Crazy crazy chin...

[CJR]

Okay. So Tia has a broken pelvis and couldn't stay in her big normal cage.

So I originally put Tia in a cat carrier, but she couldn't stay in it because it wasn't well ventilated and she developed watery eyes.

I moved her to a small hamster cage, but that was way too small (it's about 14"x14").

So I moved her to a tall bird cage (18"x18"x22"). When I first put her in there, she jumped up as high as she could and clung to the bars. I installed a false ceiling made of cardboard covered with fleece because she won't chew fleece.

Well, I was making pillows and needed that fleece and took it down. So just the cardboard remained. She left that alone for about a week and a half. Now lately she has been chewing on it and had gnawed a hole in it and was trying to jump up through it.

Last night I took two smaller pieces of fleece, safety pinned them together and put them in under the cardboard, hoping that it would stop her from chewing the cardboard.

Today I get home from work... go check on Tia, and she's GONE. Not in the cage. I panic, but then I notice that her fleece "ceiling" is drooping funny...

She was up in the fleece like it was a hammock. -_-; She also apparently got up onto the cardboard, because there was poop evidence.

I want to go the path of least-possibility-of-Tia-rebreaking-her-pelvis-if-she-hasn't-already. Please keep that in mind.

I have nothing to make a new false ceiling out of. Cardboard won't work, and I don't have fleece. So what should I do?

I can't keep her in the bird cage - it's too tall and she jumps in it. I can't keep her in the hamster cage - it's too small and she throws fits where she beats her hands against the bars and rolls around screaming. I can't keep her in the cat carrier because of the ventilation issue.

I *do* have a guinea pig cage... it's 30"longx18"widex16"high.

Should I put her in the guinea pig cage? Or what?

She is getting x-rayed again next week to see if she has healed up... any advice would be appreciated!!!

 

[Chubi32]

Haha silly chin- I'm sure others have good advice as to what to do but that made me laugh.

 

[sheri7]

Not sure it I read this right but it sounds like the fleece works - but you just don't have any extra? If thats the case maybe you could pick up a cheap remnant at the fabric store?

Otherwise the guinea pig cage sounds like a good option.

 

[CJR]

She crawled up into the fleece and used it as a hammock... I don't want her doing that because she could possibly re-break her hip.

 

[caiti]

The guinea cage sounds good--it is a half a foot shorter. Maybe putting a bunch of ramps so she won't jump would work...

 

[QnMidnight]

It sounds like the fleece thing was working well (except that she could get through, obviously) so is there a way to secure the sides of the fleece better? I'm not sure exactly how it was attached, but I'm guessing probably just corners if she was able to squeeze on top. Could you maybe try more safety pins every couple inches or so to keep her down?

 

[CerLynn]

Could you pick up some hardware cloth (like 1/4"x1/4") and some zip-ties (they make metal ones if you're worried about chewing the plastic) and section off either part of the bird or guinea pig cage?

Good luck & hope she's healing well!

 

[3CsMommy]

I'd get a cheap remnant of fleece at JoAnns or Walmart, and attach it much lower in the cage than it was before (maybe 4-5" from the bedding). She'll feel like she has more levels but doesn't actually get too far off the bottom of the cage once she hops into it.

Then if you're near a Lowe's or Home Depot, I'd have shelves cut to the exact length of the cage (1" x 6" sized kiln dried pine) and put them side by side across the inside of the cage just above the hammock. Essentially you'd be building a little temporary roof in the bird cage with pieces that you can put into her big cage once she's fully healed. Counting the fastenings for the shelves, it might be $15-$20 for the modifications.

 

[CJR]

I would prefer not to spend any money to modify that cage right now, as I'm a little busy saving up the $150 for her x-ray next week. I will put her in the guinea pig cage... I would rather that she have a little more room than room to jump, it seems like the path of least breaking-possibility.

Thanks guys!

 

[addictedtochins]

Ok, get a remnant of fleece to fit the cage plus an extra 3 inches on all 4 sides, cut into the fleece on all 4 sides to make 3 inches of fringe, apx 1-2inches wide. Now you can tie that to the inside of the cage where you want it, using the cage bars tying/knotting the fleece to itself. Use the horozontal bars to keep her from scooting it up and down. PM me if I'm not making sense, Theresa
PS the plain solid color fleece is inexpensive if you have to buy it, Walmart may have some

 

[alli713]

I think the tying makes the most sense. You'd cut the fringe like you're making a tie blanket, and then just tie it to the horizontal bars.

Right now JoAnn fabrics has solid fleece on sale for $3 a yard if you have one of those by you, and you wouldn't need a full yard.

 

[Essentia]

Really?! For some reason I'm not getting their emails anymore. Time to go buy more fleece!

 

[alli713]

Yep, I was just there this evening and the blizzard solid color fleece is $3/yd. I didn't look for how long it was on sale for..

The blizzard prints are half off, but all the anti-pill is normal priced.

However if you wait until the weekend, you can use this 20% off entire purchase coupon, but I don't know what will be on sale this weekend..
http://www.joann-mail.com/J1051KRN/...1008786680752300206&bc2=461008786982930760206

 

[sublime5981]

Honestly, I think I would have left her in the hamster cage. She may not like it but, isn't the idea to keep her from running and jumping?

 

[CJR]

Honestly, I think I would have left her in the hamster cage. She may not like it but, isn't the idea to keep her from running and jumping?

Yes, that is the idea, but the hamster cage is seriously really small. I was told that it's smaller than a show cage. The problem with the hamster cage is that she will throw tantrums in it, rolling around and such. I worry that said rolling would hurt her in the long run.