Dusty the Robo dwarf hamster.

My syrian hamster, Arun used to have an underbed storage box as a play area. He used to love whizzing through the {rat} tunnels that I put in there for him. It wasnt a massive space just enough for a wheel and a couple of tunnels but he LOVED it and would literally jump into his transport box when I held it up to the open cage door. He also used to scent mark like crazy!!!

Tarak, my long haired golden hamster had a play cage which he very much enjoyed.

I had a group of three roborovskis (until they fell out and had to be separated} and they loved their underbed storage box playground. It is amazing what a lot of fun they seemed to have just whizzing through tunnels and exploring new houses and wheels.
 
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That is such a great idea Tulsi! They do plastic type ones as well. Did the Syrians not try to climb out? I suppose it depends how tall the underbed storage box is! We had one but it was very shallow to fit under a divan.
 
Hmm cant remember how tall the storage was. It was taller than the actual underbed storage boxes that I use for my rabbits' litter trays. He didnt try to climb out at all. He would stand and stare at me once he was ready for home and happily climb into his transport box.
 
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Actually I just remembered I bought some storage boxes like that last year for storing lego models! Something like this would be good. It's about 25cm tall so he shouldn't be able to get out of it. This is for a pack of four boxes which is why it's expensive. Is that the kind of thing you meant Tulsi? Something a bit longer might be better though.

62 litre storage box.
 
Actually something like this would be ideal to sit on top of a table, and lots of space. Expensive though. But there are quite a few guinea pig runs available like this. Or maybe someone could make one? It was just seeing him run up your arm made me think he might try and jump out :ROFLMAO:
But you'd just have to be careful, as you are now.

Guinea pig run
 
Socks Mum said:
The Songmics play pen is good. It does have gaps between the panels, but you could put a fleece or as picnic blanket into it to line it. The sides are about 40cm high and might just be scale-able, so supervision and making the room escape proof are good. I have a grass tunnel and used to use a cereal box for Socks and he loved to stamp around in it. The concertina style tunnels address handy as you can fold them up for storage. Socks likes to race along the tunnels and you can combine them and bend them to make a nice circuit. Socks is fast (when he feels like it) but a Robo would be really speedy. You might be able to get transparent tunnels, which would be great fun!
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Well, I have the songmics play pen, the flex clear tubing and a card board sheet for flooring ready to order. Also a table to put it on. I am also looking into those guinea pig cage liners for flooring and gap protection. When this is in use I will be there with him always. Thank for the ideas!!
 
At the same time as me figuring out a playpen for Dusty, I am working on a playpen for my gerbils which is more complicated since they are not as tame as Dusty. I think I could easily move Dusty from his cage to the playpen with my hands or using a transport container. But with my gerbils I have to rig up tubing going from their cage to their playpen so they have free access for their play time outside their cage.
 
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We usually recommend not carrying them with your hands from the cage as even the tamest hamster can suddenly wriggle free and fall :-) Some kind of "taxi" is a good idea. Either a tube (and put your hands over the end when carrying it) or some kind of hide or mug they can walk into and pop your hand over the top. Also they actually like and recognise the taxi usually! So if they see it, they know it's time to come out.
 
Yeah I found a pringles tube worked well as a taxi as did a small but sturdy cardboard box. I loved carrying Arun to his play box cos he would happily allow me to stroke him (swoon} on the way there and back.
 
I think a tabletop playpen is such a great idea! I'm thinking of it myself. I actually googled tabletop playpen and came across this! A bit expensive though. Tall enough for a Syrian too. I guess it's the same idea as the Songmix which is cheaper! It's 124cm x 63cm x 40cm.

Tabletop playpen

Tabletop playpen.webp
 
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Dusty's Mom said:
Hello, my name is Connie and we live in Phoenix, AZ. We got our little guy March 20th. He is so cute. He is currently settling into his new home.
Eventually I would like to get him a larger home, but for now I think he is happy. I will try to post a picture on him. Hope I did it correctly. Thanks for
letting me join. I look forward to learning more about the care of hamsters.

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Omg he’s so cute
 
Maz said:
I think a tabletop playpen is such a great idea! I'm thinking of it myself. I actually googled tabletop playpen and came across this! A bit expensive though. Tall enough for a Syrian too. I guess it's the same idea as the Songmix which is cheaper! It's 124cm x 63cm x 40cm.

Tabletop playpen

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That is so nice for a table top play pen! I will send pics when mine is done. I am just waiting for delivery of all the parts and for the gerbils my son has to come install the gate, but for Dusty, he could try it out first! :) I checked out Ebay....nothing like that on the USA side. :( But I don't think that one could be taken down easily. I am going to have to disassemble the play pen when their play time is over because I don't have room in my house to keep it up. I also got a folding table, the kind that folds in half when I put it away. :)
 
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Yes it's much better if they come apart to be put away :-) I don't know if that one above does or not - good point. A folding table is also a good idea. It's reminded me I have a folding picnic table :)
 
So this is what I ended up with for a playpen for both my gerbils and Dusty. As you can see the tubing is connected to the gerbil cage with a 'gate' with a door that can close when I want to keep the gerbils out of the playpen. The gerbils have already been down in the playpen. This is a hamster forum and I don't want to send gerbil videos when it is not allowed. Dusty's cage is the one behind the playpen with the white frame. Next time he is out when I see him I will try to get him into the playpen and take a video and photos. The Cardboard top is for easy removal to get Dusty in and out and for me to interact with which ever animal is in there. I only used two roof pieces at the tubing end of the playpen. I cut a hole in one of the sections of roof for the tubing to go through. There are hides and tubes and a fence and a bowl of coco peat for digging. When Dusty is in there, I will close off the tubing to the gerbil cage as well as close the gate. I think for Dusty he will have to learn to use the tubing on the floor to access the area behind the fencing. I don't think he can jump over it like the gerbils can. If anyone would like to see the gerbils in the playpen let me know and I can certainly post it here if that is allowed. :)

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That all looks very impressive :-) It is perfectly allowed to post about gerbils and other pets :-) There is a whole section for "other pets" on here, so you could do a thread for the gerbils. @Daisy has gerbils as well :-)

I have tried to spot a gerbil but afraid I couldn't. You should maybe add that photo to the "spot the hamster" thread :ROFLMAO: Even if it's a gerbil.

So is the same playpen for both the gerbils and Dusty? Assume you'll need to wipe it out between them and change contents? Otherwise Dusty might be a bit freaked by the scent of gerbils.
 
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