Brought the new kit home today

[Ziora]

She's a beautiful 3-month-old grey. I'm really glad we went to a breeder instead of a pet store. It was well worth the drive. She's got a beautiful coat, and is nice and healthy. I also got a 3-month supply of hay cubes, feed, supplement, and dust for $15, which is a bargain, I think.

I can see why the bases on the FF cages are imposibble for little chin feet. I covered them with fleece for now, but it just seems like that middle piece is useless. Anyone else use this cage? Did you keep that middle and bottom grill in?

Well, for now, it's safe, but still have to give it another go at making shelves. I got wood that was too thin the first time around and it split when I tried to put the hanger bolts in, but I can use the pieces to make something else.

It's fun to see her hopping around. My daughter has been trying to persuade me the past 2 years to get a chin. Now I'm the one doing all the chin obsessing...hehe.

 

[Laurie]

Hello Ziora! where are the pics?????!!!!

:useless:

 

[Ash]

If by FF you mean Fiesty Ferret, they are very similar to the Ferret Nations. There's an entire thread on those in housing that you can look at to get ideas and you can order new pans from Bass Equipment Co.

As far as shelves, what kind of wood did you use that it was too thin the first time around? Most of the safe wood to use for shelving is at least 1" thick, which is plenty thick for making shelves and ledges.

 

[Ziora]

I'm not sure how to post pictures yet. The wood I used is kiln dried pine, but cut into a thinner piece than would work for ledges. I think it's meant for home shelving.

 

[Ash]

Hmm, because the wood I got is from the home shelving section, too. Look for wood that's 1" thick. It's actually a little thinner, but not by much.

 

[Rickman]

"1 inch" wood is actually 3/4 of an inch - they subtract the width of the saw blade, from what I've been told! Even a 1 x 12 is only 3/4 x 11 1/2!
[Tried to restore a 110 yr. old house with 'true wood' - impossible to get]
If you 'pre - drill' 1/4 inch holes for the anchor bolts, they don't usually split.
Wood from the shelving section is sometimes pressboard coated or painted if white, or #1 graded pine - expensive! Go to the lumber section and get their seconds or scraps - it's worth it, even if you pay to cut it!

 

[Tanya]

:congrats7: on your new chinnie!

 

[Ash]

"1 inch" wood is actually 3/4 of an inch - they subtract the width of the saw blade, from what I've been told! Even a 1 x 12 is only 3/4 x 11 1/2!
[Tried to restore a 110 yr. old house with 'true wood' - impossible to get]
If you 'pre - drill' 1/4 inch holes for the anchor bolts, they don't usually split.
Wood from the shelving section is sometimes pressboard coated or painted if white, or #1 graded pine - expensive! Go to the lumber section and get their seconds or scraps - it's worth it, even if you pay to cut it!

Not always. At our local Lowes, much of their untreated "thinner" wood was in the shelving section. I got untreated whitewood, a good amount of footage, for about $25. And we're talking enough wood to do 3 cages with lips on the shelves, 2 shelves per cage (I had plenty of smaller ledges to add in from another member on this forum).

 

[Ziora]

Thanks for the congrats and all the info on the wood. There was so much to choose from, I wound up scratching my head so I just chose a small piece that looked smooth. I wanted to get home and try it out. I know what to get now. Went to the pet shop and they wanted $10 for a leaping ledge. No way!

My daughter named her Myrna. Myrna has been making lots of grunting sounds which I'm going to look up in FAQ section. She was all over her cage last night as we can see by the telltale poop trail.

 

[Ash]

Good wood for shelves is KD Pine, Aspen, or the "Whitewood" board. Not to be confused with melamine. It's just a generic word for the white pine.

 

[Huffnpoof]

Congrats on the new chin! You can most of the time totally tell the difference between the coat of a pet store chin and a breeder chin. I have one of each, and although I love both of my chins, the coat quality of a breeder chin is just so much nicer. Both have great little personalities though, and that's really what counts. Anyway, can't wait to see pics of the new little one.

 

[addictedtochins]

Myrna has been making lots of grunting sounds which I'm going to look up in FAQ section.

Congratulations!
I remember Joey making those sounds when we first brought him home. He still is a very sensitive chinny and vocal. Go slow and kind of leave her alone for a week or so. Let her come up to you, don't force yourself on her.