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I looked at the grey 150l B&Q upcycled box for Eddie today. It's better than the Samla because it doesn't taper as much. Same price at only £25 incl lid. There's also a clear plastic xxl Kaze of similar size.
I picked it up, put it back, picked it up again. I can't make up my mind whether to move him out of his little bin cage or not. He seems content, runs on his wheel again and gets out of cage time of course but is it fair to keep a hamster in such a small cage. That's the question i keep asking myself and struggle with.
I just chucked him out of his bin cage to tidy up and he went straight to the hoard Lilly had left earlier. He's sitting in the communal sand pit munching now.
I picked it up, put it back, picked it up again. I can't make up my mind whether to move him out of his little bin cage or not. He seems content, runs on his wheel again and gets out of cage time of course but is it fair to keep a hamster in such a small cage. That's the question i keep asking myself and struggle with.
I just chucked him out of his bin cage to tidy up and he went straight to the hoard Lilly had left earlier. He's sitting in the communal sand pit munching now.
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RainbowBrite
If it were me I would try it out. I know there is a risk he may be stressed but if he likes it then perhaps that would be worth it. I know you will know Eddie best though and if that would be too much for him. How much extra space would this be?
Aw, he sounds adorable munching in the sand pit.
Aw, he sounds adorable munching in the sand pit.
Just my personal thoughts from a novice so please don't be offended are you thinking Eddie actually needs extra space or does he want extra space for easier mobility getting around things or are you thinking he should have extra room because that's the norm he just sounds content and happy to me and if so why move him
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I need to measure it to get the exact size but it looks similar floorspacewise to the Hamster Heaven which he only used part of.
M
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Tbh, this whole 100cmx50cm minimum size thing nowadays everybody is on about messed up my head a bit.
I now feel that i'm doing the wrong thing by keeping him in a small cage he seems perfectly happy with.
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elusive
It is a bit of a tough one, he does sound more settled now he’s in the bin cage & it’s hard to know what it was about the HH that wasn’t right for him, maybe he just likes the more enclosed bin set up more than a barred cage.
If it was me I would definitely consider upsizing to a larger bin, maybe have a think about the things he does like in there & give him more of that kind of thing if possible rather than adding other things he might not use.
As Rainbow said you know him best & it’s only really knowing your own hamster that can help you reach the right decision, what’s right for him is what matters.
If it was me I would definitely consider upsizing to a larger bin, maybe have a think about the things he does like in there & give him more of that kind of thing if possible rather than adding other things he might not use.
As Rainbow said you know him best & it’s only really knowing your own hamster that can help you reach the right decision, what’s right for him is what matters.
M
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He used to be happy in the Hamster Heaven even though he never used the whole cage.
He pee'ed allover the place lately including his shelves and tubes which may have upset him. Now that he's in a smaller space he doesn't get caught out so much and pees in his sand only. Sometimes he doesn't quite make it and pees on the stone in front of the sand jar but the rest stays dry so there's no smell.
I still think that this obsession with the bars he developed was a mental thing. He automatically chewed the few bars in the bin cage when i first moved him over but stopped within the hour. Knowing why he stopped holds the clue i think but of course we'll never know.
He pee'ed allover the place lately including his shelves and tubes which may have upset him. Now that he's in a smaller space he doesn't get caught out so much and pees in his sand only. Sometimes he doesn't quite make it and pees on the stone in front of the sand jar but the rest stays dry so there's no smell.
I still think that this obsession with the bars he developed was a mental thing. He automatically chewed the few bars in the bin cage when i first moved him over but stopped within the hour. Knowing why he stopped holds the clue i think but of course we'll never know.
This 100cm thing almost made me offer Pete up for rehoming because I could only fit a 80 x 50 cm cage in and that was after I sold a piece of furniture I just felt so guilty that I'd not been able to meet the required standard but I worried that someone else may offer bigger accommodation but not care about him the way I do so stuck with what I could do for him and honestly he is such a happy little soul he's adapted to what he's got my point is Eddie seems to have adapted and settled into his new environment already I'd be more worried about moving him again sorry for going on just go with your gut Beryl you have experience and insight and no one could do more for hamsters than you do you will do the right thing in the end whichever way you go
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elusive
It could be that chewing the bars had begun to become a habit & he started to do it automatically with the door but then maybe didn’t feel the need to with the rest of the bin being enclosed.
I do get the point that if he’s settled in a smaller space that maybe what he’s happy with but it may still be worth trying the larger bin to see if it’s the bin rather than the barred cage he likes for whatever reason that may be.
I’ve had a couple of hams who for some reason didn’t seem happy in their set up so I moved them to a smaller cage temporarily & they seemed happy enough in the smaller space but once I’d changed things around to suit there needs better & moved them back in to a larger space again they were really happy with that too & made full use of the space. A bit of mind reading involved really!
I do get the point that if he’s settled in a smaller space that maybe what he’s happy with but it may still be worth trying the larger bin to see if it’s the bin rather than the barred cage he likes for whatever reason that may be.
I’ve had a couple of hams who for some reason didn’t seem happy in their set up so I moved them to a smaller cage temporarily & they seemed happy enough in the smaller space but once I’d changed things around to suit there needs better & moved them back in to a larger space again they were really happy with that too & made full use of the space. A bit of mind reading involved really!
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I think a bigger bin would be better if it’s about the same size as the hamster heaven. I know Eddie has specific medical needs as well but we never see how much they use a cage at night when they are most active.
The 100cm x 50cm recommended minimum has been around for quite some time. It was our recommendation on here even before the pet charity guidelines. But as per the guidance post on here - there is no pressure to go larger if a dwarf hamsters is in an 80 x 50 and settled.
It’s been a fairly accepted size for Syrians for many years. No one is saying Eddie needs a 100cm bin cage - especially with his medical condition. But something smaller than 80 x 50 might be a bit too small. However if you think Eddie is behaving differently due to his diabetes and less active then yes go with your instincts. But I agree with Elusive that he may enjoy some extra space and things to do.
The 100cm x 50cm recommended minimum has been around for quite some time. It was our recommendation on here even before the pet charity guidelines. But as per the guidance post on here - there is no pressure to go larger if a dwarf hamsters is in an 80 x 50 and settled.
It’s been a fairly accepted size for Syrians for many years. No one is saying Eddie needs a 100cm bin cage - especially with his medical condition. But something smaller than 80 x 50 might be a bit too small. However if you think Eddie is behaving differently due to his diabetes and less active then yes go with your instincts. But I agree with Elusive that he may enjoy some extra space and things to do.
M
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Part of the Hamster Heaven hadn't been used at all. I could tell by the substrate.
I'm now considering a Duna Multy which is between an HH and his bin cage but probably doesn't make enough of a difference to justify moving him again.
I'm now considering a Duna Multy which is between an HH and his bin cage but probably doesn't make enough of a difference to justify moving him again.
M
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Eddie sits on top of his carrot house when he wants out so i scooped him up just now.
I guessed that he wanted to sit in the other sandpit but it's late and i'm tired so i put him down in the hall. There's a sandpit there as well but Eddie got huffy and run under the shoe rack. I called him and he came out, scooped him up and carried him over the barrier. Soon as he realized that i wasn't going to put him down he nipped my hand!
He doesn't bite but he let's me feel his teeth when he's annoyed with me.
I guessed that he wanted to sit in the other sandpit but it's late and i'm tired so i put him down in the hall. There's a sandpit there as well but Eddie got huffy and run under the shoe rack. I called him and he came out, scooped him up and carried him over the barrier. Soon as he realized that i wasn't going to put him down he nipped my hand!
He doesn't bite but he let's me feel his teeth when he's annoyed with me.
M
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No nipping today because i let Eddie out in the hamster room. After a while i had to get ready for work but the little monkey refused to come out from under the futon. Called him, coaxed him with food but no, he wouldn't budge. In the end i had to get the feather duster and gently move him far enough forward to scoop him up. He gave me one of his looks......
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Oh yes. He's more himself now and seems quite relaxed.
M
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I cleaned Eddie's cage out when he was freeroaming. No drama today because he sat in the dig box carrot house snoozing.
I turned the shed the other way which he seems to like. He uses it like a table and sits on the cork piece to eat his fresh food.
I turned the shed the other way which he seems to like. He uses it like a table and sits on the cork piece to eat his fresh food.
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