DIY Hamster Platform - Dwarf Hamster Blog

I wanted to make a platform for my dwarf hamsters because the one that came with their cage was kind of ugly. After looking at Nikkigrace’s Ikea Knuff hamster platform on Hamster Central, I was inspired to make my own DIY hamster platform.

This platform is suitable for dwarf hamsters. There’s enough space for a hamster (or two) to go on it as well as sleep under it. My dwarf hamsters seem to like sleeping under the platform during the day. Scroll down for detailed instructions to make this platform ^_^

DIY Hamster Platform

Time taken to build this hamster platform: About 30 minutes (not including time taken for glue to dry)

Materials for DIY Hamster Platform

Here are the materials I used and instructions to make them. Note: I didn’t make any stairs because I forgot! Luckily, my dwarf hamsters were able to climb up the platform on their own. You could probably make stairs with popsicle sticks or paper tubes if you wanted to. You could also use these bendable fiddlesticks as makeshift stairs.

Materials Used for DIY Hamster Platform

Platform base: A piece of corkboard – $2
I used a round corkboard for this because I wanted something different. You could use a square one or even cut out your own shapes
Fence: 2 packets (40 pieces each) of 8 x 40 mm wooden dowels – $4
There were 80 pieces of wooden dowels but I didn’t finish using all of them. You might need to get more or less depending on the size of the platform base
Legs for platform: 30 x 90mm cylindrical wood pieces – $2
I used only three legs and I should have used four! But it’s not wobbly so nevermind. You’ll need more or less depending on the platform base. You can also use shorter legs to make a lower platform.
PVA glue to stick everything together – $2

Total cost: 10SGD (approximately 8USD)

You should be able to find these materials easily in a hardware store. Amazon also carries wood dowels but I think they’re kind of pricey. If you’re in Singapore, I got all of these items from Daiso Sembawang — the corkboard is in the Stationery section and the rest are from the Crafts section.

DIY Hamster Platform Instructions

Glue the legs to the base and wait about 10 to 15 minutes for the glue to hold it together. I used three legs, but like I mentioned earlier, you could use more or less legs depending on the shape of your platform and how stable you want it to be.
Flip the platform over and stick the wooden dowels along the edges of the base. Turn your platform as you stick the dowels so you can see clearly whether you’re sticking them in the correct position.
Remember to leave an opening in the fence for your hamster to go on the platform.
Put PVA glue on the outside of the fence between the dowels to make them less likely to fall out. You want to put glue on the bottom half only so that if your hamster chews on the fence, it doesn’t eat the glue too (although PVA glue is hamster-safe, it’s better if they don’t eat it).
Leave it alone for a few hours to dry and we’re done! ^_^

Ready-made hamster platforms

Super Pet Woodland Getaway

If you prefer not to make your own, there are plenty of hamster platforms available for purchase as well. A good one would be the Super Pet Woodland Getaway which is a platform and a house in one. For under 10 bucks, you can get a medium-sized platform/house that has enough space for a hamster or two to nest in and climb on. Larger sizes are also available but they might be a little too big for a dwarf hamster to climb onto. This is made from wood that is safe for animals (our DIY platform is too!) so there’s no issue if your hamsters chew on it.