Hamster Mansion
This is 'Gold Standard' for Syrian hamsters & certainly lives up to it's name as a Hamster Heaven. Having kept Syrians on & off for more than 20 years, this is my all time favourite cage.
At 80 cms wide, it is the perfect cage if you care about the welfare of your fur-ball. Although hammies are relatively small critters, they do walk fair distances in the wild & this sized cage meets RSPCA recommendations.
It may not be the cheapest on the market, but if you love your pet & want to teach your child to place their pet's welfare as paramount, it's worth spending that bit extra. I have consistently found Zooplus to be the cheapest price for this cage.
It's very well made & solid. The top clips very securely to the base. The base is deep enough to allow for a thick layer of sawdust. This has 2 advantages; firstly it allows your pet to dig & burrow without the woodchips flicking everywhere (a problem with shallow bases) & secondly, being so large, you may find you do not have to clean it out as often as you would a small cage.
Wire cages allow for excellent ventilation, so no nasty whiffs or damp-furred hammies & of course, you can clip on treats & wooden chews.
The shelves are secure & accessories of good quality. My hamster loves the penthouse at the top which allows for good visibility & the tunnels are solid & allow him to run to & from the penthouse & down onto the shelves. The huts make cute sleeping places & the food bowls are inset, so cannot be tipped over.
My hamster used the potty (which is included) straight away. I fill it with litter & he always pees in there, keeping the rest of the cage odour free & clean.
I have had no problems with the included bottle which attaches securely. The wheel is a good size & makes very little noise compared to many. My hammy uses it every night.
The only (small) downside is that the 2 slopes leading up to the shelves are very steep & my hamster (like others have remarked) will not use them. This problem was easily overcome with the purchase of a couple of cheap wooden bridges from this site.
As an extra,I would thoroughly recommend the wooden cabin with 4 compartments, available from this site. It takes up a third of the cage, turned longways & our hamster was thrilled to bits with it, dragging his bedding in there & stashing his food. It fits under the shelf & gives another platform too-definitely the best accessory I've found & recreates a natural place for hamsters to sleep/play.
One of the best features of this cage, apart from the size, is the wide door at the front. It's not something one always thinks about when choosing a cage but makes an enormous difference to being able to confidently access your pet in order to tame & handle him. When cages only have a small door at the top, it's only possible to stroke/pick up your pet from above, which can be a little daunting for your little friend. The opening on this cage allows both your hands & arms to reach in, at eye level to your pet, allowing for easier taming & petting.
The door shuts very securely and if everything is properly set up, I don't see how any hammy could escape.
To conclude,this is a great, spacious cage & I cannot recommend it highly enough.My hamster (Bear) has never once chewed the bars, because he is happy and if you go ahead & purchase it, your furry friend will thank you for it :)