Marshall Ferret Penthouse - painted with what?

[EnslavedByNinjas]

Hello, everyone! :wave3:

My name is Carl, I'm a slave to one Lord Nibbler. He's developed an issue lately of attempting to chew his way out of his cage, and he is GOOD at it. I have a Superpets chinchilla cage which I got as a handmedown when I bought Nibbler about 3 weeks ago. It has a 'chew proof' paint, supposedly. It's most assuredly not!

Anyhow, I digress. I'm looking at a Marshall Pet Products cage, used, a Ferret Penthouse. It's an older model than the one listed for sale online. It's on craigslist:

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/pet/1044065663.html

The only issue I have is that this is another cage with some sort of paint, powder coating, etc. Does anyone know what it's made out of? Is it safe for Nibbler to digest this paint or powder coating? I'm really worried that he's eating the paint he's chewing off of his current cage, and this is local and available for pickup ASAP.

If anyone could shed some light on this issue it would be MUCH appreciated!

Thanks!
Carl & Nibbler

 

[Sesame]

Not sure, but you can always try contacting the Marshall Pet Company directly. It's probably powder coated, but any paint should not be ingested regardless of what it's made of. There's a chance that he's just chewing it, not ingesting it, but you should still be careful. Perhaps, he just needs some more hanging toys/chews/wheel/etc. to keep his interest?

The only other cages I know that have steel wire walls are Quality Cages or homemade ones.

Also, I remember reading that the chinchillas do not develop adverse reactions to that bitter apple spray stuff (a spray that is supposed to deter chewing)... some chins actually like the yucky stuff.

 

[Essentia]

Hey you! Welcome to CnH! This is Crysta, the person you've been emailing to get your feed, treats and such.

 

[MyFuzzies]

Not sure, but you can always try contacting the Marshall Pet Company directly. It's probably powder coated, but any paint should not be ingested regardless of what it's made of. There's a chance that he's just chewing it, not ingesting it, but you should still be careful. Perhaps, he just needs some more hanging toys/chews/wheel/etc. to keep his interest?

The only other cages I know that have steel wire walls are Quality Cages or homemade ones.

Also, I remember reading that the chinchillas do not develop adverse reactions to that bitter apple spray stuff (a spray that is supposed to deter chewing)... some chins actually like the yucky stuff.

Yes, it is POWDER COATED, but I cannot find any detailed information pertaining to the "paint" they use. Two of my boys are "bar biters" and I have found that most of the time when they do this, they just want my attention...and I've also added more hanging toys, which helped.

 

[Essentia]

Poo, I missed the window to edit that above post.

I agree with the toys/wheel option. Some chins are known to bar chew if they are bored. Toys with safe wood, hay cubes, and other fun things are great for chins and keep away boredom throughout the day.

Don't buy a wheel from a pet store. Not a single one there is safe for chins. I actually do have a chin safe wheel as well if you are interested. I can email you a picture, or you can see it when you get here to pick up for your feed and such.

I actually know the person selling that cage. Small world after all.

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

Sesame, I definitely don't think he's chewing with the goal of ingesting, I'm just afraid of accidental ingestion. He bites at the cage as a demand to be let out. It's bratlike behavior I'm trying to break him of (with some luck so far, I walk away and ignore him). I did e-mail Marshall directly, asking how it was painted, what it was painted with, etc etc... to my many questions I got the very simple response:

"This item is safe for chinchillas and does not contain any lead."

So not very helpful. As far as chew toys, he has a hanging toy with 4 wood blocks, some apple wood, a few pieces of cardboard, a lava rock, an edible house, and a few pieces of pine. He has at least a few toys per level. The apple wood he just removes the bark from, the wood bits he seems to nibble the corners off and be done, and the lava rock he doesn't touch, ever. :\

His bar biting behavior got worse when I tried to put him in a cat carrier for a day to remove the paint from his cage. I managed (using 3 power tools, some chemicals, and some hand tools, with no luck) to just remove part of the paint from the top half. So he only got the bottom half back that night, so he's feeling downsized I think. I'm hoping the larger cage will help!

Hi, Crysta! Your friend I purchased the cage from is wonderful. We talked for awhile about small furries when I picked it up. I've promised pictures once I get the cage arranged! I'm definitely interested in the wheel. Today is a day of frankensteining cages together, wish me luck!

 

[Essentia]

Most chins just chew the bark off the apple wood. It's their favorite part. I still give them wood every night to chew on. I make it a point to get smaller twigs so I don't have as much waste and get more for my money. My chins seem to chew a bit more wood this way as well.

Good luck with the cage. We demand pictures here as well.

 

[EnslavedByNinjas]

Aha! I'll make sure to replace the apple wood as soon as the bark is gone, then. I was hoping he'd nibble more than that - he takes the bark off within seconds of me handing him a piece.

As for pictures, here's one for in the meantime:

 

[Essentia]

I usually leave mine in for more than a day just in case they feel the need to nibble a bit more. If it hasn't been touched again after about 24-48 hours I take it out.

Awww, what a pretty little standard he is! I love his dumbo ears.