Habitrail
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Habitrail is a product made by the Hagen corporation, a series of translucent plastic tubes and "houses" for use in home terrariums, designed especially for pets such as mice or hamsters. The design of the Habitrail is modular and can be configured however the owner likes, as well as dissasembled for cleaning. The Habitrail is meant to mimic the habitat of the animal in question, usually a series of underground warrens and tunnels. The mascot for Habitrail is "Herbie the Hamster" who even has a video game based on him called Hamster Ball.
Large Habitrails may contain multiple bathroom spots chosen by the pet, and a good Habitrail should incorporate small holes and metal bars to increase ventilation. Habitrails do not make a good cages for gerbils, due to their tendency to chew obsessively.
Although Habitrails make fun and unique homes for hamsters or mice, they are rather small. This tends to be a problem for Syrian hamsters, who tend to either not be able to fit through the tubes, or get stuck while passing through them. This is typically common for pregnant Syrian hamsters. They often get lodged into the small and narrow mazes, making it quite an issue of getting them to safety. Habitrails work primarily well for Dwarf hamsters, such as the Roborovsky or White Russian types.
[edit] Cleaning
Habitrails are recommended as habitats for small rodents only, due to the obvious size issues. They are easily dissasembled and cleaned, although you should take care while cleaning the small compartments. The tubes are most easily cleaned with a baby-bottle cleaner, with warm soap and water.
You should never clean any pet's cage with abrasive cleaners. The use of household cleaners around pets is ill-advised due to the effect it has on them. Small rodents are highly at risk. Due to their small size, it doesn't take much cleaner to cause them to get ill. Use of mild handsoaps, antibacterial soaps, and dishsoaps will prolong the life of your pet, and keep them clean, healthy, and safe.
