Niteangel Vista Hamster Cage W/Oblique Opening Cage Door - MDF Aspen Small Animal Cage for Syrian Hamsters Degus or Other Similar-Sized Pets (Medium - 40.7 x 22.7 x 22.9 inches, Burlywood)

I adopted a Syrian Hamster a little over three weeks ago. It has been years since I owned a hamster and science has evolved and standards have changed. I purchased the biggest cage they had which was a 430 sq. in. at the Pet store only realizing very quickly how small it truly was after speaking to the woman at the store. I knew I needed to get a bigger enclosure immediately. I came home and researched many enclosures and watched many review videos trying to figure out which enclosure to purchase. I decided to go with the Niteangel Vista Large with it arriving a week after I adopted her and just in time as she started frequently chewing on the bars of her small cage and she appeared to not be happy with her limited space.I have had the enclosure for about 2 weeks now. Overall, I am extremely happy with my choice and Harley seems to be very happy as well since she can now burrow and has more room to explore. Setup was easy, but an extra set of hands is helpful otherwise you are trying to juggle putting it together. I ran into an issue where the lid was getting "Stuck" when trying to close it. After investigation, I realized the little metal cylinders that are supposed to rest in the holes located on the side walls where the lid connects were missing. Please be mindful when opening up the packaging to not lose these as they are freely placed in the side wall holes and easily fall out if you don't know they are there. Niteangel should think about putting them in the plastic bag with the screws. I located one on the floor and the other fell out inside the packaging. I saw another review of a customer complaining about their lid getting stuck so I thought this was worth mentioning. Once I placed these in the holes and reattached the lid, I no longer have an issue with the lid getting "stuck". Works smooth as butter now. The lid is heavy so you don't have to worry about your hamster pushing it open and squeezing out. The lid stays open on it's own so you can use both hands when reaching into the enclsoure.The enclosure is lightweight but cumbersome to move due to it's size and requires two people to move it after it is assembled. It appears to be sturdy while in place but I would not attempt to move it before breaking it down first for fear of bending the MDF board or it get racked out of alignment. As others have stated, I would recommend building the enclosure where you plan on setting it up as it is massive. You don't realize how big it truly is until after you have it set up. The quality of the MDF board seems to be somewhat sturdy and I love the plexiglass bottom to protect the floor of the enclosure. I would recommend an acrylic sandbox for pottying. Harley is solely using her sandbox for going to the bathroom which I think would save the urine smell from seeping into the MDF and keeping the enclosure smelling fresher. I would have liked to seen a hardwood option where I could seal the edges with aquarium sealant instead of tape. I don't feel comfortable using sealant on the MDF board as it would be permanent in the event I need to break down the enclosure should I ever need to move it. I installed the tape as best I could, but it seems to be more forgiving over the sealant for disassembly. I had to move the enclosure to the floor to install the tape as I had to practically climb inside the enclosure to get the tape affixed which was a pain. Unlike other reviews, I was fortunate as none of the silicone bands broke while installing them and they were very easy to install. I LOVE the slanted lid. It makes it much simpler to reach into the enclosure to clean and interact with her and she doesn't feel threatened since I am not coming in directly above her. Due to the size it and having the correct amount of substrate/tunneling system does make it more difficult to locate your hamster and you are forced to wait until he/she decides they are ready to wake up and come out to play for their daily interaction. The plexigass sides and front gives you a great view of your hamster to watch them as they explore their environment when they are awake.Cleaning is another chore in itself. It is not as simple as just dumping the substrate and wiping it out. As I mentioned, this enclosure is massive and heavy once you load it up and probably not as durable for moving to dump it out in one fell swoop. You will need to get a dust pan or a scoop in order to remove the substrate and then you can vaccuum any leftover pieces before disinfecting the inside of the enclosure. It is not terrible, just time consuming. If you have this on a table like I do, you will most likely need a step stool to reach into the very bottom of the enclosure. I placed my enclosure on a Lifetime Height Adjustable Craft Camping and Utility Folding Table that supports up to 200 lbs evenly distributed measuring 48 inches x 24 inches with a 2x4 Non Slip Rug Pad Gripper under it to keep it from sliding. I wanted to comment on that since I struggled finding something to place the enclosure on and the legs have Adjustable Height Settings (22-Inch, 24-Inch, 29-Inch and 36-Inch) which is nice to be able to set it to a height you desire. I wish someone would have provided that information in a review so I could save myself time finding a compatible table.Overall, The enclosure is big enough to support the hide box, tunneling system, 11" wheel, sandbox, platforms and other enrichment items to keep her entertained. The many configurations are endless. The cost of this enclosure I feel is a bit steep for the type of material being used. I truly feel this is a great investment for your Hamster compared to other options currently available in the US.

I compared several enclosures before settling on this one. I even ordered another one and had the comparision right in front of me. This one by Niteangel is by far the best. I'm very satisfied. It's spacious, easy viewing, easy to clean. It was simple to put together (I did it in about 30 minutes). I agree with the one review that rubberbands holding it together seemed iffy, but they are actually very strong rubber bands and do a good job. The sides also lock securely into place also serving to hold it together firmly and tightly. It was worth the price. So far my pets love it!

I ended up buying this because we purchased one at PetSmart that was way too small for the Syrian hamster we adopted there. The wheel they recommended was so small he reached both sides while trying to run. I didn't want to spend the money on such an expensive enclosure but the hamster was displaying signs of stress and we wanted to provide a humane and engaging place for him. I chose this one because of the size, ventilation and slanted lid. It was much larger than expected and the perfect size. My teenage daughter wanted to put it together herself and she said it was relatively easy. After reading other reviews (I always start with the 1-star review), I was worried it would be kind of cheap looking. Not at all!! The wood is particle board but had nicely rounded edges. I love the innovative design. It's easy to clean and with the slant lid design, it's easy to reach straight in to interact with Artie. It was a LOT bigger than expected. He is much happier. I did order a 10inch wheel which was too big for him but everything I bought from the brand is very well constructed. It is a problem that I find myself wanting to buy more. I'm one toy away from it being too much! The price was a little high but it's good quality.

After watching Victoria Rachael's hamster videos we prepared a more humane home for our fluffy syrian boy. Her glowing reviews of this product got us very excited for it! I thought for the price that this cage might be too good to be true- and it is.***First off however, let me say that I TRULY appreciate NiteAngel for making a cage large enough to actually be humane for these sweet creatures! Our hamster seems to truly enjoy the space of this enclosure and my kids and I have so much fun planning and putting together his natural habitats :D ***When the box arrived on our doorstep we were all jumping up and down in excitement - but upon opening the box we realized that the cage is not made from wood, but a laminated type particle board. a thin plexi glass type screen sits in the frame for the clear areas. The instructions were easy enough-my engineering minded 11 year old put it together completely by himself under our supervision and only accidentally put one part upside down. We were worried when we saw that the edges don't create a seal on each side- and TAPE was provided to seal it :( I'm glad that the tape was included, but I would have preferred the edges to actually fit together better. I would also LOVE a clear TRAY to be included in the bottom instead of just a sheet of plastic. This would better seal the edges and make it easier to cleanI feel like the company has put a lot of thought into this product and I truly appreciate that - plastic bumpers are included for the sides and top where the "hatch" touches the bottom when it closes - but they fall off extremely easily. When we moved the enclosure from the living room to the kids room where it currently lives- it nearly fell apart :( After setting it all up again in the bedroom we placed the bottom plexi glass type barrier on the bottom and filled with several inches of bedding (recycled paper fluff).**** PROS ****-Large enough for a Teddy Bear Syrian Hamster-Has a barrier at the bottom to keep wetness from rotting it away-Easy lift hatch at the top and air holes at the top to keep well ventilated-Humane for pets-Looks nice in any room-Deep enough for lots of room for burrowing-Well thought out design**** CONS ****-Flimsy construction materials-Not water proof-The only way to clean it is to scoop everything out by hand-Needs to be sealed better at the edges-Door hatch could use a handleTAKEAWAYNiteAngle is the only company I know of that creates humane hamster enclosures. Their designs are well thought out but could be sturdier. A solid wood option would be great :)