Pawhut set up

[Cookie20]

Hello

Our little fella Cookie has a Pawhut cage. Being new to hamster keeping we set it up as per the assembly instructions. I have noticed however that some people don’t use the shelves. I am wondering whether to remove our shelves to allow for deeper bedding and also to make it easier to access for cleaning etc. However I am wondering whether it would be too stressful to make such a big change for him?

 

[Maz]

Hi. It’s a nice big cage and I’m guessing he’s not trying to chew his way out (which some hamsters do in that cage).

When people leave the shelves out, it’s so they can have deep bedding - which also helps prevent fall risks. Others just leave the bottom shelf out - then the top shelf is the right height if you have deep enough bedding.

When you put it together, did you need to sand any areas? It has been known to have splintery or rough bits. Also did you paint it with any petsafe waterproofing paint? Some people do the whole cage - sone just paint mane half the inside and the floor. The reason I’m asking is because plastikotibg/painting the cage, also helps cover any rough parts.

This is not really related to your question but it occurred to me Cookie may have got his testicle scab from a rough part maybe?

Anyway - it would be a disturbance to change his cage set up, but he’d get over it quite quickly and might approve of the changes. As long as you left his old bedding in and tried to keep the house and wheel in a similar layout.

If you post a photo of the current set up - it would be easier to suggest things

 

[RainbowBrite]

I would personally remove the shelves to prevent any fall risks and so you can have lovely deep bedding.

 

[Cookie20]

Hi. It’s a nice big cage and I’m guessing he’s not trying to chew his way out (which some hamsters do in that cage).

When people leave the shelves out, it’s so they can have deep bedding - which also helps prevent fall risks. Others just leave the bottom shelf out - then the top shelf is the right height if you have deep enough bedding.

When you put it together, did you need to sand any areas? It has been known to have splintery or rough bits. Also did you paint it with any petsafe waterproofing paint? Some people do the whole cage - sone just paint mane half the inside and the floor. The reason I’m asking is because plastikotibg/painting the cage, also helps cover any rough parts.

This is not really related to your question but it occurred to me Cookie may have got his testicle scab from a rough part maybe?

Anyway - it would be a disturbance to change his cage set up, but he’d get over it quite quickly and might approve of the changes. As long as you left his old bedding in and tried to keep the house and wheel in a similar layout.

If you post a photo of the current set up - it would be easier to suggest things

I think I commented on the other thread to say I had sandpapered it

 

[Cookie20]

I would personally remove the shelves to prevent any fall risks and so you can have lovely deep bedding.

Thanks for your thoughts. Where would you put the food and water bowls so they are stable?

 

[Maz]

It can take a bit of planning if you’re going to do that though because you’ll then need platforms instead of one shelf. And to have anything heavy supported underneath. Eg stilts on houses, wheel on platform etc.

I think that’s why some people leave the top shelf in - but there is a lot more scope without the shelves.

 

[Maz]

I think I commented on the other thread to say I had sandpapered it

Sorry! I must have missed that it forgotten.

 

[Cookie20]

It can take a bit of planning if you’re going to do that though because you’ll then need platforms instead of one shelf. And to have anything heavy supported underneath. Eg stilts on houses, wheel on platform etc.

I think that’s why some people leave the top shelf in - but there is a lot more scope without the shelves.

Hmm yes. I don’t think our wheel would fit on the top shelf as it’s close to the lid. I did wonder about how to balance stuff

 

[Maz]

Where is the wheel at the moment? A photo would help

 

[Maz]

Depending on what wheel it is - you could actually mount it to the side of the cage by drilling a hole. Eg using a bar mounted type wheel.

 

[Maz]

I took photos when setting up Molly’s cage recently which would give an idea how to balance things maybe

Cage set up photos

I took some photos while setting up the cage for the new russian dwarf coming. It is very different setting up a cage with perspex rather than bars, and generally I do prefer setting up barred cages and using the bars to screw shelves to. Either way, shelves and platforms are sometimes the...

www.thehamsterforum.com

 

[Cookie20]

 

[Maz]

I would definitely add a lot more substrate . 8” minimum is recommended by the Blue Cross. But you have lots of room for 10” or more bedding. The thing with that cage is - you ignore the pull out drawer! Because only shallow bedding works with the pull out drawer.

You could have bedding right up to about 3” below the top shelf by removing the bottom shelf. It does take a lot of bedding but you don’t need to change it very often. The article on the home page on cage cleaning tips explains how you don’t have to replace the bedding very often (and never need to replace all of it).

Leaving the top shelf in gives you somewhere to put heavier items and is a fairly easy option (and still a lot of scope for deep bedding). On the other hand it limits how you can set things up as it sticks out along the whole width and the wheel would still need to be on a platform then.

 

[Maz]

On the other hand you might not want to add more than 10” of bedding and then the top shelf would be too high.

So then the easiest thing would indeed be to remove both shelves and have the whole floor area to set up how you want and more flexibility as to where to put things. But it would mean buying or making some platforms. At least two - one for the wheel and one for a sand bath. Then adding a large flat roofed house on stilts (a place to put a good bowl or water bottle).

 

[Maz]

Have you seen Rainbow’s cage set up? That would give a good idea of how to do it starting with a large open space

 

[Maz]

Or, with both shelves removed, you could just have one long platform along on side of the cage rather than along the back, at the height you want - for the wheel, sand bath and any other heabide items.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I think platforms in a tank style cage are important. I would get some as soon as you can. I buy mine with 25cm stilts which allows me to have that much bedding. I buy platforms from furry naturals website. Happy henry homes also sell platforms.

The wheel could be put on a platform too.