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The Travel Cage Conundrum

Not a lot has happened in the past 10 days. I've been mentally visualising the cage I want to build and I've found a great website with a day by day guide detailing how someone built their cage. In fact, I like their cage so much I may have to borrow a few ideas.

While the cage seems relatively easy to build now (I hope) my newest problem is actually getting my new degus home from the pet store. I'm jumping the gun a little, considering I haven't even built the cage yet, but I just want to make sure that I can source everything I need. Where I live is pretty rubbish for just about anything.

Degus are destructive and you can guarantee that I'll be given my new furbabies stuffed in one of those cardboard carry boxes. I don't have a car so the short 20 minute journey home will be made by train and knowing my luck they'll probably chew through the box in seconds. I don't particularly want to be running down the street chasing 2 over-sized gerblis!

Aladino Carrier by Ferplast — not a great choice for degu

So, I have no choice but to buy a pet carrier. I had looked at the Aladino Carrier by Ferplast on Pets at Home's website but while they recommend it for degus they clearly haven't got a clue as the comments are full of people whose goos have chewed their way out. It is made of plastic after all. Clearly I need something made of wire and metal but it's like trying to find crocuses on the moon! I know degus are relatively new on the pet scene but pet manufacturers are starting to put degus on their toy packaging now so you'd think they'd be making suitable travel cages.

The apparent lack of anything degu related leaves me with 2 options. I either build one while I'm making my degu apartment or I buy one from John Hopewell. I'm leaning more towards buying one as I don't think I'd have enough material left over to make a wood and mesh one or make one as good as his.

Time for more reading I think.

UPDATE {August 11, 2012} — After much reading, around 75% of people were able to successfully get home with no escape attempts in the standard cardboard travel box that you get when buying a pet. Rats gnaw and chew as much as degus (maybe slightly less) and I managed a 40 minute journey by bus and train when I bought my six boy rats about 5 years ago using the cardboard travel box.

This time I only have a 20-25 minute journey consisting of a short walk and a train ride. I think I might risk it, besides, I don't think I'll have enough material left to make a travel cage and it's too late to order one.

Comments

  1. Have you found a good travel cage yet?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm afraid I haven't. I've found nothing suitable as of yet. I'm either going to have to make one or keep an eye out for a small wire cage with a metal floor.

    ReplyDelete

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