picked up some new tile for Rain today

[gsbuickman]

Hi guys :rolleyes2:

A galfrom one of my local buy sell trade groups touched bases with me to let me know she had boxes and boxes of ceramic tile setting around, as well as a tile saw so she could cut them to whatever I needed. I met with her this afternoon and picked up 4 12"x12" and 4 12"x10.5" tiles that she cut and stoned smooth for me.

The bottom of Rain's cage is 23"x23", so I laid one of each side by side across the bottom. It filled just over the front half of the bottom leaving the back half open since that's where she likes to go potty. I also laid one of each across the second floor which pretty much cover the entire floor.

Fir the top floor I put a 12"x12" tile in the corner where her food dishes are at with a granite cool stone on either side of ut. I have a couple extra tiles left soI can get a little better idea of exactly what I need and get them cut to fill things in a little bit better. Now I can work on shimming things up so they sit square and level.

What do you guys do to anchor the tiles down if need be so they don't slide around ?. Once I get them hemmed up I doubt they will but I thought I would ask. Thanks

 

[IFireflyl]

I think most people who have tile (myself included) don't have wire floors. I am using the critter nation double cage, and I got a metal pan made from Bass Equipment that my tile went in. I put the tile in, grouted it, and it doesn't move around at all. I have no suggestions for the tile on the wire section(s) of your cage unfortunately. Honestly, that third picture looks like your tile weighs to much for that wire it's sitting on. That will only get heavier with a chinchilla's weight on top of that.

 

[gsbuickman]

Well, Rain made a bit of racket last night dragging stuff around on the new tiles, vut they haven't moved.
I didn't think they would since they have a decent amount of weight to them. You are correct about the second floor, it does need some reinforcement. I will install a girder letstans the width of the cage that will support the weight of the floor from underneath it.

At the moment the 2nd floor is 4 13"x9" wire panels iverlapping, zip tied together & supported by the back and sides of the cage. Adding girders under it will lift it up and easily support the extra weight

 

[gsbuickman]

There we go, I used a metal rod to span the width of the cage and support the weight of the floor. It's supported by the main cage as is the steel c channel to support the back of the floor.

 

[gsbuickman]

:hmm:Now i think i need to rethink the 1st flior ramp. It doesn't drop all the way to the floor. It starts 2.5" up, off the front of the cage at front door level. She doesn't really have a problem with it because she just hopped up on it and runs upstairs. Maybe it would be a little easier for her if I put a small landing on the second floor on the left or right side and drop a removable ramp off it to the floor. That way I could take the ramp out so it wouldn't be in the way while cleaning and maintenance.

 

[Amethyst]

I would just remove both ramps, she may have been fine so far but it's an accident waiting to happen. Chinchillas hop not walk like hamsters or even hop different then rabbits, chins can jump 4' (not saying have 4' drops, a fall of more then a foot can hurt or kill a chin) so just replace with ledges for hopping would be much better.

 

[gsbuickman]

Interesti.g, that's the first time I've heard or seen of using ledges for critters to climb up and down on instead of ladders. I am not sure how well that would work for rain because she's a tripod ?.

 

[Amethyst]

Chinchillas aren't like other rodents, they are build for hopping/jumping, they are rock hoppers in the wild, aside from kits, most chins don't climb. If you look at most people's cages on here it's always advised to remove ramps. If you check out the Ferret Nation Club thread you'll see lots of people's designs for ledges and shelves for chins. I realize you don't have a FN cage but you should get the idea (you may have to flip through some pages, there is a lot of chat).
Tripods actually tend to get around just a well, and in some cases better then 4 legs chins. Just make the ledges aligned more like steps if you are worried. I would worry even more with a tripod that a leg could get caught and stuck resulting in injury with a ladder ramp, since she only has 3.
Another idea is to put wood or something under the ladder as a backing so her paws and legs can't accidentally slip through, or just make solid ramps.

 

[Tagna]

I actually have a tripod who lost a leg after breaking it on a ramp. I have 2 tripods in the rescue and both are very fast and normal when it comes to hopping around.

I know some people have attached tiles to wood shelves so they are glued down tight.

 

[gsbuickman]

Kool, I found a lot of nice pictures of some pretty cool stuff http://m.whimsys-menagerie.com/site...c137c934fc7268582d53a1&fb_sig_network=fw#1313

Do you guys just use lag bolts with nuts and washers to bolt the ledges and things to the cages ?

 

[Amethyst]

Do you guys just use lag bolts with nuts and washers to bolt the ledges and things to the cages ?

Most people, myself included, use hanger bolts, with fender washers and wing nuts.

 

[gsbuickman]

Thanks, that works for me

 

[gsbuickman]

If course, now that Rain' has new tile flooring she insist in pushing her log hide back onto the wire floor, silly chilla. :banghead: .

 

[ticklechin]

Typical chin!

 

[Godofgods]

Unless a medical problem prevents them, chins are jumpers. They will hop around form one thing to another. Having safe wooden ledges is great because they can hop around more, get where they need to go and it gives them something safe to chew on which will help prevent teeth problems.

Two of my boys hanging out on ledges

My three girls on ledges.

Action shot; you can see Ameena, she jump straight from the bottom ledge up and over momma Sophie and into the hut!

 

[Godofgods]

A ledge simply enough is just made from a safe wood like poplar or Kiln Dried pine.

Attached with some hardware. I use hangerbolts, washers, and wingnuts

And you can make them (or have them made) how you please

 

[Godofgods]

and one final note, you may wish to get rid of that 'edible log' in his cage. Those are not good for chins. They are made with honey which is high in sugar which they cant process. - I used to have them before i realized that. Chico would chew on those all the time. After a while tho it started to get to him and he would squeal in pain any time he went to the bathroom. After i removed them tho he got better.


Houdini

 

[Kokorobosoi]

Lol godofgods that pile of shelves just made me sit up straight and my face light up lol. Now I'm being laughed at

And... Everything else I almost typed would have sounded oh so very wrong so I'm just gonna stop typing now....

 

[gsbuickman]

Thanks guys .

I found a lot of cool stuff here : http://m.whimsys-menagerie.com/site...c137c934fc7268582d53a1&fb_sig_network=fw#1313

I'll be building a hidey house, a hammock, some ledges and doing some rearranging

 

[Minccino]

It's so awesome that you are open to suggestions )
I can't wait to see the final results of all the revamping! What a lucky chinchin.