getting chinnies question about cages

[panagabko]

Hi there all I am new to this forum and havent adopted any chinnies yet...But we are hopeful of our adopting date being around December...as I go on 2-4 week vacation about that time...

My question is about the FN-142 cage..see we have a cat who has recently (thanks to the doggie door) become an avid hunter of small critters :cat2: *it is very sad* so ....I am very concerned that if we get this cage she might be able to stick her paws in it...

I was wondering if anybody on here also has a cat and chinnies...and was hoping you would be able to tell me if the cage spacing is or isn't wide enough for a cat to get her paws through...Before I end up driving her to pet smart to put her paws up to it...lol

Hopeful in modesto,
~erika

 

[Sandi]

I don't have a cat but my pugs paws can fit through the FN142, as I tested it out the other day. I don't have my chins in that cage yet but I know there was someone on here that said a cat attacked and killed a set of chin-parents and he had to start hand feeding the kit they left behind as it wasn't hurt in the attack. I'm sure more members who have cats and chins can post and help you out. Oh and welcome to the forum )

 

[tunes]

Hi Erika - Welcome to CnH.

Regardless of what cage you get, I want to point out that especially if your cat is actively hunting smaller animals, you need to keep her 100% away from the chins. I have had cats like that, and if there is a will, there is a way. They will find a way to get into a cage one way or another. You would need to keep your chins in a closed room, where the cat does not get to go at any time. Otherwise, you are really putting your chins at risk.

If that is impossible to do, then you are either going to have to get a cage with 1/2 x 1 inch wire spacing, or build your own out of melamine with a mesh front rather than wire openings. You're also going to have to have a cage that has a very secure lock on it, again, to ensure the safety of your chins from your cat.

It's all instinct for your cat, so she's not to be blamed, but you need to be extra careful about the situation if you are bringing in prey animals, especially chins who have no real natural defenses other than giving off a mouth full of fuzz.

 

[EveningChin]

I could not agree more with Tunes.

I lived at home this summer with my parents and our two cats. One wasn't a concern but the other is a tenacious hunting farm cat. We ended up put the girls in the FN without legs on a work bench in the basement. This way they were three feet off the ground and there was no ledge for the cat to sit and figure out a way in. She would sit on the floor and watch them for hours but she could get no closer without being able to levitate.

Good luck! I find it really refreshing that you came here long before getting chin. Kudos!

 

[panagabko]

Thats what i was afraid to hear..We were really set on getting the FN142...But now it seems we will need to get one of the cages with smaller wiring spacing...:cry3:

I am prepared to make sure that all play time for the chins activities would be supervised with the rest of our animals either outside or in another room where there is no way for them to interact with the chinnies..

She has only brought in butterflies and a dragon fly...but a few days ago she had brought in a mouse...That is what put me over the edge worrying about bringing the chinnies home in a FN142 cage. She used to be an indoor cat too...crazy

But yes we would not allow them out of the cages to even play in their playpen, we plan on buying unless, all other animals were secure and out of contact..I am just worried about the them being left at home with a cage that she can get her paws in...

Does anyone have any recommendations for an alternative cage or ways to kitty proof the FN 142?

And thank you all for the warm welcome...I am trying to take this adoption as slow as possible, as to not rush into anything...I am trying to take all necessary steps to make sure we bring home the right pet, in a safe, loving environment.

 

[panagabko]

oh well we would need to put them higher than 3 feet i have seen her jump at least four from a sitting position..I dont know how she does it..But she does....so I will need some extra measures lol...She is quite the little monster..

I guess i could keep them in a seperate room but I was really hoping to put them in the living room as they would get soo much more human noise and contact then, if put in a quiet empty room...Or is that not a problem for chins in pairs?

jw...Thank you all for all the input so far...Iknow the dogs will have no problems with the chinnies...we have two...As they have been there when I have rescued birds and kittens...and they jst loved, mothered and protected them all...

But Zoey the cat, Im not so sure about...

 

[panagabko]

Cats and Chins

Does anybody know of anybody who makes enclosures, like the ones that are in the pet stores?...It would be nice to have a plexi-glass enclosure like those to ensure there would never be an accident..

Well what ever your ideas are please send them our way, we can never have enough help!:thumbsup:

I just want to hear some advice from those of you with chins and kitties..It would be much appreciated!

Thank you,
ERiKA

 

[rebeccab]

One of my QC mansions has the smaller (baby-safe) wire. I can barely stick my pinkie in between the bars to scratch my chin.

 

[Brittney]

I'm not sure. I'm bringing my cat home from TN that I bottle fed 6 years ago (My Akita at the time brought a tiny kitten home on Christmas day, I had to bottle feed him). I'm so nervous about him with my boys. It might be an old wives’ tale, but I heard cats have something in their saliva that is bad for rodents and birds. Not sure though.

Just because he is so cute, I thought I would post some pics of my chubby kitty

His name is Oliver Milo. He's currently a farm cat, so he will enjoy being a fat and lazy house cat and not having raccoons eat his food. haha

 

[Jenn]

I have 2 cats that have lived peacefully with my chin. I have rare cats that don't seem to go after much. They are strictly indoor cats, rescued strays at kitten age, but they are not aggressive at all. I had a hamster who had gotten loose in the house a couple of times and I was able to find him by finding the cats. On both occasions they were sitting with him and just watching him!

I'm not sure if you can have your chin caged in a room that your cat can't have access to. Maybe another idea is to wrap a finer wire cage around the outside of the cage so your cat can't get his paws through the cage bars. I hope you can find a way to make it work so your chin will be safe.

 

[Bethany]

I have cats that have access to my chin room. They do not bother them, but I have cages that they can not get to them. It is Pasteurella that cats have in their saliva that is the concern. However, since your cat is a huntress that shouldn't be an issue cause you will need to keep her away. You may look into a critter nation as it has half inch bar spacing

As far as the plexi glass type cage, that is a bad idea. Chins need to be kept under 75 (preferably 70). There will be no ventilation, and it will be hard to keep the cage cool. You may look into making a mealamine cage with a drawer to keep it higher up, and hardware cloth with small spacing. Do a search (at the top) on melamine cages. Starleomach's husband also makes wooden cages check her site out.

 

[Bethany]

http://www.abcchinchillas.com/

 

[panagabko]

thank you all soooo much!! you are all so helpful! And I appreciate all the input very much!

btw...brittney ur cat is gorgeous!! <3 i love kitties! i just rescued 5 bottle babies this summer and found em all homes....it was one of the most bitter sweet thing ever letting them go i misses them! lol

I just want to make sre everything is perfect before i bring them home...

Jenn i was totally thinking the same thing..wrap it in more wire! haha...

Well i will keep my ears open and see what we come up with..my boyfreind is even open to the possibility of building me a plexi glass enclosure...so we will see!

Thanks again all! If you think of anything else let me know

 

[panagabko]

oh yeah..bethany i forgot about them needing the ventilation..luckily that was one of the first things my b.f. said ...he was like i would have to put a vent system in it tho...luckily he is the bob the builder not me....hahah ...

but yeah i am DEFINITELY going to look into those cages u mentioned! thnx for the advice!!

 

[Vera]

Our cats here are terrified of Hercules, they won't even come in his room and both of these cats chase and catch bugs and mice outside. Maybe your cat will be too.

 

[saszygirl1]

I have 3 cats. They dont bother them. The chins have there own room but i bring them to the main room for playtime

 

[panagabko]

thanx all!!

i will keep looking...

i was totally thinking of putting more wire through the bars too!! hahah

btw brittney ..ur cat isss adorable!!

i miss my wittle adopted kitties i just rescued and bottle fed...this summer i rescued *5 kittens..and had to bottle feed em all.....luckily they all made it! *although we almost lost the runt like 3 times ...she was very ill* and already have been adopted out to their new forever homes...its a bitter sweet feeling giving them up...i really wanted to keep all of them especially our little runt!

but we still have our other 3 rescued manimals..2 doggies and a kitty....they are sweet!

well thank you all for the help and feel free to keep sending more my way! remember if u here anything about a plexi glass enclosure let me know!

i would love to post sum piks of the kitties 4 u brittney...but i dont know how to add one

 

[panagabko]

btw vera!

i am totally hoping that is how zoey..our cat will respond to the chinnies!...

see she keeps bringing in SMALL critters...but when we had our fostered kittens....she was terrified of them...when she saw them she would hiss and run out of the room, and bolt out the doggie/kitty door...and she would NEVER go in their room..ever..lol

now im not saying i want her to run our of the house when she sees them...of coarse..i am just hoping she will not want anything to do *as far as hunting goes* with the chinnies..becuase they will be about the same size of the kittens!....

so i really hope that since they are in the same size range she will not try and mess with them....either..like ur kitties!!

oh thanks for the tip vera!! u2 saszygirl!! i have more hope now! :0) thnx!

maybe we will try a smaller temporary cage for the chinnies...before we invest any big money in an enclosure for them...then we can see how our zo-kitty responds to them! if she is scared of them like she was the kittens..maybe we can get the cage we want...hahah...and if not we can take more time to pick something perfect for our would be predicament!!

thnx all again you are all soooo helpful!

 

[ChinchillaSteve]

Believe it or not but my cat is scared to death for my chin!
altough she brings home rabbits and other vermin she refuses to go in the same room as Stevie.

 

[Directorthiang]

My cat was the same way. I think she figured my chins were some kind of mutantly-enhanced mice; she knew she probably ought to hunt them, but was too scared to attempt it. lol:laughitup: