I have ordered the habitrail ovo cage with maze does it get good ventilation?
I was wondering if the habitrail ovo line of hamster cages gets good ventilation. I don't want the hamsters I get die of a heat stroke.
I purchased the Habitrail OVO Pad for my mice. I found that while it's a nice cage to look at, it's a lot more trouble than it's worth.
My first reaction to opening the box was how small the cage is. Since I'm not a hamster I can't comment on how spacious or cramped a hamster might find the cage, but it's worthy of note because I feel the size of the cage combined with the minimal ventilation definitely requires the cage to be thoroughly cleaned more frequently than a wire cage or aquarium with a wire mesh top. And really, bigger is always better when it comes to cages.
Though the design is attractive, only parts of the top are clear plastic; the rest is opaque. Combined with the curvature, it is not that easy to view what's going on inside the cage. I don't know how important that is to you, but I like to see what my pets are doing.
The most troubling design flaws are the clasps for the front and back that open. It is designed in such a way that there is little to no visual confirmation that the cage is latched properly. Everything is plastic and flexible enough that depending on how you apply pressure when closing it, you may get a tactile "snap" when it latches, or you may not. There have been a few occasions that I have found a mouse funning free in my bedroom because the cage was "pretending" to be closed. If you have cats, or other predator animals, this is a great concern.
Another problem was that during construction of the cage, the wheel would not stay together. I actually had to hot-glue the "lug" that holds the wheel in the axle, to hold it securely. This, of course, was after one of the mice ran herself right off the axle like a cartoon.
In summary, this cage looks attractive and if purchased with many options, could provide a very cool habitat for your mice or hamsters, but I think there is too much "form" and not enough "function". I found it far too difficult to put together and use, and have since switched to a different cage altogether. My mice seem much happier, and are ultimately safer.
I hope this helps!
Stalking the elusive Zhu Zhu: Where can I find this season's 'it' toy?The same held true for accessories, which I guess make Zhu Zhus super-fun with Habitrail-like tubes, ramps, chill-out rooms, cars and exercise wheels. and more »
