decision time: i need your help

[andymilo]

as i am going back to canada in a few months i would like to purchase and ship a cage and all the supplies i need to decorate so i can have everything ready for pax when i get there...but i am having a hard time deciding between the

QC mansion http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=129_142_153&products_id=621

or the Ferret Nation 142 http://www.ferret.com/item/ferret-nation-habitat-model-142/

these are my thoughts on both:

1. as you may have noticed the quality cage is the baby safe wiring, the reason i like this one is because i am absolutely paranoid about my little girl getting her paws stuck since she loves to wall surf...the ferret nation has larger spacing between the bars
2. i like the look of the ferret nation more and it seems easier to decorate and more creatively
3. the ferret nation also seems easier to clean and easier to remove the fuzz butt from the cage as the doors can be fully opened
4. the quality cage already comes with 4 pine shelves whereas for the ferret nation i would have to remove the plastic interior and start from scratch and since i need to have everything ready upon my arrival to canada this will make it harder
5. since the ferret nation is wider than the quality cage, for safety reasons i would like to get a base pan and make it a 2-level type cage in case of any falls, whereas for the quality cage i would plan on using a larger size hammock in the middle of the cage to catch any falls

any opinions, help, advice is welcomed, i just want to make sure i am getting the best and most importantly safest cage for my chinny and i am having a really hard time with this decision... i need help, and who better to ask than you guys

 

[Chinniechantel]

I love the ferret nation. It is more work to customize and make safe, but if you are willing to do it, I think it is so worth it. I love how it looks, love the size, the wheels, how easy it is to clean and decorate.

 

[Sierrasmom97]

Just my 2 cents. I am a FN fan all the way. I have 3 of them and they are all divided into separate cages with the Bass pans.

 

[kaykay]

Another FN fan here, decorating is a blast and they are nicely sized. Very sturdy cages, everyone has pretty much said it all.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

I have been using the Ferret Nation for just over 3 years now and have not had any safety related incidences. I do have the middle floor in, though my cage is not divided, they have free roam of the entire cage. I have owned a QC Townhome (bought it as my back-up cage) and I have subsequently set it up and given it to my sister for her chinchilla and I have to say I do not like it nearly as well as I love my FN cages. Glad I got the FN first, it is well worth the money and trouble of setting everything up .

 

[andymilo]

yes thats exactly what i want to do...have it as a 2 level house...not completely cut off and divided...i only have my one little girl lol...did u keep the original middle floor or did u get one custom made? is there a place that custom middle levels can be made?

and just another question since its not very detailed on the ferret.com website is the bottom pull out? or wire bottom? or just a flat bottom?

 

[3CsMommy]

I have 2 boys in a QC mansion. Looking back, I wish I'd gotten the FN and done the mods. The 2 double door design seems *so* much easier to deal with!

Examples:
I have a flying saucer, which I can't mount at floor level if I want to be able to pull the pan out without unscrewing the wheel. So, I have to keep 2 scrap pieces of shelf wood under the wheel support or the whole cage rattles as they run... and I can hear it clearly upstairs all night.

To shim the wheel securely, I have to put my entire top half through the door and rearrange the blocks when I feed at night. That's also how I have to reach through the cage to attach any hanging furniture or tubes, while my boyfriend walks around the outside of the cage to handle the washers and nuts. I've had escapes this way; since I can't turn well bent in half that way, Cervantes just hops on my shoulder and scampers down my back to jump off my bottom onto the floor. :no:

One feature the QC has that the FN doesn't is the lift up roof, which is nice for cleaning their hammocks and the food on the upper levels, but I'd gladly give that up for an easier way to get into the bloody thing for cleaning and cuddling. Now, the 2 door design from QC might not have this issue, but with shipping it was almost $300 to get the single door cage to us, so I won't be finding out any time soon.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

yes thats exactly what i want to do...have it as a 2 level house...not completely cut off and divided...i only have my one little girl lol...did u keep the original middle floor or did u get one custom made? is there a place that custom middle levels can be made?

and just another question since its not very detailed on the ferret.com website is the bottom pull out? or wire bottom? or just a flat bottom?

I drew up plans and had pans made by Bass Equipment since they had never done them before with a cut-out . They now have it on their web-site. There are plastic pans that come with it (one each for the two levels) but they are very shallow and some have had them chewed by their chinnies. I just prefer the metal pans because I use shavings. Others are now covering the plastic pans that come with the FN and using fleece liners (picture like a pillow case) instead of ordering the metal pans. Fleece just wasn't for me personally, others love it . It's a personal choice.

 

[whimmus]

I have a FN 142 also and love it. The casters are lockable, too, if you're on a hard surface.

I had a sheet metal shop make up deep pans to split it into two cages. I use shavings now over fleece because they absorb smell so much better.

I'd think, given the current economic climate, that any AC/ductwork/sheetmetal shop would be happy to make up some pans on the cheap. Ask if they have scratched metal, which is often written off and can lower the price again.

 

[andymilo]

are the pans easily removed? if not how do you clean the shavings because i think i prefer them over fleece also?

 

[brekai722]

Now that they have the new Critter Nation, you may want to check it out. It's the same as the FN but made more for animals like chinchillas. I love the FN and I hope to get some of the CN.

 

[Parkerspetchins]

are the pans easily removed? if not how do you clean the shavings because i think i prefer them over fleece also?

Yes, super easy, you open the doors wide and they slide right out .