Prep Life

Summer has arrived (in the northern hemisphere, at least!) and with that comes the possibility for dramatic thunderstorms & tornados across the great plains, midwest and south.

A few months ago (April, to be precise), a tornado actually touched down just ½ mile from where I live! Thankfully, no one was injured, and the tornado mostly found it’s path along a network of public parks & golf courses (although it did do some damage to a strip mall and local ice rink!). Still, we lost power for about two days, and it was a nice reminder for me to be prepared to with temporary, portable set-ups for my hamsters in case I need to move them quickly to shelter from weather or to a heated (or cooled) hotel room, etc.

Was I prepared for this? Well, sort of, but not AS prepared as I would hope.

What did I have? I had a few Kaytee CritterTrails laying around that I inherited with some rescue hamsters over the years, and I’ve hung onto them for occasions just like this.

What I wasn’t prepared with, however, was the set up. Yes. I had some de-assembled CritterTrails, on shelves near my hamsters, but they weren’t ready for deployment by any means. And, when a tornado warning goes off at 2 am and you have no power (and no light!) well, that’s not ideal.

I lucked out in this instance - my hamsters already reside the finished portion of my basement (where I have an escape window, so they do have a lot of natural light). I would not normally recommend that you keep hamsters in the basement- I do worry about mice and other unwanted visitors getting in their enclosures & I have to be on top of making sure the space doesn’t get too cold for their delicate constitutions, but it is the best option in the current house I reside in.

Anyway, back to my tornado story - I did not need to relocate my hamsters at 2 am this time. And, because it happened to be April, and warm for the few days that followed the tornado, the temperature in their space stayed above 65 degrees Fahrenheit, even without the heat running in the house.

But, it did make me think - what if I had needed to relocate all my little furry companions? How would I have done it at 2 am that night?! Or the next morning without power, having to shuffle through things in the dark to create temporary, travel-friendly enclosures that would allow me to bring them to a hotel or friend’s house?

So, after that April-tornado scare, I decided it was time to (as Scar directed…) Be Prepared! ‍

One of my prepped, ready-to-go, temporary enclosures

But Why a Kaytee CritterTrail?

I’m sure many of you will be asking that question, as these enclosures are generally hated in the hamster community - for good reason, they are definitely not big enough for any hamster to live a happy, healthy or enriched life.

However, we are not talking about a permanent enclosure here. What we are looking for, in this instance, is:

1) An enclosure that’s big enough for a hamster to live in for a short period of time (let’s say, a few hours or overnight).

It’s worth taking a moment to say - I only have dwarf & Roborovski hamsters, so this temp/emergency enclosure is intended for dwarf hamsters (including robos) only!

(If you have Syrians, I do have some ideas for you, which I will include in my next post, as I have set up two different temp enclosure options now)

This is a dwarf-only, temporary set up!

2) The temp/emergency enclosure needs to be big enough to hold a species-appropriate wheel - the Kaytee CritterTrail can house an 8” Prevue Quiet wheel, which, although on the small end, is okay for most dwarf hamsters to use, particularly when in a pinch.

(Link to 8” Prevue Quiet Wheel: https://amzn.to/4vO1zTQ)

Why the Prevue, 8” Quiet Wheel? Well, it works really well on a barred enclosure. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite wheel by any means- in my experience they do break more quickly than other wheels with use, buuuut, it fits perfectly in the Kaytee CritterTrail and can be affixed to the bars of the cage so you don’t have to worry about it tipping over while in a car or moving around the house. I’ve tried so many wheels… but this one worked the best.

I’ve tried soooooooo many wheels, but the 8” Prevue Quiet Wheel works the best for this particuarl use!

3) The barred enclosure allows for items to be attached to the sides for security if you are travelling in a car or around the house

I have mixed feelings about the question - is a barred or solid wall emergency enclosure best? I would say, it depends.

Solid wall, portable enclosures have the benefit of allowing a lot of bedding in addition to protection from the elements if you have to get to a car in cold or rain weather (for example, you could get a large, Kritter Keeper, and your hamster might feel more safe and cozy with deep bedding in this —> https://amzn.to/4egwxgg).

I actually have a wide array of solid-walled temp enclosures in various sizes from the Kritter Keeper line that I use for vet visits, short commutes (say, to adopt a new hamster) or if I have a sick hamster I want to keep by my desk while I work.

However, the problem with solid-walled, temp enclosures, is it’s difficult to include a wheel and water bottle in them. I tend to use solid-walled enclosures for day-time travel when my hamster would be sleeping anyway, with the intent on getting them to their full size enclosure by the time they wake up.

While the Kaytee CritterTrail doesn’t have the ability for bedding depth that a large, Kritter Keeper might have, it does have a larger physical footprint that gives it space for an 8” wheel & a water bottle, all securely attached to the bars so you don’t have to worry about your hamster getting injured if a water bottle stand or wheel fall on them.

If I’m in a situation where a hamster might need to be overnight in a temp enclosure, I would much prefer them to be in this CritterTrail where I know they have a decent wheel and consistent access to water. The wheel is essential here to help them deal with the stress of being out of their home suddenly.

I love how the wheel and water are securely attached to the bars of the enclosure!

4) The barred enclosure allows for good airflow, which is particularly important if you are travelling by car in a warm climate

If you live in an area where wildfires are a problem (as I used to, in LA), you may need to travel with your hamster when the weather is quite warm.

Any solid walled enclosure (like a temp bin cage or Kritter Keeper) is risky to use when the sun is blazing through your window, as your hamster enclosure can quickly become overheated.

For this reason, I think a barred enclosure is the way to go - maximum airflow allows you to ensure your hamster is not overheating!

I recommend keeping your hamster(s) as close to you as possible in the car so you can check that they are getting heat or AC as needed.

the Kaytee CritterTrail fits perfectly in my Vera Bradley Grand Weekender bag in (this one is in Performance Twill)

Okay, but it’s kind of awkward to carry around…

Well, don’t you worry, I’ve thought about that too!

After awkwardly carrying these around enough myself, I knew there had to be a better way… and there was!

It’s the Vera Bradley Grand Weekender Travel Bag! (link to it here: https://amzn.to/4a5kuBj)

I happened to own this one and was pleasantly surprised how perfectly the Kaytee CritterTrail fits in it!

Vera Bradley also has a version of this bag on their outlet website called the “Large Weekender” - it’s slightly different styling but also can fit a Kaytee CritterTrail perfectly!

The Vera Bradley bags I use to transport my CritterTrails in are waterproof materials. Unfortunately, this also means that they are not-so-breathable. But, given that these are emergency travel enclosures, I’m going to assume the weather isn’t a perfect, 70 degrees Fahrenheit and having a bag that can protect against the cold/snow/rain/fire/smoke is going to be the best option.

I would recommend leaving the top unzipped if possible, or zipping up just for that moment you are walking from your car into the location you’re headed. Depending on the weather & temperature of your car, you may want to keep your hamster in the bag with the top unzipped, or take them out of the bag once you are in your car.

No one would ever guess a hamster might be in this bag!

One of the things I love about transporting my hamsters in these bags is how no one would even guess I have a hamster inside! I’m not promoting breaking any hotel policies here, but, I have been in situations where weather has forced me to stay at a hotel I hadn’t been planning to stay at, and their pet policy was not-too-lenient.

In the particular situation I’m thinking of, I figured, I wasn’t even planning to get my hamsters out of their enclosures, so there was no risk of dander or damage to the hotel room. But I did need to make sure that no one noticed my little fur-children coming in the door!

(unfortunately, at the time, I did not have this slick way of transporting them. I did manage to smuggle them in, regardless, but it did make me quite stressed!)

Keep your bag unzipped during travel in the car, or fully take the CritterTrail out of the weekender, depending on weather and how well you’re able to temperature-control your vehicle.

What Else Goes Into These Travel/Emergency Enclosures?

You will need more than just a wheel and water!

I keep my emergency enclosures prepped at all times with:

-paper bedding

-a Whimzee chew

-a baggie with several day’s worth of seedmix & lab blocks + other hamster comfort foods

-a grass hide (grass because it’s lightweight and unlikely to injure your hamster if you are moving around)

Of course, keep the water bottle empty so it doesn’t grow mold. Everything else can be zipped up in your Vera Bradley Grand Weekender, ready to go when the time comes!

In Summary…

This is how I stay prepared for hamster-emergencies - I’d love to hear about how all of you stay prepared!?

It’s not the ideal enclosure, but sometimes you need something small, portable and easy to grab & GO!

Products Featured in this Blog Post:

*as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Kaytee Crittertrail: widely available second hand, check your local marketplace! You can also find it on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/4vUTqNK

Prevue 8” Quiet Wheel: The only wheel that works perfectly in the Kaytee CritterTrail, easily attaches to the bars and allows for unhindered running. Since this is an 8” wheel, I only recommend this set-up for dwarf hamsters (including robos). https://amzn.to/44d35TO‍ ‍

Niteangel Paper Bedding: there are many options for paper bedding, but this is one of my favs! I prefer white as it is generally easily to keep clean and find my hamster in (https://amzn.to/3SIBlE1)

Whimzee Alligator Chews: I’ve never had a hamster not love these! Many hamsters will chew when stressed, so a good chew will be essential to calm nerves during travel (https://amzn.to/4vbZD7M)

Seedmix: My fav is from Snow White’s Rescue Cottage. But Higgin’s Sunburst (https://amzn.to/4aAnEgB) is also a good option, mixed 50/50 with Mazuri Rat & Mouse Lab Blocks (https://amzn.to/4xxwUfh).

Grubmaster’s Black Fly Larvae Worms: a healthy treat your hamsters will love! Use these as a treat, as they are high in calcium and too many at once are not good for your hamster - https://amzn.to/4osN8lJ

Grass Hide: a lightweight hide is key so it will not hurt your hamster if you are in transit. Similar - https://amzn.to/4azIfld or https://amzn.to/4osN8lJ

Vera Bradley Grand Weekender: the perfect size to fit the Kaytee Critter Trail! There are cotton versions which are more breathable but may not protect against rain/snow. I have a waterproof version in Performance Twill https://amzn.to/4e9nOOf