Switching Cages

[Lolie]

I've been toying with the idea of building a melamine cage for my chins, but I've been wondering about how chins typically deal with being moved to a new cage.

My girls have been in their current cage for four years, when they moved in together. My older girl was in a smaller cage on her own for six months before that, and the other was in a temporary cage until they could be moved in together. They took to it fine, but they've been in this one much longer and I'm wondering how much a cage switch at this point might stress them out. I don't want to put so much work into building a new cage when it may turn out badly.

I'd appreciate any experiences you have with switching cages. Am I over thinking this, or have your chins experienced a lot of stress from the move? Thanks for any insight you can give me!

 

[Show-MeChins]

in my experience, switching cages doesnt effect them much... they adapt to the new cage very well, besides their going to a better cage right..?

 

[Stackie]

I have one boy who's lived in 4 different cages since I got him and he did just fine with every move. His last move was from a 3 ft. tall dinky superpet cage to a 5 ft. tall ferret nation cage and he did just fine. All of mine seemed to enjoy exploring their new cages.

 

[SunshineChins]

Our chins have traveled from FL to MI and get put into different cages at least twice a year. I have yet to see them stress out with either the drive or the new cages. Plus.. they go from being in a loft upstairs to downstairs in a basement.

 

[Twizted]

I only have one pair and they have only lived in two cages (SuperPet to a melamine), and they didn't seem to be stressed out by the move at all. I would just make sure you keep a few of their items to put in the new cage.. maybe a wooden house, few toys, wheel if you have one. Those kinds of things that were 'their's' before will most likely help them if they get stressed at all.

 

[Silverrose]

I don't think they will be too stressed out. Over a span of 5 years, my chins have moved from CA to VA to FL, and switched cages numerous times. I also occasionally switch cages so that moms can get a break from breeding. None of them seem to mind it all.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Mine don't mind - in fact they like exploring the new cage and pop all over it - if you could move some things from the old cage to the new one they will have some familiarity

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I think they should be fine, but I will throw in my one exception to the rule experience...


When I switched around my boys cage, Stolie became agressive again and needed to claim dominance again over Sambuca. If your girls were fine and have been fine, I wouldn't expect any issues, but I just thought it fair to throw out my one experience :thumbsup:

 

[Lolie]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences, that really helps a lot! I'm glad to hear that they should be fine with a move