--Initially posted to APF--
 
I like the idea of the flexo-bubble tubes for fuzzies to play with in
their cages.  I've been considering a new cage for a while.  I have three
youngish fuzzies with me and since I'm away a lot during the day after
morning play with them, I want something that will give them more room and
more toys to exercise.  Their current three level wire cage is reasonably
large, but I would like something bigger so they can get more exercise
while I'm away.
 
There seem to be several problems which people have noted about the tubes.
They can fall off if not reinforced by the buyer.  They can be too slippery
for some ferrets.  And, most important, they should not be the only means
of access to any particular spot in a cage, but rather a secondary, "fun"
back-up to a ramp or some such.  *My* biggest problem with these cages
applies to all of the ones I could find displayed for sale at the
Ferretstore.  They all have shelves, which they refer to as "levels", and
so they are able to sell off a cage with four shelves and which is not
that big to begin with as a "four level cage".  Luckily, the pic in the
ferretstore includes a ferret, so that tipped me off about the size (also,
I found the stand rather superfluous... our fuzzies like to return to their
cage when they are too tired of playing, and with the rolling stand they
are cut-off from it).
 
I have a big problem with this.  It may be merely semantics, but I
consider a full floor as a "level".  I don't like a cage full of shelves of
different sizes being passed of as levels, with only the ground/litter-box
level as a full floor.  I don't think it is as comfortable for ferrets to
run around safely --as a full floor is--, and I imagine they can easily
fall which, depending on the size of the cage, it can be quite a drop.
 
I kind of like the multi-modules wire cages also featured on the
ferretstore site.  But then it occurred to me that, yes, with the full four
levels assembled fuzzies would have a lot of space, but then it is a long
way, full of twists and hoops, from the upper level to the litter-box on
the bottom.  I suppose you could put another litter box or two in alternate
levels, but then you run into the usual problems you have with litter boxes
in intermediate floors.  In our current three-floored cage, it is a
straight two-ramps down do the high-cornered crappers, and so far the hit
rate is close to 100% when they are inside the cage, unless they are pissed
off at me over something.
 
If I could find a good cage with three or four spacious full flours
connected by ramps (and with enough height for large, comfy hammocks and
other odds and sorts), and then with tubular connections all around for
them to play (as well as with a *huge* door on the bottom floor, since I
use the huge, square, high-cornered litter boxes that ferrets seem to
love), I'd snap it up in a sec.  I'd prefer the tubes to be transparent or
translucent of course, so we could see the fuzzies having fun through, but
that would be just gravy, not an essential.
 
Cheers,
 
Jaime
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2940]