# Ideal cage size?



## Charleigh (Nov 9, 2012)

What is the ideal floor space for a robo hamster?

What is the ideal floor space for mice?

Would this be a good cage for 1 or two mice? With possibly another small cage attached?










Thank you for any advice


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## Guest (Jan 9, 2013)

Whats the actual size of the cage?
Looks too small to me but without the measurements I can't be certain. 


It might make a good carrier, but not a permanent cage IMO


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## LittlePaws AnimalRescue (Sep 11, 2012)

Robo hamsters may be small but they have tons of energy and need a decent sized cage.
I had 1 robo in a zoozone 1.
I have 3 robos in an ikea detolf (it's about 160cm x 40cm x 40cm) and I still think it's too small for them!

For mice I try and not go smaller than a zz1 or kios, so 70x40cm.
I do have a single mouse in a mini duna right now but she's very old and a little poorly so she'll stay in there for now.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

That's not going to be any good for Robos, they'll never climb up the tubes:lol: They'll squeeze through the bars too if their not small enough, you need bars smaller than a normal hamster cage for them or they'll escape! How many Robos are you getting? Just be aware that they can and do fall out, and then they'll need splitting and you'll need another cage. My Robos live on their own, their happy enough, and so am I knowing I won't go in one morning and found they've killed each other after starting a fight.

Depending how big it is, mice might like that cage as they could climb in it, but I'd bet those tubes would be a pain to clean, might work loose after a bit, and if the mice were shy, you'd have a hell of a job to get them out of there!


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## Charleigh (Nov 9, 2012)

Harvey Hamster Cage | Sky Pet Products

It's this one in the large size I do have several other cages that I could attach by the tubes. This is the one I'm thinking of for future mice either 1 male or 2 females. I don't mind cleaning the tubes as I have balls and a small cage they could play in while I cleaned them. Its on eBay really local to me for 99p pick up only so I thought if it got toward the end of the bid and didn't get much higher then I could get it.. Would this be advisable? I only have one other wire cage and it's teeny but my mice in the past have always loved the wires to climb on.

I wasn't thinking that cage for my robo, I have her in a small cage for temporary measures as my mum broke her lovely big cage she really likes her tunnels though she uses them all the time .. Is that not normal for a robo then? I have five small cages my smallest is Combi 1 Dwarf Hamster Cage by Ferplast | Pets at Home this I picked up for a fiver at a car boot not knowing it had different attachments to my other cages 

So how much space in cm/inches would a robo need? I have five cages three that connect which are a bit bigger than the blue one above. Then I have a pink one which is twice the size but has no holes for tubes and then the blue one. If someone could advise me then I can join some of them up or work out how to cut a hole in the big one to connect it to the others.

The robo was my mums and she doesn't look after it so I adopted it therefore I know absolutely nothing about her, she isn't easy to handle she'll come over to my hand if I put it in but if I get her out she'll run away and regular handling didn't solve this, she was from [email protected], I do have a list of things she can and can't eat she's rather smitten to cucumber  only a thin slice or two.

I was also thrown into mice by a friend who couldn't keep her mouse. And then I got mice to somewhat replace him and a cage recommended by the pet shop for them I was given two cages and my mum bought another so I've never done any research and I can't seem to find the exact space needed for mice and robos.

I don't have much money so I thought this pink cage might be great if I could get it for that price. And then try and connect my small cages for Hammy.

Any advice will be great  hope you're all having a nice day


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

The cage isn't even remotely close to being a suitable size for a mouse. The smallest size I have for mine is a savic cambridge (62cm x 36cm x 43cm) for a single male or a male pair (male pairs require less space than female mice to reduce squabbling over territory, any time I've had a female pair they have been in a bigger cage.) Mice are generally very active and love as much floor space and height as possible, so you need the biggest possible cage that you can afford. Although you could connect other cages to a very small one it still doesn't give enough floor space as needed in one area. Ideally you should be looking at either a cambridge (as a minimum) or preferably something larger (hamster heaven, freddy 2.) As for the recommended requirements for mice, the Blue Cross recommends at least a two foot square cage for two mice (don't waste your time looking at the RSPCA.) If you don't have much money get the biggest plastic box you can and make a bin cage instead  It's a good alternative and means you can get a big cage for a fraction of the price (e.g. my large bin cage is 80cm by 80 cm by 60 cm, total cost including mesh and cable tidies using a bin rom Ikea was £30  )


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## Charleigh (Nov 9, 2012)

Just found a hamster heaven for £20 on ebay so ill see hopefully no one will bid on it  

Should I try and sell the cages I have to get some money to buy a new cage? They are all quite small and I only actually paid full price for one so it's not like I'm losing money on them. 

How did you make your bin cage? I saw some instructions but I don't have power tools I have screwdrivers, pliers a saw and a glue gun and some scissors can I make one with this? How do you attach things to the cage? Or can't you? could I hang things from it? I don't want one with just holes poked in I like the mesh do I need power tools to make it? could I attatch my tubes to it? I've built up quite a little amount of tubes as my mouse jerome loved tubes do your mice like tubes? I have lots of plastic boxes with [email protected] in I can't remember their dimensions though what kind of lid will it need? 

I also saw something online that someone turned a bookcase into a cage for rats could I do something like this for mice? I have a bookcase I don't like and was thinking of getting rid of its about 6ft tall with 5 shelves could I realistically turn this into a nice cage for a mouse? 

Thank you for your help


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

Charleigh said:


> Just found a hamster heaven for £20 on ebay so ill see hopefully no one will bid on it
> 
> Should I try and sell the cages I have to get some money to buy a new cage? They are all quite small and I only actually paid full price for one so it's not like I'm losing money on them.
> 
> ...


I suppose you could use a saw to make one, I had to use a soldering iron to cut the holes for the mesh and put holes in for the cable ties to attach the mesh to the plastic. I also use cable tidies to attach things to the mesh so hanging toys and ropes are still possible. Here's my big one:









The lid would need to be one that fits the tub you are using securely so that if it's bumped it won't come off. It will also need to sit outside the main plastic so that the mice can't get a hold of it and chew their way out.

A bookcase could be made into a cage, possibly, but you would need to ensure that the back was securely attached (I know some one who made a cage out of a bookcase and one of her mice got stuck between the back and the shelf and she didn't notice  ) You would also need to try to work out how to make doors on the individual shelves so that you wouldn't open the full thing up everytime to handle your mice.


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## Ratty man (Apr 15, 2012)

I didn't know you could get tubs that large.

I've seen 80cm length bins but only 40cm depth and not 80cm depth.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

I would get a 62 litre plastic storage bin from Wilkinsons for a tenner. Get a piece of mesh from B & Q or Wicks's, use a hot craft knife or soldering iron to cut out two sections in the lid ( don't saw or cut it as it will likely crack). Cut the mesh to size, use a hot screwdriver to melt holes around each gap you've made, then use cable ties to fix it on. I have four of these as spare hamster cages and their great. Light, easy to access and clean, plenty of space for toys, and really cheap.

As to a bookcase cage, yes you can use one, but you need someone pretty DIY savvy. I have a bookcase cage made out of an ikea bookcase, that my brother made me. It holds four dwarf hamsters easily, piece of cake to clean, great access and doesn't take up as much space as four cages would.

Here's some pics for you:

ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting

ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting


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## zany_toon (Jan 30, 2009)

Ratty man said:


> I didn't know you could get tubs that large.
> 
> I've seen 80cm length bins but only 40cm depth and not 80cm depth.


You are tight, I made a mistake, I hit the wrong key on the keyboard for the height, height is only 40  Other dimensions are correct though


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## Charleigh (Nov 9, 2012)

Thanks for all the replies I think I'm going to try an eBay a few of the small ones keep my favourite as a carrier (other people might want to buy them as that) they are I quite good condition.

I'm going to examine my bookcase to see I it's doable my grandad is very good at DIY and although I sound clueless I did take electronics at school (only a few years ago) so I know basic DIY I imagine if I got stuck I could ask my grandad or even perhaps someone at wickes/b&q when I've been there before they are quite nice. 

Is aquarium sealant okay for mice? After hearing that sad story of the mouse getting trapped i thought that could help as long as the back was screwed and also stop any widdles gettin in as that would rot the wood and then I'd have to replace it. I saw it suggested on either a rat or hamster forum when I was looking for ideas and people said its used to seal vivariums and it is non toxic to hamsters/rats would the same be for mice? If I phoned them up would they know? 

I was thinking of making the front into perhaps four or five seperate doors with wire mesh (like used on the bins) 1cm cubed spacing? Or smaller if I can find it? 

I was thinking of making a trap door between perhaps each level or the top three and bottom two so that a)my robo can live out her days in there with mice at the top and b so that if I had 2 or possibly more mice I could seperate one if they fought or he was poorly but if all was well and I had no robo/mice then whoever's in it could have the who run. 

My bookcase I have is about 6ft with five shelves so that's about 14in height for each shelve I would estimate and this could be wrong as I'm bad at guessing that it's about that deep then perhaps 35-40 in wide so that times two would it be okay for a robo? And then that times three would that be an okay minimum for either 1male or possibly two female? 

I also saw a suggestion of screwing metal corners onto the bits they might try to gnaw at so perhaps the trap doors? Is this a good idea? 

I am just hoping this will work out as I don't have much room and as lovely as the bin cages are I would be worried having them stacked up as my cats sleep on all the boxes I the house and my dog bless her is a little bouncy so she could knock it over accidentally. At least with the bookcase it's camouflaged hopefully the cats won't notice, I would consider locks on each door and a hook to secure it to the wall. It would be a nice project as I am currently not doing much with my time. And it would sort of blend in I not sure where it would be kept yet haha 

thank you for all your help and pictures when I try and do this I'll keep you updated and hopefully some of you can help me if you see anything not appropriate


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

Charleigh said:


> Thanks for all the replies I think I'm going to try an eBay a few of the small ones keep my favourite as a carrier (other people might want to buy them as that) they are I quite good condition.
> 
> I'm going to examine my bookcase to see I it's doable my grandad is very good at DIY and although I sound clueless I did take electronics at school (only a few years ago) so I know basic DIY I imagine if I got stuck I could ask my grandad or even perhaps someone at wickes/b&q when I've been there before they are quite nice.
> 
> ...


I've put you answers in purple

Just to give you an idea of the sizing and set up, here's a pic of Holly and Ivy, my robos. There's not much in there as I took the pics just after cleaning time, before I'd replaced everything, but I can fit quite a lot of toys and things in them. The wheel is a 5" one, though they have a wonderland one now that is about 7/8" high in total, and that fits in perfectly too.



















If you want any more pics of the cages with more detail on them, just ask

Good luck!


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## A R 3 (Apr 13, 2012)

wobbles that clever!
Do you use each drawer for a different hammy? I never thought of that its really clever


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

A R 3 said:


> wobbles that clever!
> Do you use each drawer for a different hammy? I never thought of that its really clever


Thank you

Yes, there's a different dwarf in each level. Technically as it's one large single floor, you could keep 8 dwarfs in it (2 per level), but I won't keep hamsters together,so it's one per floor. I came up with the idea because I keep my hammies in a hamster shed, which doesn't exactly give a lot of space to undo cage bases, move them around to refill and so on, especially not with a huge sack of aubiose! Then I decided to try and get something similar to what [email protected] use but bigger, until I found out that those type of cages run into big money, so I came up with this instead. It is so easy to clean out in a small space as it doesn't have any parts to remove, and the whole thing cost me around £50 in total.

Here's Willow and Holly:










and Orlando and Ivy:










Like I said, there not that bare. I took them after clean out time whilst they were all awake for me to do so!


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