Message:
Subject: Re: plastic boxes
Posted by ted on November 30, 1998 at 08:16:14:
In Reply to: Re: Looking for suggestions posted by Bell on November 30, 1998 at 01:55:35:
: : Wood is notorious for absorbing urine and odors. It will also harbor bacteria and can not be sanitized. I put my nest boxes on the floor of the cages when babies are due oop also, but I do it to prevent them from falling from the nest to the bottom of the cage. Anyway back to your odor problem. Instead of spending money on products that you are not sure of, and still risking odors and bacteria, why not order the sugar glider nest box from BPP? You can find it in their online catalog at www.brisky.com
: : It is made of a sturdy plastic type of material with ventilation holes and a lid that is on hinges to make it easy to check on the gliders and their young. It has an easy access door for the gliders, hangs on the side of the cage with S hooks and is easy to clean. I think that it is an excellent nest box for gliders and their owners as well.
: I have a nestbox made of plastic too, and it works well. another cheap solution would be to use an empty baby wipes box. just cut a hole so the gliders can get in and out. it works well because you can clean it with soap and water, and also you can open the lid to remove the gliders if you wanted to.
: hope this helps,
: Bell
Thats it you can get plastic boxes for a buck or less at the local "dollar store" cut a hole in the side/top/where ever and swap it out every week with a sanitized box. Most gliders will give plastic an experimental nibble then leave it alone. Plastic boxes have saved me a fortune, I have one pair of gliders that "moves" every 2-3months so I have to have several boxes/hanging pouches in their cage. You can still use the wood box, I found if you scrub the box then let it sit outside in the sun for a couple of days (til bone dry) it quits smelling. (I have another set of gliders that will only sleep in a wooden nesting box)
I don't like to move the boxes to the floor but I have sizable shelves under the nest box, it helps keep dropped/discarded food from falling through the grate on the bottom of the cage also.