We like this cage!

Okay I was worried about this cage from all the reviews but since all cages we looked at had some problems we went ahead and bought the CritterTrail 2. It was a little tricky to put together but we figured it out and the one shelf we decided to use fit just fine. We also bought a second little CritterTrail cage and connected the two using the expansion tube pack. We even bought a little sky loft for the second cage. Everything has been fine. Our blackbear hamster loves her cage. She uses the wheel she sleeps in the loft. We did get her the CritterTrail bottle with the little ball in it before we even left the store so we avoided the whole water bottle problem.

We have had this cage a week and our hamster hasn't escaped. We will be cleaning it this today for the first time but I don't plan on taking the whole thing apart. She doesn't even "go" in the main room so a little pulling out of the litter and putting some back through the door is all that we will do there. The dirtiest place is up in the loft where she sleeps "goes" and stores food yuck! We will clean that area by wiping it with hot water on a paper towel. I am not sure why people feel compelled to completely tear apart their cages. But reading how other people have had parts break when they did that we will not be tearing our cage apart.

We like this cage. It is colorful to look at compact expandable and we can see our little "Black Pearl" everywhere she goes in the cage. We try not to open the sky loft both out of respect for her bedroom and because other reviewers said the plastic latch broke on theirs. But we haven't needed to because in one week she is already trained to come out the front door. We give her a treat every time she comes out so she knows the sound of the cage door opening and comes running. I would recommend this for any first time hamster owner." More detail ...

Wonderful.

If you take proper care of your hamster this home will be great for your little friend. In terms of what the other reviewers said you just have to take proper precautions.



For instance my buddy one night when he was getting used to the CritterTrail X also built a nest in the exercise wheel. Well I want him to be comfortable but he needs his exercise! For his own sake I sucked up the bedding from that spot with the vaccuum and he hasn't tried it since. Your hamster may need more coaxing to stop this behavior. Now poop and pee does fall through the holes in the wheel onto the track below but hamsters are gross that way so don't blame the house for the occupant's apathy! At least they were smart enough to build it so the disgustingness will go on the track and not anything else.



I don't know what the other person was talking about in terms of it being "hard to clean". You've got to vaccuum out the soiled bedding every day or two and wash the whole thing about once a week. Of course it will stink if you're gross and don't tend to it. I got my hamster as a roommate though and not a piece of meat for another pet so maybe I just don't mind being reasonable. I also don't see why it would break easily...it seems sturdy enough to me though I partially melted one using drying heat in the dishwasher and had to get another. That was the first time I ever used a dishwasher though and had no idea how to tend to it.



Anyways this house provides a decent amount of room for a hamster when you're unable let him or her play outside of it and it just looks cool too. The wheel and slide are neat as is the two-story nature of the thing. There's enough room to take melted pieces of a second one and put them inside for extra climbing fun. Highly recommended.More detail ...