I need help with his cage!

[meganb95]

I've had my chin for two years and have always felt that his cage is pretty bare. any ideas about how i could spruce things up a bit for him? i already have a wheel and a wood shelf on the way. I just don't want him to be bored

 

[Brittneyk13]

I would remove all the plastic shelves and the plastic igloo because plastic causes a lot of issues when ingested. You can replace them with kiln dried pine wood shelves and maybe a few lava ledges (you can buy these at most pet stores). You can also add some fleece items, such as a hammock or a little bed. I buy my fleece at Jo Ann's fabrics and it's very affordable. You can get some good cage ideas by looking at the ferret nation club thread on this forum, it helped me a lot. Hope that helped!

 

[lightningturtle]

In addition to ditching the plastic (finally tossed my last piece) my go to is hanging toys. You can either get pre-made or make your own. There are also lots of means to get or make wood ledges, shelves, and houses. The supplies for sale section is a treasure trove of goodies, with the added bonus of knowing the goods are coming from people who have our animals' best interests at heart.

Have fun and make sure to show off your upgrades!

 

[meganb95]

I would remove all the plastic shelves and the plastic igloo because plastic causes a lot of issues when ingested.
Thanks! I'm working on removing the plastic, but I can't find any shelves that I can afford to buy all at once so it's going to be gradual. At least he doesn't seem interested in chewing plastic!

 

[meganb95]

Update! I just made 2 fleece liners today (thank you youtube tutorials) and a hanging hammock. Yesterday I made some hanging toys with lava blocks, salt rings, and apple twigs. I also put a litter pan on there. I wish I had two years ago, he went in it immediately. I also got a wheel and took one of the plastic shelves out progress right? Thanks for your suggestions!!

 

[Godofgods]

changing out a cage entirely can be quite the task for sure. But every bit your able to get done counts!

Also i should mention those 'edible logs' on the bottom and first shelf are quite bad for chins. I had them too and it took me a long time before i saw the effects. But those logs (and edible items of the same kind) are made with honey. And chins cant process the sugars in them all to well. This eventually led to my guy having some painful problems. When he would go to the bathroom he would start screaming/moaning in pain. After i got rid of it tho he started getting back to normal. And today he is perfectly fine!

(old pics with bad tray and litter)

 

[meganb95]

I had no idea! It's one of his favorite things, so he's going to be pretty mad when I take it, but if it's what's best for him then hopefully a healthy treat will make him forgive me thanks for letting me know!