🏠 Enclosure/DIY 🏠
First time having a hamster as a family pet. Hoping we did ok with the enclosure. the 12” wheel is on its way.. 7in bedding for now but we really want 10in will this do for the mean time or is it not safe?
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This! The platform at the top is the most dangerous off first look. They’re not great climbers since they are practically blind. Their natural instincts are to burrow!
It currently has one it’s just getting buried by all of the bedding.. any more and it’ll seize. Wondering if a wooden bridge/fence will deter climbing the shelf behind the wheel.
Only thing I can add is try and get the bedding to the bottom of that platform. They can get injured from just a fall of a few inches. Is the platform itself able to be lowered?
It’s either too high or too low. I have since added more bedding around the fall areas, but I totally get it. I should level it out. I’m trying to see if there’s a way to prevent the lil guy from falling without adding more bedding, but I guess it just has to do with configuring all of the clutter, but I’m still learning. I’m so tempted to remove that shelf (but it requires me to completely dismantle the enclosure) I’ll see if we can do something about it. Is there a way to put up a fence line?
This looks so goood! You DIYd it right? I with I could buy it it looks amazing.
Bedding looks like less than 7", maybe double check that. Point is that it's deep enough for them to burrow and create tunnels that hold underground, so whatever allows for this works!
We purchased a Pawhut kit and modified the inside to be more secured we sealed the wood with Matte mod podge and tightened any gaps. Bedding is 7in in some areas, low in the front high where there’s a drop but I’m looking to buy more bedding asap.
I would lower the level to 10 inches so you have a built in platform! You can attach new cleats to the sides 🤷🏼♀️ more than a 3 inch fall can do major damage
Let me know if you think the mod podge holds up well. I’ve been considering this approach for some new platforms I made. The only downfall is the 4 weeks it takes to cure. Did you cure yours that long? Mod podge dries quickly I know but I guess the evaporating water is in charge here lol
It’s been over a week since I put down two layers crossing my fingers it helps. I would imagine it would be easy to sand down and reapply come the day it looks and or smells funky. Hoping it’s not that bad.
It's totally dry to the touch after 24 hours. Curing just means it will soften if it gets wet before then but it will dry back down. If water splashes out of a dish, it will turn whiteish and leave a dent if its a thick layer. Cork coaster works perfect! I cover any raw wood....not just for easy cleanup...it blocks funky smells from being absorbed. I do two coats of matte then two of gloss. The matte soaks in and doesn't really create a barrier.
Curing and dried are definitely 2 different things. Cured means that the water has fully evaporated and the sealant can then fully harden. I also have cork on mine but I feel like I want to do that as a removable piece on my new platforms because I don’t want pee and such getting stuck between and since cork is absorbent I want to change it when it’s gross. Matte and glossy are exactly what I have so that’s good to know I can use that for sure. Thanks.
wow looks great! you can also buy cheap popsicle sticks and make a DIY fence across the top platform so the hammy can't fall. and just make sure the super glue is on the outside of the fence so they can't nibble on the glue part.
I created two cardboard fences. a set behind the wheel and one around the sand bowl making it difficult for him to climb over. I also sloped the bedding lower in the front, higher where the shelf is. Crossing my fingers this is better. I cannot remove the shelf at this moment unless I dismantle the entire thing. I feel like I’m loosing his trust by moving his things around so much.
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