Omlet cage for gerbils. Ideas for the vertical drop please

[TheChip]

Recently bought one of these and it's a lot smaller than I expected, and that tube is daunting. I'm really really not comfortable with the idea that they could just drop from the top of it to the bottom.

I've moved them back to their old cage until I can carpet the bars on the top layer and hopefully find a solution to the vertical drop!

Has anyone got this cage and managed to create another way up, instead of the tube. Maybe some kind of ladder thing?

Rant about the tube: it just seems like a stupid idea, being vertical like that and with gerbils how they kick the sawdust etc. Blocking their access. As good as the idea seems, it also seems bloody stupid. I'm kicking myself for buying it. It might be great so if anyone can say good things about it I'd be happy to hear.

I'm considering just using it as some kind of playpen thing for them or something, though it seems a wee bit small even for that!

[Scampersaur]

I agree that the Omlet cage is rubbish. By the time my daughters hamster was 8 weeks old (having had him for 2 weeks), it was clear that it was way too small. The tube being central makes it so difficult to add anything to the cage too. We got a big cage and now the Omlet is only used for 15 minutes when the hamster is being cleaned out. I should give it away but I don’t like the idea of any small pet being stuck in there full time.

[Lightingail]

That sounds dreadful
We have 3 cages connected to give our hamster a decent amount of room... but if we were starting over I would have gone for an Ikea detolf homemade hamster cage .

[guffaux]

I made the mistake of getting the Omlet- way too small for any pet, and not configured for toys/tunnels or anything that would enrich the living space- it was also awful to clean. I contacted them and told them my views- they offered full refund and collected it free of charge.

We replaced it with the eco-green habitat- slightly adjusted by getting a perspex sheet cut to order for the floor to make cleaning easier

wouldnt even use the Omlet for a nursery

[TheChip]

I forgot I posted this.

I ended up buying a different gerbilarium that I am much happier with. Eventually I think I will go for a home made, or even a large fish tank done up for them.

Thats good of them to have offered a refund and collection @lightingail I had just left a poor review warning others. Its probably too late to try for a refund now lol.

Mine is currently just sitting in my living room with no idea what to do with it. Its a shame because it is a great idea of a cage, but very poorly set up and far too small to the point it becomes useless.

[guffaux]

its worth contacting them - they dont want bad customer service reviews, I'd give it a go- worth it to get 90 quid back

[Emmelina]

I sent our Omlet back, it was much smaller than expected and the wheel is far too small for when they get bigger than baby size.
The vertical drop isn’t a big deal, bearing in mind they should have several inches of substrate under there for burrowing - nice soft landing!