Noisy rodent metal cage!

Greetings!

Me and my girlfriend has a slight problem with our furry friends!
Actually they, "Luna" and "Lille Fyr", aren't the problem.

They are Degu's. A very social kind of furry rodents.
They Gnaw! Alot. On anything. Everywhere.
To contain these two furballs we bought this very nice parrot-cage in steel.



It might seem a tad big for a couple of residents of the size of 4 inches, but we understand the value of space. (Actually, proportionally, they have the better space in our apartment...)

Anyway...
This metal cage secures the degus, but when the degus start gnawing on the bars it resonnate tremendously. the reason is that the bars aren't welded to the framing. Some on each side is stuck in holes in the frame.



Project: How to de-resonnate a metal cage!
The sollution has to be cheap and non-lethal/non-harmful!
Remember. They are highly addicted to gnawing, and aluminium is not defined as a solid matter...

My first attempt has been to wedge broken wooden matches in the space between the bar and frame. Reason: Matches tastes different and wood is nice to insulate the metal against metal-sound.


-but Luna actually loves them, and she won't let me jam them in there. I think she tries to help me. I think she believes I am trying to remove them, or she think I am playing with her. Anyway, they aren't there for a long time. :bnghd:

My next attempt would be to try to squeeze some aquarium-silicone in the holes, but I am afraid it won't be successful, since the frame which the bars go into is very thin, so the silicone would not have anything ("a wall") to bind itself to.

Since we are almost going bananas here We are banging our heads to find a solution that could work...

Could anyone friendly creative persons out there, perhaps with the same experience share some good ideas we could try out?

Edited typo.

[edit on 18-3-2005 by Ulvetann]

try apple bitter(spray on the bars) and buy them some chewing logs...

Sounds like a good idea, that apple bitter.
The logs are already in place, but they are very curious beings. Whats outside of the cage seems to be way more interesting, so they try to break free instead, those small freaks!

Either that or they get into a trance gnawin' an makin' that noise. And I am sure they know we hate it.

thankfully, they are not nocturnal! They sleep when they should, except during movies and news...

Thanks for the tip!

So... Ulvetann. Did it work?
Did it silence them?

Originally posted by Hellmutt
So... Ulvetann. Did it work?
Did it silence them?

The continuously metallic sound of "gnawgnawgnawgnaw", became like this: "Gnawgna!..."
After a few minutes they started of again.
This battle might be won, but it wil be a hard fight!

Before I sprayed this bitterness on the bars. I had to try it out myself!
To check out the autenticy of this bitter fluid!


Note:Anti-Slik is translated in english into Anti-Lick. What Anti-Slik also means in danish is Anti-Candy.

Two squeeze of the spray into the mouth. You know of the mouth-freshener-type, and I was ready to kiss my girlfriend! The deep tounge-kiss was a hilarious experience.
Talk about a bitter kiss! I think I better buy some flowers tomorrow...

[edit on 20-3-2005 by Ulvetann]