Staircase Hidey House and Climbing Toy DIY Tutorial

Hello and welcome to a very interesting DIY tutorial for this staircase-like hidey house and climbing toy for small pets. I saw a natural, wooden hidey house resembling this the other day, and I thought it would be pretty fun to DIY!

I did change the design slightly from the original toy I saw, adding a shelf inside leading to an upper door. I’m including the measurements to make this toy for all hamster species, gerbils, and mice.

I have related posts, such as the cage makeover I use this toy in, linked at the end for your viewing pleasure!

For this project I used:

  • Cardboard
  • Hot glue
  • Scissors
  • Popsicle sticks
  • A ruler
  • A dark marker
  • A crafting knife
  • First you’ll need to measure and cut out two pieces of cardboard like this.

For Syrian hamsters and gerbils, the measurements are:

  • 12 inches long
  • 9 inches tall
  • The top of the steps are 4 inches long
  • The height of the steps is 3 inches high

For Dwarf hamsters and mice:

  • 9 inches long
  • 6 inches tall
  • The top of steps 3 inches long
  • The height of steps 2 inches tall
  • Cut a doorway in one of the pieces.
  • Next you need to cut out three identical pieces of cardboard, and cut a doorway into one.

The measurements are:

  • 4×3 inches for Syrian hamsters/gerbils
  • 4×2 inches for Dwarf hamsters/mice
  • Now you’ll need to cut out the back piece and shelf.

For Syrian hamsters/gerbils:

  • Back piece 9×4 inches
  • Shelf 3×4 inches

For Dwarf hamsters/mice:

  • Back piece 6×4 inches
  • Shelf 4×2 1/2 inches
  • Heat up your glue gun and begin assembly.
  • Glue the three identical pieces onto the vertical sections of the steps.
  • Now glue on the back piece and shelf (basically just guess what height to put the shelf, make sure your pet can jump up to it).
  • Glue popsicle sticks onto the horizontal surfaces of the steps as shown above.
  • Once everything is assembled it should look something like this.
  • Pull off all the nasty hot-glue-strings.

And with that, the DIY is complete! I got to use it for the first time in Beanie’s November Cage Makeover, and if you’re interested in seeing this DIY in a cage setup be sure to check out that post, which I’ve linked below for you.

This toy is really beneficial since it provides the comfort of a hideout and the enrichment of a climbing toy. It’s exceptional for Syrian hamsters and mice, who particularly enjoy climbing.

If you DIYed this DIY or something similar please comment down below and share your experience!

If you’re interested in more hamster-related content be sure to like this post and follow the blog, and I’ll be back on Tuesday with more small pet care, DIYs, recipes, cage setups, stories and more, have a ham-tastic day!

Related Posts:

  • How To Create a Cute Arched Doorway For Your DIYs
  • The November Cage Makeover

One Reply on “Staircase Hidey House and Climbing Toy DIY Tutorial”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *