Hamster bin cage question

[lizmel]

My mum is getting so fed up with the silly, tiny hamster cages available that she has approached me to build her a cage. Her hamster is currently in a shop bought 'large' cage but has less floor space than a 33litre RUB!!

She'd like a cage at least 2 levels high (2 bins stacked), preferably more. I was thinking about using RUBs as I use these for my snakes. Can you makes holes in a RUBs base for tubes? I've seen holes drilled in the sides and roof but never the base. And does anyone know what the door is like on a 64 litre RUB? Could this door be secured to prevent escape/chewing? http://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.u...4_0litreOF.php

If I can use a 64 litre with door, then this question is irrelevent! How to I enable easy access to all levels without having to disassemble the stack?

Thanks

[saxon]

I use 64's for my growing on babies but I've not used them for each hamster, I just dont' have the space, I have 30+ hamsters.
I can see no reason why you cannot make holes in the base of a stacked RUB to put in tubes for the hams to climb up though.

Just looked at the 64's you are thinking of...
I use the normal 64's. I wouldn't use the ones with the side panel thing.

As I dont' stack them either I dotn' need to make a door as such but there is notreason why one could not be made in the front of the boxes.
It might be useful to use the sides of ordinary hamster cages that already have doors in them for that purpose though.
You would also have to organise a way to fix the two tubs together, whilst being able to seperate them for cleaning etc, maybe using cable ties after drilling holes int he rims of both boxes!

[lizmel]

How do you secure the mesh to the box? Particularly if the hammy can get to chew at the join.

Thanks for the advise re the door on the 64 litre, I'll use standard 64 litre (mum likes a lot of space for her little hammy!) and I think I'll use cage fronts (normally used for birds) as you can get these with larger doors and are fairly cheap.

Any other advise on making a bin cage stack?

Thanks

[saxon]

I always put the mesh on the inside for hamsters so they can't chew the edges of the plastic.
I tried cable tying the mesh on but some of the little beggers chewed them off.
I use small nuts and bolts with washers on either side of the platic now. This prevents the hams chewing the mesh off.

Using the bird cage panels would be good and a lot tidier than just normal mesh or cut offs form ham cages.
To be honest I use whatever is available as my hams are it the rodent shed so their cages dont' have to look aesthetic to 'us' and the hams dont' seem to mind what they look like.

It's a couple of years since I stacked RUB's for cages and at that time it was for rats so I didnt' need a tube as they could just jump up into the top tub.
I took the 'top' off of the bottom RUB and placed the other RUB on top of that, they stack very well, I then drilled holes in the edges of the rims to secure them together with cable ties. I found they didnt' chew the cable ties here as they couldnt' reach them.
Obviously you will need a hole of some sort in the base of the top RUB!
I would maybe make a square hole and put a ladder in as some hams are too big for the tubes that you can get unless you got ferret tubing.
You can also secure shelves in the RUB's by drilling small holes in the sides and again using bolts to screw the wooden shelves in.
There's nothing really that you cant' do with RUB's if you have a little imagination and the ability to do it.

[Myth]

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This was my 'prototype' bin 'tower'

(more D.I.Y builds cages and stuff on my website if you're after ideas)