# Experience with 'Grotto' style cages



## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

Hi there everybody.

I have to say this forum is awesome so I'm hoping you guys can help me out with my very first question!

I bought my girlies the Jenny cage, which is good, but the bottom has cracked and I need to replace it.
The other thing is, they seem to have a lot of open space which never really gets used, so it looks like a big cage, but they don't get the most out of it.
My idea, therefore, was to build a grotto style cage from a bookcase, and I got really into the idea and started planning the decorations and the moving in party(!) but, I've read some bad things about grotto style cages, such as;
The rats will chew through the wood,
There won't be enough ventilation,
They smell more.

Now I can't see how they would chew through flat surfaces of wood, and there's going to be wire on the front door but I just wanted to see how you guys have coped with yours, because I don't want to invest all that time and money into an awesome-looking cage, if it's not going to be good enough for my girlies and then I have to get another wire cage anyhow.
Thoughts?


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## Terpsichore (May 28, 2011)

I built my grotto style cage about one year ago. My rats have never even attempted to chew on the shelves or walls of the cage. I think if your rat needs to occupy itself chewing through the wall, it probably needs more to do in the cage. I did have one female chew on the doors a bit around the wire, but it was only in the beginning. I like to think that she was just breaking it in.

While a grotto clearly does not have the same open air ventilation as a cage with bars, I feel mine has plenty of ventilation.

I believe they can smell more based on your construction method and your cleaning habits. The census among most people is that they begin to smell from pee soaking into the wood. A few things to prevent this are: use laminated wood, put lots of things around the edges of the shelves, clean thoroughly and frequently, litter train, and identify any areas where they pee a lot and put something their to prevent it from soaking into the edge of the wood. In hot spots for pee, I put a square plastic saucer meant for flower pots. I then put a hideout on top and then it generally stays in place. You should also be using screws that are meant for tightening the space between wood. I have no idea what they are called, but they have a smooth shaft after the head of the screw followed by the normal spiral of a screw.

I will be honest, if I needed another cage right now, I would buy one. When I built mine, I could find no quality cage anywhere within my access. I recently found an online store that sells good quality cages. The next time I move, I will most likely stick my grotto down in the basement storage and buy a good quality wire style cage. It will mostly likely cost me the same, with shipping, as the base of my grotto, but I will not have to spend a week building it or ask someone to come help me and my boyfriend lift up onto a table. I think that most are better off buying a wire style cage, unless you need a cage to fit into a specific space or cannot find a good quality cage in your area.

I think that building a custom cage sounds very romantic and that is what attracts a lot of people to a grotto style cage. I am very happy with my grotto and so are my rats. I do not regret building it, but buying a cage is just so much simpler and easier. I am sure that if you plan thoroughly and build your grotto carefully that you and your girls will be very happy with it.


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## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

Thanks for your reply.
I think I've decided against it to be honest, like you say it's much easier to buy one premade- and I'd have to buy loads of stuff for it- I don't really have a lot lying around at home.

Thanks for your advice though, I'll bear it in mind if I do decide to build one in the future.


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