aluminum?

[diet otaku]

i have a few questions, actually:
1) i seem to remember reading somewhere that someone was able to temporarily prevent their degus from chewing their plastic cage by lining the plastic parts with aluminum foil. my boyfriend is afraid they will be able to tear it with their claws, and in chewing on the edges will cut their mouths. so, good idea or bad idea?

2) another alternative i found was window screening, but it only came in 2 types, black plastic (which obviously won't work) and aluminum wire. again, will this work, or will they be able to break the aluminum and cut themselves on it?

3) what's the best way to find a cage that is the same dimensions as mine but with a metal bottom? everything on ebay has a wire bottom or is an aquarium topper, and everything in walmart is bigger than the cage i have (and just as expensive). i really can't afford another $50+ on a cage/cage add-ons.

EDIT: OMG!! i found a pic of the cage i have on an exotic pet supply site.

i can't believe some of the junk on that site, though... the cage i bought is actually listed as a degu cage, along with other cages that have wire bottoms... some even use galvanized metal, when the site's info page specifically states that galvanized metal can become toxic with exposure to pet urine! x__X so, now that you can see what i'm starting with, maybe someone can help me improve on it?

[diet otaku]

well, i've solved the problem of the size of the cage at least - talked petland into selling me another cage for 20% off. :3 now i just have to stop them from chewing the plastic!

(i should note that i've since removed the strand of toilet paper since they didn't seem very interested in it. they don't seem very interested in the climbing rope either, but i guess they're still getting used to their new home. they did spend a lot of time climbing on the sides of the cage, though. XD)

[ra]

I used aluminum flashing (heavier than foil) to line my plastic base. The Degus did chew through it. It worried me for fear they would get cut- it was sharp. I spent $65.00 and bought pieces of 1/4" plate glass and non-toxic silicone to make a glass base. Has worked very well.

[Aimeelou]

I dont think foil is a good idea, not just about cutting their hands and face, but if they eat it, it might cut their insides
I wouldnt trust any thing plastic around degus- one chew and their out....

[diet otaku]

i'm just gonna have to truck on over to the home depot this weekend... ideally i'd be able to find some kind of steel sheeting that i can cover the chewable edges of the cage with.

[ra]

good luck diet otaku, I tried all kinds of ideas and finally settled on the glass base. Unless your metal is stainless steel or galvanized it will rust. How do you cover the plastic edges and not leave sharp metal edges. Could roll the metal edge but that would be labor intensive work.

[diet otaku]

i dunno, i'll just have to look at everything they have... if i can find some stainless steel that's thin but still durable, i could see if my dad can just file down the corners, and then cover the bottom with bedding and maybe duct tape or something. or i might still go with steel hardware cloth or wire screening, if i can find non-aluminum screening.

[Sunshinemeg]

It is hard getting the right sort of cage, since Chinchilla cages are the best but they are designed usually with a wire base to keep the chinchilla away from any mess to keep their fur nice.

You can find some Chinchilla cages that have a wire base on top of a metal surround. this is usually removable.

If not just ensure a good layer of sawdust substrate, and solid shelves to allow them somewhere to go off the wire.

good luck

SUNSHINEMEG ;D