Crittertrail Cage Ideas

Made by Super Pet, CritterTrail, also known as Crittertrail, is a brand of housings, toys, tubes, towers and drinking bottles for pet rodents such as hamsters, gerbils and fancy mice. These are flexible and interchangeable items that can work with many types of habitats for pet rodents. Always check any plastic tube, cage or toy for holes, since rodents love to chew. Small rodents can also escape through surprisingly small holes.

  1. Brand Loyalty

    • Stick with the CritterTrail line of interchangeable products. These include cages and tunnels that can connect to other cages, observation towers (small den-like areas suspended above the cage), wheels and water bottles. The tubes can connect onto each other so that a long, twisting tunnel can be created that can be longer than one CritterTrail cage. These long meandering tunnels and observation towers can help satisfy the rodent's instinct to wander about in search for food. Wild Roborovski hamsters, in particular, have been observed running up many miles in a single night.

    Mix and Match Brands

    • According to Super Pet, many CritterTrail products such as homes, tubes, toys and observation towers are designed to fit with other competing brands of small animal habitats, such as SAM or Habitrail. It is best to read the packaging to see if the particular product is recommended for other rodent home systems. It is also good to know the refund and return policy of your pet store, just in case the item does not fit even if the packaging states it should. These structures can eventually cover an entire wall if gradually added on to when finances allow.

    Adding Aquariums or Bins

    • Large 40-gallon plastic bins or aquariums can also be added as a lower cost, not easily chewable alternative to CritterTrail cages. CritterTrail tubes, dens and toys can be placed inside of the bin or aquarium, or a tunnel can be made connecting the CritterTrail home to the bin or aquarium. SAM and Habitrail make cage lids for aquariums that can keep a hamster in but provide a large enough hole for a plastic tube to snap on. If using aquariums, make sure they are not placed in direct sunlight or near a heat source, as the inside of the tank can heat up quickly.