What's wrong with the FN 142

[Jovi]

I have been wondering if i want to change the cage i have so i really appreciate posts like this one that lists the pros and cons of certain cages. I find it very helpful to see what concerns people may have come up with from all various cages. Thanks for the reviews everyone.

 

[NOLA Chins]

>I've attached a few pics of the pan and shelf to bar spacing in my cage.

The shadows shown on the pans indicate a gap. The pics should have been from head on, not from inside out.

The shelf pic clearly shows a gap on the right side at the corner coming forward. Look at a corner of the cage. The bars are set back from the frame. No notch, no flush. Sorry. This is just getting silly.

 

[Solarsis]

>I've attached a few pics of the pan and shelf to bar spacing in my cage.

The shadows shown on the pans indicate a gap. The pics should have been from head on, not from inside out.

The shelf pic clearly shows a gap on the right side at the corner coming forward. Look at a corner of the cage. The bars are set back from the frame. No notch, no flush. Sorry. This is just getting silly.

I can assure you that the shadow is NOT a gap...I can't even fit a piece of paper in between the bar and the pan. The shadow is by no means indicative of a space there. Metal on Metal IS reflective and if the light is coming from the right, then of course there will be a shadow on the bar when the object is to the left of the light. Weren't you the one talking about physics earlier?

You're right...it is getting really silly :err: If anyone is worried about the 2 mm gap between the shelf and the bars, then by all means consider it a negative for this cage. Otherwise, that's pretty flush to me...Chin feet are small but not THAT small.

 

[Stackie]

You're right...it is getting really silly :err: If anyone is worried about the 2 mm gap between the shelf and the bars, then by all means consider it a negative for this cage. Otherwise, that's pretty flush to me...Chin feet are small but not THAT small.

Exactly....

 

[NOLA Chins]

>Weren't you the one talking about physics earlier?

>that's pretty flush to me

????

 

[NOLA Chins]

>Exactly....

Well, that certainly settles that. I mean, let's just keep changing the definitions until we find one that means we win the argument, which, sorry, seems to be much more important to some than ferreting out (xqsme, I couldn't resist ) a potential hazard, as unpopular as that might be.

Let me try one more time. If the pan fits tight around the bottom frame, it cannot fit tight to the bars around the top of the pan on all 4 sides unless the pan has an outward slope from bottom to top. I don't think Bass does this. But for whatever reason, your pan is different on all 4 sides. Of course, you must assume that your experience is common to every FN cage with a Bass pan.

My pans have a gap around all 4 sides of from 5/16 to 7/16 of an inch. This gap is large enough to cause me concern. Hence the addition to my list. This gap is not uniform due to handling, but if it is less on part it is more elsewhere. The metal used for the pan, for all immediate purposes, can be assumed to not stretch, yes?

So ok, if you have a Bass pan in a FN, go look. Is there room for a foot to fit between the pan and the vertical bar? It is it a possible problem? If so, what can you do about it?

Everyone go look at theirs.

Oh, by the way, flush means, well flush, not almost, not just about, not too little to worry about. In your haste to be right, you refuse to recognize the validity of another's concern for the welfare of chins. Just because your's might not be, doesn't mean there is not a potential problem. I think it truly silly to insist that something is, over and over, and then say, well, ok it's not but now it doesn't matter.

 

[crazychin]

Hundreds of owners use them without problems and IMO they're one of the best. All your arguments you've made aren't big deals for everyone, and it seems to me you're just trying to get a forum wide argument going.

 

[Rickman]

I, personally, would not settle for any gap when it comes to shelves!
Whether it be legs or toes, breaking a bone on a chin could be expensive, and even fatal!
Not something I'd want to chance, especially if 'corner notching' a shelf would avoid the situation and make it fit flush!

 

[NOLA Chins]

>All your arguments you've made aren't big deals for everyone, and it seems to me you're just trying to get a forum wide argument going.

How interesting these anonymous posts of yours are. I am not forcing anyone to read or post. Of course, discussion on a forum meant for discussion isn't a good idea I guess.

You, of course, have references for your statement? I am a FN owner, and a fairly happy one. However, I have not invested so much ego in mine that I will turn a blind eye to potential problems. Have you? Are are you upset that I dare discuss possible shortcomigs of a near-sacred object?

If I have the only cage with the pan problem, I would like to know. If so, I want my money back. As to the shelves, if notching the back corners is too much trouble to take, don't do it. You may have your standards, but I am entitiled to mine.

If you go back and read the OP, there is little objectional, maybe something of value, at least a couple things to check for peace of mind. The type of responses now being posted are much more indicative of the poster's mindset than anything to do with the subject.

 

[Rickman]

ETA; Pans are included - should have read shelves/pans

 

[menagerie]

I, personally, would not settle for any gap when it comes to shelves!
Whether it be legs or toes, breaking a bone on a chin could be expensive, and even fatal!
Not something I'd want to chance, especially if 'corner notching' a shelf would avoid the situation and make it fit flush!

SERIOUSLY? WTF? Then all my chins should have broken legs, not just the two tripods that came to me after having limbs amputated from accidents in wire shelved cages. None of my added wooden shelves fit so snugly next to the wire cage that there isn't a slight gap.

It seems to me that Rickman and NOLA are just looking for things to nit pick about and get a rise out of everyone. Honestly, get over it. The FN and the CN are wonderful cages. If you look hard enough you will find danger everywhere. Everyone does things differently. I know both of them do things with their animals and have given advice that I would never consider.

 

[Rickman]

Honestly, I'm not the O.P. and I don't even own a F.N. - just pointing out a danger, as the O.P. was originally trying to do. Everyone will make a choice, one way or another!
I will not, however, stoop to pointing fingers and naming names if I disagree with someone as my only purpose to minimally post!

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

I own a 142 and I've been quite pleased with it. I think any cage will have major and minor flaws, but this is a widely accepted and recommended cage. I don't think the OP was trying to say it was a bad cage, but the FN is so popular but doesn't really get any bad reviews IME. It's just one experience, people can look out for these things now just in case, I don't think there's any reason to argue ^_^ The 142 is way better than a teeny tiny cage with plastic shelves and too small of a wheel sitting in the sun on a hot day with no AC and a box of raisins sitting just in paw's reach!

 

[crazychin]

...I forgot saying I didn't approve of discussion on an internet forum, but if you're implying I did, then I must have.
I said they're not big deals for everybone because you still can have front to back shelves, not everyone has multiple chins who are trying to get out, pans don't have to be made if you think your chinchillas are ok with plastic and will ignore it or if you have pan cases. And if you have that, you don't have 'dangerous gaps'. People may also have no problem notching corners to fit. And as for the design, I wouldn't know, maybe it's true, maybe not. My post was based on opinion, I even added IMO, so I'm not quite sure what refrences you want? I agree you have your own standards, which is again why I said in my opinion.

(And as for the near sacred, I said it was a great cage and IMO one of the best, no need to be sarcastic when I didn't say anything sarcastically in the first place.)

 

[Aimee & The Chinette's]

I had My Boyfriend make My pans so they are not from bass, on all four of My 142's there is about a finger space between the bars and the pan...

Will it kill them?? I sure hope not!!

Are the bass pans sides "angled out" to meet the bars or do they not sit in the frame as mine do (causing the space)??

Shame on You Rick for causing a fuss about Our beloved FN's!! LOL!!

illowfight:

 

[BellaBella]

I have two FN's. One pan came perfect, the second pan arrived with a dent in it; I hammered it out pretty well. BOTH pans leave a small gap between the bars and the pan edge, the second one more so. I don't feel this is an issue with my chins as they are not bar climbers, and the bar spacing in the FN's is not really conducive to climbing anyway. I AM aware of the gap, however, and should I ever notice it becoming an issue, I would shim some wood slats in there.
This could be solved by the bars being welded closer to one side.

The second FN arrived with one of the bars broken at the weld joint - it was in a door. They sent out a new door at no cost to me.

My first FN does have wood shelves back to front, and they do have gaps. The chin who lives in that cage does not have a problem with that (Bella). My second FN is lived in by Kiwi, and she is only allowed the top half of the cage, and doesn NOT have front to back wood shelves, only ledges (wood and rock).
Kiwi is a tripod, due to her stay in Bella's cage when I had begun intro's on them and swapped cages for a day. Kiwi was at the time living in Bella's old cage, which was NOT an FN but had the same bar spacing, and no front to back shelves.

Kiwi (who is a spaz) somehow got her left arm wedged between a wood shelf that has 2" tall edges and the bars, and broke her arm OFF trying to get free. This was a side to side back shelf.

the shelf above Kiwi is where it happened.

Bella has never had any accidents in her cage. I feel have set up each cage according to that chin's needs and personality and I'm confident they are each fine in their own cage.

Yes, there can be issues with the FN, it's all in how you have it set up and how your chin uses it.

neither of mine cage surf.

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Off topic, but poor little Kiwi!!! I knew she had had an accident, but I didn't know that she broke her little arm OFF!!!

She and Little Two Paws might make a nice couple...

 

[Aimee & The Chinette's]

I am with Lynn, I didn't know about this, poor Kiwi...:broken:

But case in point, as much as people can be misunderstood on a forum & in black & white, one of the OP's concerns/cons of not properly cutting shelves & spacing (as small as it maybe) is and always should be a concern & a mature discussion should ensue to come up with a solution... We are all on the same team right?? :hmm:

I LOVE MY FN'S!! But I also listen to EVERYONE'S input as I hope everyone else will in order to work out any kinks & put Our heads together for the good of all chins!!:kiss:

 

[BellaBella]

Well I'm sure the fall caused the break, she probably exacerbated it tryin to get out though. It was a compound fracture, her arm was hanging off by a piece of skin.

It was bad, but Kiwi is a goof, and was still sweet and silly at the ER, and is totally fine now. She does run a little crooked though.

I just wanted to point out that even if your chins haven't had any issues with gaps, doesn't mean others won't.

 

[Stackie]

Jen, do you think she got her paw stuck because of the gap created by the extra ledge to keep the poo in that is running against the cage bars? Or think it could have happened if the ledge was just regular and didn't have the poo protector ledge?