China's down there somewhere! Many people save a few shekels by using cardboard boxes to satisfy their ferret's need for secure sleeping places and places to play. The ferrets sure don't mind! However, the designs shown here are nearly as cheap as cardboard boxes, but have several advantages. They last much longer, for one thing, are easy to clean, and are moisture-proof. They close easily to provide the ferret with security or to help contain the mess, yet they are also easy to open when you're searching for a missing toy or (Eris forbid!) a missing ferret. On this page I will give you step-by-step instructions for making a basic dig box from a rubber storage container, followed by a nest box and a sand box made using the same technique. Materials and tools
The basic box requires only a few simple tools and materials:
The containers come in a variety of sizes, so you can pick the one that's appropriate for the use that you have in mind. For this project I chose the 14-gallon size. PVC downspout adapters also come in several sizes. As shown in the second picture, a downspout adapter consists of a round section of pipe (to fit a drainage system) mated to a rectangular section (to attach to a downspout). The sizes are given as the height and width of the rectangular section, followed by the diameter of the circular section. The size used for this project is 2" x 3" x 3", which is suitable for all but the largest ferrets. (Trust me!) For larger ferrets, however, you might want to chose the 3" x 4" x 4" size shown in the second picture. The container cost me $5.67 and the adapter was $3.17, for a total cost of only $8.84. Creating the entrance
The first step is to decide where you want to put the entrance. For a dig box, you'll want it toward the top of the container to help keep the digging material on the inside. Be sure to pick a position that avoids any "shoulders" moulded into the container that could prevent you from inserting the adapter all the way. The pictured position would not work on a smaller container, so you would have to place the entrance on the side instead of the end. Place the rectangular side of the adapter against the container, since this will end up on the inside, and use the marking pen to trace around the inside of the adapter. Use the utility knife to cut out the marked piece. The marked area will actually be too small to insert the adapter, but I like to start small and then carefully trim the edges of the opening to the proper size. You want the adapter to fit as tightly as possible into the opening, so the sides of the container spring around it to hold it in place. It should require a bit of force to insert the adapter into the opening, but not so much force that you crack the sides of the container. (If you get a tiny split, don't worry about it.) Finally, fill the box with your desired digging material. In this case I chose biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve in water, so there is no risk of a blockage if a fuzz decides to nibble on one. Other options include:
Use your imagination, and change the filling every now and then to something else. (Or make multiple boxes with different fills.) I would, however, advise against the use of uncooked, dried beans, since they seem to present too much risk of a blockage. Dig boxes are also good places to hide toys or treats for the fuzzies to find. Note: I found a 1.5 cubic foot bag of biodegradable peanuts at Office Depot for $6.59, which is more than enough to fill a box this size. The Ferret Store sells about the same amount for $10.99. Staples is another source, if you have one in your area. Office Max and the UPS Store don't seem to carry them, though Office Max does have another sort of biodegradable packing material that might work. Applying the Fizzbin Test Can a 2.5-lb. ferret make it through a 2" x 3" opening? Easily! Fizzbin enjoys his swim in the peanuts.
Nest box version
This nest box was constructed using the 3-gallon sized Rubbermaid Roughneck ($4.97) and another 2" x 3" x 3" downspout adapter ($3.17) for a total cost of $8.14, plus some shredded newspaper. A 5-gallon container (which Rubbermaid doesn't offer) might have been better, but Fizzbin does fit in this one quite nicely. Note that when constructing nest boxes, you will generally want to place the entrance close to the floor so that the boxes are still accessable to ill or geriatric ferrets. Anyway, who wants to do acrobatics at bed time? [Fizzbin] With a larger box, you could insert some eye hooks and hang a hammock on the inside, making a "ferret apartment". See the article by Bob Church in the May/June 2006 issue of Ferrets magazine for this and other nest box ideas. Sand box version
This sandbox was a bit more ambitious, but still only cost $20.90, including contents! Materials included:
I placed the two paving tiles at the bottom of the container before covering them with the play sand, hoping that they would help keep Fizzbin's claws worn down. (Alas, it doesn't seem to have helped much.) Warning! This is one heavy box, when you add in the weights of the sand and the tiles! Your ferrets may also consider it an ideal litterbox, so you may need to either restrict access until your fuzzbutts have gone to the bathroom, or be prepared to include it in your scooping rounds. Fortunately, fresh play sand is cheap, and it even clumps fairly well. | ||||||||||||||
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