How NOT to house a hamster

[Member ID2]

Yesterday i collected an unwanted hamster to take him to a lady who rehomes to suitable forever homes.

The hamster lived in a typical, petshop own brand, medium sized cage with a little plastic hut for a house, a tiny, rattly wheel, a plastic food bowl and a water bottle.
Substrate was a thin layer of petshop own brand wood chips, coarse, stabby straw for bedding and a toilet roll tube for enrichment.
Food was petshop own brand muesli and not one single chew in sight. And that was it.

Sadly, this is a classic example of what many people think a hamster needs.

I add a photo of this cage to make people new to the world of hamsters or people starting to do research aware of what NOT to buy.

Hamsters deserve so much more and they depend on their human friends to give them a happy and comfortable life.

As a side note, the little hamster is on his way to a good life.

 

[Maz]

I am so glad you've rehomed him and yes sadly people are still using these little cages and not much enrichment. Which is what forums like this are for - to help change things.

 

[Zara]

So pleased you were able to help the hamster from this cage. Must've been frightening for him with so little overhead coverage and no real places to hideout.

 

[Member ID2]

Yes, he was very exposed. I actually kept him in this cage for a couple of nights until i took him to the rescue because i didn't want him to move cage twice.
I chucked the smelly woodchips out and wiped the base then made a burrowing area with Kaytee and cardboard to keep it in. Plonked the top half of the plastic hut on top of the heap of Kaytee and placed a new tube next to it to keep the bedding out of a sandbath. The bottom half of the plastic hut became a sandbath shelter. Then i drilled holes in the base of a wheel, cable tied it upsidedown to the roof to save space and put a flying saucer in as well. Added some decent food, treats, whimzee and millets and the poor little thing went nuts with excitement.
He was on the wheels when i went to bed and he was on the wheels when i got up.

 

[Maz]

I think that is the thing to do with these small cages before they are ready to be upgraded to something better, is just make the most of what you can do with them to make them more hamster friendly - like adding more bedding and a different wheel and some other bits of enrichment.

 

[Maz]

What is sad is so many of those typical cages are sold without any information at all about suitable contents for a hamster. Buyers are left believing the cage contains everything needed and just putting a thin layer of wood shavings on the bottom. What really annoys me though is when people only put a thin layer of wood shavings to avoid the hamster reaching the bars so they can't bar chew! That cage, in itself, wouldn't be so bad for a dwarf hamster if set up in a hamster friendly way, like you did. Although it's hard to tell how small it is from the photo. It certainly doesn't look as tiny as some!

 

[Member ID2]

It is tiny. It's the petsathome medium and utterly useless in my opinion. It only has a small top door so to get the hamster out, people need to take the wire top off. Yes, one can reach in from above and grab the hamster because he has no where to hide.

It's in my greenhouse now and destined for the tip but i'll smash up the base first to make sure that's the end of it.

These p@h cages are actually very well made and sturdy. They are far stronger than the Alaska and of similar quality to a Hamster Heaven.
If they would ditch their medium, large and possibly xl cages and replace them with one in a good size, even with small front doors, then they would have a decent and well made cage.

 

[Maz]

The XL is actually not a bad size for a dwarf - I remember it being introduced. It's on the small side but not bad at all. I hope you will keep the door from that cage! It could be useful! And I know where to come if I ever need a spare cage door!

 

[Member ID2]

Yes, i was thinking of keeping the door panel for a bin cage. I also keep the tube end caps which fit a Hamster Heaven.

The p@h xl has enough height to add shelves, create levels and can be set up enriching. I did in fact rehome a small dwarf into a p@h xl. I was reluctant at first but the lady who wanted to adopt him had so much to offer him. Time, love, attention and good care. He became very tame and he's one spoilt dwarfie.
Cage size isn't everything. There's so much more to keeping a hamster. They become a family member.
I'd rather live in a bedsit and be loved and appreciated than live in a mansion and be ignored.

 

[Maz]

It probably depends on the dwarf as well. Some would want more space some nervy ones might be happy in it. It's kind of on the limit that cage but better than most they sell (of their own anyway). It's just bad they still sell those very small ones.

That is very useful to know that the caps fit the HH! I shall remember that in case people ask again.

I am looking forward to seeing that door on a bin cage! It can really make a bin cage a bit special, having a door on it at the front!

 

[Member ID2]

I have just taken a tiny cage with a wheel small enough to fit inside the hamster ball, out of circulation. A fiver well spent and sometimes these cages go for free.

I am not trying to upset people by adding a photo but i want to point out that there are things we can do.

Things like checking the small ads and charity shops. Soon the boot sales will start up as well.

By taking these cages out of circulation we make sure that no hamster ever has to live in it again.

As a sidenote. Sometimes there is some good stuff to be had for free along with the things only fit for the tip (recycling centre).

 

[RainbowBrite]

That was a brilliant thing to do!

 

[Maz]

It's a great idea Beryl. I quite like the idea of repurposing them as well. I know you do that a bit by using doors off them etc. But just thinking the bases could be used for something - although some aren't deep enough even for a digging box. But possible a sand bath in a large cage! Or seed trays?

 

[Member ID2]

My previous neighbour and his daughters had a very colourful collection of seed trays in their green houses!

 

[Member ID2]

I always keep the plastic ladders and ramps. I plastikote wooden ramps which makes them slippery so attach a plastic ramp with a strip of strong velcro. They are also great to cover the hooks attaching ramp to shelf.

The base of this cage is a good size and depth for a dig box. There's also a plastic house that hooks onto the wire like a nesting box which i may keep.

 

[Member ID2]

Things salvaged for now until i decide if they could come in handy at some point.

Before throwing the ball and wheel in the recycling bin, i always make sure to break them.