The ramp was made by using a Dremel (small rotary power tool) to cut off the top of a 4” PVC pipe so that the piggies can fit through it comfortably but still have protection on the sides. My hubby cut the pipe to 48” and chopped 3” off the top, then I washed it thoroughly with soap and hosed it off to remove the fine white powder dust caused by the Dremel. The bottom edge of the ramp is tapered down to a gradual end. Traction on the ramp is accomplished through a strip of fleece slightly longer than the ramp so it can be tucked underneath on the ends. The ramp is affixed to the loft through a hole cut out of the grid. The PVC snugly fits right in (the wire grabs and holds it in place) and the one wire that was exposed is covered in duct tape so there is no sharp metal for the piggies to come in contact with. It’s important to note that the fleece in the loft must be tucked under the PVC ramp rather than around it … the first day we built the loft, my hubby was horrified to think that the piggies miraculously escaped because they were nowhere in the cage, and I wasn’t home! Since the fleece was only tucked over the coroplast and around the PVC, the girls had mischeiviously found a way to move the fleece and crawl in between the fleece and the coroplast and were hiding in there, completely invisible! Those little rascals.
