Zenaida's Enclosure Build

[moletteuk]

Fantastic!! I'm sooo pleased this has worked so well, what a result! I think this is a great example of how you need to get the set up right for the exact situation of you and your degus, and how much of a difference it makes to the overall experience when you get everything right and can relax and have fun.

[zenaida]

Well... they adapted...

They still can't get through the walls of the playpen AT ALL (whoo-hoo!). So they have doubled efforts on the area rug I put down. That's mostly fine, but now they can hack through it in a relatively short period of time (like 30-60 minutes). I have to start planning my next chess move to counter their efforts. Since the coroplast has been completely impervious to their teeth and claws, I'm considering other solid flooring options.

What do you all think of a plastic or rubber runner?

Option 1 www.amazon.com/dp/B00H222G6K/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3W3CJC8ZIHNGY&colid=23X4FVYNBSU75

or

Option 2: www.amazon.com/dp/B005SUJ01M/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1PXZXJ96XY52U&colid=23X4FVYNBSU75


Needs analysis:
Material- I would rather rubber because I believe it is less toxic to them if they chew it than plastic. Also it just would have a better walking surface. But I am concerned that rubber might be softer and they might be able to "get it up" more to chew it. Plus I suspect it won't look as tacky.

Spatially - the maximum coverage area I need is about 10x6 feet. Minimum is at least 8x4 feet. (Maximum covers me for if I want to expand the pen later, minimum covers what I have now if I position it just right.) I'm really concerned about the plastic ones because I would need two of them side by side and I don't trust my girls with any hint of a gap. Plastic doesn't really come wider than 3 feet unless it is mega industrial sized. Rubber, I've only seen 4 feet wide, but could do more searching.


So any opinions? Does anyone recall any other floor protection measures used in the past?


Edit: As an aside, expensive little buggers... I planned on the expense for food, bedding, toys, and the initial build costs. Didn't quite plan for how much "renovation" their environment needs almost constantly. For instance, right now, I have to start planning a saucer replacement because they have taken a slice out of it, like they are trying to chew straight to the center. A few more days of focused work and they won't be able to run any more due to a dangerous chewed up gap. 

[deguconvert]

I like the second, black, one best. I was walking through a hall once where the clear plastic runner, like the first option, had been returned to it's location upside down, so the poky things were face up. I was bare foot, but wearing hose. I was unable to repair the massive damage and could not replace them. At that time in my life the idea of wearing a skirt without hose was SHOCKING. I have hated them ever since and have adapted to no hose!! LOL!!

[misscatafer]

So pleased the pen is working, we have also made a corrugated plastic pen, it has only been two days though so I am going to test it out for another few weeks before reviewing to see how it holds up! (no damage or chewing yet!)

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0198M58UM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_0M4TzbE3G0VH7

Would something like this be a bit cheaper if you needed a few? Then maybe just using some kind of tape on the underneath to fix in place. We have one of these, but have never trusted the girls near it to have tested it out unfortunately.

[moletteuk]

Out of the two, I think the rubber one is better. Have you thought about lino from a carpet shop, it comes in wider stretches? I think the smoother the better, although having some grip like the rubber will be comfier for them because it offers some traction. When mine panic on their laminate floor, they tend to skidaddle and we have had the odd leg strain due to this.

As you gradually gain the upper hand in all areas I think your costs will decrease a lot. We spent large amounts sporadically for the first couple of years, but my cage mod costs have been virtually nothing for at least 3 years, it's just the odd plank of wood these days.

[zenaida]

Thank you all!

misscatafer: I'm so glad that your pen is working! I would love to see how you did it in pictures when you get a chance. Those sort of chair protectors is what inspired this new change. The new rug ran 1/2 under Nico's desk chair so we needed to get one of those so he doesn't have trouble moving his chair. None of those are big enough though. I also am really trying to avoid a gap that I need to connect somehow because I think they would direct their chewing at the gap.

Ok, so rubber is preferred, like for me.

Moletteuk: I hadn't considered straight linolium. I'll research that. I am slightly concerned about how that would work at the edges because even though I need big, I also need something that will lay flat and not create a tripping hazard. Whatever I put in, it has to operate a bit like an area rug.

Off to work for me! Will dwell on these things more later tonight!

[claire]

Just a couple of things I picked up on reading this thread.

The reason you can't really get metal runners for sliding glass doors is metal and glass do not mix. My other half is a window fitter and he explained it to me. We overcame this issue by putting metal stripping in the edge so it faces up on the inside and then sitting the plastic runner in it so it's protected by the metal... which turns out was a must have.

I feel your pain trying to stop them escaping mine are destructive too but we made a similar vivarium out of melomide it's smooth so they can't get their teeth into it.. I find patching with aluminium actually encourages mine they just see it as a challenge lol.

Love your play pen idea I may gave to steal it

[zenaida]

Thanks for the tips!

I've actually started working on a more permanent wall solution. I've just been too busy/lazy to do more than one side so far. We're covering the wall in mesh. I initally didn't want that because we were trying to avoid a "cage". I've since gotten over that ascetic opinion because I'm so much less anxious when I don't think they're going to chew their way out.

The playpen is still super awesome months later. There isn't a single dent in it. Sometimes they try to "dig" at the wall, but it is as effective as digging on glass. The carpet on the other hand... we're still doing a "dance" to cover holes while I work up the gumption to spend that much money.

[misscatafer]

That is great news about your pen, mine is also holding up perfectly... Amazing how effective this material is!! Wish I could make a cage out if the stuff... If is much too light though! I use an old duvet cover for the floor of mine, they don't chew it, but they do occasionally ruff it up if they find a bit which it isn't perfectly taut (I weigh if down from the outside)

[claire]

You can get melomide covered board it's really thin and much cheaper I wonder if it's worth trying to cover a wall with that as long as there are no edges they can get to it's so slippery they can't get their teeth into it... in theory anyway lol it's also waterproof for easy cleaning

If you want a pic of my runners just pm me it's no problem. It's taken 2 years to get a good setup for my chewy rats lol
They are currently working their way through the aluminium air vents ... shame we will just replace them just when they think they can break out mwahahaha