Every pet rodent owner wants his pet to live with convenience and comfort. In such cases, it is quite possible to build a house for a hamster at home with your own hands. How to do this and what should a home for a hamster be like? Several methods of constructing a structure are presented in this article.
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Ideas on how to make a comfortable house for a hamster
In fact, there are many options for producing such houses, but we will pay attention only to the most popular and sought-after types. So, how to make a house for a hamster at home? The most common methods are presented below.
Option 1 - from plastic bottles
What needs to be prepared in advance for the production of a house from plastic bottles:
- three or six five-liter water bottles;
- sharpened stationery knife;
- wide tape;
- four to five regular liter plastic bottles.
In general, the procedure for manufacturing such a structure includes several steps:
- development of a drawing or diagram;
- preparation of all necessary components;
- direct assembly of materials.
In this case, the most difficult stage is the development of the drawing.
It should be noted that everything here depends solely on your imagination, but we advise you to follow several recommendations:
- the rodent house must have a modular system; for one module you will need three five-liter eggplants;
- during production, it is necessary to resolve the issue with tiers in advance, for example, if the area is small, then it is better to make superstructures in height;
- Additionally, consider a place for minor components, such as a wheel, a place for a feeder and water bowl, as well as a possible place where the hamster will sleep.
After that, let's move on to cutting all the elements:
- It is necessary to cut off the necks from two large eggplants (five-liter), and from the remaining third - both the neck and the bottom.
- Using the last canister, you need to build a rectangular hole in the middle. It should be large enough so that a hand can fit into it without any problems.
- In the event that the modules of your future design will be located in length, then in one of the bottoms it is necessary to cut a hole of such a size that the rodent can freely climb into it.
- The remaining modules are constructed in a similar manner.
If your house is made in the form of tiers, then you will also need an additional staircase, which you can build with your own hands from the remaining scraps. All additional components should be made from liter bottles. You shouldn’t have any problems with feeders and drinkers either; they are very easy to make. As for the wheel, here things are a little more complicated, in particular, you will need to cut two plastic strips along the entire length of the bottle, and then solder them together.
All structural modules are attached using wide stationery tape.
Option 2 - made of cardboard
Another option is a house made of cardboard, in particular, from tubes for rolls toilet paper or paper towels. In addition to cardboard tubes, you will also need scissors.
What are the steps of the process:
- To begin with, take one tube and carefully flatten it as shown in the photo in the gallery.
- A semicircle is cut out in the middle of the cardboard on both sides, again pay attention to the photo.
- The folded tube straightens out. Similar actions are repeated with the other tube or tubes.
- The resulting blanks must be inserted into one another, in particular, into the cut holes.
This way you can get a very easy-to-make house for a rodent, made in the form of a labyrinth. Please note that hamsters really like these rolls; many animals get great pleasure from walking on such tubes.
Option 3 - from a box of paper napkins
Very easily, one might even say almost free, you can bring considerable pleasure to your rodent by creating a home for him from a box of paper napkins.
What you will need for this:
- of course, the box itself;
- one or more tubes for toilet paper rolls, as in the previous case;
- scissors;
- regular PVA glue or any other that is suitable for paper.
So, what are the stages of manufacturing a structure:
- First of all, take the box that will actually serve as a home, and clean it of film and plastic. The place through which the napkins are reached is especially important. The box can be used in any size and dimensions, the main thing is that it is not very small; if it is in the shape of a square, then this is the most best option.
- The box is cut in such a way that the end result is a house with a semicircular entrance, see the photo for more details.
- Next, the cardboard tube that you prepared in advance is cut to the required size and inserted into the entrance of the house. It will act as a sort of maze for the hamster. You can take several tubes to make the labyrinth more intricate, but if you already have a small cell, then you can limit yourself to one tube.
- Now, using glue, you need to lubricate the end of the semicircular entrance, after which the tube is applied to it.
- The resulting connection must be fixed until the glue is completely dry.
In general, all stages are completed. If you wish, you can make two similar houses and connect them using a tube. To do this, the holes must be equipped at the same level in both boxes.
Option 4 - from a plastic container
Another good option is to make cardboard house from a plastic dish container. In principle, these components can be found in any hardware store without exception. Their cost is quite low, so there is no need to worry about wasting money. Of course, when purchasing a container, you must also take into account the size of the rodent, but you should not buy containers that are too large. In general, its shape also does not play a particularly important role.
We make a house for a rodent with our own hands from a plastic container:
- Since the container is plastic, most likely you won’t be able to use a utility knife to cut out the entrance to the house. Most likely, the blade will simply break. Therefore, if the plastic is really thick, then you will need to use a soldering iron. If not, then still use a knife. The soldering iron needs to be heated almost to maximum, after which you should cut a hole for the entrance to the future house.
- Then, using the same soldering iron, you should make holes for ventilation on the lid and generally around the entire perimeter of the structure. It is necessary that there is always a fresh air, so there should be enough holes.
- In general, this completes the procedure for creating a house from a plastic container. The final stage will be pouring sawdust inside, which will serve as bedding in the new home.
If you wish, keep in mind that the house can be made two-story, so you can purchase a second container for these purposes in advance. In this case, on the roof of the container on the first tier, using the same soldering iron, an entrance to the second floor is cut out, and on the second floor - a corresponding hole, only at the bottom.
Photo gallery
The request returned an empty result.Video “House for a pet hamster”
A house built with your own hands - watch the video about it.
Have you got a small furry pet? A hamster cage and other details of its interior can be purchased at a pet store or pet market. But this is not necessary - you can do it on your own. Let's look at what kind of house you can make for your beloved hamster with your own hands.
To make your own coconut house for your hamster, drain the liquid from the coconut by making small holes in it. Then place the coconut on the table and mark the place where the entrance to the coconut will be for the hamster. Drill a hole with a diameter of 5 cm in the place where the entrance to the house should be. Remove the coconut meat and eat it. Wash the inside of the coconut and sand if necessary sandpaper edge of the hole.
Please note that you may have difficulty extracting the coconut meat. To make this process easier, once the hole is made, place the coconut in the freezer overnight. The next day you will find the pulp separated from the shell and you can remove it using a chisel. To perform this procedure, you may need outside help (an adult, preferably a man).
Do it yourself wooden house For . Take a piece multilayer plywood or a wooden board 1-4 cm thick. Cut out and sand two wooden blanks 12.5 cm long and two more blanks 14.5 cm long. You can choose the height of the blanks yourself, as long as your hamster doesn’t feel cramped. Drill a 6cm hole in one of the 12.5cm pieces.
Then drill one or two windows into the 14.5cm piece using a 2.5cm drill bit to ensure good ventilation. After that, sand all the holes with sandpaper and nail all the parts together. Be sure to ensure that the ends of the nails do not protrude from the wood, as they could injure your hamster.
Hamster house made of cardboard tubes
You can make a home for your hamster using cardboard tubes from toilet paper rolls or paper towels. To do this you will need two cardboard tubes and scissors.
How to make a house:
- Take one tube and carefully flatten it as shown in the photo.
- Cut a semicircle in the middle of the tube on both sides.
- Straighten the folded tube.
- Do the same with the second tube.
- Insert the processed blanks one into the other into the resulting holes.
As a result, we will get an easy-to-make maze house for your hamster.
Staircase ramp to a hamster house
Make from wooden board or plywood, a rectangular piece of the required size, sand any rough areas and remove any splinters. Cut several grooves across the resulting board - 2 mm deep, every centimeter, which will serve as a good hook for the hamster. Place the board at an angle and watch your pet climb the ramp.
Pipes in a hamster house
Rolls of toilet paper or paper towels can be used as tubes for hamsters.
These rolls are great fun for hamsters as most of them enjoy exploring these tubes. Using a few rolls of toilet paper or paper towels in your hamster's cage will provide him with an interesting hiding spot.
Rolls can be either full or empty (only the roll tube). Toilet paper or paper towels may also provide chewing fun for your rodent. Some hamsters like to play in roll tubes, while other hamsters like to tear toilet paper or paper towel into small pieces and make a nest out of them!
Mazes are another favorite activity for a hamster. To create them you can use rolls of wrapping paper, shoe boxes, plastic jars, cereal boxes, short lengths of PVC tubing, cylindrical cereal containers, etc. from plastic bottles can be found at the link provided.
The maze is a fun project for all hamster owners, and it will also be a good puzzle for your pet and allow him to have some fun of his own! Place the maze in the play area and watch your hamster go!
Toilet in a hamster house
First, find a small, sturdy plastic container with a lid. Then cut a 5-7.5cm hole in the side of the container. Position this hole approximately 2.5 cm above the base (1.3 cm for dwarf hamsters) so that debris will not be scattered when the hamster does his thing! Finally, use sandpaper to smooth the edges of the hole to secure entry and exit. If the plastic absorbs the smell of urine or the hamster shows any interest in chewing through it, then the homemade pot will have to be replaced from time to time.
You can also use a chew-proof glass pot instead of a plastic one. The great thing about a glass pot is that you only need a half liter wide mouth jar or a 250ml jam jar for dwarf hamsters - place it in the corner of the cage for him perfect place! This way, you can very quickly create a litter box for your hamster that is easy to clean and not chewable. It will serve your pet for a long time in meeting its natural needs. Just make sure the litter jar is large enough for your hamster to turn around in it.
Despite the fact that most pets already live in a house, in our house, they still need another house, their own. This is the paradox.
Fortunately, the work to create their own house is not so labor-intensive and expensive. Let’s say right away that you don’t have to take out a mortgage, neither for yourself nor for your hamster, everything here is much simpler and easier. But how!? We will talk about this in our article on how to make a house for your pet hamster.
Basic criteria for a hamster house
The hamster is a thrifty and also cautious animal. This means that he loves secluded places, with the opportunity to store his supplies there, which he will collect from his feeder. In general, this should be such a reliable and impregnable den, at least that’s what the hamster should think...
Directly for the hamster himself it is necessary living space approximately 7*7*5 cm, it is also advisable to have such an area for supplies, that’s actually the entire house in terms of volume.
If we talk about the materials used for construction, they must “breathe”, that is, allow air to pass through, which is important so that the house has a healthy and not humid climate.
That is why we would not recommend making a house from moisture-proof material, such as plastic bottles and TetraPak packaging. The most good materials This is cardboard that is easily processed and from which it is easy to make more and more new houses and extensions to them, as well as plywood and wood. True, it will be much more difficult to process wooden parts here than the same cardboard, which means that for some this will become a problem. But first things first...
Options for making a hamster house with your own hands (from bottles, boxes, wood)
So, the first options will be the simplest, but not so desirable. This is the use of plastic or food packaging. A hamster house can be easily made from plastic bottles. We cut them using a utility knife or scissors, and extend them by inserting bottle into bottle. That seems to be all... But we will repeat once again that we do not recommend using plastic for the house, because you yourself do not like to walk in synthetics, but imagine that you are wearing polyethylene.
The same example can be implemented not only with plastic bottles, but also with chip packaging.
Tube packaging is perfect for this. All that remains is to put the original lid on it with a slot - a door - and make holes for ventilation.
Another option is to use a modular construction set - Lego. Also easy, simple, fast...
At the same time, variations of a Lego house can be changed regularly and without much difficulty.
Now that we've gone through the easiest and not quite good options, since these houses do not “breathe,” let’s talk about priority opportunities.
A fairly simple and at the same time quite viable option for a house for a hamster would be a house made of cardboard or paper.
If you are too lazy to glue the house, then for this you can take some cardboard box from packaging. This option is also worthy of attention and should not be forgotten.
And the last one, the most best option, this is to make a house for a hamster out of wood. Thin and small planks are quite suitable for this.
They must be marked in accordance with the construction of the house and glued together. As with cardboard, PVA glue is suitable in this case. This house will not only be comfortable for your pet, but also durable, since the hamster will not chew it like a cardboard house, which is also important.
If you decide to buy a house for a hamster, then you also pay attention primarily to wooden houses.
This is the best option for your pet.
Drain the liquid through the small holes. Place the nut on the table and mark it. The weakest point, besides the three “eyes”, is considered to be a distance of 1/3 from the base. Take a knife or hatchet and hit the coconut hard, continue hitting until the nut cracks. To quickly extract the coconut meat, first place it in the freezer for 12 hours. The “entrance” to the house must have a diameter of at least 5 cm. Sand the hole with sandpaper.
If there is a tree at hand
The next design will consist of a wooden board or multilayer plywood 1–3 cm thick. Cut two pieces 12.5 and 14.5 cm long. The height of the pieces depends on the size of the hamster and your personal preferences. In one of the smaller blanks, cut a hole with a diameter of 5–6 cm.
IN more details Drill out two windows with a diameter of 2.5 cm. Of course, your furry friend will not look into them, but they will provide sufficient ventilation. Sand all parts and holes with sandpaper. Knock down the parts and make sure that the ends of the nails cannot injure the animal.
Building material – cardboard tubes
Such “building material” can easily be found in rolls of toilet paper and paper towels. Flatten one tube and cut a semicircle in the center of each side. Do similar manipulations with the second tube. Insert both tubes into each other so that the holes match.
Plastic house
To create plastic house the usual one will do plastic container, which is used for storing food. The size will depend only on the preferences of your pet and the “filling” of the living space.
Draw a rectangle measuring 45x15 cm on the lid of the container and cut it out with scissors. Made from plastic or metal mesh Cut out a 50x20 cm rectangle. Using super glue, attach the mesh to the lid of the container. Simple manipulations made it possible to obtain ventilation. If you don't want to mess with glue, use bolts and nuts.
If the shaggy resident is of royal blood, and your plan is to build a real palace. Take another container and ventilate it using the method described above. On the sides of both containers sharp knife cut holes and insert a cardboard or plastic tube into it, secure with glue. Remember that the diameter of the tunnel-pipe must be sufficient for the hamster.
Temporary housing
For a temporary house you will need paper towels, balloon and a container of water. Tear the towels into separate pieces and inflate the balloon. Wet each leaf and apply evenly to the ball. After drying, burst the ball, cut a hole-door and remove the ball. This design is not durable. Because a thrifty rodent will certainly decide to try it “for its teeth.”
Today we will learn how to make houses for hamsters with our own hands. It is necessary to take care of shelter for the animal even before purchasing it, because this small creature, having found itself in a new environment for it, initially needs a protected place. Over time, the baby will get used to it, start playing and going out to meet people. You need to provide for everything: the hamster house should have sleeping place, good ventilation And convenient entrance.
Things to remember when creating a house for a rodent
The main task of a hamster's nest is to shelter the baby from prying eyes. The house should be small, but cozy, so that the animal feels comfortable and safe.
Craftsmen create houses for hamsters from different material: coconut shell, boxes, bottles. It is important to remember that the animal tastes everything, so the material should be non-toxic and dense.
One more nuance: the house will need to be cleaned regularly. When arranging the nest, make sure that it is comfortable for you to enter it for cleaning.
Paper hamster house
If you urgently need to house a rodent (it was a gift, a child brought it, etc., but there is no shelter for the animal), then do not use a jar. It is cold, air does not pass through it well, and if you place it on a window on a sunny day, the jar will heat up and the animal will simply “fry”.
To create a temporary shelter for your baby, use paper. Remember, this house for a hamster will not last long - some specimens manage to deal with a paper nest in a few hours: the paper is chewed, the baby is freed, and then it will be very difficult to find it in the apartment.
Make a house out of paper, place the animal in it, and think about purchasing a strong shelter or making one yourself. To make a paper house for a hamster you will need:
- balloon;
- toilet paper;
- water.
To make a house out of all this, you need to follow simple instructions:
- Inflate the balloon halfway or even a third. There should be little space.
- Divide the toilet paper into small pieces, soak them in water, and squeeze to prevent moisture from dripping.
- Place paper on the ball so that it is completely hidden under it. Apply at least eight layers - this way the house will last longer.
- Place the structure to dry on the battery (in summer time can be removed to the balcony).
- When the paper is dry, pierce the ball with a needle to release the air, then remove it completely by making a hole in the paper. This same hole will serve as an entrance for the baby.
The house is ready, but don’t forget that you need to quickly make something more durable.
Coconut rodent housing
Many people will think that making such a house is very easy. But this is a mistaken opinion; you will have to tinker with the housing for up to several hours, because the shell needs to be thoroughly cleaned of pulp.
Coconut house for a hamster (photo interesting idea can be seen above) is small and suitable only for medium-sized breeds, for example, Djungarian.
Select a suitable nut and start creating a house from it:
- Using a knife, make holes in the coconut “eyes” and drain the milk.
- Using a blunt object (the handle of a knife will do), tap on the shell to find what’s inside. vulnerable spot. A crack should appear; cut off this part. If no cracks appear, it means the fruit is not quite ripe, in which case you will have to work with a hacksaw.
- Place the coconut in the freezer for a few hours. When the nut freezes and then thaws, it will be easier to get rid of the pulp.
- Scoop out the pulp well.
- Widen the cut area on the shell - this is necessary so that the house stands firmly in the cage and does not roll around on it.
- Cut out the entrance to the house, sand the edges. Then it all depends on your imagination: you can do beautiful arch, cut out a window and so on.
If you decide not to stop at the entrance and cut beautiful windows, then remember that they should be decorative. Make the cuts small so that excess light does not penetrate there. This is a house for a hamster who likes to sleep in complete darkness.
Place foam rubber, cotton wool or just a piece of material into the nest. The rodent itself will finish arranging its home, creating a comfortable, warm and soft sleeping place in it.
Wooden house
Next, we’ll share the secret of how to make a house for hamsters out of wood. Deciduous wood is ideal for working. You can use plywood, it is easy to work with, it will not leave splinters, and the hamster will not be able to deal with it so quickly, tasting it. Plywood should be no thinner than 1 centimeter.
Do not seal the house tightly, make a removable roof (this will make it easier to clean), ventilation, and an easy entrance.
Prepare several sheets of wood: walls, roof. The height of the dwelling must be at least 10 centimeters, the walls - at least 15 centimeters. Make the roof wider so that it does not fall inside the rodent's shelter. Next you will need:
- pencil and ruler;
- circular saw(if not, then a jigsaw);
- file;
- hammer;
- sandpaper;
- screws or small nails.
Never use glue to join parts together. The hamster will definitely eat it, get poisoned and, most likely, die.
Produce following works:
- Process all the details of the future house with a file, then with sandpaper. This must be done to eliminate small burrs that could harm the animal.
- Make several small holes in the walls that will serve as ventilation. Create an entrance for the hamster in the front wall. Sand each hole and entrance with sandpaper.
- Fasten the structure with self-tapping screws or nails. For greater convenience, make slats and use them to fasten all the walls.
- The bottom of the house does not need to be covered. The floor will serve as the bottom of the cage. Do not nail down the roof, it should be easy to remove - it will be easier for you to clean the house and remove an animal from it that does not want to be in contact for a long time!
House out of a box
Everyone has an unnecessary shoebox in their house. But it itself is large, so you have to cut it.
Houses for hamsters made of cardboard are not the most durable; the animal will definitely chew it up. You cannot use glue, we have already written about this. Then how to fasten the parts? Make a paste from flour. The hamster will chew the cardboard and the natural glue you welded; this combination will not cause harm to health.
First of all, cut the box into parts and set the size yourself. Suitable for Dzungarians small house- 10 x 15 centimeters. If the breed is Syrian or another large one, then make the housing more spacious.
Connect the parts using glue and let dry. Next, cut out the entrance (small), and if desired, windows.
bottle house
Take a dark plastic bottle, cut a part with a bottom that is suitable for the shelter. You will get a glass in which the bottom is the back wall, and the cut point is the entrance. To prevent the house from rolling around the cage, cut off one wall so that you can place the bottle as stable as possible.
Using a hot knitting needle, make several holes through which the house will be ventilated.
The outside walls can be covered with cloth or paper, but use only paste for joining.
Mitten house
This option is suitable for small breeds of hamsters.
Take an unnecessary knitted mitten. The entrance will be a hole for the hand, but the hamster will not just go there. Insert a circle of cardboard into this hole. It is convenient to use a toilet paper roll. Cut a ring from it and thread it into the mitten. The house is ready! Fast, simple and without extra costs!
Finally
In this article we wrote about how to make a house for hamsters with your own hands. There are many more options: some use paper rolls, others create real masterpieces from cardboard and plastic bottles. The main thing is to remember the tips: space, comfort, warmth, ventilation and the absence of toxic materials.