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Post by gingerneil on Jun 6, 2019 12:03:15 GMT
Hi All,
We have had 2 degus for a number of years, housed in a cage I did DIY.
We are adding 2 chins to the family at the end of June - they will be in a separate room and therefore totally apart from the goos.
I am looking at either the Cozy Pets RC03 or the Aventura cage for the chins - DIY doesn't work this tme. Both of these cages have a full middle shelf and then two half shelves between. I will not use the wire ladders that they come with.
My question is, should I leave these shelves as they are and add a few wooden perches, or should I remove the full shelf? Are chins happy with full shelves, or prefer the freedom of being to jump and hop between half shelves and perches without having to go upwards through relatively small gaps between top and bottom halves? I understand that chins or more 'hoppers' than runners, so are better off with perching spots versus long solid shelves? Although I'd have to make sure there were't any drops from top to bottom where shelves/perches dont overlap.
Feel free to shout me down, but please advise.
Thanks,
Neil
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Post by deguconvert on Jun 6, 2019 14:27:27 GMT
Hello Gingerneil and welcome to the forum!
If you are adding two chins . . . is it your hope to have them both in the one cage? I ask because, while it is generally accepted/recommended by many that chins are content in small spaces, they are actually much happier and more expressive in a larger living space. My first thought is to recommend that if you are looking at either of these cages for housing, maybe consider putting two of them together. While they are more "hoppy" in movement, they do love to move and to run about. They are not a tree animal, more of a rocky foothill to sloped mountain side animal. They are adept at leaping from stone to stone, but these are not just vertical jumps, they are long distance jumps as well. One of my favorite member videos on here, shows her chins racing around in a room and parkour jumping off the fixtures. It displays their athleticism and their energy. So, if you can, give them at least the space of two of those cages, as well as time out of the cage each day. I would leave the half shelves in, myself . . . but there are others with more experience, so I'm hoping they will chime in as soon as they are able to do so.
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Post by gingerneil on Jun 6, 2019 14:36:23 GMT
Thanks for the reply. Those Aventura cages are already pretty big - we don't have the space for 2 of them. I appreciate that generally bigger is better, and that the chins would ideally have a whole room to themselves all the time. However, the plan is one of these, but with regular access to the room for playing and exercise.
(For the goos, we have a 90% permanent run up outside their cage to extend their living and playing space.)
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Post by moletteuk on Jun 6, 2019 18:30:15 GMT
I'm going to tag randomname and ntg because they have those cages for chins. |
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Post by ntg on Jun 7, 2019 21:57:44 GMT
Could you perhaps stretch to a savic royal suite xl (much higher in price but much more spacious in comparison) tinyscratches.tumblr.com/post/160768234980/theyve-got-some-ridiculously-large-cages/ampAs for levels, both random and I keep the full and half levels in. My boys use the whole cage, and then I have multiple pine ledges dotted round the cage for them to hop between - they really love high ledges close to the ceiling. Edit: this is where random and I differ, she loves the aventura cages over the liberta explorer but I curse the cage every time I clean it out. The single opening door makes it difficult for me to clean the corners of the bottom level properly and it takes me 10x longer to clean than the double opening doors of the liberta. If you think you might be bugged by the same thing then the liberta explorer and the pet planet rat and ferret cage seem to be almost identical. I've got two libertas in the loft that I can't wait to set up in the living room! |
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Post by randomname on Jun 9, 2019 10:13:42 GMT
What NTG said! The only reason I prefer the Aventura is 'cos the wheels are much, much better. The liberta ones either go off in 4 different directions or just seize up completely when I move the cage, the Aventura ones work like they're supposed to! Every time I move the cage forward to clean behind I curse the liberta, but my Aventuras I can move one handed (I'm S T R O N K) I honestly don't understand the americans when they take the middle floor & half shelves out of the Aventuras/Liberta & just have ledges of varying heights - for one it seems really dangerous for falls. I don't let mine have a drop that high as broken legs are almost impossible to fix. Secondly Chins seem to be rock hoppers to me, not climbers like rats. If you watch a few videos of wild chins you can see how they move & I've never seen them climb. When I watch our 3, they use the ledges as perches to snooze on, but when moving around they use the floor & half shelves. Don't worry about them not wanting to go through gaps to access different floors, they're fine with it. Welcome to the forum by the way  |
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Post by gingerneil on Jun 18, 2019 10:49:19 GMT
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Post by savvy on Jun 18, 2019 11:14:58 GMT
I have two of these cages, they are good.
One piece of advice I would give, however, is watch the video on how to put it together, the paper instructions are rubbish.
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Post by gingerneil on Jun 18, 2019 13:22:18 GMT
ha! Yes - a few comments on the online shop said the same. The video makes it look easy! (I'm sure it wont be!)  |
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Post by savvy on Jun 18, 2019 13:32:31 GMT
The cage is a lot bigger than you think, and a lot heavier, lol.
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Post by savvy on Jun 18, 2019 13:34:47 GMT
The paper instructions are a one sided sheet of A4 paper, with a drawing of the completed cage on the left and a drawing of it blown apart on the right. No words, no part numbers.
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Post by deguconvert on Jun 18, 2019 14:26:21 GMT
ROFL! Maybe you're just supposed to wave the paper over top and it happens instantaneously? At least it indicates it can be done . . . .  |
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Post by gingerneil on Jun 18, 2019 15:17:16 GMT
I've seen the instructions online - very very pointless! Makes Ikea look straightforward! I've collected the box - and its certainly a decent weight! I'll look forward to building it....!
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Post by savvy on Jun 18, 2019 15:27:17 GMT
It took me three builds to get it right, only two on the 2nd cage which was an improvement, lol.
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Post by gingerneil on Jun 18, 2019 15:49:35 GMT
ha! Any tips ?
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Post by savvy on Jun 18, 2019 16:53:48 GMT
Patience and plenty of coffee, lol!
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Post by winic1 on Jun 18, 2019 19:31:38 GMT
I'd say chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.
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Post by deguconvert on Jun 19, 2019 6:13:54 GMT
Mix them and have a Mocha! |
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Post by gingerneil on Jun 19, 2019 7:53:54 GMT
ha! |
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Post by randomname on Jun 19, 2019 9:27:13 GMT
Definitely follow the video, instructions are literally designed by a sadist! I'd advise taking it slow - plan for a whole morning or afternoon so you don't feel hurried. Put on a funny podcast or your favourite music & have an endless supply of tea/coffee/whatever floats your boat! You'll need a second person - it's much easier if one holds a thing while the other bolts a thing. Also you basically make 2 boxes & put 1 on top of the other, so you'll need someone to help you lift it. As everyone says, you'll be surprised how big & heavy it is. If I remember right, it's pretty easy to put a side in the wrong way round & not realise 'til you go to put it together. You then have to dismantle & rectify it, but because you know what you're doing it doesn't take long. It's really annoying (I think I had to have a break at that point lol) but you'll only do it once! Worth triple checking everything is facing the right way before you bolt it together. Also I'd say have a think about where you're putting it - if you put it next to a wall you'll get pee all over it, so use a flattened cardboard box or a tarpaulin behind the cage if you're worried about your wallpaper. Also I find laminate flooring the easiest to keep clean & move the cage around, carpets with thick pile are a nightmare imho. Others might say differently though. Edit : do you have your chins already picked out? If not, there are quite a few in rescues up & down the country. If you'd like help finding a pair that need a home near you, just give us a shout - we might be able to help you help them |
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