Solution to what to use in cage.....

[1happybooker]

I think I've found the greatest solution to what to cover my cage shelves with. I tried carpet remnants but they were too hard to wash out. Then I tried rubber/plastic sink mats but the ratties chewed the HECK out of them. (BAADDDDDD Ratties  ).

So wandering thru the hardware store today I came upon outdoor carpeting. Made of 100% nylon -- guaranteed to last for 3 years. They also had the higher grade stuff made to use in boats, but I didn't think I needed that.  And it was reasonable -- about $1.50 for a 1' X 6' piece. (The salesguy looked at me REAL funny like when I asked for 1' though  )

So I can just hose it off when I wash out the cage & it should be fine.  Just hope the ratties don't develop a taste for it......

[amymckee]

Great idea! I'll have to remember that one.

[Spiralgirl]

Once again I must plug my beloved Magic Mats by Oasis.  Little expensive up front, but they last a long while...I've had the same ones for almost 2 years now.

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/theferretstore/oaspetprodma.html

[Anmllvr731]

Once again I must plug my beloved Magic Mats by Oasis.  Little expensive up front, but they last a long while

Thanks for the link, the mats look like a great idea, think I'll be ordering some

[Dingo-Rat]

Once again I must plug my beloved Magic Mats by Oasis.  Little expensive up front, but they last a long while


Oh my Gosh, This is such a good idea,  i have been struggling with the carpet thing myself and these are perfect.  Thanks  Needed to make my monthly order from the ferret store anyway.

[Deedles]

Can the oasis mats be easily cut down to fit any size? And what material are they made out of?
If anybody has a picture, I would appreciate it if you post it, I always like to look at things before I buy them! :p


-Deedles

[Spiralgirl]

Here they are taken apart and layed out on the carpet.




Here's them on the middle floor of my R-690, that would be Sorka showing how well they work.


As you can see, they interloc like flat legos...so you don't have to cut them, only rearrange them to fit your cage floor.  I only put them where my ratties spend the most time on the wire...infront of the food hopper and water bottle, and leading over to the litter box on the same level.

[Deedles]

I see!

Cool! Thanks a ton for posting those pics for me, I think I will buy some. (they should pay you for advertisement!)

-Deedles

[Jodi]

Okay, my turn to post a shameless plug for my preference.  I'd tried several different floor/shelf covers over the years, but now I swear by the covers I make from waterproof crib sheets. I buy the sheets from the baby section of the local department store and cut pieces slightly larger than the shelves, notch out the corners and seam them to form a corner in the cover so there is a "bumper pad" formed around the sides that will be up against the walls of the cage. I then sew on fabric tabs at each corner and attach them to the cage by clipping the tabs to the bars outside the cage with binder clips.

The "bumper" sides keep pee and litter from going outside the cage, and the waterproof crib pad material is both drip-proof AND absorbant, so my ratties don't ever walk in puddles. Plus, the material doesn't have to be hemmed around the edges. It won't fray, my ratties don't chew it like they did other fabrics, and it washes up just great.

You can kinda tell how they work in this pic

[serenade]

Here's them on the middle floor of my R-690, that would be Sorka showing how well they work.
As you can see, they interloc like flat legos...so you don't have to cut them, only rearrange them to fit your cage floor.  I only put them where my ratties spend the most time on the wire...infront of the food hopper and water bottle, and leading over to the litter box on the same level.
[/color]

I have the R-690 too, going to be upgrading to the 695 here in a couple of weeks...was wondering how much space you can cover with one order?  I'm not good at visualizing numbers.  For example, the description states: Each pack covers 96 square inches.  I can't visualize 96 square inches.  I'm lame, I know, but I need comparisons.    Also, it states the item as a 3/pk...so...call me stupid, but would that then be 96 square inches x 3?

[Deedles]

Serenade:

I think that they mean there are 3 in a pack. That would mean they are 32 square inches each...
Looking at the pictures of them above, they look twice as long as they are wide, so my guess is that you get 3 pads that are 4"x8"

Hope that helps!

-Deedles

[Spiralgirl]

I have the R-690 too, going to be upgrading to the 695 here in a couple of weeks...was wondering how much space you can cover with one order?  I'm not good at visualizing numbers.  For example, the description states: Each pack covers 96 square inches.  I can't visualize 96 square inches.  I'm lame, I know, but I need comparisons.    Also, it states the item as a 3/pk...so...call me stupid, but would that then be 96 square inches x 3?

Let's see, one pack covers half the middle floor of a R-690...I have other stuff on that level so the majority of the floor space is covered.  You mostly want to be concerned about places where your ratties spend most of their time...in front of the food and water.  The top balcony holds a nest box and the bottom balcony is just a jumping off point to get to the toys on the lower level...so I don't worry about covering them.

For an R-695 I'd get two packs per cage...they are longer and deeper then the R-690 and will have more middle floor space to cover.

Each little mat...there are 3 in a pack...is 4" by 8", so a full pack covers 96 square inches.  If the area of the middle floor of an R-695 is 540 square inches...30" long by 18" deep...you'd need 4 or 5 packs to cover it completely.  BUT you don't need to cover the whole floor, especially if your putting food bowls and a litter box on that level like I do...you could get just 2 packs and cover the crucial areas just fine.

[serenade]

Serenade:

I think that they mean there are 3 in a pack. That would mean they are 32 square inches each...
-Deedles

That's what I was thinking too.  But sometimes the wording on products can be so misleading, you know what I mean?  Thanks!

[serenade]

Let's see, one pack covers half the middle floor of a R-690...I have other stuff on that level so the majority of the floor space is covered.  You mostly want to be concerned about places where your ratties spend most of their time...in front of the food and water.  The top balcony holds a nest box and the bottom balcony is just a jumping off point to get to the toys on the lower level...so I don't worry about covering them.

For an R-695 I'd get two packs per cage...they are longer and deeper then the R-690 and will have more middle floor space to cover.

Each little mat...there are 3 in a pack...is 4" by 8", so a full pack covers 96 square inches.  If the area of the middle floor of an R-695 is 540 square inches...30" long by 18" deep...you'd need 4 or 5 packs to cover it completely.  BUT you don't need to cover the whole floor, especially if your putting food bowls and a litter box on that level like I do...you could get just 2 packs and cover the crucial areas just fine.

Thank you, THAT I can understand!  96 quare inches means nothing to me!  LOL  Thanks for the info, I think I will order two packs to start with.  See how that works.  

[Spiralgirl]

No prob, glad to help.

[unity]

works well for me, and it's cheap! I tie it on with yarn.

[Idarat]

For folks ordering or outfitting Martin's cages, Martin's sells a fiberboard substance to cover their flooring.  Its some sort of plastic stuff, and it is cut by them to fit balconies.  $3 covers a balcony in the R-695 and $12 covers the full middle floor.  Although I just got my cages and am still assembling them (thus havn't tested these covering with my ratties) they look really good and chew proof.  They have a texturization similar to the inside of a Wodent Wheel, to ensure better footing.  Hope this helps.  BTW, I am not sure if you can order them on the site.  If not, just send an email to the custom dept and they will know what you are talking about.

[Izzy]

Idarat:  Is there any way you could post a picture of this??  It sounds too good to be true.....