Possibly ok cages

by River Sun 14 Aug 2016, 6:48 pm

I found a few actually okay looking cages - at least size-wise. I'd prefer a cage - or at least a lighter material - for a variety of reasons. Thoughts?

I know people say crittertrails are bad, but this one has an alright size and no tubes attached. It's 20" L and 11.5" W, over 200 square inches - 220-230. It seemed okay to me, but then again, I do like to double-check things.That, and I worry that companies do tend to lie about the size, so there's no way to be certain it's actually as big as they say before I'd buy it. I guess I'd have to return it if it wasn't correct, ah well.

https://www.chewy.com/kaytee-crittertrail-extreme/dp/129046?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Kaytee&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKEAjwrcC9BRC2v5rjyvSbhWASJACKkjDzeVQPw1b0orBPUjeAkEb69HAnvuy7Q0FY5AV0arx_vxoChNXw_wcB

Another, which I can't find a link for, is the National Geographic Exploration loft. It claims to measure to 21.75 inches x 15.25 inches, well over 200, but I found someones review that says it's actually only 198 square inches - so you see what I mean about them lying about sizes. I guess I'll rule that one out.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GKJ5TK0?psc=1 This also appears to surpass the minimum size, but I'm not sure on if the bar spacing is any good. .313 in. spacing. Of course, the wheel would be tossed.

https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Pet-Products-SP2005BL-Hamster/dp/B00EQ28V9K/ref=pd_sim_sbs_199_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=41loy0N1IrL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=34J533PP185W7QEKQY02 This, while seeming suitable, doesn't elaborate on the bar spacing from what I can see.

https://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-SP2060R-Hamster-Bordeaux/dp/B005VEWFUS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_199_6?ie=UTF8&dpID=41rpBWsEb-L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=34J533PP185W7QEKQY02 Again, doesn't elaborate on bar spacing.

by Artistwolf Sun 14 Aug 2016, 8:18 pm

Fly to England, buy a cage, and then fly yourself back home and enjoy it. Laughing

Kidding aside, I'm not sure whether any of those are good, but you could perhaps look on this thread and see if you can find a cage from the UK that you can buy on Amazon or something.
I think NM once pointed out some cages she liked? Maybe someone else can help out better than I can.

by CallaLily Sun 14 Aug 2016, 8:31 pm

Keep in mind the measurements they give are often from the outside, largest area. The inside measurements (the actual space your mouse would use) may be a bit different. Bar spacing is very important, 1/4 inch or less is best to prevent escapes. Watch out for larger gaps near corners and doors or bars that are easy to bend. Also pay attention to the opening size - will it be easy to access your mouse?

The other issue with the Critter Trail cages aside from the tubes is they're usually very cheaply made and break easily. I can't really comment on the others as I have no experience with any of them. Sorry I'm not much help.

If I'm remembering correctly, the brand of cage NM recommended before was Marchioro?? I can't remember which one. I just remember I thought the little houses that came with the cage were cute. But again, no experience with their cages either so I can't really say whether they are safe.

by River Sun 14 Aug 2016, 8:58 pm

Artistwolf wrote:Fly to England, buy a cage, and then fly yourself back home and enjoy it.
Kidding aside, I'm not sure whether any of those are good, but you could perhaps look on this thread and see if you can find a cage from the UK that you can buy on Amazon or something.
I think NM once pointed out some cages she liked? Maybe someone else can help out better than I can.

True! I never thought of that (:

by Rodents rock! Sun 14 Aug 2016, 10:16 pm

I started Mickey out in a cage and I didn't like it at all. Access to Mickey was very difficult and there weren't many things to do as far as decorating and making the space fun and interesting for Mickey. He was in the cage for about a week before I moved him to a ten gallon tank, and then later to a twenty gallon long tank that he currently lives in. The only thing I kept from that cage was the little house and the food dish. The other thing I like better about a tank then a cage is that you can see your mouse so much better and the access is so much better too! Oh, and one more benefit is, to me, a tank is much easier to clean then a cage.

That being said, it's all personal preference. So if you prefer a cage, I would say to just make sure the size of the cage and the bar spacing are all good for mice. Very Happy

by antant26 Mon 15 Aug 2016, 1:41 pm

My dad had the deluxe hamster cage (note: his hamsters are not in my care) and escapes were frequent. As of what I remember, the hamster could easily slip through the sliding door. Not to mention the top level is just barred, posing a hazard unless you hot glue some fleece onto it. The houses are pretty cheap plastic and probably wouldn't survive chewing from an eager mouse. Hope I could help! Smile

I think browsing on VioVet might be a better bet. They're in England but ship internationally.

by River Mon 15 Aug 2016, 3:08 pm

I agree that tanks are good for many reasons, but for me they're rather difficult to clean. I don't have any tools that allow me to clean it without moving it, and being as weak as I am, I can't lift them that well. That and I'd like something with better airflow (which the mesh lid of a tank doesn't provide,) and I feel like tanks heighten ammonia buildup and in turn, the risk of respiratory issues, especially in mice from bad lines. That and if I upgrade, I can use the 10 gallon as a quarantine tank and complete my colony in the future. There's a series of other reasons, but these are the main ones.

Thank you, Ant.

And since I'm bad at centimeters and measuring square inches, can any members tell me which barred/tank style plastic cages are suitable for a trio of girls, without offering them too much space?

by antant26 Mon 15 Aug 2016, 4:06 pm

A ten gallon is the minimum for three girls, lest I checked. A lighter option to consider would be a bin cage. I had one for a while with no trouble lifting it, and I didn't have to worry about it being fragile. There's a pretty big and inexpensive one from Ikea called the Samla that has great toy capacity. In addition, you can put in as much ventilation as you want. (Of what I heard from the hamster care world, no cage is too big unless it doesn't have enough enrichment.) But don't worry, I had a male in a ten gallon and he was fine.

by scaredymouse Mon 15 Aug 2016, 7:01 pm

You don't need to move tanks to clean them, FYI. I don't lift anything, my mice and hamsters are all in 20g tanks or larger. I use a dustpan to get the old bedding out, spray it down with cage cleaner, wipe it down with paper towels, spritz it with water, and wipe it down again with paper towels again. Ta da. I've been doing it like this for years...

i have yet to hear about a cage that is both safe and reasonably priced.

crittertrail are the worst! not only are they unsafe, they are not very sturdy. i'm hamster sitting right now and the dwarf ham is in a critter trail (her travel cage) and i hate it.

and for all the other ones the wire spacing is too wide. wire spacing should be 1/4 inch (.25 inch)- the ones you listed are 5/16 or .313

by Brynne Mon 15 Aug 2016, 7:27 pm

Sorry, I don't have the time to click on the cages and look at them. But 3/8ths inch bar spacing if fine for adult mice if all of the bars are rigid and can't be stretched. All larger spaces, such as corners, gaps around doors, etc will need to be covered with mesh or something else.
5/16ths is 2.5/8ths, about as close to the perfect 2/8ths as you can find in the U.S. My Marchioro cages had bar spacing of exactly 3/8ths.

by River Mon 15 Aug 2016, 7:57 pm

Scaredy, about the 'not moving' thing, I know you can do that, but I don't have anything - like a dust pan, litter scooper, etc. - that would allow me to clean it without lifting it. I've heard plexiglass is lighter? I don't know where I'd find a plexiglass tank.

Are there any sort of lids for tanks that are barred, thus allowing more airflow, as that is also a concern?

by Artistwolf Mon 15 Aug 2016, 8:54 pm

River wrote:but I don't have anything - like a dust pan, litter scooper, etc.

Um, you can buy one for like a dollar at a dollar store... Might be cheaper than buying a cage Wink

I really don't think there's much of a difference between the air flow between mesh & bars. I mean, you could try to make your own lid with a larger hardware cloth mesh like I have done. Just making the edges not sharp is very difficult.

by Rodents rock! Mon 15 Aug 2016, 9:13 pm

I don't move my tank to clean it either, I do the same as Scaredy, and have been doing it that way for years too. And I just use a plastic cup to scoop out the old litter.

My gerbils are in a bin cage and even though it's super light in weight, I clean their cage the same as I do my glass tank.

by scaredymouse Mon 15 Aug 2016, 9:19 pm

There are no other types of lids for aquariums that I'm aware of. I don't see any problem with the mesh lids, personally. And dustpans are literally a dollar.https://www.dollartree.com/bulk/Mini-Dust-Pan

plexiglass is lighter, but it's also a lot more expensive than glass and I don't know of any on the market. i don't know what else to tell you... we are of the opinion that glass aquariums are the best housing for mice in both cost and safety. mesh lids provide adequate ventilation and are safe. additionally, aquariums stand the test of time whereas other options such as bins/cages with plastic bases tend to retain odors and breakdown over time.

your only other option, in my opinion, that meets all of your needs would be to make a bin cage.

by MouseLover Tue 16 Aug 2016, 8:06 am

Talking about bar spacing in inches has me so confused. I have to convert everything into cm and mm Laughing

1/4 inch is ideal, you can even keep young mice with bar spacing that small. The only problem is, you'll find it very hard to find a cage with bar spacing that small. Even in the UK (where we seem to have more cages available) bar spacing that small is rare. 3/8 inch is fine for fully grown mice - I've used cages with bar spacing this size, and have never had an escape. I wouldn't ever use bar spacing any bigger than that though.

Wish I could recommend a cage for you, but the only ones I know of are only sold in UK/europe Sad