# My insane cage endeavor



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

So I have a feisty ferret cage... I was talking to a girl that is part of a local rat rescue and she told me they have another feisty ferret for sale for 50. So I said hey what the heck I'll put it on top of my current cage. Many aches and pains later I have a 4 unit feisty ferret. They are not easily made to do this like it would be with a CN. I only have 4 rats in this cage but anything for my babies.  My sweet pinky got her swimming pool back  so she is super happy.


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## coxbrea151 (Jun 1, 2012)

Nice, good job. Is the cage a little tall though?


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Oh yes it's a little tall lol but its not too bad I just have to stand on a chair to get to the top level everything else I can do standing.  

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## eaturbyfill (Aug 23, 2012)

Wow! What a tower.


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## Nathan4d (Feb 17, 2013)

I want it!!! Lol
I have just ordered a new cage for my birthday and was planning on buying the same one again to do the same thing but the hub's said no.




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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Well our problem is we dont have room for anything else. So if we wanted a bigger cage the only option was to go up... lol why couldn't you do it?

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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I must ask how tall the actual cage is.

My DCN is taller then me, can't imagine a 4 tier feisty ferret. Though I am sure your 4 are extremely happy with it.


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Yes lol I want to say each unit is 32in tall so a little over 10ft tall for the units alone. I took the storage shelf off the bottom and put it on a furniture dolly with plywood beneath and that maybe is a a foot more at the most so roughly 11 ft tall

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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

that is lovely! get a good stepstool. I cant do much taller than 5ft as im short&have a playarea atop all my cages. I love this so much, its incredible. im afraid mine will see it&ask why theirs ends...was it difficult attaching & bracing it so it all connected?


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Okay after I got home and actually measured it 90 inches so 7 feet tall give or take. 

It was a bit of a pain to get together. The bottom level rests on this ledge that is attached to the legs. So when I took off the legs the level dropped out. I had to get plywood to put beneath it so it would be level. Then the cage attaches to the legs by these little pegs that stick into the leg and then you run a bolt through them. They are permanently attached so I had to drill holes through the plywood to let the pegs go through so the cage would be more stable. Then adding the top cage the pegs posed another problem. Getting the cage to sit exactly on there was ridiculous the cage weighs 50 lbs and we're lifting it to shoulder height trying to maneuver it perfectly because there was no room to give. It had to go exactly on all 4 corners or it wouldn't work. Then we took pipe clamps and ran it though the cage bars and tightened them until the cage was secured to the bottom. We used those instead of zip ties because my girls love to chew zip ties lol they also have a little give to them so they worked out well. 


Sorry for the huge images ctrl + mouse scroll out some so you can see it all

































Sorry for the huge images ctrl + mouse scroll out some so you can see it all


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Also cage calculator says I can have sixteen rats lmao


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## ZebraGeekGirl (Jun 5, 2013)

I want to do this now!


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## CindrDoLLy (Oct 3, 2012)

Wow, impressive. How are you going to clean it though? O_O


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

It's not that hard. Since I only have 4 rats it doesn't need cleaned as often. I can reach everything except the top level on my own I have to use a chair for the top. I also only clean one section every other day so all their smells aren't removed leading to extra marking. I do litter pans as needed which seems to be every other day. I've also trained them to come to the middle doors and to either climb onto my shoulder or on my arm so I don't have to get on the floor or get on the chair to get them out. 

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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

are they loving towering over you&direct eye contact? that's what mine love about the play area atop the 5ft cages. are they being good about not taking dinner up to the top? mine also love to occasionally lob things at my head when they're in a cantankerous spirit. perhaps a hand steamer would be nice for the big twice yearly full on clean&scour. I love it, as yarding a giant cage outside for the big hose out&all morning scrub takes a helper. &stairs. you really outdid yourself, this is a fantastic cage


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Yes lol they love towering over me  I have not had them chuck anything at me because they love their food far too much lol but I'd die if they did. I cleaned their cage today did the litter boxes wiped down all plastic and replaced all the fleece in two sections. Took me about 50 mins. I did the very top and the very bottom. The top was easier than the bottom lol. I set up a dinner tray next to the chair with everything I needed so I didnt have to get down until I had to clip the fleece on the coroplast. 

When we do a full cage clean ill just detach the top half and carry it outside in two halves. I have to say though ive never sprayed my feisty ferret all down. I usually take a spray bottle of dish soap and water a sponge and paper towels and spray everything and wipe the bars down with the sponge. It doesn't get that dirty. Then again ive only had the one for 3 or 4 months. 












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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

ive many many years of cage cleaning on my cages&like to do a full spring&fall clean here. summer&winter aren't conducive to thorough scouring when your freezing or dying hence the steamer inside. when the hose is froze you don't clean outside. too cool that it was easy&pretty fast. even cooler that it comes apart for travel. mine love to toss toys that squeak&scream as they fall. its eerie. luckily the toys sound nothing like a rat. everyone loved to get them talking screaming squeaking toys. the "oh no" toy is the funniest when they throw him. ive broken one girl of her habit of tossing empty dishes at me. they stack them now&gently push them at me as a hint. subtle? no, but I don't have to dish hunt their treat dishes anymore. man do they love direct eye contact&towering. you must be having a blast watching them. they look very pleased in the pic


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

You have very unique ratties so much personality! 

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