A few questions about building a cage

[ava]

1. Is it safe to use Epoxy Glue? (not sure what that is but fiance is helping make it and this is what he asked) He said he might want to use it on any sharp edges so the degus can't scratch themselves so it needs to be safe for them.

2. Is it safe to have exposed nuts/washers in the cage?

3. What size should the dust bath be, in order for them to be able to climb in and out but for the sand not to get everywhere? Not sure how much space they'd need in it either...

4. How far apart can the levels be, as I'm not sure how far they can reach/jump?

I think I had more questions but can't remember them at the moment...

Thanks

[emz]

1. I'd suggest filing sharp edges instead (then hovering up any filings.) Although fully set Epoxy I don't believe is toxic it is still not advisable as it may cause issues with their digestive system if they ate it. My boyfriend says, when I asked would it dissolve in their stomachs safely, that it probably would not dissolve meaning that potentially blocking their insides could be a risk. I also googled this to see if he was right and according to the Internet it is very resistant to acids. Here is a table showing that epoxy is very resistant www.engineeringtoolbox.com/chemical-resistance-epoxy-d_786.html

2. Yes it is safe to have exposed nuts or washers just make sure they are clean and not sharp. Also I'd suggest making sure they cannot take any washers off and potentially cause something to fall off/apart so just keep the wing nut tight (assuming you mean wing nuts with washers and a threaded bolt.)

3. You can get a decent sand bath from pets at home actually and it's not too badly priced. It's also metal so will last forever. It's about 6 inches tall and they mine get in it easily. Degus are good jumpers and can, when fully grown, jump a few feet high if they really wanted to.

4. As mentioned previous they can jump quite high once they're adults. However I'd suggest making it a little easier for them as it all depends on the degu (for example mine in the past has had a bad foot injurty so I added extra mini steps between shelves for him). My suggestion would be perhaps to have them about a foot apart but if you want the spacing larger have a way of them climbing up to the higher shelves. An example is using large branches or even making small "stepping stone shelves" between the main shelves (which like I said is what I did for Steve due to his past injury.)

Hope this helps.

[ava]

Thanks, that's really helpful. What can we use to glue the cage together that's safe for them (if there is anything)? I don't think they would be able to get to it, but it's more just in case.

[emz]

My cage is glued together with simple wood glue then also screwed at the corners for a bit of extra stability. Wood glue will be safe for that.

[ava]

Ok, thanks.

I just remembered the other things I needed to ask.

Is it safe to varnish or paint the outside of the cage?

Also, I just want confirmation - as I've been asked a lot - will the degus chew through the wood?

[emz]

They will not be able to chew the walls but they will be able to chew exposed edges. An example is say you have sliding doors the part where the runners are would be exposed to them and they'd be able to chew it. A degu cannot chew a flat surface (so the floor or main walls cannot be chewed so these can be any wood you like - mine is MDF.) I have had my home made cage for over a year and they have never managed to chew anything except their shelves. Shelves will need to be edged with a safewood - this is good though as you can then fill the shelves with wood shavings and it keeps the cage smelling a lot nice and it needs to be a cleaned a lot less often.

I also painted mine. It's perfectly fine to do both inside and out on the walls. In fact I think I was one of the first here to start the painting craze and it's great as it makes the cage look so much brighter and fun! My advice is simply to choose water based paint and not acrylic and leave the paint to dry for at least a day before letting them inside.

[ava]

Alright, thanks for all the info ;D

Another thing - sorry - are they ok with rocks/stones?

[emz]

They sure are, just give them a good wash first (perhaps soak them in hot water) to make sure there isn't any bacteria from outside on it. Also no small rocks that they could ingest but some large ones are fine.

Also you're welcome.

[deguconvert]

One thing to make sure of with rocks, be absolutely sure they cannot shift or fall. You don't want a crushed or wounded degu.

[emz]

Excellent point I forgot to mention that.

[ava]

I'll definitely bear that in mind. Thanks, both of you. I'm really looking forward to building this cage now! ;D

[ava]

Can I use perspex instead of glass, at the front of the cage?

[emz]

You can however I would like to warn you of two issues from my own year-long experience with it:
1: If they can reach it, they will chew it. I have had to resort to not putting large toys on their bottom floor until I am able to start their new cage. This could be solved with ensuring they can never reach the doors though (which may be difficult if you then put toys in there that they can move and climb up onto.)
2: It gets very dusty very easy and looks "not as nice" as glass even after cleaning. But this is merely a cosmetic issue really.

[Kins]

I have perspex on the front of one of my cages and it works fine.

Like emz says the goos can mark it and it doesn't look as nice as glass.

Mine is starting to get rather scratched where the boys climb up and down between the front and the shelves . It still works perfectly but doesn't look anywhere near as good. But it does the job, is a lot cheaper than glass and also more lightweight.

Oh and if you do end up ordering perspex, myself and another member (no names mentioned, hehe) were slightly put out when it arrived and had a funny coloured tint to it. Perspex has a protective covering on BOTH sides...which we both discovered!

[Kins]

Aug 14, 2011 19:28:14 GMT deguconvert said:

One thing to make sure of with rocks, be absolutely sure they cannot shift or fall. You don't want a crushed or wounded degu.

Try telling my lot that when they are moving their food bowls about in a strop

[ava]

Ok, thanks for the advice. I don't think it matters too much how it looks. I just wanted to use glass so I can see the degus better and they can't chuck stuff out the cage, and since it's expensive thought perspex would be better. I'll try and make sure they can't get to it too easily. If they do chew it, other than leaving marks, is it a problem? Will they swallow bits and/or chew holes in it?

[Kins]

They will only be able to chew the perspex if it has exposed edges, mine doesn't so they can't. They do seem to have a bit of a thing about licking the perspex...strange gooeys!

It probably isn't great for them to chew the perspex as long as they don't actually eat it...

My cage has doors on hinges rather than sliding doors so the perpex edges are protected by the wood frame they are attached too...

[emz]

If they chew it enough they could get out, which is the main reason to be careful (minus it being ingested of course.

Also I like Kins idea on how to do the doors! May do that on my next cage.