Endless cage debate...

[Isabella Whateva]

Okay, so I mentioned in my other thread that I need to get a new cage since another bar broke on my current one. My current cage is 30in wide, 17in deep, and 28in tall. It'd be nice to upgrade in size, but I only have one chin so I don't need something massive. Our current cage has a slide-out tray which I LOVE and wide-spaced bars which are good for quick chin-scratches through the cage. The bars are not very sturdy (hence the breakage,) and when she jumps onto a shelf, the whole cage shakes.

Here are my options:
Ferret Nation 142
I know these are the best of the best in quality.
Pros: I like that the bars are extremely sturdy and they're spaced like my current cage. It also comes with the stand which is nice.
Cons: No slide out pan I know that I could just use fleece liners, but I'd really prefer the slide out pan. These are also the most expensive. Also, I would have to remove all the shelves and ramps and start from scratch buying or making our own, which would add on to the price even more.
Question: The website says the specs are 36in L x 25in W x 62in H. I'm assuming this means with the stand. Anyone know how high the actual cage is?
$199.99 (no shipping fee)

Option #2:
Quality Cages Chinchilla Townhome
30”w x 24”d x 36”h
Pros: Slide out pan, bigger than my current cage. It also comes with some wooden shelves.
Cons: I'm a little worried about how sturdy the wire would be. Also, this cage is really deep and I'm a little worried about how much space it would take up in our bedroom.
$146.65 (doesn't include shipping)

Option #3:
Martin's Chinchilla Skyscraper
30" x 18" x 36"
Pros: Slide out pan, bigger than current cage. Least expensive.
Cons: Like the Quality cage, I'm worried the wire walls wouldn't be as sturdy.
$124.17 (Shipping included)


I NEED YOUR HELP!!!! Mostly with these questions:
Are the wire walls of Martin's and/or Quality cages sturdy? Will they support my chin jumping on wooden shelves without shaking the whole cage?

What is the height of the actual cage part of the Ferret Nation 142 OR 141?

Which do you think would be the best choice? Money is definitely a huge factor, but we also want something that is worth every penny and will last us a lifetime.


Thanks so much for your time and input. I really value the opinion of everyone here!!

 

[threewingedfury]

A lot of people on here lean towards the FN because it's very sturdy and easily customizable. I have never used the Martins or Quality cages but I've seen many over the years and I'd probably take a FN over one any day. The FN is easy to clean. Just get the Bass Pans and you'll practically have a slide out pan. Each section of the FN is 2 ft tall.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Thanks for the quick response!!
Do the Bass pans have a grid covering them? I'm not crazy about my chin being able to get into the dirty shavings. Or should I even be worried about that?

 

[threewingedfury]

No, they don't. You can use fleece liners though, which are cleaner but you have to change them more often than shavings.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Do you think I should be concerned about the chin being able to hop around in the used litter? Or is it really not a big deal? I guess with an FN it would be so big that she probably wouldn't be spending much time down there

 

[threewingedfury]

It's honestly not a big deal. Many people use shavings for chins, they love to play in them. As long as you change it at least once a week, there should not be a problem at all. I use shavings for all of my chins in runs and I've never had a problem. Try to get flaky shavings, without dust. Just make sure you have kiln-dried pine and you're good to go.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Thanks so much. I let my chin play in shavings a couple times and she seemed to really enjoy it, so maybe I'll do that.

Are these the pans I would need to buy?
http://www.bassequipment.com/Cages/Ferret+Pans/default.aspx
I'm assuming those are sized for FN cages because of the cut-out.

 

[threewingedfury]

That's it.

 

[inzeos]

The Bass pans are great!

My wife and I have two FN-142 setups currently and are using Bass pans in both cages. We sold on Craigslists the shelves and ramps that come with the cage and made a quick ~$40 dollars. Retrofitted in my own custom shelves, perches, huts and hay bins all built from inexpensive DIY KD wood.

We are considering buying an extra Bass pan or two for our males, both of which love to try and escape for extra play time when we are cleaning their cages. With an extra pan it is real easy to pull out the used tray with litter and put fresh back in, then we can dump the used litter and wash the pan without worrying about an escape chin.

 

[Rickman]

I've a few Quality Cages, double high that are collapsible for moving, which came in very handy.
Especiailly like the powder-coated pans - you can just wipe them out, after dumping the chips!
Also available with shelf guards, for your 'kickapoo' chins!
I prefer mine on bedding, as I believe the wire bottoms have to be very tough to walk on for little feet.

 

[Bam.Bam]

I now have 3 FN142's and love them! As Tiffany said, once you get bass pans, you pretty much have a slide out pan. I personally use fleece liners and a 'litter pan' and it works great for me.

I also always liked the look and desgin of the FN 142. IMO they look more durible and they just look nicer. Other cages just look like little rodent prisons and the FN seems to have a 'nicer' look to them, if that makes sense, lol. I also LOVE the full length doors, It makes it easier to catch them and decorate instead of having a tiny little hole for a door trying to catch them or put up ledges, etc.

If your going to use bedding, I wouldn't get the wire bottom, its hard on their feet and if it's not small enough, can cause as a hazzard and get their feet stuck. If you have plenty of wood ledges for your chin to take a break from the wire bottom though, you should be ok.

 

[fanofdmb84]

Personally, I hate hate hate galvanized anything, which the Martins/Quality cages are. They look great new, but after a few months they start to look yucky and really can't be cleaned to look new and shiny again. Gunk starts to accumulate on the wire and it starts to corrode from urine. The FN is all coated wire and can be wiped down or scrubbed and I don't foresee it ever really showing its age. It was expensive, but I'd never use another galvanized wire cage (been there, done that!)

Plus, you'll really appreciate the FN wide double doors over the small doors of the others. It makes cleaning and customizing a breeze instead of trying to stuff your arms in small doors and wiggle around corners and shelves, etc.

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Inzeros: Wow, I didn't know that anyone would buy them! Thanks for that, I'll definitely put them on craigslist.


Fan of DMB an Bam Bam: yeah, I'm not a fan of the wire either. I want to be able to see my chins through their cage. Plus the texture of it is just icky.

Yeah, it looks like I'm gonna be going with a Ferret Nation with the Bass pans. Slide-out trays with mesh are more convenient, but my chins comfort takes priority of course!

Thanks so much for the input, everybody! Hopefully I'll get this job I'm interviewing for, and then I plan on getting a cage and accessories with every penny of my first paycheck.

 

[wingittim]

You know the Fiesty Ferret Cage is a good knock off of the FN. i have one of each and really if it came down to money i would by the FF again.

 

[CerLynn]

Just a note - you don't have to take out the original FN shelves if you don't want to (definitely take the ramps out though). If your chin is good about not chewing plastic and you want to keep the shelves, you can either leave them as is, or cover them in fleece. It's actually one of our boy's current favorite sleeping spots.

 

[mistywaterwoman]

You know the Fiesty Ferret Cage is a good knock off of the FN. i have one of each and really if it came down to money i would by the FF again.

The Feisty Ferret is a good size for a single chin, but the disadvantages of that cage vs the Ferret Nation are numerous.
For one thing, they are almost equal in price though they are VASTLY different in size. If you find the FF on a good sale that makes it worth it, that's a whole different story.
On the Feisty Ferret, you get one door per level instead of two, which can make adding shelves, wheels, or heck even toys a lot more challenging.
Lastly, the construction is overall a lot flimsier than a Ferret Nation.

When I was cage shopping, I was fortunate enough to go into a Petsmart that had a lot of demos built and set up, and the FF and FN142 were side by side to compare, and there really was NO comparison. I ended up with 2 FN142's and they are simply freaking awesome to deal with.

 

[fanofdmb84]

Just a note - you don't have to take out the original FN shelves if you don't want to (definitely take the ramps out though). If your chin is good about not chewing plastic and you want to keep the shelves, you can either leave them as is, or cover them in fleece. It's actually one of our boy's current favorite sleeping spots.

As a side note, the black plastic shelving parts that come with the FN fit very nicely on the bottom shelf on top of the wire--so your toys/supplies don't fall through. :thumbsup:

 

[Isabella Whateva]

Well it's official!! Luckily, I found a barely used FN142 on craigslist for $120 nearby! I'm picking it up tomorrow at 3! I will be ordering these Bass pans when I get more money. I'm also gonna need to get more KD pine to make more shelves... this is quite the expensive project!!! I've been wanting this for a loooong time though so I'm sure it will be worth it!

Thanks everybody for all your help! )

 

[mistywaterwoman]

You will NOT regret it!!