Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[Patricia7455]

I'm planning to get a cube but have been a bit dismayed by things I have read about people who find it difficult to get into the run to clean it out. Do you really have to wriggle through the door of the run to get in? Or instead, can you easily dismantle the run to rake out the chippings?

 

Thank you in advance for your comments.

[Egg Lou]

Wriggling through not an option for my back .. so I'm one of the people who have constructed a conversion.. see the Eglu & Cube section and you'll see a couple of sticky threads explaining all

[GreenGirl]

Hi Patricia

We set something up so we could open and close the end of the cube run like a door - http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=34182

if you look at a couple of pics here you will be able to see how we did it, i open and close the end pretty much every day and it is fine for me.

 

Hope that helps

C.

[Groovychook]

Hi Patricia

We set something up so we could open and close the end of the cube run like a door - http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=34182

if you look at a couple of pics here you will be able to see how we did it, i open and close the end pretty much every day and it is fine for me.

 

Hope that helps

C.

 

Thanks GreenGirl for the link to your conversion photo's! The run door is the bane of my life!!

 

It's more of a belly crawl than a 'wriggle' to get in & I'm fairly slim...

 

During the recent cold snap, whilst wearing loads of layers, I wedged myself good & proper whilst trying to reach the glug - much to OH's amusement!

[leopardstar]

the run door is ridiculous especially considering how much a cube and run costs. the section above the door we just undo the green clips holding this together when we want to get into the run and it drops down like a draw bridge. it works really well.

[JM]

the run door is ridiculous especially considering how much a cube and run costs. the section above the door we just undo the green clips holding this together when we want to get into the run and it drops down like a draw bridge. it works really well.

 

We do this too! Going through the door isn't an option - with bad backs and also not knowing what you are going to put hands or knees into

 

J

[Patricia7455]

Thank you very much for your links and tips, I am very grateful for the benefit of other people's experience in reply to my questions. I definitely don't fancy crawling through chicken poo in order to clean out the run!

 

Patricia

[Seagazer]

I use the normal door for day to day things like filling up the glug and putting food in but for bedding changing I fold down the top bit as well and its very easy then just to step in and shovel out the muck.

[Tulip]

Yup, we too unclip the top half of the run end and fold it down. When we fold it back up, we secure it with big, chunky pegs from Lakeland.

[Mollystar]

My BF has repeated this tale to many a friend just glad I'm not on utube as he threatened

 

One drunken summers night with 3 chicks unable to jump into the cube I de-robed (bathrobe) & with 2 sainsbury's bags on my knees shimmed through the cube run door naked & helped the girls to bed...

 

[Groovychook]

My BF has repeated this tale to many a friend just glad I'm not on utube as he threatened

 

One drunken summers night with 3 chicks unable to jump into the cube I de-robed (bathrobe) & with 2 sainsbury's bags on my knees shimmed through the cube run door naked & helped the girls to bed...

 

!!!

 

That's going to keep me chortling all evening!!!

[joybelle]

My OH made an opening on one side of the run very near to the cube, it makes

cleaning much easier I can now clean the back of the run so much better.

 

 

Joy x

[Patricia7455]

It's interesting hearing how some people are modifying their cube runs to make them easier to clean, shame it's necessary though in view of the cost of the cube and run, as has been mentioned before.

 

I wonder what Omlet's recommendations are for accessing the run for cleaning.

[Plum]

I've done the drop down one and its good for taking a stool and sitting in with the chickens. Not taken a cup of tea in yet! Makes moving the woodchip around a cinch but not so sure on the fastenings yet. Ive got a combination of things I'm trying.

[Steve.]

My BF has repeated this tale to many a friend just glad I'm not on utube as he threatened

 

One drunken summers night with 3 chicks unable to jump into the cube I de-robed (bathrobe) & with 2 sainsbury's bags on my knees shimmed through the cube run door naked & helped the girls to bed...

 

 

Think of the shame if they'd have been Kwick Save Bags.

 

I don't think any amount of alcohol would make me go in the run naked - there are too many bits that could get pecked!

[dancing cloud]

I did the "whole front now opens" conversion within 2 weeks of getting my Cube, which makes it the incredibly easy to look after set-up that I wanted . Not sure why it isn't sold this way from the outset, as the wriggling is really not a sustainable activity and definitely not a dignified one .

 

The little door is left hooked open so my little monsters can rampage in the secure yard, when not let out to play in the garden, or they can go dustbath in the bedding in the run or shelter from the rain (the Cube is under a carport) as the weather dictates. With the conversion, it all works well

[Patricia7455]

I did the "whole front now opens" conversion within 2 weeks of getting my Cube, which makes it the incredibly easy to look after set-up that I wanted . Not sure why it isn't sold this way from the outset, as the wriggling is really not a sustainable activity and definitely not a dignified one .

T

he little door is left hooked open so my little monsters can rampage in the secure yard, when not let out to play in the garden, or they can go dustbath in the bedding in the run or shelter from the rain (the Cube is under a carport) as the weather dictates. With the conversion, it all works well

 

Yes, I agree. I wonder what the designer's intention was for cleaning with that small hole to get through? Maybe we should all just get a mini-me.