Dwarf hamster and crittertrail x cage

Question
Hi,
we just adopted our first Campbell dwarf hamster and we bought him the Crittertrail X cage but I am worried that he could hurt himself on the tall tubes going up to the watching tower and another tube going to the wheel. I read somewhere online that dwarf hamsters are very delicate in that they can hurt there back by dropping only a foot or so. We saw him slide down one of the tubes very quickly which is more than a foot long. Also, he climbs up these steeper tubes really quickly but then is too scared to climb down so we have had to rescue him. Are these type of cages safe for a dwarf hamster or is there a risk of them injuring their back?
Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hi Sarah,

I believe the Crittertrail X is quite safe for your dwarf.  In fact, I housed my dwarves in this cage, and they loved it - and there were no accidents.

The Crittertrail tubes are great for dwarves because they're smaller than those made for larger hamsters, and they have textured ridges so the dwarves' furry little feet can grip them.  These ridges make it difficult for the hamster to just fall down the tube and hurt himself.  They do slide down the tubes, however, like you observed, but they still have a grip, and they're not free-falling.

Your hamster will have to get used to the steeper tubes.  Nearly every time I got a new hamster, he/she was afraid to climb up or down the tubes.  Once they became more comfortable in their cages, they had no problems with the tubes.  I realize you want to keep your hamster happy, but next time, let him climb down the steeper tube himself - don't worry, he'll do fine :)

Good luck with your new arrival, and if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly