Critter nation and Midwest customer service

[Ratchilla]

I've recently been revamping all of my stuff for my animals. It started with me getting my chins their own cage, changing all my bedding to fleece, flooding Brittany (my favorite fleece maker :hug2 with order after order (I'll be back!) and has gone from there.

I always strive to do better by my animals and over the past few months have been doing baby steps between my chins and the rats. The most recent was moving them into their own "pet room" with AC since it gets so hot here and then upgrading my rats’ cage first. My AC finally came in today.

Two weekends ago, I picked up another DCN off of a girl in FL. It was a pretty good deal and I thought, why not? I wanted to give my girls a quad home and then I could work on the chins. They would obviously be harder since I’d need to do wood shelves again and I wanted FN for them since they seem sturdier. The original DCN I purchased from CSNstores in July 2010, some of the bars had broken. It wasn't a huge mess and still kept the girls in, but it upset me because I loved that cage and I guess it bothered me. They were located on the bottom back panel and the bottom right panel of the CN (the bottom right one got removed when I made the quad cage and it was by far the worst of the two) so really, what is left right now is the back panel with one bar broken. I am saving the bottom right panel since it does make up the entire cage. My boyfriend and I had considered soldering but didn't want to subject the rats to possible toxins. As a last ditch effort I sent Midwest an email explaining that I had purchased this DCN last year and I was disappointed that the bars broke. I admit, I was secretly hoping for replacement panels since I really didn't think I could fix the ones that were damaged, however, I knew I would ultimately just suck it up. They asked me to send some pictures showing the damage and this came in the mail today.

They also told me that if I didn't want the other one anymore and if I felt it was safe, I could donate it to a rescue or a humane society. From a bigger business, I couldn't have asked for anything better and they have a loyal customer for life.

Pictures of my current setup and waiting on another order from Brittany, with another pvc pipe and some ladder covers! Yay.

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I really wanted 2-3 FNs for my chins, but am wondering since I now have another CN, if I should just try to get another one and start on theirs.

 

[Pyronymph]

Is that 2 separate cages just real close to each other? Or is that all one cage?

If that's all one I would love to know how you did it!

PS - love the pic with the little ratty perched up on the door. Too cute.

 

[addictedtochins]

No way! Wow! You should model for the front of the box, your cages are way cooler!

 

[Envy]

Wow that is awesome! I just got my single CN for my girls, and I'm getting the top half soon. I cant believe they are that awesome, great service for sure!!

 

[Ratchilla]

Is that 2 separate cages just real close to each other? Or is that all one cage?

If that's all one I would love to know how you did it!

PS - love the pic with the little ratty perched up on the door. Too cute.

I made it all one cage. I just took out the side panels of the two DCNs and then zip tied them together. It works out pretty well. The only downside is the top two cages where the bars meet in the middle (where the pans go) there is a gap. I currently have thick cardboard there and will probably just get some linoleum for it. It makes me happy to see them have the room.

Question though for you guys. I was told recently that you need to rustoleum the pans (then let them cure for two weeks to be safe) or have them powder coated due to bass pans being galvanized and soaking up the smell. Do you do this for your chin bass pans?

 

[Brittany]

I made it all one cage. I just took out the side panels of the two DCNs and then zip tied them together. It works out pretty well. The only downside is the top two cages where the bars meet in the middle (where the pans go) there is a gap. I currently have thick cardboard there and will probably just get some linoleum for it. It makes me happy to see them have the room.

Question though for you guys. I was told recently that you need to rustoleum the pans (then let them cure for two weeks to be safe) or have them powder coated due to bass pans being galvanized and soaking up the smell. Do you do this for your chin bass pans?

Wow I haven't seen your set up yet... GORGEOUS!!! May I steal the photos for my website? I haven't heard anything about the pans needing to be cured? You may want to post your question in the housing section so it will get more views. I've been using my bass pans out of the box (washed of course) and I haven't had any problems. Although I haven't had them all that long. I wonder if the bass pan company could make you custom pans to cover the entire length of your modified cage? You would probably have to un-do the zipties to get the pans in, but after that you'd be set.

The family who adopted my rescue chins had a Critter Nation set up for them. I helped them set up the interior, and to me it appeared just as sturdy as my Ferret nation. I know that some people have had issues with the chin-spins breaking the bars of both the FN and CN. To fix that they mount the wheels to wood, and then mount the wood to the cages to distribute the weight. If that doesn't make sense I know there are several threads that talk about how to do that.

 

[momenteller]

Your setup looks great and I am happy to hear Midwest has such good customer service!

Question though for you guys. I was told recently that you need to rustoleum the pans (then let them cure for two weeks to be safe) or have them powder coated due to bass pans being galvanized and soaking up the smell. Do you do this for your chin bass pans?

I have not heard this about the pans... I'd love to know more, though. I have only one pan with a cutout and Chelsea always pees on there in the same spot. The urine has started to eat away at the metal. I notice the cages starting to smell after only a few days, whereas before it seemed they stayed fresh longer. I wonder if this is because of the pan? The pans are less than 2 years old. I don't have an issue with the other pans without cutout because I can rotate them so they aren't always peeing in the same spot. I have been wondering if there is some sort of coating Bass could do for me on these pans so I don't have to buy new. Luckily, the CA Bass office is only a half-an-hour away!

 

[Ratchilla]

Wow I haven't seen your set up yet... GORGEOUS!!! May I steal the photos for my website? I haven't heard anything about the pans needing to be cured? You may want to post your question in the housing section so it will get more views. I've been using my bass pans out of the box (washed of course) and I haven't had any problems. Although I haven't had them all that long. I wonder if the bass pan company could make you custom pans to cover the entire length of your modified cage? You would probably have to un-do the zipties to get the pans in, but after that you'd be set.

The family who adopted my rescue chins had a Critter Nation set up for them. I helped them set up the interior, and to me it appeared just as sturdy as my Ferret nation. I know that some people have had issues with the chin-spins breaking the bars of both the FN and CN. To fix that they mount the wheels to wood, and then mount the wood to the cages to distribute the weight. If that doesn't make sense I know there are several threads that talk about how to do that.

Thanks! Your skills at work mind you. Sure, I don't mind, but if you want to wait until I get the next order in so that the ladders are covered as well and it all looks cupcakey, I'll take pictures for you then. When I look at getting the FNs setup I may have to do that just to ensure that the bars don't break.

Your setup looks great and I am happy to hear Midwest has such good customer service!

I have not heard this about the pans... I'd love to know more, though. I have only one pan with a cutout and Chelsea always pees on there in the same spot. The urine has started to eat away at the metal. I notice the cages starting to smell after only a few days, whereas before it seemed they stayed fresh longer. I wonder if this is because of the pan? The pans are less than 2 years old. I don't have an issue with the other pans without cutout because I can rotate them so they aren't always peeing in the same spot. I have been wondering if there is some sort of coating Bass could do for me on these pans so I don't have to buy new. Luckily, the CA Bass office is only a half-an-hour away!

I haven't seen anything about the bass pans on this site, only on my rats site and that is the main place that I see about them being painted. Individuals either use rustoleum or have them powder coated because they said that because the pans are galvanized that it soaks up the smell and no amount of washing can get it out. So they paint them, let them cure for two weeks and then I guess they are safe? I had no idea either but makes sense since sometimes I can smell mine or they are rusting easily.

 

[GorillaJTA]

I have had my pans for almost a year and a half and have not had any issue with smell or rust... but I use fleece, so there is rarely urine in direct contact with the metal.

 

[Ratchilla]

Only for your chins or do you have rats as well?

Rats pee on everything. By everything, I mean everything. Lol. Plus, I've got girls who want to be males since they mark as well. I get it dripping down the sides of the pans and other areas, not to mention the bars get covered (which is why I do hose downs with the rat cages) because they pee when they climb. That could be why I see it so much more on my rat forums than on the chin forum? I just thought I'd ask since it was new to me, but most people who have rats in a CN or FN and bass pans do one of the two protective measures. I just had no idea.