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Post by ConnieW on Jul 8, 2024 10:38:55 GMT -8
Today I saw my gerbil girls out in the topper and I usually go to them and give them treats through the cage bars. Cream Puff will take the seed from my fingers, but Coco Puff waits for me to drop the seed and she picks it up and runs off with it to eat it. Today I tried something different, I opened the cage and put my hand with seeds in and Cream Puff usually just puts her two front paws on my hand and grabs the seed and runs off. Today she sat on my hand and ate several seeds while sitting on my hand! Coco didn't want to eat from my hand but she got all the way on my hand for a few seconds and at one point crawled over my arm. They were not afraid at all. I was so pleased they trusted me to do that. Before it was only front paws on my hand, and now such progress!  Here is the video of the whole experience. Nothing much happens for the first minute or so. But then Coco appears and it is cute from there. youtu.be/ZAQtMijRa7w |
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Post by betty on Jul 9, 2024 11:16:02 GMT -8
Yay - great work...
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jul 9, 2024 15:13:42 GMT -8
It's always a wonderful moment when they trust you enough to step onto your hand!
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Post by ConnieW on Jul 10, 2024 18:24:57 GMT -8
It's always a wonderful moment when they trust you enough to step onto your hand! Yes it sure is and now whenever I open the door and Coco is out she comes running and if I let her she climbs the open door as I have it leaning on my chest so I have two hands ready to make sure she doesn't fall out of the cage. But I think she would be very willing to leave the cage in a tube "road" to a playground. I just have to figure out how to do that from their cage door that is about 4 feet above the ground. I am thinking on it. |
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Post by betty on Jul 13, 2024 1:31:14 GMT -8
Tube road - love it!!!
Lots of people have a front or top attachment that leads to a play area - they can be a bit fiddly depending on their location and the enclosure you are trying to adapt. The easiest ones are those with front opening doors or hatches and it is far easier to attach to a smaller space and prevent escapes (if there is a teeny hole or something they can chew - they will find it!!!).
We have had a few people come out of the top - but I think this requires a home-made lid to be in place to alllow for attached/not attached. How exciting... I uses to love projects like this when I was younger and only had a few enclosures to tinker with...
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Post by ConnieW on Jul 14, 2024 9:47:55 GMT -8
Tube road - love it!!! Lots of people have a front or top attachment that leads to a play area - they can be a bit fiddly depending on their location and the enclosure you are trying to adapt. The easiest ones are those with front opening doors or hatches and it is far easier to attach to a smaller space and prevent escapes (if there is a teeny hole or something they can chew - they will find it!!!). We have had a few people come out of the top - but I think this requires a home-made lid to be in place to alllow for attached/not attached. How exciting... I uses to love projects like this when I was younger and only had a few enclosures to tinker with... Thanks, Betty, I do have a front door on my topper. It is a 12 X 9 inch door. I have been trying to think about how to 'enclose' that opening to do the tube road down to a playpen area. What material is safe to use and how to do it. Thanks for any ideas. I am thinking I will have to place the playpen on a table top next to their cage that is on a table top so the angle of the tube road won't be that long or too steep. I am thinking on all of it. Or maybe it would be better to get one of those 'dryer vent' type flexible tubes as their tube road instead of the smooth cardboard tube. And figure out a flat door opening blocker with a hole in it for the tube to attach too.....just thinking on this as I am typing. This is all temporary, just there during playpen time. Then I put it all away other times. It needs it to be easy set up and take down too. I am an old lady that doesn't have much strength anymore. LOL! |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Jul 14, 2024 10:12:00 GMT -8
I think Markpd has something similar to dryer vent ducting. You can get window fittings designed for air conditioning unit ducting. Maybe one of those would work to attach the ducting to the topper? |
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Post by betty on Jul 15, 2024 1:53:15 GMT -8
I was about to say the same - there are many cage and window adaptors that can be fitted for tubes.
Also, you could shape a piece or pieces of thin kiln-dried pine or plywood to fit around your tube.
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Post by ConnieW on Jul 15, 2024 9:54:50 GMT -8
I was about to say the same - there are many cage and window adpators that can be fitted for tubes. Also, you could shape a piece or pieces of thin kiln-dried pine or plywood to fit around your tube. All great ideas! Thinking how I would attach a piece of wood to the cage opening securely that is easy to put on and take off. Maybe my son and I can sit down and brain storm about it. |
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Post by betty on Jul 15, 2024 10:51:52 GMT -8
Hmm. So many options - can't wait to see what you brainstorm/thoughtshower.
I was thinking of those little hooks or maybe runners, but it is always a bit individual for sure.
Good luck...
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Post by Markpd on Jul 19, 2024 13:53:30 GMT -8
I think Markpd has something similar to dryer vent ducting. You can get window fittings designed for air conditioning unit ducting. Maybe one of those would work to attach the ducting to the topper? Sorry for the late reply, been away (busy) for a bit.
Yea I used ducting used for dust extraction, it's a large bore tube made from a soft transparent rubbery plastic reinforced with steel wire, I think I have a photo somewhere, that'd be easier!  This is one end of the tube with an ally protection ring I added.
This is showing nearly the full length of the tube, they quite easily climb the steep angle as they get excellent grip on the ridges and soft plastic.
Here you can see the end of the tube, and sort of how I (temporarily) attach it. I bent the end of the wire to make a hook. (That was Blake btw  , a rather over-exposed photo of him in his later life). 2 tubes here as I would put one to the 'play pen' (a 2nd tank) and one to the sandpen (the latter no longer used). |
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, a rather over-exposed photo of him in his later life). 2 tubes here as I would put one to the 'play pen' (a 2nd tank) and one to the sandpen (the latter no longer used).
), late 70s