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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2013 16:28:18 GMT -5
I apologize if this is in the wrong area, please move it if it is.
But anyways, I don't do loose bedding. I won't, after having guinea pigs that kicked litter as they ran piggy laps and such. I used fleece bedding for them, too. But, obviously, I will be using litter in the litter box. Yesterday's News is okay, isn't it?
But I was wondering if anyone has an FN bedding 'template' of any sort? I know I could always just cut fabric around a shelf, but with my luck, it would end terribly. And do you use any batting or absorbent layer between the shelf and fleece (or flannel)? I sort of have an idea about how I want to do it, like fleece layer 1, batting, then fleece layer 2... If that will work.
Sewing is no problem at all, I hand sewed all of my guinea pig cage (27"x84" worth of cage liners....), and they withstood anything that I threw at them, so I'm fairly sure that the ferrets won't be able to do too much damage unless they're chewing through the fabric?
I know some of you have done cage liners for FN like this, and it would be much appreciated if you could share, as I cannot do this without some sort of guideline.
Thank you so much, and sorry again if this is in the wrong area!
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2013 20:20:25 GMT -5
I make mine like pillow cases and for the top 2 levels I sewed the notch in. I just took my shelves off and traced them onto the material leaving 1/4 inch for the seams. I also made them tight fitting but long enough that the open end can be tucked otherwise my Lillybug and Peanut like to stash food and toys under the cover
Edit: I really need to read more carefully next time... Since you don't want to trace the shelves you could just measure and double it if you wanted to do them like pillow cases
Edit again:
Oh! And standard size pillowcases work great for the smaller shelves plus it gives them texture options if the fleece gets too warm for them.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2013 20:52:30 GMT -5
Thank you so much!
I'm sure I could find some kind of lighter fabric (yay, thrift stores!) if it gets too hot for them. It generally about 68-72 degrees in the house, and we always have frozen water bottles in the freezer, as we have four cats and a teen (yay, me!) who is susceptible to heatstroke in 85 degree weather... Sometimes I wonder if I wasn't meant to have ferrets because of my heat stroke ways. Sigh.
But thank you! I really appreciate it.
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Post by Sherry on May 10, 2013 21:17:11 GMT -5
Hey- if that's the only qualification ferret would be perfect for you Anything 80 and above can be dangerous for them if they aren't acclimatized.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2013 21:34:21 GMT -5
Well, it helps that my mom is in menopause, and if the house ever gets over 76 degrees... That quite quickly changes! Most people can't relate to their animals in the ways of temperature... I can! For summer days, do you think I could buy thrift store sheets and cut them up to make the cage pads/liners the same way I would with the fleece? I can't simply just do it the easy way, I just can't... I have to be somewhat organized when it comes to bedding! Plus, making it gives me something to do
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Post by Sherry on May 10, 2013 22:50:00 GMT -5
No reason why not!
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2013 23:05:48 GMT -5
Woo! Ferrets can't rip fleece apart, can they? I know some fabrics they can. Also, if I make my own hammocks, what are those clips called that I see in almost every single cage and/or bedding (and even some raw feeding pictures, to lock the meat onto the cage so a ferret can't run with it from the others)? It'd be greatly appreciated if you could tell me. I've been looking for them for months, and I cannot seem to find them!
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2013 9:21:16 GMT -5
Well, it helps that my mom is in menopause, and if the house ever gets over 76 degrees... That quite quickly changes! Most people can't relate to their animals in the ways of temperature... I can! For summer days, do you think I could buy thrift store sheets and cut them up to make the cage pads/liners the same way I would with the fleece? I can't simply just do it the easy way, I just can't... I have to be somewhat organized when it comes to bedding! Plus, making it gives me something to do I plan to start getting my fabrics from thrift stores, sheets, fleece blankets, baby blankets and quilts. I look at it as repurposing and I think it is a fantastic way to help reduce waste. Plus it is cheaper so the ferts can have more stuffs!
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2013 9:29:14 GMT -5
I get a majority of my fleece for stuff like this (I made my friend bedding for her ratties too!) at Joann's when their no sew throw fleece kits go on sale. They're totally adorable and waaaay cheaper than they would have been, but if I need something that I know is gonna get ruined/dirty/etc quickly, to the thrift store! There's two right on main street. Probably less than a 5 minute walking distance!
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2013 9:35:17 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2013 9:55:22 GMT -5
THANK YOU.
It was the shower curtain ones I was looking for!
Oh man you just made my week, okay? Really. Looking. Forever!
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Post by Deleted on May 11, 2013 10:50:49 GMT -5
For hanging hammocks, I like to use the baby rings for in the baby section. I hate the metal attached rings as the tear up things in the wash. With thebaby rings, I don't worry about the cage getting scratched. In fact, I leave the rings in the cage when changing hammocks. Much easier.
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 14:32:10 GMT -5
Oh, I was just planning on taking the hooks off before I throw them in the wash, then changing the cage up when I change the bedding. Is an only once weekly cage change (and design/set up change!) okay? I understand cleaning the litter boxes once/a couple times daily (we do this with the cats), but a total bedding change?
And elastic will hold the bedding down onto the shelving, right?
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 16:17:14 GMT -5
Once weekly bedding change is the norm, I think. Although I have 2 bachelors who protest poop, so sometimes their cage needs a little extra attention. As for littler, are your fuzz raw fed or kibble? I found that I had to scoop at *least* once a day when mine were kibble-fed because of the sheer amount of poop as well as the smell. Now that they're raw there's a lot less poop and it's not nearly as offensive (personally, I mean, it's still poo haha) so I usually do every other day scoops and wash the full boxes when I clean the cage.
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 16:23:38 GMT -5
I don't own any fuzzies yet-- but I will! I'm just getting 100% prepared before I adopt, but they will be fed raw, and I plan on starting ASAP (perhaps the day of adoption, if he would take it, otherwise I'll try soupies and sign up for a mentor) because I put raw above any kibble any day. We're planning on switching the kitties too.
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