Desert Dancer
5.0 out of 5 stars3/8-inch Bar Spacing and Other Facts
July 27, 2012
Size: FOR 10 GALLONS (Verified Purchase)
Before I purchased this, I looked up all over the internet trying to find info on the wire bar spacing of this high rise cage and could not find it. So, I took a chance and ordered it anyway. Now, I can share with others the bar space measurement, which is very important to know when you have small pets! The bar spaces are 3/8-inch(which is 1 cm). I got it to use for mice and have not had any trouble with escapees. There was one corner where one bar is distanced further, so I cross-wrapped some wire around that small spot, so that I wouldn't have to worry about my mice making the great escape. I would recommend going over the cage before you put your pets in to make sure there are no areas like this...all it takes is one spot a little wider than the others and small mice or hamsters can slip out.
Also, in the item description here on Amazon it says the measurements of the cage are: 19-1/2-inch width by 11-inch depth by 10-1/2-inch height. However, this is not the actual measurement. As stated on the box it comes in the measurements are: 20 1/2 width by 10 3/4 depth and 10 1/2 inch height. This fits perfectly on a ten gallon aquarium. Also, the Amazon description says that it comes with a wheel and tunnel tubes, which it does not. I am going to email Amazon, so that they can correct the description. It does come with a water bottle and food dish. I already have a water bottle, though, so I didn't even try this one. (edited to add that I tried the water bottle just to see if it works...it leaks like crazy! With some adjustment, I got it to stop leaking out the metal ball part, but then it started leaking at the seam where it screws together...so it went in the garbage!)
This cage comes folded up with all the sides all ready connected to the top, so you just attach the J hooks of the sides together and then attach the shelves and ramps inside. It comes with two shelves and two ramps, which with the aquarium makes it a three story house. I didn't have any trouble assembling it...it just takes a little patience attaching the shelves inside, as you have to maneuver your hands and the shelves around the inside of the cage to connect them. They are also attached with J hooks. It says you don't need any tools, but I borrowed my Dad's pliers to pinch the J hooks tighter where the ramps connect to the shelves. My mouse that I had in another cage always got under the ramp and would bump it(maybe trying to move it) and when I tested these ramps by putting my hand under them and giving them a bump, they lifted right off. I didn't want my mice getting hurt by falling ramps, so I just pinched those hooks tighter with the pliers and now they are secure.
When I was considering buying this, I was confused by the conflicting reviews, as some said it was great and others said it had broken and bent wires, etc. But, I knew Amazon always gives 100% refund if an item arrives damaged, so I went ahead and ordered it. No problem with mine, so hopefully the company that makes these has better quality control now.
On the box, it states the cage is for hamsters, gerbils, mice, and rats. I really can't imagine a rat having enough room in there when they're full grown, but I've never had a rat before(only mice), so maybe I'm not the one to say. I just always love my pets to have plenty of room and for mice, this gives them lots of fun space. The mice cages at pet stores seem so small, so I had been using a big plastic bin, but this is much nicer(no plastic...yay!) and easier to view the little critters. It has a large snap door opening in the top, so you can reach in to interact with your pets. The cage is easy to lift off...you just lift the spring loaded clamps on each side and it lifts right off. Those clamps are attached to the cage and you pull them down to clamp under the black rim of your aquarium. But, they are SPRING loaded, so if you have children, be sure they know not to fiddle with them...when I first took the cage off the aquarium, I just snapped them up and they jumped up like a gerbil...you wouldn't want a child's hand to get hurt or startle the inhabitants of the cage. The cage feels secure on top of the tank; I tried rocking it back and forth and it stays securely. I have found it works great for mice.
I made an extra shelf to put on the second story, so now the second story is a full floor. I used metal grating like the type used for these shelves. I got it at a hardware store (I got the more expensive kind, because the less expensive kind had rough metal). I cut it to size with overlap on the front and back...that way the overlap is what holds it in place when I clamp the cage on. I attached felt around all the edges to cover any sharp points where it was cut with wire cutters.
