Skip to main content

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. Unknown31 January 2014 at 03:27

    Have you found a good travel cage yet?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown4 February 2014 at 17:04

    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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Degu Versus the Wooden Wheels

When I bought wooden exercise wheels for my 3 girls I knew I was taking a gamble. Degus love to chew wood but in the back of my mind I was hoping that they'd realize that wheel destruction meant no running. After all, they are rather intelligent little rodents. Close up of damage After 6 months of little to no interest in chewing the wheels I thought I was on to a winner and had the only non-destructive degus in the world. This afternoon, after a morning out walking I came home to wheel destruction. Degu damage to Wooden Exercise Wheels 4 hours earlier they weren't particularly bad. Just some light gnawing around the edges and on the stands. Now they resemble something that's been, quite literally, blown apart by a grenade. It's like they woke up this morning and thought, "Right, degus. We're going to start chewing these wheels and we're not going to stop until they're gone!" It's a good job I didn't pay full price for the ...
1 comment
Read more

From Babies Degus to Adults

It has been a long time since I last posted. I have a mountain of things to do related to my work and while I've had time to tend to my 3 girls, I just haven't had time to post anything new.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Big Degu Cage Build - Part Four

The cage is progressing nicely. The bottom section is almost complete. Still have the vinyl tiles (for extra protection against pee) to put in, one level to cut and attach, and some small platforms which will help form a ramp up to the top section of the cage. I have a deep 30cm mess guard which will form the basis of a makeshift digging pit and landscaped area. There will be one level and you can see the hole for access to floor 2 which will be in the top section. It was supposed to be in the back but it was going to be a nightmare to do because of the build being in 2 parts so it can be taken apart for easier moving. This means that I now have to rethink my first level. It was going to be set back slightly from the front but I may have to bring it closer to eliminate the massive drop and reduce injury should there be a fall. I'm going to have a look at some other DIY cages for some ideas but the main priority tomorrow is to get the main construction of the top section comp...
Post a Comment
Read more