# Robo advice/info



## PurpleCrow (Mar 22, 2009)

Hey, 

I'm thinking about getting some Robo hamsters but I know little about them (I've always had Syrians) and would like some advice.

How many can be put together? Whats better, all males or all females? What amount of cage, per robo, is needed? 

Are they easy to tame? I had a friend who had one that was just plain mean, I dont want to end up with hammies that I cant handle at all. 

Thanks in advance!


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## Lady Sol (Aug 20, 2009)

I've got 5, I had another two that died last year. Acorn has his own cage:









Himalaya's old cage:









The girls share a cage (see the bin cage in my signature). I have four girls that live together in a 110 litre bin cage.

None of mine are what you'd call friendly. They are sweet enough to look at, but very, very quick and don't like being held. They are more watch from a distance hamsters. They live on average longer than syrians though. I can pick them up, but they aren't happy. Though if you get them from a decent breeder they should be more handable (mine are preloved and [email protected] adoptees).

They can squeeze through normal cage bars (though Himalaya and Scoobie didn't realise this, or couldn't be bothered). Acorn lives in Habitrail because he'd be out of any other cage in seconds. Mine have special wheels and water bottles. They like the Habitrail Mini Fly Wheel (but that only works for a single hamster) and Habitrail Mini Mushroom drinking oasis. My girls have a mini silent spinner each. Some robos are OK with normal drinking bottles, but not all robos can reach the spout or have the strength to push the ball bearing in to drink. They can climb tube elbows, tubes up to about a 50 degree angle, rotastak vertical tubes with ladders (they struggle to climb rather than fall down), other vertical tubes adapted with ladders (stick a cardboard tube inside the plastic tube and hang a ladder for them), they easily climb Habitrail mini vertical tubes, but they can't do tubes that curve over at a big angle (think rotastak bendy tubes) or long vertical tubes. Personally unless you go for a big fat squishy robo, I wouldn't put them in a normal barred cage like a cambridge or Imac, Acorn would be out in seconds. Either go for a large Zoozone and mesh the top well, a tank, a large Habitrail setup. You could make a large Rotastak setup work, but mine tend to fall rather than climb down the tubes. I personnally love Habitrail for robos, their mini range is just the right size for them to run about and reach everything. Just don't stick them in a small Habitrail setup if you go for one - once you have the basics, buy extra sections off Ebay for peanuts. (ie, before everyone yells at me, don't stick them in a Habitrail Ovo Studio, buy them a few extra maze or pod units to attach and if you can find any, some Habitrail mini barred units - they can't get out of them as the bars are really close together)


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## PurpleCrow (Mar 22, 2009)

Thanks for the info! 

Quick question before I go get something to eat - where can I get a Habitrail Mini Mushroom drinking oasis or something similar?


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## Lady Sol (Aug 20, 2009)

PurpleCrow said:


> Thanks for the info!
> 
> Quick question before I go get something to eat - where can I get a Habitrail Mini Mushroom drinking oasis or something similar?


Ebay is your best bet. Habitrail stopped making them last year  Google shows a few sites, but I'm not sure if any have them left in stock.


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## PurpleCrow (Mar 22, 2009)

Tried ebay, no luck  

I do like the Ovo cages but I hate the water bottles. Need to find a stand alone one from somewhere.


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Mini Oasis Water Bottle


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## PurpleCrow (Mar 22, 2009)

Jazzy said:


> Mini Oasis Water Bottle


Bleeding heck how did you find that?? My google skills must be rusty Thank you!!


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## PurpleCrow (Mar 22, 2009)

Lady Sol said:


> Ebay is your best bet. Habitrail stopped making them last year  Google shows a few sites, but I'm not sure if any have them left in stock.


Now I've found somewhere to get it, I've had a better look and it seems a bit strange. Do yours drink from it OK?


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

PurpleCrow said:


> Now I've found somewhere to get it, I've had a better look and it seems a bit strange. Do yours drink from it OK?


Mine found it okay to drink from but sometimes he would kick shavings in it but it's not a problem if changed daily I wouldn't have thought.
I always thought they looked a bit rude.


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## Lady Sol (Aug 20, 2009)

PurpleCrow said:


> Now I've found somewhere to get it, I've had a better look and it seems a bit strange. Do yours drink from it OK?


Yeah, all my robos drink from it fine. It does look a bit odd though :lol:


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

PurpleCrow said:


> Bleeding heck how did you find that?? My google skills must be rusty Thank you!!


:laugh:

I've got my Robo in an Imac fantasy cage and he loves it. I used to use the habitrail adventure playground and habitrail mini linked together and then moved on to the habitrail Ovo which was okay but it was a bit bulky and long so transferred him to the fantasy cage when my russian dwarf died a few months back.


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