Howdy all,
 
I own on of those 4 ft. Midwest cages and I agree that in thier original
condition they are unsafe.  Actually, it's the "cat" cage version, it was
cheaper.  (I can't believe they charge $20-$30 more to add two ramps and
call it a "ferret" cage).  But with the proper modifications it can make an
excellent cage for weezils.  The first thing I did was a little sneaky and
maybe a little unethical, but it was done it the impetuous days of my youth
so I can't make any excuses for it.  (Supposedly now I'm more mature, but
that's debatable and another story entirely) When I got the cage, the
instruction sheet had a number to call in case something was missing.  So I
called it and told them that the shelves were missing, even though they
weren't.  A couple weeks later, I had four shelves which allowed for more
efficient use of the cage.  Each shelf was covered with velvet to allow for
better traction (nothing but the best for my weezils).  Each shelf was
connected by a short chunk of that black corrugated plastic drain pipe.
This left only a small area where a ferret could drop all the way to the
bottom.  This became a problem because Ricochet, who liked to sleep on the
top shelf, would roll over and plummet straight to the bottom with a very
perplexed look on his face.  But properly placed hammocks fixed that
problem.  Now if they do fall, they will at least be slowed down
considerably.  I've had this type of setup for over three years without a
problem.  (except for spring and fall shed when the hair sticks to the
velvet like a magnet.)
 
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Weezils are great, what other animal folds neatly in half for easy storage.
[Posted in FML issue 2029]