How to Reuse your Kaytee Crittertrail Cage | Munchie's Place

[@ashthomas8760]

Don't forget When making DIY bin cage/ DIY lid you can/you could repurpose the wire panel/ sides for air ventilation

[@MunchiesPlace]

Ahhhhhhhh omg I completely forgot about this!!!! 🤦‍♀️ We have cages with wire attached. While it's a pain in the ass to make, yes the wire can be made into ventilation. Dangit I thought I had everything in this video. This is what happens when you're not scripted. Ty for this. I'll pin your comment.

[@gpymama]

Nice! Never thought of that

[@kyiacassidy]

That's what I did

[@saxybaby4486]

When i stack bin cages i like to re use the door it comes with for feeding and quick interactions so i don't have to unstack the bins every single time i need to feed/change water bottles/ have my pet come out.

[@barnwitchgamergirl8727]

That is literally what I did. I got super lucky when off-roading we came across an entire cage in the woods. Looked like someone dumped their entire house in the woods.

[@jacklynwebber4984]

I just bought two hamsters with a critter trail, bought two more trails after realizing they can’t be together like the pet store lady said, watched you and figured out it’s all wrong, was about to throw them all away after buying 2 prevues but saved them just in case and now you’re telling me how to recycle them. I love you lol seriously

[@user-xc1ce3jm9v]

thank u for beeing a good person and researching :3

[@Lyndrawsanimates]

Thanks for upgrading!

[@burntbeansoup]

Great job! I love the Prevue cage.

[@rockinrootbeer1795]

I don't own any small pets like this and have no desire to get one, yet Munchie's videos are so well done and _fascinating._ In fact, everytime I go to a store I look at the bins and find myself thinking "is that big enough for a hamster? Wait, why am I looking for hamster supplies?"

[@MaddieFoJesus]

omg me to lol

[@samsama3362]

Ouuu, I sense a future hamster owner ;-)

[@rockinrootbeer1795]

@@samsama3362 Maybe... in the far future. I already have 2 dogs, an African Grey parrot, and a 20 gallon aquarium to take care of. I'm good on pets for now :U

[@corym.]

Sad but true, when she was doing her intro three of the cages in her background are what I had when I started having hamsters. But I thankfully have a bin cage now. Thank you Munchie for saveing my hamster

[@kibiodunbaku1703]

who else is thankful there are people like Munchie to teach uneducated hamster owners😂 👇👇👇👇

[@emmarapp4843]

and gerbil owners

[@kibiodunbaku1703]

@@emmarapp4843 yes xD

[@jsmxmlove1948]

Victoria Raechel does the same 😂

[@Graces_life]

I reuse the old cage I used to use as a carrier! It’s much easier to use and I can add deep bedding for the my hamsters! Also it means I don’t have to through it away, which makes my mum happy lol

[@princeofmayonnaise]

I use critter trails as play places for baby rats, or houses for adult one. I just put them out on the floor when the rats free roam and they love them. I can't imagine an animal living in one though, even for the smallest baby rats, it's so tiny. When I see cheap or free ones one craigslist I usually go get it because I'm paranoid someone will see a free cage and go get a hamster for cheap just because they got the stuff free, not because they really want or care bout hamsters

[@chipperandlola5457]

For the wheels you could turn them into a sand bath although I know it would be quite a small one but it could be a second sand bath or a dig box for mice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like a dish also the bottom of the small cage would make a GREAT SAND BATH !!!!!

[@nevaehspets6551]

The base would make a good sand bath, but honestly the wheels are way too small for that. Also, dig boxes should never be used because burrowing animals like hamsters, gerbils, or mice need lots of space to burrow. (I am fine with munchie using less than the recommended bedding and using dig boxes because she is a rescue and it’s only temporary)

[@chipperandlola5457]

@@nevaehspets6551 thanks and I know that but I was thinking of a mouse had paper bedding it could have soil Ona dog box for foraging

[@nevaehspets6551]

@@chipperandlola5457 the base would work well for that, just not the wheel though. A mouse can barely turn around in that

[@aspen-]

@@nevaehspets6551 they meant putting it flat, not standing up

[@nevaehspets6551]

@@aspen- I know, it still would be no where near big enough

[@SpotlessleopardAJ]

I never thought of using the cages as a nesting area! I'm going to try taping some paper over the bars and having an underground sand bath

[@negan1445]

I've never had a Kaytee cage, but something i did with my other cages is to use the base as a little tray for my rabbit, then the wire part as a cage topped for my gerbils. My old rabbit cage i used to grow grass in for my rabbit.

[@charlotte6154]

I don't know how kaytee gets away with selling those.. I'm getting a pair of gerbils soon and I'm getting them a forty gallon breeder (600+ inches of floor space :D)

[@damndorothea]

i have a 40 gallon tank for my hamster and he loves it!! :DD

[@charlotte6154]

@@damndorothea aw nice! i wish you guys the best ❤

[@negan1445]

I love gerbils and a 40g is a good size for them x

[@emmarapp4843]

make sure to put a lot of bedding, and Good Luck :)

[@cupcake5000]

That's great! I am planning to upgrade my pair of gerbils to a 40 gal soon!

[@kyiacassidy]

I wish there was a breed of panda bear Hamsters. Imagine how cute it would be. 🐹+🐼= Cuteness

[@awesomeanimalswithalishav5874]

Nice ideas! I end up with so many Critter Trails and other too-small cages when I do rescues. It's great to have a few more uses for them. I've used them a few times inside my Critter Nation cages as I worry about the hamsters falling from upper levels. Also, the tubes can be ziptied into place and are more secure than a ramp, plus the hideouts ziptied to the inside walls can provide fun lookouts. I'm holding onto quite a few small cages right now as well because I'll probably be moving soon and won't have room for huge cages in the car or want to use small carriers when they'll have to sit inside for hours just on the drive. I figure they can hang out in the cages for a couple days so their regular cages can get dismantled and onto the moving truck and then unpacked in a reasonable time period. Just a lot less stress for everyone involved.

[@amia_calva]

And in addition to being a carrier, it's not a bad idea to have a backup cage for cage cleanings or if you find something that needs to be fixed on a bin cage. Or in my case, when your dad knocks on the door at 5 am because he found a dwarf hamster outside roaming free and brought it home in an empty Tim Hortons cup (I have no idea how he managed to catch it).

[@JannaWillard]

I have the bottom of an old "rabbit" cage (barely big enough for one guinea pig, came to me housing a pair as a rescue) in the basement as a litter box. Got the idea as that's how my parents repurposed the bottom of one of my old guinea pig cages from when I was a kid. The wire top was used as part of our makeshift outside pen for our young chickens this summer. We wired together three Midwest cage sides to make the pen and I put the guinea pig cage top on top for a bit of height in one place. This summer our young chickens will get to go in our nice plywood outside pen. It has a shelter at one end and the roof of the pen is chain link fencing. The older chickens will be free range and we'll add the young ones to the main flock once we know which are female.

[@Sky2Mina]

I am not sure if I commented this before but you CAN repurpose the wheels... as toys for toddlers. You just would need a stand for it. Also I think an unused critter trail would work as a "play cage" where kids can pretend they have a pet and take care of it... although a responsible parent would have to explain that this is too small, but for play purposes, it works. I mean toy prams are also much smaller than real prams, I am sure kids can make the connection what a toy is and what a real enclosure is. Anyway my 2,5 year old loves to play with "his wheel" and "his cage". He has a little stuffed hammy that explores the empty cage XD

[@koffinkat666]

That hair and the green Sweater really looks great on you

[@willowgarrett4333]

if you also have bigger animals like rats or birds you can turn the wheels into forage wheels by adding a front onto it and filling it with treats x

[@EvaRawrrr]

How do you do that? Drill holes and zip tie the front, or hot glue on the other material?

[@aspen-]

@@EvaRawrrr i think hot glue is toxic to some small animals

[@sylphsarigo1996]

Not a critter trail, but I gave an old rusted cage to my mother for her garden. She put it over some plants(without the bottom) to protect them from deer and other animals. Maybe critter trails could be used to protect little plants, like herbs or tomatoes.

[@saxybaby4486]

When you rescue you end up with a lot of critter trails. (I foster similarly to munchie) I will use them as carriers. If not, i tear it apart and re use every piece i can. The door/ mesh i re use as bin cage ventilation and additional access. The tubes i can re-use as regular tubes. The top hide with the little hatch(i think kaytee calls it the "petting zone") I have found they make good hides in general, especially if you burry it into the bedding. The bottoms make great sand baths, or even litter trays (i foster rats and i love using the bottoms as litter boxes for the rats!). Usually the only piece i cant reuse is the top piece that's left after you take the little hatch piece out. If after all that i cant use the critter trail cage I donate them to my local rescue/humane society to keep small pets in until they get adopted out. NEVER TRY TO SELL A CRITTER TRAIL CAGE AGAIN EVEN IF YOU ADVERTISE IT AS A CARRIER. You never know what little animal could end up in it. 😞

[@nerd_barbara]

Hey Munchie!!!! Thank you for making such great videos, they helped me figure out I had horrible hamster care. Now my Pepper has way better care!

[@HYDROCARBON_XD]

You can also make extensions with critter trails,for example you have a big bin cage and you want more space so you use a critter trail for sandbath or something like that

[@danielgomez1923]

My vole has been happily living in one since last year's May, almost 10 months. The wheel will be noisy if you don't lube it with coconut oil. I sleep in the living room next to my vole and I fall asleep like a baby listening to the wheel spin or hearing Wombat chewing on a napkin. I love Wombat and I love you.

[@kallison.1343]

I have my hamster in the prevue 528 cage but I used to have the critter trail 2 tier cage. I found that you can actually take the little borrowing area out of the cage and use it as a hide in your hamsters cage. Just fill it with bedding. I wouldn’t recommend for a Syrian because the entrance whole can get a little small for a fully grown Syrian but it’s perfect for a dwarf.

[@paige-wiens]

I feel awful. I kept my brothers/my mice in the one at the back with a yellow lid and red shelves. Thankfully the mice are now in a $40 bin cage. Its super large for its price, there so much more happy ❤ Meanwhile there old cage was like $70-$80 bucks! (I cant remember how much it was) I wish it was illegal to sell cages that are obviously to small.

[@HYDROCARBON_XD]

You can also connect them to bin cages or maybe aquariums,at least you can put some sand baths there

[@tanyachard3900]

So, one of my husbands co-workers recieved a hamster for her secret Santa gift at work. The hamster came with a rat cage, or some cage that the wire spacing was too big. So on her lunch she ran to the pet store, got bedding, food and a Critter Trail. By the end of the day, my husband ended up bringing the hamster home. We thought we had her in a good spot so our cat wouldn't bother her. Guess we were wrong. One night, before we had gotten her bin cage, the cat wedged herself between the cage and other things I had on the little table. I woke up to a bang, and ran to the living room. Here was the cat on the table, and the hamster cage upside down on the floor. I was convinced the hamster was dead. The cage stayed in one piece, not even a crack (which I was completely shocked because of the flimsy plastic. We also did not have any tubes on it). And little hammy was, very much shaken (physically and emotionally), but she was perfectly fine otherwise. We kept her cage locked in the bathroom after that, until we bought and made her bin cage. She is loving her new cage, but I think her fright has turned her into a bit of a ghost hamster, as we barely see her anymore. I'm just happy she is safe, and alive and hopefully happy. I will keep my Critter trail for when doing deep cleaning and travel only now. Thanks for putting all of this information out there. Hopefully more ppl will learn that these tiny cages are not suitable and not get suckered by the pet stores.

[@frogsplashley]

This is such a cool video. I have one from years ago that I haven’t thrown out for the landfill reason so I’m glad I might have something to do with mine now.

[@hibiscuspetal1026]

Thank you for making this video! I have a two Kaytee Crittertrails and didn’t know what to do with them since my hamster has a 50 gallon bin cage now. She has a 25 gallon bin to go in when I clean her cage.

[@fayeh]

Hi, munchie love your vids🥰😘

[@samfairbrother1201]

You could use the wheels as sand baths

[@arlothepup]

I said the exact same thing 🤣

[@lilimmx1198]

You can put mesh on the wire and get a cockroach

[@C.Woodford]

Too small for cockroaches xD

[@thatgayhamster1561]

Thank you! I have an old crittertrail sitting in my closet :)

[@itz_elioftw]

Omg, Munchie, I love you so much. You put so much care and attention into your videos and your more than happy to make up little songs and have fun. That’s amazing ❤️⭐️

[@MarcoGarcia-bj2kt]

I got this last week when I got my first hamster, next day I got a 40g tank and returned it to petco

[@Aisha-721]

The blue ridged wheel reminds me of a candy dish. Of course I'd wash it good by hand and possibly use disinfectant wipes before putting candy in it.

[@TrystaTaylor]

Yay you posted ❤️

[@laurawilson5666]

Love you little song :)

[@elwduecentonove6080]

I LOVE THIS. We neeeedd so much content like this, having pets can be so wasteful if you end up not using what you buy. Munchie you’re always the goddamn best ✨

[@fluffycottoncandy937]

we love u Munchie 🥰💕

[@bubblys_diary]

I just want to say thank you for spreading good pet care information. I appreciate all that you have taught me and other small pet parents. You help me give my gerbils the best life I can. Thank you so much! ❤️

[@budgiestar3609]

For the wheel you can repurpose it, if wanted. For instance you can make a nice sand bath or huge food bowl with it :)

[@lexy10985]

I use Velcro circles to hang my water bottle in my tank worked well for years and still working

[@Chifly-te5vc]

I saw my bin cage in the video! It surprised me and my family. Glad I could help 😄

[@itsfoxie9143]

My friend one of those cages and I have told her the a small and she said no there not the are tall so very big and anyway hamsters need small cages and I said no they need HUGE cages

[@deborahwinberg4907]

I used old hamster cage bottoms as litter boxes for my bunnies, perfect size for a pooping rabbit and not much else.

[@damndorothea]

welcome back munchie! i hope you're feeling better :D

[@FatBunny-yr2jr]

Im so happy i did my research before i got my first hamster butterscotch 🐹. I have the Savic cage (50cm/100cm) from petsathome. I cant imagine ever keeping my hamster in such a tiny cage 😓, it really upsets me when people neglect their Hamsters, they assume that the Hamster is an ‘easy’ pet. No they are not! Ive watched all of munchies videos and there is so much to learn about looking after Hamsters ♥️

[@achjulchen3541]

Great video idea! 💡 👍🏼

[@arlothepup]

You could turn up the wheel and use it as a sand bath maybe 🙂

[@xtianaduhx6999]

I turned the bottom half of the cage into a litter box for my ferrets 😂

[@jamesb2877]

The Prevue 528 Bottom of the tub on this enclosure is 30 by 18 as it Tapers down.

[@alexanderh8129]

when i rescued my gerbils they had totally destroyed their plastic wheel so they couldnt even use it anymore and since ive had them and gotten them a new plastic wheel there isnt a single bite on it so honestly i think u could give a plastic bowl to a gerbil as long as they have a lot of other enrichment and u dont put the bowl where the majority of their bedding is

[@madelinebrooks4726]

YES I was looking for a video like this! Thank you!

[@simonstierwelt]

You can use the small wheels as a sandbath

[@Denisemk]

Thank you for posting regularly, you really make my made ☺❤

[@susancraft79]

Unfortunately I have two of these cages for my gerbils and I quickly realized that they are shit the worse things ever but sadly I dont the have the money to replace them (they were 50$ each before tax btw) I have the one with the tube going up to the top but with red shelves and I hate them so much I feel so horrible I just am stuck in between a hard place so I can't replace them so this video was helpful of how to reuse them with bins and stuff so thank you ^-^

[@alecoloxa]

Great! (Perfect idea).

[@savannah9041]

My Robo hamsters LOVE to use the tunnels as their burrows 🐹

[@cleroh]

my country doesn't even sell crittertrails or any sold hamster cages and here I am, what am I watching this for

[@azraelraza2767]

You can probably repurpose the wheel for maybe a dog dish? Or use it to hold something.

[@Honey_Lemon132]

HELLO I got my new hanster today🥰❤ Unfortunately i didn't prepare anything in particular before getting her... it was an impulsive "purchase" (i didn't actually pay for her lol) I got her from a lady who bought her hamster from a pet store, and her hamster ended up being pregnant. So at the moment my new hamster (her name is mochi, like the Japanese sweets) is staying in a bincage, which sadly is wayyyy to small, but no worries! Her *actual* cage is coming in in 2 days (115×50×60)

[@Honey_Lemon132]

(cm)

[@nataljajensen9819]

Right now I have a critter trail thankfully I haven’t have my hamster in there for a long time but I recently find out that I have to get a bigger cage and I am getting a bin cage soon but I have got and old fish tank and that’s what I will be using till I can set up a bin cage

[@gremboxes]

I use the wells as bowls

[@lissyhello115]

Hello

[@charlottedagostino850]

So cool Love what you do

[@emmarapp4843]

can you please make a video about sand baths specifically gerbils I have watch lots of video about sand baths and i still can't figure out what kind of sand to use and how big the sand bath should be.

[@aspen-]

the sand needs to be big enough for it to dig (a little tiny bit) and for it to roll. Childrens play sand (NOT KINETIC SAND OR ANYTHING RELATED) is good, like the sand bags you'd find near those big bags of soil and dirt. Reptisand (the one without calcium) is good to!

[@Cami_lla1]

I use the wire part of it for a hay wrack for my horse lol

[@killerkingmery]

Thank you for helping me avoid those cages. I made a bin cage instead 12x20 (32x52cm). It's still too small for my 2 mice. They got a 8 " Wheel and 5" of Bedding. it's hard to find bigger bins in germany so i will have to make a bigger home fir them on my own when the hardware store opens next week. It won't be as cheap as this crappie cages and it will require some time, but it will be better for mi pets.

[@rebekkahbelcher117]

Can you make a video of all the things you should buy for your hamster up front?

[@NeonAmnesia]

I have a very old one from when I was like 8 or something, doesn't even have a levels (It's just one box). Turned into just a random storage box lmao. Also, I hate Kaytee makes bird treats out of yogurt (in the ingredients they're dried yogurt powder). Those yo dips if anyone's familiar. Birds can't digest dairy very well, they'll get sick.

[@Beelzebubby91]

I always tell customers at work to just get a bin from Walmart. Thankfully nearly all parents listen because it’s cheaper 😂

[@Kayleen-hs8ch]

My cousin has the blue hamster Round thing for her hamster

[@itz_elioftw]

I don’t know if you’re talking about an OVO enclosure or an exercise ball, but either way that is not good at all! Perhaps you can educate your cousin?

[@Darkshade_01]

Yay

[@ghostbee2469]

I love your Channel

[@giovannisingergs4159]

I like it 2021 make best cages kt

[@hedgie58921]

I wonder if you could turn the bad wheels into a small sand bath?

[@kohlenhydrat2665]

I did that with a 30cm wheel and it looks really cool

[@mr_farfetched]

Oh hello there

[@jamiescowboys]

beacause of you they love there big tubs and i dont ever need these critters tails i had them on let go but i was just wondering how much should i sell them for or i cant donate it to your rescue and our cardboards rolls they love let me know

[@estherlizziebrown1552]

I live in the UK and have never actually seen a crittertrail in person

[@yeneferdirubio1106]

A large bin cage alone, is the fundamental opposite of what these hamsters would select in the wild, or when provided with options. I hope some of that makes sense to you and recognize al of you have the wrong information: Instinctively, they would avoid large spaces as that's where they would be eaten, I am angry with all the "rodents gurus on youtube", telling me " its better an aquarium rectangular cage blabla or hey, petsores information are not right", My information doesn't come from pet store sales people but from small mammal biologists. We have tried the bin-cages.. you can try it also. Connect a bin cage with tubes to the smaller habitats. When given the option, the robo hamsters seek out the smaller spaces where they do feel safe. A tiny mammal like the robo has very near sighted vision and can't even assess a larger space save by hearing that the walls are no longer around it. When in open spaces, they speed up and are stressed until they gain some sort of cover. That's where deep bedding comes in, it simply takes the place of a smaller habitat and provides the sense that they are hidden from predators. Open spaces cause increased stress and in nature are necessary for them to cover fast so they can access food and water and then race home to a small, even tiny space. The largest spaces in their natural tunnel networks (many of which are barely enough to squeeze through) are where they store their seeds and other foods for wintering, not where they reside. This series of small spaces which the hamsters eventually select for special purposes - eating, grooming, sleeping and eliminating in, give them the opportunity to dedicate each area to their own biological purposes/needs.

[@yonit]

No plastic is recyclable - some can downcycle, but the plastic will just get worse in quality - and majority of the plastic in the recycling bin will not be recycled

[@keyc.1109]

What about using rat tubes for Syrian hamsters? Like in a in a wire care

[@k_thenthen_k3421]

This isn’t really about the video but how should I spot clean my hamsters cage when most of the pee is underneath the bedding? He really likes to dig and bury and he spends most of his time digging tunnels and just being in there. I’m not sure how to spot clean him while also not just destroying the tunnels he made. Or is it ok to ruin those and just let him make new ones? Also is there any way to get him to be on the surface a little more? I’ve got wooden toys and everything I can put in there while also not overcrowding it but he’s just not too interested...

[@Andrew_Young]

Can you re-use your double decker hamster cages as an overnight enclosure if you rip out the plastic crap and put a nice big niteangel hamster wheel in it?

[@Vayvin]

The cage at 6:55 what if you too the ledges out to put in a bigger wheel. For travel!

[@cxrtney]

I thought about that too but then I remembered hamsters climb wire cages lol. So still not safe because they could fall from climbing to the top!

[@nevaehspets6551]

I wish I kept my old cages! I’m currently searching for a large sand bath and that would be perfect

[@flowercat9883]

Big Bowls are great as a sandbad

[@nevaehspets6551]

@@flowercat9883 I decided I’ll be using a baking tray. That’s a good idea too though!

[@ezplays3321]

what if you have a critter trail and you do not have a hamster any more and will not have a hamster anymore

[@americanmade3734]

Does anyone know how to tag other users on YT anymore??? @Kaytee

[@andy_andgrub6315]

What do I do if my parents are stubborn and won’t let me bye a better cage for My gerbil WITH MY OWN MONEY

[@kohlenhydrat2665]

Give it away 😕. A lonely gerbil is cruel and a lonely gerbil in a small cage is even more cruel.

[@lexy10985]

Why is there a tube going from the bottom to the top? Lol where are they supposed to go from coming out the top part haha

[@laliantonio7885]

Can you make a video on how to see the gerbils gender because a petstore told me that they don't have any female gerbils so we thought that the gerbil we got was a male even though she was a female so we ended up with 3 baby gerbil so I want to know how to tell their gender.

[@muirinoreilly193]

I used to have hamsters when I was younger and unfortunately I didn’t know the proper care being maybe 12 or 13. I started to realise what the proper care should be so I got my dwarf a bin cage which was great but I also had a Syrian and I decided to D.I.Y her cage and add a bin underneath with a tube connecting them (worst mistake I could have made) and what happened has scared me for life my poor baby escaped one night and she managed to climb onto another table in my room which had my fish tank in it and she fell in I didn’t wake up and woke up to see my drowned hamster. After that I decided no more hamsters until I was older because the experience really just made me feel like a horrible person. The dwarf I had at the time his name was teddy he lived a long and happy life of almost 3 years. I am now 19 and have gotten my first hamster since all that and he is in an amazing bin cage but he is also getting a huge upgrade once I move house. I understand that I was a kid and didn’t know any better but that’s why it’s so important that people research and research and research again so nothing like that happens to anyone

[@deriayavoraasenova3535]

oh my gosh*

[@screamingartist2673]

FIRST COMMENT!

[@user-fv7mj4rg7n]

You sure..? love the Nonbinary flag btw

[@screamingartist2673]

@@user-fv7mj4rg7n yeah, I wasn’t *first* but I was the first to comment (not the first to watch it) :)

[@user-fv7mj4rg7n]

@@screamingartist2673 Oh okay! :)

[@thedogeinshiningarmour1621]

hello!

[@missykim510]

I try to buy these off Kijiji or FB Marketplace, secondhand. I destroy the cage and cut the doors off with a Dremel tool. I use the doors for bin cages ;)

[@kateg9437]

It's probably worth mentioning that if someone wants one of these cages for a temporary or travel cage, it would he better to try to buy it second hand. This will be cheaper, hopefully prevent it from being used as a permanent home for a hamster, and not give KT the message that these cages, marketed as permanent cages, are acceptable.

[@realitymuffin4755]

this video made me so happy for some reason lol also how many nights max could a hamster stay in a small cage like that (with playtime there)

[@abieelliott1200]

OMG MY HAMSTERS NAME IS MUNCHKIN 😀😀🥰🥰