Thinking of buying a Ferret Nation cage...

[ninteytwofox]

Me and my wife are new to Chinchillas, and have a relatively small starter cage for our 6 month old Roxxie. We are thinking of getting her a FN cage, but have a few questions.

We want the taller of the cages, what is the model number? I have seen them as 142 and 182? Is there any difference?

What accessories should we also consider? We are definitely going to need a better wheel and will make some of the shelves. Anything else we should consider?

Where is the absolute best place to buy one new?

Thanks in advance!

 

[LoveBug]

they stopped making the 142 model and now make the 182 model.
only difference is the 182 doesn't require tools, but i hear some people still need like a hammer or something to put it together.
i have two 142 cages, and i love them.
i would definitely get a fleece tube by someone on here.
my chins spend 95% of their day in it. i put it on the top level so they're high up.
wheel i'd go with either a chin spin or silver surfer.
more accessories you could do hammocks or fleece hidey houses. i also have wood houses in mine cause my chins like to use them sometimes.
me personally i'd recommend using fleece as liners (less messy) but it's your call.
i would first look around at craigslist, i found both of mine on craigslist.
but i believe ferret.com has sales on them all the time.
also some people may recommend you getting bass pans to use instead of the plastic pans that come with it.
but since i use fleece the plastic pans never get touched by my chins.
i think i covered everything, sorry this is so long lol

 

[Godofgods]

What you would 'need' in a FN cage in terms of safety would be ledges to replace those ladders they come with. A chin can get his foot or leg caught in their which can lead to really bad problems.

As for things you need for upkeep:
Obviously, water bottle and food dish. Mainly the bottle you'll want to look more into. Plastic ones or the ones that mount inside the cage are often chewed apart/open.

Chew Block. Or some form of items for them to chew on to grind their teeth down.

Some things that might be nice for the chin:
Huts. Chins love a hidey place they can run to and hide in. (avoid plastic)

Wheel. Their a few different kinds that are recommended if you decided on getting one. And at 6 months old, your chin is just starting to reach the age where he can start using one.

(safe) Chew Toys/Treats.

Fleece products. Some chins rly like them. And theirs many different kinds of products. They have shelf liners, pillows, hammocks, PVC/metal pipes covered in fleece, etc. Theirs quite a few. And some ppl on the site make them, so feel free to check em out.

And one thing that might make life easier for you is the Bass Pans. While not the cheapest things, the are handy. The FN cage trays are plastic, and with a low edging. The Bass Pans are metal to help avoid chewing, and they have lips/edges that are like 3-4 inches tall. Which will help keep everything inside the cage, as opposed to all over the surrounding floor. That being said, as long as your chin isn't chewing up the plastic tray, you can make due with them just fine.


If you want to look at what some other people have done check This thread out. Theirs a lot of pictures of FN cages, and what ppl have done with them.

 

[ninteytwofox]

Thanks for the tips. I have definitely checked out that thread a lot, which is the main reason I want to go with the FN now. I already have all the other (well most) cage accessories.

We are probably going to get the 181 and 183 from ferret.com for $230 shipped (the 182 is out of stock). There isn't anything negative about getting those two instead of the 182 is there?

 

[LoveBug]

with the 181 and 183. i believe you can't connect them.
like with the 182, there is a small hole so that the chin can go to both levels.
with the 181 and 183 i don't believe there is a hole. so it'd be two seperate cages.

 

[ninteytwofox]

Did not know that....

 

[ninteytwofox]

According to the ferret.com page, I'm pretty sure they connect to make essentially a 182. I hope they do, because we definitely ordered them last night...