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The Big Degu Cage Build - Part Six

Only 7 more days before my new furbabies move in and there isn't that much of the cage left to build… just time consuming things and a few shelves.

This afternoon we fixed the 13mm x 13mm pet enclosure mesh to the kiln-dried pine wooden frame that was attached yesterday to create a ventilated roof. We used 15mm netting staples.

I also managed to get the 2 internal levels cut ready to be attached after I've sealed the inside against degu pee. I've read mixed reviews about pee protection. Some people leave their MDF or plywood bare and rely on copious amounts of dust-free wood shavings to do the soaking. Others are a little more dubious (and so would I with MDF) and have used vinyl tiles on the bottom and the levels but left the sides bare. A few brave souls have painted and / or varnished everything.

The way I see it is like this. A degu can't chew through a flat surface so as long as you end up with the same flat surface after you've primed and sealed the inside it should be fine. To be extra safe you should use non-toxic paint or varnish with a low VOC. Plasti-kote is great for this but very expensive so I'm looking for an alternative. I've already started to paint the inside white with ordinary water-based emulsion which will be varnished. The white is too brighten the cage on the inside as it is a little dark in there. I will hopefully be adding some LED lights at a later date if possible.

Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can get the doors started and more of the paint work done.

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