Our new Play Pen!

[moletteuk]

I love all the stuff for rummaging you have in there! It looks great

I did a double take with the toy too!

[misscatafer]

Thank you! Aldi provides a never ending free supply of rummage dens and nesting boxes, Boo in particular loves destroying cardboard so I'm finding myself picking up a couple each time I do the weekly shop now! I have just treated the girls to my first Zooplus order too, so should have a lot more fun stuff in there soon.

[bouncy]

Every time I take something out of cardboard packaging, it goes on the kitchen floor. The kitchen looks a tip, but the goos are happy!

[misscatafer]

Argh, had our first escape from the pen a few days a go, harmione chewed a hole in the wood at the corner... Need to look at strengthening the corners so they can't get their teeth round.... Not sure what to use yet! Anyway...by some odd coincidence I was putting the bins out today and someone has thrown away a 90cm high collapsable black metal dog pen in perfect condition! It has 8 panels approx 40cm per panel across, making a lovely big space inside. I have tested the bar spacing with my lovely assistant Harmione (should call her Houdini!) and she got out of the 4cm bar spacing in approx 10 seconds lol. The only way to use this thing would be to completely cover the insides with perspex, metal or plastic to prevent climbing or escapes through the bars... It reminds me very much of Zenaidas idea! This would end up pricey through I can imagine and they would probably still find a way out!

[deguconvert]

You could find some wire mesh and tie that on each panel, and then attach/lay light plastic panels across the top edge so that there is an overhanging lip that they can't climb past . . . maybe?

[misscatafer]

I like the idea of the plastic overhang! I have put it out to a couple of friends to help us try to source some materials.... It would be a shame to let such a great find go to waste. 

[misscatafer]

Here is our freebie! Now what to do with it..

[zenaida]

Funny you should talk about an overhang...

My metal pen arrives sometime in the next two days and I've also been thinking about doing mesh on the sides and then a smooth surface at the top. I was thinking of testing it with cardboard. So it would be mesh up completely up the sides and then the top foot or so would be covered in cardboard. I could replace the cardboard once I verify the distance that they can't jump from mesh and verify how well they chew while up on the mesh. Please keep me updated about what you decide and if it works.

I'll be running my own tests soon too and will share my findings.

[misscatafer]

Okay! We have another new pen! It has been tried and tested since Saturday and has not been chewed once... Could this be 'the one?' fingers crossed! I love it, it is so light, literally as light as a feather, it can be bent into different shapes to fit any room size and is generous in size.

It is made of corrugated plastic, cost £30 from Amazon, here is the link: www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016DY1MD0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_sCbVzbEK2CS7R we just taped the pieces together using black tape.

I have no idea how it is working, but they don't seem to be able to see the corners, so have made no attempt to chew. They are unable to get their mouth into the corners anyway due to the angles and smoothness of the material. They have attempted to jump, but it is way too high. They have also attempted to pull the floor covering up, but we have weighed it down from the outside. So far it has been a success! With the wooden pen they were chewing and testing the corners frequently, but do not do it with this - bizarre!! I found this idea and thought I would give it a go before forking out serious money on adapting the dog pen, so glad I did!


This is to show the thinness if the material, if is really light but sturdy.

Sorry for the blur, here is the height.

Lots of room still!

[deguconvert]

WOW! Perhaps the black makes it harder to see the edges? Looks awesome! May it be an eight year, unfailing, pen!

[misscatafer]

Let's hope!! Yes maybe the black does make it harder for them to see, I am so pleased with it

[zenaida]

Looks good! So you have the coroplast just taped on? And they haven't found the corners? I'm impressed. I know where to look and I can't find the edges in your photos. At this point I love the sound of them pawing at the coroplast, they just can't get a grip on it at all.

Does your crew try to jump a great deal? Mine don't seem to be jumpers.

For the floor, are you using a bed sheet? I hope you have better luck than I did with that. After a few weeks mine learned that if they dug hard enough they could pull up the sheet from under the pen, once they had a good wrinkle, they would bite through the fabric.

I have six though and they are INSISTENT on escaping, so that may affect my results though.

[zenaida]

Oh and where did you get that wicker ball thing? Do they go in it? It looks very interesting.

[misscatafer]

Harmione jumps sometimes to try to find a way out but it is only because she is much cleverer than the others. Boo jumps too but it is to get our attention. Haven't seen Bella or Toby jump yet.
Yes it is a bed sheet, they have chewed it a little but only when it was underneath Boos old cage, she used to drag it into her nest for some odd reason. This one is heavier than the fleece we were using so hopefully it should withstand - in the past they have managed to get underneath by dragging it up, it is funny to watch the little lumps moving around! The trouble with this pen is it is so light that if they did get underneath the sheet they would get out as they'd just slide straight underneath the barrier without issue.
6 degus are a force to be reckoned with! It all comes down to their personalities too in regards to destruction and cleverness - I'm still betting Harmione finds a way out if this somehow!

[misscatafer]

It is a hanging basket turned upside down! I thought it would be a nice hidey place for them I just got it from Aldi (supermarket) but I'm sure garden centres would do something similiar.

[moletteuk]

Looks great

If you folded the sheet a bit maybe you could arrange it so that it doesn't go under the corroplast so doesn't provide a tunnel if they get under it? Or if you find you use it with a consistant floor shape, you could cut a mat or something to fit? I'm just thinking it might be best if they never get to discover how light it is.

[misscatafer]

Good idea Molette, that's what the death of the last play pen was.... Once they learn something they don't forget and hatch a plan to overcome it!

[moletteuk]

I know, I've spent 6 years never letting my lot see that the bottom bit of their cage is a cupboard with doors that open to a wonderland (storage space)!

[misscatafer]

Thought I would do an update on the pen, it has now been used daily for 5 weeks, it seems to be a total success! No escapes, no chewing, no jumping... It's brilliant! I can leave them in there unsupervised with peace of mind. With the wooden pen there would be daily gnawing on corners, there is none of this at all now. It is so easy to move and wipe down, I used it to introduce Boo and Toby and it was light as a feather to move onto another mat. I probably clean it out every 2-3 weeks, I've cleaned it out three times so far (it's amazing how much poo accumulates!) the clan love it and there is still plenty of room for me to sit in with them - £30 very well spent!

[zenaida]

Awesome! I'm glad it is working for you!

Ours is also working brilliantly! The girls get outside way more because of it.

Hopefully these pens will help others in the future. Like you, I have so much more peace of mind when they are in the pen because I know they can't chew their way out.