How to make a 3 inch cardboard tube into a ladder

[ConnieW]

I have a 5 foot long 3 inch diameter heavy cardboard tube that a wall calendar came in. I would love to use it as a tunnel for my gerbils to go from their cage to a lower play pen area. However I know as it is it would be too smooth and they would slide down it and then couldn't get back up. Any ideas on how to make the inside surface rougher so they could have some footing as they go up and down inside this tube?

I thought maybe cut some crossways thin slits on one side of it about every inch or so. Don't know if that might work. 

Or cut a 1 inch strip lengthwise down is to have access to the inside of the tube and glue something on the inside surface. But I don't want them to be able to climb out of the tube and fall from any height.

Maybe I am over thinking this. Anyone have any ideas?
 

[betty]

Nice find.

Young, fit gerbils can normally scoot up cardboard at a 45 degree angle without too much effort anyway for short distances, and if you can get your arm into it tp scratch the inside surface would certainly help them to get a grip on it if you were looking at making it a bit steeper or it was longer.

You could consider trailing something through it on the inside if it was only to be use at play time - like rolling out a strip of red carpet - but made of natural material strips or flat plaits. Have this on the climbing surface fastened at the top and trailing through the base of the centre.

It is always difficult to attach a play tube directly from the cage without a certain amount of faffing. However if your tube is too steep an angle to the floor, consider directing it to a raised platform initially and then smaller steps down from that platform to the floor. I used to do this for my jirds when they were using their old enclosures. I felt much happier with the angles and the platform gave them a mid-way point and reduced the climbing angle considerably.

[ConnieW]

Jul 13, 2024 1:21:05 GMT -8 betty said:

Nice find.

Young, fit gerbils can normally scoot up cardboard at a 45 degree angle without too much effort anyway for short distances, and if you can get your arm into it tp scratch the inside surface would certainly help them to get a grip on it if you were looking at making it a bit steeper or it was longer.

You could consider trailing something through it on the inside if it was only to be use at play time - like rolling out a strip of red carpet - but made of natural material strips or flat plaits. Have this on the climbing surface fastened at the top and trailing through the base of the centre.

It is always difficult to attach a play tube directly from the cage without a certain amount of faffing. However if your tube is too steep an angle to the floor, consider directing it to a raised platform initially and then smaller steps down from that platform to the floor. I used to do this for my jirds when they were using their old enclosures. I felt much happier with the angles and the platform gave them a mid-way point and reduced the climbing angle considerably.

Great ideas, Betty! Thanks so much. When I get it set up and see how it goes I will come back and show what I did. For that something trailing through the tube I wonder if a piece of rope would do?

[betty]

Gerbils can't 'grip' with their hands or feet like we would when climbing, and they don't use their arms to pull up their own bodyweight like we would either; they just use it for traction really. So a wide and/or flat rope could help them get traction if it was firmly attached and/or very taut. Otherwise it will just move sideways when they put pressure on it.

So a flat plait would be better in that sense as their whole body weight will be on it as they walk up and so will pin it still themselves.

[ConnieW]

Jul 15, 2024 1:51:07 GMT -8 betty said:

Gerbils can't 'grip' with their hands or feet like we would when climbing, and they don't use their arms to pull up their own bodyweight like we would either; they just use it for traction really. So a wide and/or flat rope could help them get traction if it was firmly attached and/or very taut. Otherwise it will just move sideways when they put pressure on it.

So a flat plait would be better in that sense as their whole body weight will be on it as they walk up and so will pin it still themselves.

Thank you for that input. I will look into getting something like that. 

[betty]

we are all hoping for a winning idea here...