Ferplast Favola Hamster Cage Includes Free Water Bottle, Exercise Wheel, Food Dish & Hamster Hide-Out Large Hamster Cage Measures 23.6L x 14.4W x 11.8H-Inches

Intent on stepping out of the frigid Northern Illinois Winter Wonderland, a single field mouse found his way into my house. Not having the intent on harming him, I got a humane mouse trap and caught him with a small dab of peanut butter on the trap lever.I highly doubt he would have survived if I just let him go in such brutal weather, so I decided I would keep him safe and sound until Springtime when I will release him in a forest near my house.So, I needed a safehouse for him in the meantime and did a lot of research on cage options. This cage was about the best option I found to get up and running for him quickly. And now I have the option to use it for domesticated pet mice in the future if I decide to continue the hobby after I release this one.The cage is great for mice for several reasons. I can't really comment on its use for larger rodents, like hamsters but I have seen far smaller cages used for hamsters on this site.PROS-- The width of the wire is a quarter inch (0.25" in.) so he cannot escape and/or get stuck in the wire.-- The lower part of the cage is made of plastic and is nearly 5" deep so I can add a lot of bedding material, since mice love to tunnel and hide during the day while they sleep. I cut down paper towel rolls and stick them in various places, and he likes to tunnel in them as if he is living in nest underground.-- There is no way any of the bedding gets kicked out of the cage onto my floor.-- The lower part of the cage is like a storage bin and is totally open which will make cleaning it easy.-- The top fits on snugly but is easily opened with two clips on the far ends of the cage.-- The cage has an opening for tubes on one end that can be closed off or opened to add plastic tubing kits (sold separately).-- The little feeding bowl is functional.-- Although my mouse doesn't use the little house to sleep, I use it to hide treats since he likes to forage when he wakes up.CONS-- As other reviews have suggested (and my experience confirmed), the water bottle is useless and should be upgraded. It's too small and doesn't work. This upgrade is no big deal since Amazon sells a great one for only about $6.-- Accessory tubing kits are expensive for pieces of plastic and proprietary. This cage uses the Ferplast brand (or compatible brands) and isn't interchangeable with most tubes kits. From other reviews, and in my own experience, this kit was the best value option if you want more than just a handful of tubes from Ferplast. Although still pricey, the 94 piece set from GNB PET for $40.00 seems like the best option.-- The top access opening is a bit small and might be a challenge for a kid to use on a regular basis.-- The cage comes with a running wheel that directly attaches to the cage in the big opening you can see in the pictures. However, the quality of the wheel is ok, not great. Plus, it's small, even for a mouse. (I upgraded the wheel with a small sized NiteAngel for $30 that fits well and is easy for him to spin. I just move the bedding away from the wheel and the bedding does not get caught under the wheel, which spins freely.)I trained him to use the wheel in a couple of days by putting very small dabs of peanut butter on opposite sides inside the wheel so he would walk on it to get the peanut butter. Eventually he just began running on it in the middle of the night. The new NiteAngel wheel is so silent that I could not tell if he was using it, so I put in a few pieces of bird seed inside the wheel. The second morning around 6:00 a.m., I knew he was using it because I could hear the bird seed rolling around as he got his gym exercise.Just a couple of general notes from a new foster mouse parent.Despite what I read about mice getting the majority of their water from their solid food, my little guy wakes up every evening and heads to the water bottle for a sip or two before he starts his night.Since his temporary home is so small to his previous world, I keep him busy by changing up the cage with various things like a small paper cup, pieces of paper towel, a little fort made of a sheet of paper, and I hide treats that he has to find (which he always does.)Overall, I highly recommend this cage for any mouse caretaker, even if it's temporary.

As a new Hamster owner trying to succeed at creating a comfortable habitat for my hamster, I’ll share what I’ve learned so far for those who might find it helpful.The Ferplast Favola Large Hamster Cage arrived looking just as advertised, cage was packaged well and arrived without issue. Pros: middle insert can be removed, it’s easy to clean, paper stays contained in the bottom portion of cage, comes with some accessories (wheel, water bottle, food dish, house) Cons: Door placement on top of cage can be hard to maneuver hand around inside, provided wheel is small (size 6.5) and provided water bottle didn’t work properly. Below I’ve listed the wheel and water bottle I bought to replace these.1. **Cage/habitat size is very important** the more space you can provide the better. Per the description, each cage is approx. 340 sq. inches of floor space. This is smaller than the recommended habitat size per my research for a hamster (Dwarf and Chinese Hamsters require a minimum of 600 sq. inches of floor space, Syrian Hamsters need a minimum of 900 sq. inches of floor space.) I bought 2 of these cages to start (half price of each cage at time of purchase, equaled 2 cages for the price of what 1 normally costs in other similar type cages). Combined, 2 cages provide approx. 680 sq. inches of floor space, thus meeting the minimum habitat requirement in sq. inch floor space size for a Dwarf or Chinese Hamster. For a Syrian Hamster, 3 of these cages combined would provide approx. 1,020 sq. inches of floor space.2. **Tubes** for connecting to cages/habitat – the Ferplast brand tubes (can purchase on Amazon) work great, they’re sturdy, can take apart for cleaning, I added a few “telescoping” tube pieces making my building/connecting easier.3. **Cart to hold Cages** COMPLETELY OPTIONAL, but I found it made my experience much easier for set up and ongoing cage maintenance. Per the description, each cage dimension is 23.6 L x 14.4 W x 11.8 H. I found in noting this size and researching some “3 Tier Kitchen, Baker’s Rack Microwave Oven Stand/Cart” fit the size needed to hold cages nicely. I also found at a popular Craft Store a Rolling Cart with 2 metal shelves, and drawers underneath that works perfectly for holding 2 cages. Prices vary, but I located both options priced each at around $85. There are many options out there for 2 or 3 tier shelf racks/carts, I personally like a rolling cart so I can move it for easier cleaning then lock wheels down once back in place.4. **Hamster Wheel** I replaced the included wheel with a Niteangel Super-Silent (can purchase on Amazon) a size Small (8.3) fit in the middle of the insert without issue. You can adjust the wheel up/down as needed. My hamster loves this wheel and it’s super quiet!5. **Water Bottle** I replaced the included water bottle with a bigger capacity one. The Lixit bottle (can purchase on Amazon). I did find that it does occasionally drip, so I placed the Niteangel Hamster Glass Water bowl (purchase on Amazon) under the water spout and it works great. My hamster doesn’t move the dish around due to the weight of it, and the dome in the middle I like because he doesn’t get wet. He sometimes drinks out of the dish where the water drips collect, other times he uses the spout.Overall, I’m satisfied and feel the value is great for the price I paid. My hamster loves the plastic house accessory that came with the cage. I would recommend getting this cage as long as it’s partnered to connect with another as you do need more space than this cage alone to meet the space requirement needs of your hamster.