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Post by loubylou on Sept 4, 2016 16:44:27 GMT
Hello  Today I adopted two beautiful degu boys - it was quite emotional as I could see the previous owner really cared for them ... They are currently in a P@H cage and I'd like to either enlarge it or invest in another cage for them. I'm looking at the John Hopewell large attic extensions and it looks like it may fit onto the P@H cage as they're both 36"' x 18" ... Has anyone done this and can show me pictures/youtube videos? Thanks, and nice to meet you |
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Post by bouncy on Sept 4, 2016 17:08:51 GMT
Welcome! I'm glad you've taken the steps to increase your degu habitat! Could I recommend you have a read of our cage size recommendations? deguworld.proboards.com/post/70709 This will help you work out how much space they need. As the cage is made of wire mesh, it's easy to join them together. The most straight forward is to use wire cutters to remove a panel on each cage and join the two together by threading wire. If you wanted to stack them, same process, but you just cut a hole in the top and the opposite base tray. You can also increase their space by replacing the shelves in the cage with full levels. Keep asking questions - we're happy to help! |
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Post by deguconvert on Sept 4, 2016 20:36:48 GMT
Welcome to the forum and to the world of owning degus, Loubylou!! I look forward to getting to know you!
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Post by loubylou on Sept 5, 2016 5:30:04 GMT
Thanks Bouncy - I have already put in an extra shelf so that'll help a little until pay day  |
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Post by loubylou on Sept 5, 2016 5:31:26 GMT
Thanks for the welcome Deguconvert - I've been reading this forum for a while and now I get to join in!  |
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Post by Bexi87 on Sept 5, 2016 6:49:24 GMT
Welcome to the forum |
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 5, 2016 17:26:42 GMT
Welcome Loubylou For two degus we recommend 12,000 square cm or running space. This works out at around two and half times what the pets @ home cage offers, so by doubling it you are still a little short (although it is a vast improvement), and ideally it would be a little bit longer. Basically, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a new JH extension, I think you would be better off looking for a second hand PAH cage to add on, and then see how you get on, you may prefer to think about the Aventura or Explorer as a longer term option, you can sometimes pick up the Aventura for £125. Here's our beginner's guide to help you get up to speed on everything deguworld.proboards.com/thread/19754/beginners-guide-degu-keeping |
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Post by loubylou on Sept 6, 2016 5:39:06 GMT
Thank you Moletteuk I've seen one or two large cages on ebay too ... watch this space! |
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Post by skardsen on Sept 6, 2016 17:44:45 GMT
Let me first just say I applaud you for making sure they have the right environment to live in. I'm not sure about the extensions, but personally I wouldn't recommend a Hopewell cage. Don't get me wrong, there's some great innovations on them, like built in hay racks, but the cages just aren't really suited for degus. What matters most in their environment is running space, whereas Hopewell cages seem to be built around verticality in mind. My first cage was a Hopewell, and after joining this forum, I quickly realised it wasn't suitable for them. Plus, the doors on those are badly designed, a few times I accidentally got my degus paws caught in them. These next three cages all have the same premise. Double levels and huge doors that make it effortless to reach inside. I have the Liberta, but I'd recommend the Aventura. The casters on my liberta are bad, and the platforms on the Aventura are much better designed (raised edges instead of flat). www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk/products/metal-aventura-huge-metal-rat-ferret-chinchilla-cage.htmlwww.cagesworld.co.uk/p/Little_Zoo_X-Trail_Animal_Cage.htmwww.cagesworld.co.uk/p/Liberta_2nd_Edition_Explorer_Rat%2C_Ferret_and_Chinchilla_Cage.htm |
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Post by randomname on Sept 6, 2016 18:12:08 GMT
Can't "like" skardsen's comment enough! Totally 100000% right!
I have started using a lazy bones cage (same as Hopewells) for the babies, just temporarily. I had forgotten how awful the square mesh cages are to clean. Took me twice the time to clean the little ones as it did to clean BB (who has the liberta) despite BB's cage being about 3 times the size! Really bliddy awkward for positioning toys & cleaning. I spend a fortune on hemp mats to line it, in the Liberta I just use a few handfuls of hemp chips, much cheaper/easier. I can't get rid of the lazybones quick enough!
Used to call the cage I had years ago like this "the cruddy poop collector" - was reminded why today. Those doors are horrible too, totally agree. Wouldn't recommend square mesh cages for any animal or owner.
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Post by loubylou on Sept 10, 2016 16:56:41 GMT
Thats good to know - thanks I'm currently trawling ebay, although any purchase will have to wait until the end of the month when I get paid, which is a good thing as I have plenty of time for research ... |
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Post by moletteuk on Sept 13, 2016 11:20:50 GMT
Let us know how you get on, we can always cast an eye over any listing you are unsure about.
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