To expand cage, or not to for hyper chin?

[Gemma]

I have had my girls for two years now, and I've had the ferret nation 142 cage and set it up based off of the advice on this forum (thank you!).

However, not only have I received good advice, I've also become sort of a hypochondriac. I feel extremely guilty having two females in only half of the ferret nation cage up, and I desperately want them to have more room. But, my one female is very hyper and slightly clumsy. I do not know if it is the lack of space, or just her.. but I am so fearful of her falling and breaking a leg. I have come home to too many broken water feeders.... and they are THICK glass (thankfully no injury). In addition she tends to chew the wooden ledges I buy into sharp daggers and cuts herself often. (constantly filing her negligent chews). I feel like she is going to give me a heart attack.

I want to ask how to give a chinchilla more room that is safe?
Is there a manufacteror for wooden shelves that can fit the ferret nation? And is a shelf a good idea or a dangerous divider?

Fleece is out of the question, they chew it right up!

I am so worried. Thanks in advance.

 

[MyzarandGemma]

If you want to expand up, you can keep the metal shelves and make metal pans or tile them for your chin's safety.

As far as the shelves go, they are super duper easy to make and there is a DIY in the housing section. We made all of ours for like $10, and we have extras! Once she starts chewing a shelf down like that, I would take the shelf out. I might even go as far as re-sanding her shelves every week...

Two are perfectly happy in the 142, but the bigger ones are a lot of fun too. I would keep the middle pan with the cutout and not do a big open cage if your chin is pretty clumsy.

I have two suggestion about water bottles. Because you don't want fleece, I highly suggest buying a bottle that goes on the outside of the cage, with the nozzle coming in. Second suggestion: Wrapping the water bottle in fleece might also prevent breaking and lower injury to your chin, even if they shred it. I can't imagine my glass bottle breaking. The chins like to perch on it... I've never thought of it breaking! That must take a lot of force!

 

[carmen holt]

I have the 8 oz lixit glass water bottle und it hangs on the outside because the nozzle fits through the wire its the best bottle I have bought it doesn't leak and I don't have to worry about if it stops up or not