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Make A Hamster Cage From Ordinary Storage Bins!
~ by Joan A Walker ©
As all of you know, bins are all the 'rage' in 'Hamster Real Estate' these days. These are inexpensive and easy to make if you are handy with tools, or have someone to lend a hand.
You are only limited by your imagination! Design the home of your hamster's dreams. These are easy to clean
and weigh little.
Just remember to measure twice, and cut once. Also, make sure to read the end notes for tips and other useful ideas.
I also want to point out that some of the cuts in the photos provided in this guide are pics of my very first attempt and to note that the Dremel tool and RotoZip tool are difficult to handle while cutting plastic. Having the Dremel tool after all the bins have been made have made available all the attachments to smooth out some of these 'wobbly' cuts you see.
You can also use a GOOD soldering gun. I actually prefer this method but you MUST make sure to do this in a WELL VENTILATED area as the fumes from the melting plastic can be overwhelming.
OK, let's get started!
Hand tool list
1- Hole saw set
2- Large tin snips
3 -3/16" drill bit
4- 1/2" drill bit
5- 3/8" open end wrench
6- Marker
7- Emery cloth (to smooth edges if needed)
8- Small wire nips
10-Screwdriver
11-Large wire nips
12-Level
13-Ruler
Fastener list
1-1/2" Washers
2- # 10 Nuts & washers
3- # 10 Machine screws
Sheetrock screws 1"
Wire mesh hardware cloth
Cutting Tool List
1- Jig saw
2- RotoZip tool or Dremel tool
3- Drill
4- Clear packing tape
This is the gun I use: The Weller 100/140 Watt Universal Electric Soldering Gun Kit
OK, let's get the lid vented
These instructions are for Sterilite brand bins with the locking tabs on the lid. The size depends only on your
personal preferences. I use a 109 qt for Syrian hamsters and 66 qt for Dwarf hamsters. I like the locking lids for
safety reasons.
I have 2 bins with 3 dwarf hamsters in each living quite comfortably in there.
See that ridge along the edges? That's our guide. We want to cut along side the shape of that ridge. Keep the lid fastened to the bin while doing this. It gives some stability.
1- Take your 1/2" drill bit and drill a hole about 2" INSIDE the area you are going to cut out.
2- Take the jig saw and insert the blade into the hole you just made and start cutting. I use the guide on the saw to a) follow the shape of the ridge, b) it keeps a safe distance inside the ridge to keep the lid useable and sturdy.
3- continue all the way around until you have a hole cut out of the middle of the lid.
4- Make 2 holes with a 'brace' in the middle for the large bins.[K]
You can make the hole/s any size and shape you want.
Let's add the wire mesh
1- Take your wire mesh and lay it over the upside down, cut lid.
2- With the marker, mark out the size & shape of the inside of the lid opening, include any obstacles' that will need 'nipping' to make the wire fit snugly without any gaps.
3- Take the tin snips (2) & cut out the shape of the lid you just traced out on the wire. You want a tight fit with the mesh and lid so no sharp edges are sticking out. [D]
4- With the lid still upside down, lay the mesh over the lid and position the mesh in place over the opening. Take your 3/16" drill bit & drill a hole on one spot on one of the short sides of the lid.
5- Take a screw, 2 washers & 1 nut & fasten the mesh through this hole.
6- Do the same on the opposite side of the lid.
7- Now, work your way around the opposite side. This ensures a tight fit! Use the small wire nips (#9) to cut wire away from any 'obstacles' left from the original shape of the lid.
I cut off the 'obstacles' instead. It's your choice.
When cutting the wire, be sure to cut as close to the 'frame' of the 'square' as possible.[O]
This will make sure no sharp edges protrude.
The tin snips will cut the wire mesh easily like using scissors.
You can take a piece of emery cloth to smooth out any rough edges of the cut wire. Simply tear off a piece and run it along the rough areas until it feels smooth with no snags when you run your fingers along the edges.
The finished product edges look like this >[P]
Next is the preparation for any parts you want to incorporate from old cages, such as doors and wire, etc.
Notice here is the wire with door from a CritlerTrail 1. >[G]
See how it curves at the ends? We are going to take that curved part off. This is easy as it can be done by bending the section back and forth. If you are not comfortable with bending the wire, you can use the wire nippers.
You want to make sure to bend here >[H]
1- Make certain to cut off on THIS side of the vertical support .
2- Now, bend the wire to start separating it from the main area you are going to keep.[I]
Bend it back in the opposite direction and the wire should break off right at the vertical support with no sharp edges to file or nip away. >[J]
3- Do the same on the opposite side.
Now you will have something that looks like this >[Q]
The wire can be used from any size CritterTrail. Or any old wire cage you choose. This is just to show how to cut
the curves off the CritterTrail cages.
I use the curved sides that we just cut & tossed away on the sides of my bins for attaching wheels and stuff. For
this, I use the wire that is from the BACK of the CritterTrail cages that has no door. The cut will be on the OTHER side of that vertical where we bent the wire to keep the door.
Now, with a simple STOMP on the floor, the wire's curve conforms PERFECTLY to the curve in the bin!
Allright, now for the cutting of the body of the bins.
This is where the tape comes in. Find where you want to place the wire pieces you just prepared and put tape
on the outside & inside of those areas. This is going to help prevent the plastic from cracking when cutting the bin.
Now, mark out an outline of the wire while holding the wire or taping it in place, MAKE SURE to leave 3/4" SQUARES & a 1/4"-1/2" overlap of the INSIDE of your outline. >[T,B,F]
This is VERY IMPORTANT because the wire needs to be fastened on the INSIDE of the holes you cut so your hamster cannot get it's teeth into any hole to chew it's way out.
Now, let's cut holes!
1- Take your tool of choice - Dremel or RotoZip or soldering gun - and plunge the bit into an area in the inside of the area that is to be cut, just like the lid. Follow the outline you made in a direction AWAY from you (counter clockwise). You will have more control with the power tools this way.
Continue all around the mark until the hole is complete.
Take care not to put excess pressure on the bin while cutting. It WILL crack the bin.
2- Double check your opening against the wire. Make sure you are satisfied with the fit.
3- The tape can now be removed.
This use of the tape also keeps the marker marks off your bin. I learned this the hard way as you can see in some of the pictures. If you must make marks on the bin, they can be removed with one of those Mr.Clean Magic
Sponges.
** Use the hack saw blade or sanding attachment on the Dremel tool to trim any uneven pieces.
Cutting holes using the Soldering gun method:
Put the flat cutting tool on your gun and get the gun warming up. While it's warming up, use a water based
marker to mark your outline. Do not use the plastic tape as you wont need it and it will only cause you to 'fuse' it
to the bin. Not a desired effect.
Now, take a flexible metal ruler. You can purchase these in any crafts store. Get the 18 inch long one.
Hold the flexible ruler against the line you drew and take the soldering gun and plunge it slowly into the marked
line against the ruler.
The ruler is the steady guide.
Follow this until the hole is cut out.
Be extremely careful when using the hot gun! Hot plastic can drip on skin and cause burns. Careless handling of
the hot gun can cause severe burns.
ALWAYS USE THIS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ADULT.
DO NOT USE HOT CUTTING TOOLS IF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEIR USE!!!!
I cannot stress the above enough!
Now, let's get that wire fastened to the openings you made.
1- Tape the wire to the opening.
2- With the marker, place a spot in the center of the squares left for the screws.
3- With the drill & 3/16" bit, drill holes for the screws on the dots you just made.
4- Place 1- #10 washer, 1- 1/2" washer on a screw and place it through the wire & then through the hole in the bin.
MAKE SURE TO FASTEN ALL WIRE TO THE INSIDE OF THE BINS! YOU WILL HAVE ESCAPES IF NOT DONE THIS WAY!!!
5- Take 1- #10 washer and 1 nut and put it on the screw you just placed through the hole. Tighten. Use the open
end wrench and screwdriver for this. (5,10)
Almost done here!
A shelf can be added if you choose. I made mine out of some scrap wood I had around the house, I added side
rails so food stays put, I used tiny nails for this - NOT glue. Glue can be toxic to hamsters!!!
1- Measure carefully- the length you want AT the HEIGHT your shelf is to be.
** A TINY bit short is OK. It will 'pull' together when you fasten it
Make your cut line & cut on the inside of the line.
Add the side rails if desired.
2- Make the hole for a tube.
a) take your tube and trace the opening where you want the hole to be. Find the best match with your hole saw
(1) and drill out the opening. It will now be a tiny bit too big for the tube. Don't worry! Take one of those plastic
rings that are used to connect the tubes to each other & put it on the end of the tube that's going into that hole.
You will need to use some gentle pressure because it should be a tight fit.
b) If using the spiral staircase from a CritterTrail Xtreme, do the same thing to make the hole as above. Make
sure to use a tube for this and not the stairs.
Keep that little piece attached to the top of the stairs on and slip it into the hole. The pressure from the height of
the stairs will keep it snugly in place. [L,M,R,S]
*** I highly recommend attaching the spiral stairs AFTER the shelf is fastened. It's easier to fasten the shelf to the
walls of the bin this way. ***
Now comes the tricky part. Getting the shelf fastened & level.
1- Take your shelf & the marker. While holding the shelf inside the bin 'Eyeball' it at the height in the area you
measured for placing the shelf and hold it against one side of the bin.
2- Holding the shelf in place with one hand, take your drill with a screw driver attachment (like a screw gun), and 1 sheetrock screw, and screw that screw through the wall of the bin into the shelfs' side. >[C]
3- While still holding the shelf, turn the bin around so you can work on the opposite
side of the shelf.
4- Set the level (12) on top of the shelf. You want to keep hold of the shelf, have another screw at the ready, &
level the shelf from front to back & side to side.
Keep holding the shelf!
5- Once satisfied, set another screw to hold the shelf in place
NOW you can let go!
Finish each side with one more screw [C]
Now, stand back and have a look at your work!
End Notes:
Shelves can be done in many different ways, but if this is one part you either can't do, or don't have material or resources for, you can make a shelf out of plastic baskets. They can be bought in the dollar store. (thanks Jennawing!). They're the ones that have the square holes for sides & a solid bottom.
Just get the right size for your bin, cut a hole with the hole saw in the bottom and use a scissors to cut an opening near the top rim of the basket. Place this upside down inside the bin & hammy has an 'instant' hideout/shelf all in one!
If your hamster likes to crawl through tubes or if you want to have 'add- ons' that are store bought & attach with tubes, this is easy too. You can connect bins to each other this way too.
1- Cut holes in the bin sides with the same size hole saw as in the shelf instructions.
2- 'gently' force a tube through the hole & connect as many as you want until you get the desired 'look'/results.
If you get tired of the tubes and want to eliminate them but don't know what to do with the hole left behind, Don't worry. Just cut a piece of the wire mesh to size & fasten with screws. Make sure to do this on the inside of the bin as well.
I hope this helps those who always wanted a bin but thought it took allot more effort & talent than you just discovered to make.
Happy Bin Cage Making!
** DISCLAIMER **
I am in no way responsible for your pet escaping from these bins. I kept 9 dwarf hamsters & 1 Syrian hamster that has never been able to escape from these bins. I cannot guarantee the quality of your craftsmanship or materials that you choose to use. It is up to you to follow the directions carefully.
Any use of this article without my express written permission is unlawful and will be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law.
Hamster Doobies!
~ by Joan A Walker ©
Here's a great little energy buster for any species of hamster.
Hamster Doobies!
Take 3 squares of white unscented toilet paper.
Place some of your hamsters favorite goodies in the middle.
Fold in half, carefully keeping the goodies inside the TP.
Now, roll all the way to the end and twist the ends shut like a Doobie!
Give this to your little critter and enjoy the show!
Variations:
Use an old toilet paper tube, smear it inside with peanut butter and toss in some seeds, raisins, craisins, nuts etc. Fold the ends up like a coin roll and toss this into your hamster’s cage.
For Rats:
Do as above only with a bigger paper towel tube.
For Rats and Syrian hamsters:
Use a paper towel and follow the original ‘doobie’ instructions and give you your rat or syrian hamster!
Hamsters love to run around and dig in sand! Especially dwarf hamsters. I decided to make a ‘fun box’ for my guys and it was a huge hit!
Very easy to make with very small amount of material.
You will need:
1 plastic storage box with a lid, shoebox sized and the clearer the better.
1 tube from any leftover cage tube preferably with a plastic ‘keeper’ ring. (this will help keep the tube from slipping out of the box)
Children’s play sand.
Take your plastic box and just like above in the bin cage instructions, cut a hole the same size as your tube with a hole saw.
Take your tube, take the plastic ring off it and insert it with gentle force through that hole. Put the plastic ring on the tube on the INSIDE of the box.
Fill with sand about halfway up, but not so much that they can’t access the hole.
Put the lid on the box and watch the fun!
If you see a big mess of sand in the play area, you know you just made your little ones very happy!
Since you never know when an accident will happen, keeping a first aid emergency kit in the home is a good idea. You can put together this kit from purchasing individual materials or buy a pre-made kit from any pet shop or specialty pet shop.
Make sure you purchase a nice plastic tub with a tight fitting or water proof lid to keep these items in. Do make sure to check expiration dates on any medications on a monthly basis and throw out expired medicines and replace them with fresh ones.
You can download your free chart to make your kit HERE.
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Medical Emergency Kit For Birds |
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Important phone numbers:
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Rehydrating solution like Gatorade or Pedialyte Medicines:
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This is a real easy project to make and you can probably find the materials around the house.
Cats go nuts for this item and it also is large enough for them to kick and bite!
You’ll need:
Pillow stuffing
One old adult sized sweat sock
A big bunch of catnip
(see image 1)
Take your pillow stuffing & spread it out a bit. Then take a BIG handful of catnip and place it in the middle of the stuffing.
The more catnip the better! Just don’t over do it.
(see image 2)
Now fold this so the catnip is in the center of the stuffing and carefully hold it in such a way that you can stuff it into the sock. You want a good amount of stuffing in there. You want it to feel a bit tight, like a soft foot is in the sock.
Keep the stuffing below the decorative ribbing above the ankle of the sock.
Look! They already can’t wait to get their claws into this!
(see image 3)
Tie a knot at the top of the sock. Cats like the knot because they can really sink a good bite into that with their teeth while kicking the other half with their back feet!
See the finished product (Image 4.)
And here you can see the kitty sock in action! Thing 2 really loves her sock!
~ by Joan A Walker ©
~ courtesy Drs Foster & Smith ©
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
* All information on this page belongs to Wanda's Pet World and is subject to copyright laws. If you find any information you wish to use please contact the site administrator for written permission. Any copyright infringement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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