Socks: Mouseworks Dynamic Cardboard Redesign and Basic Tunneling

[Socks' Mum]

Hmm, not much good then. The straight bits would be OK in the playpen as long as there's no pouching involved. I will look for a rat tunnel to go from platform to platform. That should be safer.

A rat tunnel inside the cage...

 

[Maz]

Ah I see - so you'll have a platform at either end, with a tunnel between them? I know it's frustrating Omlet didn't make their tunnels just a bit bigger - they're really only big enough for dwarf hamsters. Even then it's not good to have external tubes connected to a cage permanently or the hamster just nests and pees in them and they are an escape route if they manage to break them open at the join. But I've always liked the idea of being able to attach a long one to the outside, leading into a playpen - but it's not really difficult getting them out of the cage in a taxi

 

[Maz]

Our first hamster, Charlie, got stuck in tubes twice! He was quite a big hamster, but the tubes were too small. The first time was in the awful Rotostak cage we had got (he was only in it two weeks thankfully) The vertical tubes were on the small side. He did manage to free himself eventually but looked very stressed. I bought a new cage straight away and removed the vertical tubes meanwhile.

The new cage came with some plastic tunnels to use inside the cage. It was the Savic Mickey 2XL. Which is the same size as the Hamster Heaven but has narrower bar spacing - for mice. As it was just a single tunnel I put it in the playpen. And he got wedged in that too! It was smaller than the hamster heaven tunnels it turned out. It was really stressful and we had to break it apart to get him out.

Some average sized hamsters have managed with hamster heaven tubes, but tubes on cages have been a bit of a no no for a long time now, due to hamsters getting stuck and escaping.

Hamsters come in different sizes! Now if they had attachable rat tubes, that would be better! But still best to have a cage without external tubes. In the rat tubes, they can actually turn round in them and go back the other way. With the narrow ones, they are forced to keep going in the same direction, right to the end, before they can turn round and go back again.

 

[Maz]

A rat tunnel inside the cage...

That sounds fun

 

[Socks' Mum]

Our first hamster, Charlie, got stuck in tubes twice! He was quite a big hamster, but the tubes were too small. The first time was in the awful Rotostak cage we had got (he was only in it two weeks thankfully) The vertical tubes were on the small side. He did manage to free himself eventually but looked very stressed. I bought a new cage straight away and removed the vertical tubes meanwhile.

The new cage came with some plastic tunnels to use inside the cage. It was the Savic Mickey 2XL. Which is the same size as the Hamster Heaven but has narrower bar spacing - for mice. As it was just a single tunnel I put it in the playpen. And he got wedged in that too! It was smaller than the hamster heaven tunnels it turned out. It was really stressful and we had to break it apart to get him out.

Some average sized hamsters have managed with hamster heaven tubes, but tubes on cages have been a bit of a no no for a long time now, due to hamsters getting stuck and escaping.

Hamsters come in different sizes! Now if they had attachable rat tubes, that would be better! But still best to have a cage without external tubes. In the rat tubes, they can actually turn round in them and go back the other way. With the narrow ones, they are forced to keep going in the same direction, right to the end, before they can turn round and go back again.

Twice, OMG, I think the tunnels will go into the back of the cupboard Yes, the rat tube sounds as if it could work inside the cage. Which one have you got? There are also seagrass tunnels which could work.

 

[Maz]

Could you just send them back maybe? Yes the seagrass and hyacinth tunnels are a good size and they're flexible too. I've had one of those tied to bars before However they have holes in! They are ok for a short run if the holes are pointing upwards - but they usually have one each side. I think I managed with one hole near the top and one hole near the side so the hamster could still walk through it without getting caught in a hole!

For rat tubes, I have two types. The best one is the Savic one. It's really well made - but it's longer than the others, so it depends what length you want. The others are the little friends ones, which are also slightly cheaper but they seemed to break easier. The Savic and Ferplast ones seem pretty unbreakable. They all come with chains but don't use the chains Those are intended for rats and hamsters can get feet caught in chains and end up hanging by a broken leg. The Ferplast rat tunnel is not as long as the Savic one I think. The little friends ones only seem available in pink now! They used to be blue.

Savic rat tunnel

Ferplast rat tunnel

Little friends rat tunnel

 

[Socks' Mum]

Excellent! Do you use hessian or jute string to tie them to the roof bars?

 

[Maz]

I use sisal string. Hessian and jute aren't exactly the same thing. However if you have one of those seagrass balls, I sometimes unravel one of those and use it for string

It's the middle one on this photo

Rosewood trio of balls

Or you could just use plastic cable ties if you pull them tight so there's no loose loop inside the tube. Not the twist ties - those have wire inside. The rat tubes have convenient holes in so you can thread sisal string or cable ties through them.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Ah yes, my world depends on reusable cable ties, brilliant, I will use those. P@H sell Savic rat tubes, so I can buy one there. Excellent advice. The tubes are part of a kit with ramps, and I'm would like to use the ramps, so not sure what to do with the tubes. A robo could use them possibly?

 

[Maz]

Is that from Omlet? I saw they had shelves with ramps but didn't realise tubes came with it as well. How many tubes are there? If they're straight and long enough, would they extend from the cage to the playpen? If you were there to keep an eye on things?

 

[Socks' Mum]

Is that from Omlet? I saw they had shelves with ramps but didn't realise tubes came with it as well. How many tubes are there? If they're straight and long enough, would they extend from the cage to the playpen? If you were there to keep an eye on things?

The tunnels are 88cm with about 20 ish cm more to turn back into the cage. It's one long 2 piece tunnel with C shaped two bends. Here is a link to their construction video:

Bing

 

[Maz]

It's a shame they brought out tunnel attachments - we're always telling people to remove external tunnels and block them off!

 

[Socks' Mum]

I think I will probably return the tunnel and ramp set, but keep the platforms as they seem nice and versatile. Socks pad currently (with sand bath):

 

[Socks' Mum]

I might get the Omlet sand bath though for his cage as it seems quite a nice one.

 

[Maz]

He'll be happy to have his multiroom house back It looks like it only just fits next to the wheel! Although presumably the wheel can be anywhere along the bars. I also like the look of the Omlet sand bath

 

[Socks' Mum]

Things are close, but I've left room around the back as he often likes to create a rear exit and satellite stash behind houses, so I can move the houses a bit further apart. Yes, the wheel is very versatile and well designed. Once in place it doesn't slide, but can be moved along the bars. It should be interesting whether he uses the wooden MCH and what he does there

 

[Maz]

Yes he might move back in or he might decide to sleep in the cardboard hide now? I actually sent for a pack of three of those cardboard multiroom hides - for the playpen for now - but they weren't in stock so it'll be a wait for them.

 

[Socks' Mum]

They are very nice, Socks just went straight into his first time, through the roof hole. The HHMCH is a large size and there are smaller ones for Syrians and dwarf hamsters.

 

[Lovelyness]

It does look like a nice cage. Their playpen looks nice too

 

[Socks' Mum]

It does look like a nice cage. Their playpen looks nice too

Thank you