mice, we got a rotastack for them and they do take a long time to clean out but they were so deep we could make underground tunnels for them as enrichment. They also seemed to use the separate compartments for urinating and defecating so in that sense were much more hygenic as it meant the soiled areas were seperate from the main tank, it also meant we could clean these areas on a more regular basis without mucking out the whole tank continuously which will have helped ease there stress as they would always have an area which was surrounded by there own smells, This id far more preferably than cleaning out the whole tank in one go. rotastaks meant we could also corner them off in one side of the cage as we cleaned out the other which is good if you are on your own!

Good luck with it all, really hope you and you new little furry friend have a lovely new year!:)

Re: Hamster cage

BTCC Fan RVN — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:25:54 GMT

I found one where i work ( inside pet at home).I have guinea pigs and someone threw out a perfectly good hutch for guinea pigs. It had a few bits missing but all in all really good condition and best part it was FREE!!

So hunt round and get the biggest one you can depending on your finacial situation.

Re: Hamster cage

bonny10 — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 12:05:30 GMT

Yeh looking at it now i think it is too expensive for what it is. I think i will buy a plain cage and kit it out with toys and treats etc. I picking up a hamster tomorrow from someone local who no longer wants him. He is coming with his cage but it is tiny and doesn't even have a wheel :( poor hamster. I want him to have a nice home so will try my best to get a good cage. Will post pics when i get him....so excited to have a new member to the family.

I was going to put him in my spare bedroom as don't have room in the lounge and don't really want him in my bedroom incase he keeps me awake. My spare room is furnished so he could sit on top of chest of drawers but the only issue is it is dual asspect so wherever i put him he will be in direct sunlight, do you think this will be ok? It is generally a dark room as the front gets all the sun.

Re: Hamster cage

Sal the 1st — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 11:45:16 GMT

and my other suggestion would be - what have you got at work cagewise that might be sitting in the garage/cellar/storage area donated from a dear departed. Its surprising what can be found for free. Everywhere I have worked without fail both permanent and locum has had a area full of redundant cat boxes, rodent cages , bird cages, dog crates, rabbit hutches, fish tanks. Its a real pity they go to waste because some of them are really good. We donate ours to needy clients or the local cat rescue. I have often wondered if it would be possible to set up a national list of stuff available at veterinary practices ( list for practice use only but could maybe direct clients where stuff could be found) either free or cheap (donations to charity) - that way there may not be so much waste and so many areas filled with things that could be put to good use.

One place I worked even the broken cat baskets that wouldnt be safe to be reused I kept the fittings - ie clips, a few spare doors and these were available to clients for a small donation to cats protection. Even at 10p per clip we raised nearly 40 pounds in a year.

Re: Hamster cage

Julie-Anne Wilson — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 11:10:04 GMT

I agree with Ellerina. That cage seems hella expensive for such a small space - if you're willing to spend that much money then buy a large cage and fill it with cheap things. Inner tube to kitchen rolls/toilet rolls, empty cardboard boxes (which are always easy to come by) and little houses etc from the pet shop.

For instance, the Jenny cage that I have for my girlies was only £70 and it's huge.

Re: Hamster cage

Elerrina — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:59:23 GMT

Thats what we did for our gerbil Sal. We had an old cage and attached it to the top of a large fish tank so he had all the space to burrow down into

Re: Hamster cage

Sal the 1st — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:43:15 GMT

not quite the same because I had gerbils but I found the best 'cage' for them was a 'gerbilarium' - I used a fish tank and made a wired lid to fit the top. They had loads of room, was easy to create different levels etc inside , easy to clean. was the best solution for us

Re: Hamster cage

Elerrina — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 00:19:50 GMT

Hi there,

mainly i keep rats but personally i wouldn't buy a cage like that. I'm sure the hamster would love it but its rather expensive and would be a pain in the ass to clean =) imo you would be better off buying a simple cage say like this one http://www.petsathome.com/shop/protos-58-hamster-home-92751 and then filling it with things like cardboard tubes and a perhaps a few toys from PAH and a wheel. We always give our rats boxes and things and recently with ordering things from amazon for xmas we got a load of brown paper in the boxes, we gave that to the rats and they loved it spent ages shredding it up making nests and playing out of it. You dont need to spend lots of money on fancy things to keep them entertained =) hope this helps

The only thing that i would say is important is just get as big a cage as you can if you have money to spare then spend it on a bigger cage like a rat sized one and kit it out with the simple things i mentioned =)