ferret proofing?

[grEEEn]

I really want to build one of these cages for my boys, as they're currently in the Living World "starter cages" and spend most of their days just sitting in 1 spot in their cages (at lease there's 1 pig per cage and their' side by side - that's the best I can do for now) and my boyfriend is very resistant to me building a piggy cage for some reason

Anyways, one of my problems is that we have 2 ferrets - 1 of them is really big and kinda lazy, I'm not too worried about her getting loose and getting into the cage, but the other one is very petite and I really don't want my little boys to be eaten by my boyfriend's ferrets T_T

Also I may be moving back into my parents house for a short while to go to school, and they have a hunting breed dog (english springer spaniel)who is an aboslute sweetheart and would never hurt a person, but loves to bite birds - he's even taken down a crow once! I was piggysitting once while I still lived with parents, the piggy was in a small cage on top of a dresser too high for the doggy to reach, but the doggy did sit and stare and drool... I'm worried about a big cage that would go on the floor and protecting my piggies from the big bad dog.

also some ideas on how to persuade my boyfriend to help me pick up the materials for a piggy cage (he drives and I don't) I'm thinking I'm just going to have to draw out the plans and insist he take me to go pick up... whatever materials are ferret proof and build it on my own.

[this_lil_piggy]

Your best bet is probably going to be to double grid the cage. See the pics here to see what I am talking about: http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos...ry.php/cat/532

You could build a grid cage, and then once done go back and put a second layer of slightly offset grids on the outside (ziptie them to the outside of the cage) to make the holes too small for the ferrets to fit through.
This would be your easiest, quickest, cheapest solution.

I have my eye out, waiting on the poly grids to become available. I plan to use the poly grids on the 2 ends and back side of my cage, and then use regular grids on the front side of my cage for ventilation and social purposes. My purpose for the poly grids is to block drafts and shavings/hay from being kicked all over, but you might could consider doing the same thing to ferret proof....Use poly grids to build 3 sides of the cage and then double grid regular wire cubes on the front.
These are the poly grids: Target : Poly Cube Set – Translucent Pink (13.25")
And these are the regular wire grids:
Whitmor Purple Wire Storage Cubes, Set of 4 - Wal-Mart

Ask your boyfriend if he would like to live in the closet? That is the equivalent of your piggies living in a tiny petstore cage.
1 CC cage for the boys would take up less space than 2 pet store cages--you could put it up on a stand to provide storage underneath for pig supplies.
CC cages look better than store bought.
CC cages are easier to clean, and dont need cleaned as often (they dont get stinky as fast)
and because *stomping foot* you want one! What other reason does he need? Merry Christmas to you. hehe

[grEEEn]

partial success! My boyfriend has given in because I whined too much His dad owns a window tinting business and - dun dun dun - also does the occasional sign, so he always has a supply of plain white corogated plastic we should be able to put the new cage on top of the 2 end tables we're currently using for the pigs individual cages which is a space off approximatly 60X20 - I'll try to push it up to 60X30 though. I'm so excited and my boys are too!

[this_lil_piggy]

Cool deal! The size of the tables doesn't matter much. You can put grids on the bottom of the coroplast and secure them with zipties, to help support the coroplast. Then it won't matter if you have some space in the middle, or some over hang, that doesn't have table under it

I have 4 levels, 3 of which are supported strictly by grids and zipties.