Cage safe?

[HaleyGoBoom]

So I build this cage myself, it does have modular cube storage but just as the frame (no worries he wont get stuck!), and I've reinforced the stability, I can stand in this cage and it wont break. I also did put wire on the inside, if you look closely in the pictures you can see the wire is small so he wont get his head stuck. On the bottom I have porcelain tile flooring so he can stay cool, the top and little area (litter area will be the extension on the front) have vinyl flooring but it wont come up so no worries. Under all the flooring is a wood bottom. The accessories in the cage so far are a glass water bottle, a hammock, and I did make my own hide out/day bed but I have since replaced it with a Chin-Hut and want to buy some things from FuzzDepot. So I just wanted everyone's opinion on if the cage looks large enough and safe for the chinchilla. The pictures are below. (I know cleaning will be more difficult without a pan but I really wanted the tile flooring)

-cage front

-bottom floor (ledge to top level,tiles on kiln dried pine)

-top floor (no worries the vinyl is one solid piece now, I didnt want him tearing it apart!)

 

[alli713]

One thing that worries me is on that last picture it looks like the chin can get to the edge of the vinyl and would be able to nibble on it. I don't think vinyl flooring is exactly safe if ingested.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

Let me first say that the accessories you made look great, I love the bed. I have a problem with those cubes only because I know how flimsy they are and that they fall apart quite easily so I am trying to get past that, with that said, what size/type of wire is that and how did you attach the wire to the cubes? What is preventing the plastic corner pieces from detaching from the cube panels? I agree about the vinyl, the edge on the jump hole looks chewable. I think you will find the bottom hard to clean, especially the pine pieces, having them in the corner is inviting a pee-fest on them :/, but that is for you to decide of course. Without a little more detail I cannot comment on the structure itself .

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

The smaller wire is secured to the outside of the cage by stainless steel cable ties, the cubes themselves are held together by MANY of these, so the corner pieces I didn't worry about (like I said I can stand on the second floor and its fine), although you did bring up they're plastic b_b didn't think that one through! On the bottom I would have urine guards but I could only find plastic and I thought I'd rather have messy wood. The edge where the vinyl is I am concerned about, I'm not sure what I could do though. Thanks for the compliments and advice on the comments on the accessories! keep it coming I want the best possible for my future chinchilla, even if it really means buying one from the store.

 

[SunshineChins]

Did you use C-clips or zip ties to keep the cubes together? Did you use C-clips to attach the wire? I would not recommend using the plastic round pieces as those always seem to pop off with those type of storage cubes.

The big downside I could see would be it might be hard to move and clean around. I have our cages up on a stand so that I can get behind and underneath to clean.

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

Oh I forgot, the wire is pretty small, I forget what it was when I bought it, maybe 1/4 x 1/4. + I forgot to add all the floors have wood underneath them and underneath the wood is the wire from the cubes.

the edge definitely looks in need of work, thats where the ledge is located from the hole, do you think he could jump through there?

my cage has made me so self conscious lol

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

((I'm considering turning that dresser there into the new cage now lol))

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

I got approved now, it posted my bulletin twice!

 

[alli713]

If you want to make your own cage, many people make them out of melamine which ends up being very sturdy and looks very nice. It is heavy though.

I think it's a good concept, but I just worry about how well it will work over time. If you don't have your chin litter trained, then they will pee on the floor and it will probably eventually seep into the wood.

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

Well the wood is because I couldn't find any urine guards that weren't plastic or rubber, but I just found some on a cage building supply site, maybe I could put those in front of the wood, I'm thinking about the floor for the top now and what to do.

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

Any other suggestions?bump

 

[mistywaterwoman]

Not to be mean but I think that is way too small. Each cube is 14" square, that is not nearly enough space for a chin to move around in there.
Vinyl is not a safe, either.

 

[CritterMom]

I love that you are trying to be so creative, but I think in time, you are going to spend a lot more trying to maintain and modify that than you would on a nice Martins cage or another great chinnie cage. Just a thought. Good luck!

 

[HaleyGoBoom]

I would like to inform everyone I'm purchasing a 5 level all wire chinchilla cage from a member on the site, and although I tried to do my own cage, I agree that in the long run I'm better off with a chin cage meant for chinchillas, and now I can have more than one! So, with all said and done, thank you so much for the advice and input, and I'll put pictures of the cage up when I get it and put in the accessories I'm making :]