>I have another problem that I haven't found a solution for.  I've made some
>hammocks/tunnels out of old t-shirts (I'm not paying $15 for one at the
>store) and I can't find those spring clip thingies that clip onto the end
>of the chain and to the cage....
 
My husband Donald is absolutely brilliant, and he came up with an ultimate,
awesome hammock design which is so great it makes me appreciate what a great
husband he is even more.  He's always coming up with great stuff for the
babies.  The furry ones, that is--they're all we've got!
 
It's unbelievable how easy, cheap, strong, and comfy this hammock is.  It
does away with corner fasteners altogether!  That's right, no more grommets.
No more expensive clips.  No more springs.  No more unruly bungees!
 
The secret ingredient is...DOWELS!  Dowels are only 35 or 50 cents at the
hardware store.  The basis of the design is the two dowels, which thread
through the cage holes, through the hammock sides, and out the cage holes
again.  This hammock is based on *sides* rather than *corners*.
 
How to do it:
You need two lengths of dowel, each about three inches longer than the
narrowest dimension of your cage.  You can probably just buy one dowel and
cut it in two.
 
Take the piece of cloth that will become the hammock.  Fold one end over
about an inch or two and sew it, so that you've formed a little tunnel along
the one side, wide enough to fit your finger.  Now, do the same with the
opposite end.
 
Thread a quarter-inch dowel through one of the tunnels. Now, thread
another quarter-inch dowel through the other tunnel.
 
Now, you have a hammock, ready to be suspended in the cage.  Just insert the
dowel ends through the holes of the cage.  That's it!  You might find it
easier to thread the dowels into one side of the cage first, and then into
the cloth, and then out the other side.  When it's laundry time, just pull
out the sticks.  So easy!
 
One of the many advantages of this design is the increased useable surface
area.  Our four ferrets can sprawl out comfortably on this bed.  They
absolutely love it.  There's no central "gravity well" formed by the
four-corner suspension.
 
If any of this explanation didn't make sense, please e-mail me and I'll be
happy to clarify!  Please let me know if you try this plan and like it.  I'd
love to know!
 
Vesna Kovach
[Posted in FML issue 2108]