How to Make a Hamster Cage With Wire
Datetime:2013-01-16 Hits:
How to Make a Hamster Cage With Wire
A hamster cage can be a simple combination of wire mesh sides and top and a wooden base. One adult hamster needs an enclosure at least 12 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 12 inches high, though they can use more space especially if they are a larger type of hamster. Cages purchased from retail stores are often at least 20 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 12 inches high. This provides plenty of space for bedding material, hide boxes, wheels and any other other furniture you wish to provide.
Instructions
1 Build a solid base for the cage; wire can be hard on a hamster's feet and will not hold bedding material. Lay the flat wooden board down as a floor. Glue the four smaller pieces of wood around all sides of the floor. When finished you should have a shallow tray with walls about 2 1/4 inches tall to serve as your cage base.
2 Attach wire mesh panels to the sides and top to create a cage. Cut two side panels, one front panel, one back panel, and one top panel. Attach all but the top panel to the wooden base with the staples. Use thin wire to attach the top panel to the rest of the cage. Wrap the wire around the edge of the wall panels and the edge of the top panel to hold them together. Do this at all four corners as well as in the middle of each side for extra support. Cut off the ends of the wire with the wire cutters and file away any sharp edges or points.
3 Cut a door into the front or top panel. Make sure this door space is large enough that you can pass your hand through comfortably as well as any toys or furniture that you want to put in the cage. Use wire to attach one end of the door back to the panel so that it can be opened and closed. Wrap the wire several times around the edge of the door and the edge of the cage where you are attaching it. It needs to be loose enough that you can open and shut the door but tight enough that it won't come apart. You can also use a piece of wire to create a latch on the other end of the door so it can be locked when closed. Wrap the wire a few times as you did on the other end, but keep it loose enough that you can remove it to open the door easily.
Tips & Warnings
Use galvanized, corrosive-resistant, steel metal mesh. This won't rust if it gets wet and will be safe for the hamster to chew on.
Fill the cage with bedding and toys. Use wood shavings as a bedding material that the hamster can burrow in and move around. Keep the bedding to around one or one and a half inches deep, so that it doesn't spill over the sides of the base. Also in the cage include a hide box for the animal to sleep in and a wheel for them to run on. They should have a water bottle and food dish as well.
Do not use rubber coated or painted wire mesh, as it can be toxic if the hamster chews on it and ingests any of it.
The wood used to create the base of the cage may need to be replaced if it becomes soiled or if the hamster chews on it a lot.
Hamsters can squeeze themselves through anything their heads will fit through so you don't want to use wire mesh with holes large enough they can escape from.
