Double Ferret Nation, Fleece Liners & Bonded Pair

Hello Everyone!

I just got my two girls (a bonded pair) a few weeks ago. I pulled out my old Marshalls Folding Mansion cage from the attic for them. I didn't remember how difficult the cage is to clean!! It's a nice sized cage however the door size is small and multiple set in wire shelves (lined with fleece) as so difficult to sweep off and you have to maneuver yourself into the cage to get at them. I'm already thinking about upgrading to a Double Ferret Nation. I have been researching the cage and have a few questions...

1. Open cage vs. Keeping the middle pan: At first, I really liked the look of the "open cage" concept without the middle pan. But after reading some reviews, it seems keeping the middle pan in is safer. One of my girls is a tripod, missing a back leg from an injury (she came to me this way) .I read you can make the open concept cage safer by adding wooden shelves but I feel the middle pan would be the best option for my little three legged girl. Guess I just need some confirmation on this.

2. Bass pans: I am planning on purchasing the stainless steel pans. Right now, I think one of my girls is litter trained and the other is not... I think *lol*. I use fleece liners and have small pyrex pans for pine shavings. What depth bass pan would you recommend? Does having the bass pans & middle pan in- cut down on messes flying out side of the cage? My current cage allows for ALOT of projectiles due to the bouncy shelving. I have also purchased some wooden ledges with the "poop guards" to help with this issue.

3. Fleece Liners- Envelope/Pillow case style vs. drop in: Which style do you prefer? I like the concept of "drop in" but was unsure if this was more messy to clean.

4. Bonded Pair: My goal is to maintain the connection they have. Like I said I have only had them a few weeks and they are very bonded & loving. They currently have TWO of everything. Would moving them to a new cage so soon stress them out?

5. Cotton fabric: In my chinchilla excitement, I placed an etsy order for hidey houses. Unfortunately I overlooked the fact the seller makes the houses with some cotton fabric (not just all fleece). I spent quite a bit on these items only to have that "Aha" moment later. :banghead: I know in general cotton is a no-no fabric but is there harm in trying it out on a trial basis to see if the girls will chew on it? Has anyone had any success with their chinchilla not eating fabric? If need be, I can try and sell these items on craigslist or something.

Thank you for taking the time to read! I truly appreciate all the great advice on this forum and any suggestions/comments you have for me!

1. I personally always kept the middle level in. I find the open plan to be more risk then i like. I know it can be designed to cut out the risk but i just dont like it. And between the large hut, wheel, food, hay, litter pans.. i need the floor space. - Probably a good idea for a tripod too.


2. Stainless steel is a good option. It is worth noting however that there standard stainless steel is non-magnetic. I think they can make one out of a magnetic metal if you want, but you would have to contact them about that. I found this out when i ordered fleece liners and they have little magnets in them. They stuck to the regular steel pans i had, but not to the stainless steel ones.

Standard pans come with a 2.5" depth sides. I wouldnt go as far as to say they cut down the mess a lot. More then those plastic pans the cage comes with, yes. But your still going to have a little cleaning to do. - Especially if you have girls like mine who specifically go out of there way to make a a mess outside the cage. Nothing makes you quite as happy as to watch a girl climb up the cage, stick her but against the bars, and pee outside the cage -_-
Its also worth noting, that while a chin may be trained to use a litter pan to pee in, they can stop. My girls used the litter pans for a long time. Then one day one of them decided she no longer wanted to. And hasnt for years ><

3. If you have bass pans then youll probably go with drop in style since you have the high edges. The pillow is more suited as an option for those covering up the plastic shelf that doesnt have edges.

4. If its been a few weeks, then probably not. Just watch them day to day and see if they are getting more comfortable with the new environment. If its already been a few weeks, then by the time you get the fn cage and all its upgrades, they will probably already be adjusted fairly well. Thats up for you to determine.

Its also worth noting that having the middle shelf (instead of an open floor plan) makes it much easier to separate the two chins if they ever fight, or if theirs an issue that you need to monitor one of them.

5. No. You cant be there all the time. And its only a matter of time until they start chewing on the cotton. - Is the cotton removable? You can also make them a hut if you wish.

Thanks for the info. Godofgods! Interesting about the Bass pans not being magnetic!

Unfortunately, the cotton can not be removed. I emailed the Etsy owner to see where she was at in processing my order, fingers crossed she may not have made some of the items yet and it can be switched to all fleece! Really loving that hut you posted as well!

1. I ended up taking the middle out, but replaced it with 2 2x8 boards so their really isn't that much of a gap, and the gap has hammocks. With a chin that might be compromised (tripod) I think leaving the middle in would be safer.

2. I don't have bass pans so can't help you there.

3. I'd go with the drop in, as Godofgods said the pillowcase style works best with the shallow pans that come with the FN. People weigh down the corners with either tiles, litter pans or even rocks sometimes to prevent the chin from pulling them up.

4. It really depends on the chins, some chins are more fearful then others. A good rule of thumb though is give them at least a week to settle in before changing things.

5. I would say with not worth the risk. The reason fleece is the safest option is that, unlike other fabrics, if it does get chewed it doesn't unravel into threads or strings (which can lead to a lot of gut issues and death if swallowed). So you can take it away before too much is eaten to cause an issue. With cotton the chin would be able to eat too much of it too quickly unless you can watch it 24/7. Cotton also shreds, which makes it interesting, fleece doesn't so most chins lose interest after a test nibble or two.

furbabies33 said:

5. Cotton fabric: In my chinchilla excitement, I placed an etsy order for hidey houses. Unfortunately I overlooked the fact the seller makes the houses with some cotton fabric (not just all fleece). I spent quite a bit on these items only to have that "Aha" moment later. :banghead: I know in general cotton is a no-no fabric but is there harm in trying it out on a trial basis to see if the girls will chew on it? Has anyone had any success with their chinchilla not eating fabric? If need be, I can try and sell these items on craigslist or something.

Thank you for taking the time to read! I truly appreciate all the great advice on this forum and any suggestions/comments you have for me!

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I just wanted to commiserate with you on this one. I ordered a cute little fleece house for the guys to snuggle in, only to have it arrive and find that the maker had made it out of many, many layers of fleece, but also DENIM. I have spent the past 3 weeks carefully closely cutting away any exposed denim (it's layered under the fleece, presumably to make it sturdier...?), but I swear that stuff GROWS overnight. And given how thready it is, I can't put it in the cage. I'm going to see how closely trimmed back I can get it, but I think I may ultimately end up using it during playtime for another hiding spot for them... just so I can monitor their nibbling in general. Any chance of you saving the cotton accessories for monitored playtime, when they might be too busy with everything to really bother to chew?

Im always one to be on the overly cautious side, so i generally wouldnt. Only takes a moment for them to grab something and eat it (i learned when they tore paint off the walls and ate it) If its exposed at all, its probably not a great idea. If its layered/covered completely with fleece then its possible. But you have to be very observant each day. Checking to make sure they havnt chewed open a whole or anything. - Its also worth noting that some fleece liner makers use a middle layer of something other then fleece to absorb better. But when its done, its completely covered and inaccessible. And if a chin chews at it, it would have to be removed. Which is true for plain fleece as well.

the hut i linked to is very simple to make if you want to. Only really takes a saw, drill, tape measure. At least for how this one was made.
Cut the four sides to length.
Cut the opening.
Drill holes where each side connects. (pilot holes)
Cut poplar dowel to size.
Stick dowels in each hole. (I did roughly three on each side. Just make sure you leave room to connect them with the door cut out. And leave room for the dowles coming in from the roof pieces)

For once in my life I had some luck... I emailed the etsy owner and she didnt start working on that part of the order yet despite the fact I ordered it about 2 weeks ago. She was very kind about the whole situation and is going to use fleece only! Thats a good point Spodumena about only using it during ply time so you can keep an eye out

Thanks for the building instructions... I wish I was handy!!