Bird Flight Cage Modification?

[Shal]

Just to start things off, this is just planning. I currently do not have a chinchilla, but am hoping to purchase one in a few months.

The cage I'm currently planning on using is the AE Flight Cage. It's a fairly sturdy bird cage that I have owned for a few years and it has sustained no damage. I'll be moving the budgies to a slightly smaller cage, as they don't utilize the space much anyways. I don't think they'll mind. Anyways, the question I have is this: are there any dangers in the way this cage could be set up, and how can I avoid them?

In other words, should I try to split it up into two floors, or is it short enough to not be harmful? Are there any ideas for how to set it up? I will be adding a finer mesh to the bottom grate, though I will be keeping the grate. I know the basics, but was wondering if there would be any problems with this cage, etc.

The cage: Click!

It's a very sizeable and well made cage. I plan on spring-locking the two breeder doors shut.

 

[Pookinaround]

I had one of those cages before for another animal and if it were me I would take out the divider, forget the grate and existing pan and get a custom Bass pan made. That way the chin could be directly on either a fleece liner or shavings. Load it up with some ledges and toys and I think it would make a pretty nice cage! Just my two cents but GOOD LUCK!

 

[Sandi]

My chins very first cage was a bird flight cage. While I loved the look of the cage, plus the cage was very sturdy as well, it was a pain in the butt to clean.

Below is how I set mine up...

 

[Shal]

There's no divider in the cage.

However, I do plan on leaving the grate. I don't have the ability to have a fleece liner setup in my situation (laundromat doesn't clean very well, and prefer to do as few loads as possible) and don't want them directly on bedding for cleanliness reasons. The grate will be a 1/4" by 1/4" mesh with several resting areas to avoid feet problems, so I don't believe it's cruel.

Thanks for the pic of the setup Sandi, that gives me some ideas! ^.^

 

[tunes]

The bedding is a lot more clean than pee dried on grating, trust me. Then if they get a little nick in their foot, the pee gets in there, it gets infected and viola - you have bumblefoot starting. It's also a whole lot easier to clean shavings out of a tray than it is to constantly take that grating out and scrub it.

Just something to think about.

 

[Shal]

It's easy enough to slide out the grate and give it a wipe down with vinegar wash mixture every few days, versus having shavings kicked out at a constant rate onto my couch and furniture. I also hope to box train for urination - I understand it's not possible to litter train for poop. ^.^