Play Pens

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Socks Mum

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I would like to give Socks an opportunity to go for a little explore but to be able to go back into his cage when he wants to. Does anyone have good play pens they can recommend? There are some on Amazon, but hamsters chew through and climb over the ones I've seen so far.
 
Socks Mum said:
I would like to give Socks an opportunity to go for a little explore but to be able to go back into his cage when he wants to. Does anyone have good play pens they can recommend? There are some on Amazon, but hamsters chew through and climb over the ones I've seen so far.
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This may be helpful. 😊
www.thehamsterforum.com

Playpen set ups

I thought it would be interesting to see everybodies playpen set ups. Mine is a songmics playpen. I have taped paper to the corners on the outside to prevent any escape attempts.
www.thehamsterforum.com www.thehamsterforum.com
 
As Rainbow says - there's a thread on playpens :-) Depending how much you want to spend, I hanker after the Happy Henry Homes wood one which is about £50. I can't justify it as I already have a similar one from another brand. But the Happy Henry Homes one I suspect is much better made and comes in two heights.
 
Thank you, it's great. I think if I get a cheaper one I will need to add cardboard or mesh to hamster safe it. I can hamster proof the room, but I would like to be able to pick Socks up more easily without chasing and frightening him and at the moment he is doing really well and is a gentle little hamster, but he is still a bit nervous. He really wants to come out and explore, but gets spooked quite easily.
 
Socks Mum said:
Thank you, it's great. I think if I get a cheaper one I will need to add cardboard or mesh to hamster safe it. I can hamster proof the room, but I would like to be able to pick Socks up more easily without chasing and frightening him and at the moment he is doing really well and is a gentle little hamster, but he is still a bit nervous. He really wants to come out and explore, but gets spooked quite easily.
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I am so happy with mine as you can adjust the size. I will pop a link to it for you to see.
 
I think it's a really good idea to start them in a playpen until they're more hand tame, before letting them free roam. Raffy took a couple of months to accept handling (he was a rescue with a past). Once he accepted hands in the playpen, I did sofa time for a while - he accepted being picked up much better when my hands were on the same level as him on the sofa. Then went onto free roaming. But a large playpen can be enough if you don't want to or can't hamsterproof the room. You can sit in a playpen with them as well which can help.
 
We had a bit of out of the cage time last night with the help of an underbed storage box. I slid it under the front ramp and he climbed down into it. At first he was trembling like a leaf, but after a few goes as soon as I put him back in his cage, he dashed back to the play area without hesitation. He burrowed in the litter, ran round inside a tube for rats, which he instantly loved, and rolled around and burrowed in a Chinchilla size sand bath. He climbed up the sides but didn't mind being gently carried back to the pen or his cage. I have to lift him into it as he's still a bit small to navigate the ramp safely, and the rungs are now a bit of a foot catcher, but he's getting more comfortable with being picked up as a result.
 
Socks Mum said:
We had a bit of out of the cage time last night with the help of an underbed storage box. I slid it under the front ramp and he climbed down into it. At first he was trembling like a leaf, but after a few goes as soon as I put him back in his cage, he dashed back to the play area without hesitation. He burrowed in the litter, ran round inside a tube for rats, which he instantly loved, and rolled around and burrowed in a Chinchilla size sand bath. He climbed up the sides but didn't mind being gently carried back to the pen or his cage. I have to lift him into it as he's still a bit small to navigate the ramp safely, and the rungs are now a bit of a foot catcher, but he's getting more comfortable with being picked up as a result.
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That is wonderful progress! It is so lovely to hear how much he enjoyed being in the storage box. Once you get the playpen he is going to be more then ready for the adventure. :)
 
Aw that sounds lovely - he's getting braver! With that door I used to put a mat or cushion on the open door so it was easier to walk on :) Cardboard is a bit slippery maybe.
 
RainbowBrite said:
I am so happy with mine as you can adjust the size. I will pop a link to it for you to see.
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I've ordered it on Ebay. It has a floor, which is great. Much easier to maintain order than all room roaming. I need to figure out furnishing to keep him engaged and curious.
 
Socks Mum said:
I've ordered it on Ebay. It has a floor, which is great. Much easier to maintain order than all room roaming. I need to figure out furnishing to keep him engaged and curious.
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That is great! I do not use the floor and just pop a blanket down but using the floor will give more stability. You may want to have a look at the cardboard creation threads for some ideas of things to make for Socks to keep him busy.
thehamsterforum.com

Cardboard creations

This is a thread to show how many things you can make for your hamster or enclosure, out of cardboard :-) Cardboard is your friend.
thehamsterforum.com thehamsterforum.com
 
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