Tunnel-and-Bin Maze Design and Questions

[Deleted]

I've been wanting to make my girls a fun tunnel-and-bin maze using their ferretrail playground:



Their stretchy tunnels:



And the two sterlite bins I currently have (which I want to dremel holes into to attach the strechy tunnels)



I want to have one of the bins as either a ball pit (already have the play balls) or a rice box. I'll leave the lid off, but have a tunnel as an entrance way since the sides are too high for them to climb.

Are rice boxes safe as UNSUPERVISED toys?
I use Jasmine rice (not the microwave kind that can expand if they eat it) but I still don't imagine it would be safe if they ate it... does any one leave their ferrets unsupervised in rice boxes? Or should I stick to the balls to be safe?

I also wanted to maybe use one of the boxes as a sleeping box with blankies. But they love the dark (like my closed pajama drawer : so I wanted to leave the rubbermaid bin lid ON.
Would I need to cut ventilation holes in the bin since the tunnel would be the only entranceway? Or maybe a second non-tunnel entranceway just to be safe?

The ferrets have also tore holes in 2 of their 3 strechy tunnels (see below). There are only a couple holes in each tunnel and I'm pretty sure they tore them with their nails, because I've never seem them chew on their tunnels.





Are these still safe to use, or should I throw them out to be safe?

Thanks

[Sherry]

Mine have a rice bin under the bed that they play in. And as far as a second entry, don't see that they'd need it. You can always remove the lid if need be. They seem fine with one entry.
For the ventilation holes in the sleeping den? Depends. We've done them, but my dens are smaller, and the inside would actually get damp when too many were in there for any length of time.

[jadewolf]

I leave mine unsupervised, free range in the living room 24/7 with the rice bin and it never occurred to me to worry about it. Now that I think, they are ferrets, and if it can go wrong it will...

re ventilation holes, I think some smaller holes near the top would be good, like Sherry says it can get pretty moist if it's totally enclosed in plastic. I also personally prefer to have two entrances to stuff in case someone decides to be an obstacle and just hang out in the tube, but I don't think it's totally required.

Re: the holes in the tubes, tough call. If I were truly hardcore, I would follow the ferret websites advice and throw out any tube with damage, or at least cut off the damaged part and leave the rest of the tube for them. I am not that willing to throw out tubes, I usually let the damage go a bit further before I trash. You could also try duct taping over both sides of the holes if you're sure your ferrets won't chew the tape.

[Heather]

I use those bins as sleep boxes all the time...if it's the size I'm thinking of... A couple of entrance/exits, others only have one tube entrance....I leave the lids on all the time (unless one of the brats pops the lid by jumping against it. Most of the fuzz aren't large (long ) enough to hit the lid but Fun-Go and Minion are both long enough to do this so sometimes it amuses them to see if they can knock the lids off. I have a bin with rice that they use at will, they also have a box of rocks and another filled with play sand. I would be nervous of the expandible tubes but it depends on your ferrets I suppose. I've got a couple who might eat the plastic so knowing this I pitch the tubes when they start coming apart. It's up to you, you know your wee ones.
ciao

[Sherry]

As far as the tubes go Steph, go to Rona in Westhills. They have 10' lengths of the black drainage tubing for $10. You could have them cut it for you, but I believe you pay per cut. No way they're doing much damage to those ;D

[Heather]

Those black tubes is what I use. I've given up buying the clear ones as much as I love being able to see my wee ones playing in the tubes. The clear collapsible tubes just cost too much and are so easily destroyed that I"ve given up buying them. At $50 a piece and they only last about 6 months....the black tube (which is construction tube after all) give a whole lot more fun per dollar
ciao

[Sherry]

We are lucky in a way here. If you are a member of FRES, you can get the clear ones in a 20' length for $16!

[Deleted]

Thanks for the great advice everyone

I think I will definitely leave them a rice box out. They aren't a fan of when I put them in it now (mostly cause they can't get out on their own) but I'm hoping if it's out all the time they will use it and it will take some of the oil out of their coat - they seem to like to roll in their food lately or something and get kinda greasy sometimes (and smell of raw meat - yuck!) ;D

I didn't even consider condensation with the bins, I think they are big enough that with 2-3 ferrets it would be okay, but I think I feel safer with another exit because I could definitely see them stashing a toy in the tunnel and trapping themselves ;D

These black tunnels sound awesome! Now I'm thinking of the plastic black drainage ones that also come in an orange color, is that the ones you mean? Those are quite solid / not flexible like the clear ones? And they can't chew the plastic at all? If so that sounds fantastic!

And I will definitely throw out these ones to be safe if there's cheaper alternatives. The only reason I liked these ones is because they attach to the rest of the ferretrail set, but I have one brand new one I can use until it gets holes. and I'm sure I could even attach different tunnels if I got creative.

My girls absolutely destroyed their long clear tunnel ;D but they also LOVED it when I wound it around their cat post and they could run around it, so I might definitely pick some of those up from FRES too. And some crocheted eggs while I'm at it. They are such an awesome resource and they have a snazzy new website design too! now if they would only call me back so I can take one of their beautiful ferrets of their hands

[Sherry]

They will ;D And not sure about orange, but it's got little holes all the way along it, and you're right, it's not very bendy.

[Deleted]

I was totally thinking of the wrong ones ;D found the ones you are talking about, wow 10 feet is long!

Is the 2" diameter one (the $10 one) wide enough for larger ferrets? I know the girls will fit but if I get a boy if the future who is bigger I'm worried he won't.

Also do you cut them yourselves? I could borrow my friends truck and take the 10' one home and cut it myself to save money, just not sure what to cut it with...

[Sherry]

Tubes need to he 4" for them to comfortably go through them. I accidentally got a 3" elbow for a dig
Box, and even my smaller girls refuse to use it
When you go to Rona, go to the service desk and ask for the 10' black drainage tube. They'll give you your paper to pay up front, then you pick it up on the yard.

[Heather]

I went to Home Depot and got 100 ft for $60. It was a little hard to work with but well worth it and you can cut it into lengths that you want to use. I got the 4" stuff, I still had Napoleon when I bought the roll and he would never have fit into anything smaller. I was a bit surprised that he could use it
ciao

[Sherry]

You can buy the whole roll here as well. I've not done that, so no idea what the price is.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the info . I would not know what to do with 100 feet ;D but that's a great price. Maybe one day when I have a bigger ferret room. but I will pick up some of the 4" diameter stuff for sure

[Heather]

It was actually great. A piece of it became a tunnel that went down to the basement (replacing the hard plastic series of tunnels that kept coming apart and getting in the way of the humans). Another piece went down the hallway and was attached to the wall (again for the convenience of the humans who inhabit the house). Ferrets hate anything to be against the wall (except them). A number of small pieces were attached to the various ramps to prevent little ferret feet and legs from getting hurt. The rest of it became the tunnel maze in their room. I'm going to go get some more (maybe give it to them for Christmas) to create a couple of mazes, one of them to be outside in the ferret play area.
ciao