Review of the Niteangel Vista Cage Oblique Large (with slanted top)

[Angel's Teddybear]

Building: I got the Vista (I’ll call it vista to shorten the name) in maybe late June? Angel is much happier in this cage (1000+ sq inches) instead of her old cage (40 gallon aquarium, 600+ sq inches). When I got vista, it was in about 6 or more pieces, and the instructions were a bit confusing. It is held together by silicone/rubber bands, but once you put everything inside the cage, I would be worried it would break if you try to move.

There is plexiglass on all sides, including the bottom. The instructions said to put duct tape on the bottom, so if your hamster chews everything in sight this cage might not be best. On the front, there is silicone, which my hamster chewed. If your hamster chews everything in sight, again, it might not be the best option. The cage is also wood, so you need to clean it a lot to make sure the wood doesn’t start molding.

Overall, it is very good quality, but hard if your hamsters chew everything in sight.

Space: The vista is very big, and your hamster would be very happy to have a lot of space to put stuff into. It can fit so much, and you can squeeze a lot in if you try hard enough. The front does have to be a bit lower (unless your hamster doesn’t chew or climb) so I would recommend having flat things pressed into the bedding into the front. In the back, I would put all the tall, heavy things, or the stands with items on it. That helps make a lot more room in the front for chews, toys, etc.

Overall, it is very spacious and very tall. It is a great enclosure in terms of space.

Cleaning: The door to open this cage is in the front, and is a liftable door. This door is AMAZING. You can reach all spots, and it is a spacious opening for all the big hamster items. Because of the slanted top, you aren’t swooping in directly overhead to pick up your hamster. Instead, you come from an angle they usually see you at.

Overall, the cleaning ability is fantastic, and I will fight for that.

Cost: the vista large (which is the size I recommend) is a whopping $310 US dollars. This is extremely expensive, but it is very good quality. If you have extra money to spend, and you want an enclosure for multiple years, this enclosure is probably for you. Although costly, this enclosure is good quality, spacious, and easy to clean.

TO CONCLUDE: Out of 10, considering everything, I would give it a 7/10 for building, 10/10 for cleaning, 7/10 for cost, 8/10 for space, and 8/10 for quality. In total, I would give this cage a 8/10.

DISCLAIMER: These ratings are based on my hamster, as she chews everything in sight. She had chewed the silicone, tried to chew the duct tape, etc. My ratings are also based on MY EXPERIENCES with the cage, so it might be different for you! You might find that it is even better quality than you thought. I would definitely recommend this cage, though, because it is an amazing cage overall!

These photos might be a bit blurry! Sorry about that, hopefully you can see the scale. This setup is a bit different than her current one.

 

[Maz]

That's a great review! I didn't realise there was silicone inside. Is that some kind of seal inside and not the silicone bands? I also didn't realise the base was perspex as well! I wonder why they did that when no one can see through the base! You would think it would be wood like the back.

So is it actually wood then? Not some kind of fibre board with a wipe clean facing?

It's a fantastic enclosure with that door - but as you say, very expensive. Do you prefer it to a glass tank overall?

 

[Angel's Teddybear]

The silicone is to soften the door’s sound, but it peeks through on the other side. The silicone bands aren’t inside, which are amazing because Angel would have chewed through them in 5 seconds.

Whoops, I forgot to say this: there is wood on the bottom, you just put plexiglass on top to make sure it doesn’t mold. Then they want you to put duct tape to make sure bedding doesn’t fall through the cracks.

I definitely do prefer this cage. The reasons: The glass tanks aren’t super tall, so there isn’t a lot of bedding you can put in. The glass tanks need a custom lid or one of the terrarium lids. In my experience, the terrarium lid (which was mesh) was so loud, and it scared angel whenever I needed to remove it or put something on top. Also, she chewed the silicone on the BOTTOM, and then she chewed the top rim (which was plastic, she chewed almost all of it even though it wrapped around the whole enclosure) as a sign of cage rage.

This cage is just overall easier, Angel is happier, I’m happier, and it makes almost no noise.

 

[Maz]

I had a similar issue with a glass tank that had a grid type lid with a door in it and the hamster was terrified by the noise from above every time. It put me off tanks generally and I much prefer something with a front opening door Or a door like you have on the Vista.

Some hamsters are very chewy! I've heard of a hamster chewing all the silicone from a detolf and the tank just falling apart!

 

[Angel's Teddybear]

Yes, that would be my hamster if she was in that cage!!