--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 -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> / "Peep not what your country can peep for you; \ / peep what you can peep for your country. \ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< [Posted in FML issue 2940]