Modifying a Ferret Nation:

Hello all. Just me, with another harebrained idea. As some of you might be aware, I've been working on adding second levels to the cages for a while and the project was put on hold due to other things taking priority. I got to thinking that the hogs probably won't use the second level and as a result, I’ve been tossing around the idea of removing the middle wall between my two Ferret Nation cages (model 142) to make 2 long spaces rather than 4 smaller spaces. I saw that someone did the same thing with a rat cage, but I can’t find the picture to show.

Cuda would love the extra space since he does a lot of moving and exploring all night, but I’m not completely sure how the girls would enjoy it. They’ve had playtime together, and are pretty indifferent to each other. Kismet is curious about Vette and follows her around like a little sister would, but Vette pretty much ignores her. Eventually, Kismet gets bored and does her own thing. They’ve never nipped or done anything to bother the other in all the times they’ve been out together. For those that have successfully introduced two girls, would you think this is a promising sign?

Also, for those that have Ferret Nations, do you think I’d be compromising the structure of the cage too much by removing the middle wall between the two cages? I’ve seen people do a similar thing with chin cages when they remove the floor from the top cage, but I’m pretty sure it’s not the same thing. Any insight?

I have seen the picture and i know what your talking about but i think it would be hard, i have never tried it though

I don't know if it would be hard, per se... simply because of how the cage goes together. If I remember correctly (Adam put my cages together for me), the sides basically slide together and a few screws stabilize each wall. It would be time consuming to remove the wall and make sure everything matches up, of course. I'm just not sure if the walls in question would be considered integral to the structure. Granted, hedgehogs don't do much in the way of moving around and bouncing... so I'm not quite sure just how important a really, really solid structure is. I just have nightmares about the thing collapsing, lol.

Instead of removing the center wall altogether, did you think of using a holesaw to make "pass through" areas? Or even a jigsaw to cut larger holes? That way, the integrity of the structure wouldn't be compromised, and they could be still away from one another, if so desired! You could still block them, too, if there's a personality problem down the road.

That's the thing... I'm not sure I want to ruin the cage walls. At least if I remove the walls as is, and things don't work out, I can simply put them back without too much effort. It's a good idea though!

I love that rat cage that you were talking about that you found online, however, I did read somewhere that she actually cut out all of the wires on the sides of the cages and left the frame work in place, completely ruining the FN for any other purpose. I would think that it *might* compromise some of the structure, especially with the second level in place since the 2nd level floor slides into holes on the framework.

That's a good point... it might be better to simply continue with my original plan to give them a second level... much more stable, with no damage to the cage.

Here's the thread where she makes that massive FN:

http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat/topic,4018549.0

If I remember correctly, she did end up breaking/cutting out the bars on the sides of the cages to connect them, so unless you figured out a way to replace that with hardwire cloth or something, the cages are permanently damaged.

Looking at the FN, you *might* be able to figure out a way not use those side panels (instead of breaking the bars), but I think you'll have to reinforce it somehow. I am not extremely mechanically-minded, so I could be totally wrong!!

ETA: I don't think she had an issue with the structural integrity by breaking out the bars, so I guess that's an option if you're willing to do it. I know I'd be nervous to beak such an expensive cage! LOL

Well, I was looking at what others have done to create the same massive cage. One person noticed that the wire bars were only connected in about 6 places to the frame. She used a saw to cut away those few spots. If it comes down to it, she figured zip ties would hold the metal bars back on. I'm not sure I want to do that, simply because it is a very expensive cage. Hmm.

yeah--I now see what you're talking about. The vertical bars are not connected to the main supports of the cage, there are skinny horizontal bars that they're connected to that are in turn welded to the main supports.

To me, it looks like those wouldn't be too hard to saw off, but the skinny horizontal bars look like they'd be harder to disconnect from the main supports. I betcha it's possible, though.

Yeah... that's pretty much it. I might actually keep an eye out around here for a cheap, used FN. If I can get my hands on a cheap one, I'll feel much better about cutting the grids out and using them to connect the two cages. Then, I'll still have the other grids intact so I can separate the cages if need be. That might be the safest option right now.

I think you could leave the sides out of the top sections without compromising the integrity of the cage but I wouldn't do it on the bottom.

When I put ours together after having it apart to thoroughly clean after the ferrets using it, I put the floor grid with the opening on the very top, have the ladder attached and hooked up. There is no risk whatever that those in the top section can get to the bottom.

Hmm... that might work as well. Is there a reason you wouldn't do it on the bottom, or is it basically a matter of "if you remove the sides from one level, don't do it on the other"? Reason I ask, Cuda is the one that would probably get the most use out of an expanded living area. He's quite the little explorer. However, the girls need to be up higher because a) Vette is afraid of the dog and being higher up prevents the dog from looking at her, and b) The girls are much more sensitive to temperature and Cuda seems to prefer it cooler.

So... would it be safe to leave the top cages as is and remove the middle sections from Cuda's cage? I'm eyeing it up and I don't see right away if there would be a problem, but I also remember from some structures classes that one should not remove the stability of the structure by removing a bottom, because that basically holds everything together.

I think the best and safest thing to do is keep an eye out for a Ferret Nation for sale, and use that as my "parts" cage. That way, the cage is completely supported and stabilized, but the hogs have complete access to a massive living space.

Returning to this thread: I contacted Midwest about possibly purchasing just the sides, so I'll see where that goes. Adam, my lovely fiance, also reminded me that his father is a very accomplished welder that loves little projects like this. He built my hedgehog wheels for me, and could probably create a frame for my FN sans the dividing bars. As long as I'm not fussy about the metal matching the finish of the FN, he could probably whip me up something quickly and rather inexpensive (the wheels cost me a cube of beer).

It seems that the giant FN is more than just a harebrained scheme...

I saw this and thought of this thread--in this flickr set, there's a TRIPLE FN! I see your double FN and raise you a triple. heehee!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/passionate_eye_dot_org/sets/72157606016020183/

Holy crap. I'd need a bigger room!