# Storage Cube Cage Questions!



## Yellow (Feb 8, 2008)

Could I make one out of two sets of these? (for 3 females)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3579668

And I was just wondering how I would make a door?
Thanks!


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## bloodraven (Jan 27, 2008)

those can work, but I would suggest not using them unless you have some BIG girls. The spacing on those is right an an inch...so most girls would be able to fit through them. The best ones to use are the mesh ones from Target, or the mesh ones from Linen's and Things. I haven't been able to find either online...and not all targets have the mesh ones. I haven't tried Linen's and Things yet, but I plan on stopping by there to see if they have any.

There are different ways to make doors. I know Captain Flow shows one way in this post:

http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=6496/start=15.html

The way I did it was there is one panel that is only put into the connectors on one side, and I just remove it when I need to. You can also use zip ties instead of connectors (small ones available at wal mart) and on one panel, instead of zip tying it on one side, use a bread tie or something removable and make a door that way. I plan on getting another box of these soon and make the entire front openable (like on the Ferret Nation cages) next week. Once I figure it out, I will post pics with it!!

Good luck!


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

I believe those are 1 inch square openings... or even larger

That spacing really doesn't work for rats. I would be afraid to even put in large rats for fear they would get their head stuck.


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## moomoo (Oct 19, 2007)

im pretty sure the wire spacing is waaaayyyy too big for females. maybe even males.


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

i have a frankencage made of something similar, but there is absolutely no way i would put my girls in it, not even the big ones. my three big boys live in the frankencage, and while they can get their fat heads through the squares, they cannot get their bodies through.

stumpy showing he can get his head through...









the squares of the frankencage are held together with lots of zip ties... i used black on white, that way i can easily see if the little darlings chewed any... the doors on the cage are kept closed with binder clips. i have 4 doors... one on the side at the bottom so i can easily get the litter tray in and out, two on the front of the top level so i can change the hammocks, and one on the top of the lower level so i can clean and feed easily.

frankencage...


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## Topaz (Feb 1, 2008)

My guinea pig cage is made out of those and I have to echo the opinion that it wouldn't be suitable for girls.

I just finished a cage made from the mesh cubes I got them on clearance at target with the intention of making a cage out of them but never got to it. Bloodraven's inspired me to get to work on it. I ended up not using the connectors that came with it but secured the entire thing with zip ties.
My 2 boxes of cubes cost me $7 and the zip ties cost me nothing. My husband stopped home from work today and I mentioned I was going out to buy some small ones and he just happened to have a bag in his truck that he has had for years and has never had a need for them.

I still need to decorate the cage and add some shelves to it. I can't upload pictures at the moment, but when I can I will post some.

I have 2 young rats that were in quarantine from my daughters rat but when I was sick and couldn't get up off the couch earlier this week my youngest son decided to introduce them all. Fortunately everything went well and the 3 of them get along great. I am just hoping the younger ones are as healthy as the appear to be and don't pass something on to Rina.

They are all exploring what will soon be their permanent home as I type this. 

Without meaning to hijack your thread, the title is really appropiate to keep storage cube questions in. Can we use this thread to discuss storage cube cages instead of having a bunch of threads?


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## Yellow (Feb 8, 2008)

That sounds like a good idea ^_^
I'll go to target and have a poke around to see if i can find some of the mesh cubes!


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## Topaz (Feb 1, 2008)

I'd like to know what people put in the bottom of the cage. I am temporarily using (while they explore) some square vinyl floor tiles that I had laying around. I can easily take off the side and slide something in that is cut to fit.

I got my idea for my pig cage at http://www.cavycages.com . they suggest coroplast for guinea pig cages but I had no luck finding any here. I found a remnant of vinyl flooring and had planned to use it temporarily. That was over two years ago, he never chewed it as I thought he might. It is beginning to show signs of wear and it needs to be replaced. Rats seem to chew more than our guinea pig does. Is vinyl safe for rats?

My other question is how do you hang things from the mesh? I made some loops out of pipe cleaners and hung the hats my rats have been using as hammock from them. I am wondering what other ways people have come up with to attach things to the mesh.


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## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

If you all don't mind me saying, I feel like I started something here with the mesh things! I know people had been using the cubes before, but it makes me proud to think my cage might have sparked other people's ideas. Call me vain, but hey, whatever. Anyway...


I sometimes attach hammocks by poking fabric through the space between the squares and then clamp it down with a binder/purse clip. But my favorite has been these clips:









Found at Target (I think I shop there entirely too often), in the shower section, they're shower curtain hooks. I bend open the loop a little more, and slip it around one of the corners of the mesh. Then I can use the clamp part to grab the fabric. Like this:









It's from an angle looking up at the clip, in case that confuses anyone. 

















View from the top. 

Also someone asked about covering the floors- I use fleece, and my girls are (sort of) litter trained. I poke it through the spaces between the squares and clamp it down with binder/purse clips (also at Target, something like $3 for a bajillion little silver ones, and I use almost everyone one somehow!) And I clip it to the "wall" square rather than to the floor, so that no little raisins can escape out the crack. Like this:










And how I clipped down the middle floor:









And just for fun, here's my little Belgie Lou saying hello from her cage:









But I've also thought about it, and if someone wanted to use litter, all they would have to do is find some kind of plastic low-walled bin (like, underbed storage, maybe?) that the cage structure would fit in, and then just not add a bottom of squares, and set it into the bin filled with shavings. 

I'm really sorry if it seems like I'm going a little overboard to anyone. But I really feel like this is a great cage idea, and want to help in every way possible! The more ideas we have out there for doing things, the better it'll work for everyone!

(also, my sincere apologies for the sub-par focusing on my camera. The screen part broke, so I have been very awkwardly having to use the manual view finder to take pictures! I feel like I'm back in the stone ages! :roll: )


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## bloodraven (Jan 27, 2008)

I'm almost at the point of thinking we should have some sort of competition to see who can make the most amazing cage! I'm thinking a castle...but I dunno yet! And yes, I do want to thank Captain Flow for giving me the idea...she has started something amazing! Lets get some ideas in here people!!

Also, another idea for the bottom of the cage...since it is an odd size, it may be hard finding a bin that fits there perfectly...you could use coroplast. Its the material that is used to make those plasticy looking political signs you see along the road...its kind of like plastic and cardboard, very easy to bend and shape...and if you put it around the outside of the cage, they can't chew it...its what I MIGHT do with mine...not sure yet...


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## Topaz (Feb 1, 2008)

I found this nifty tool for finding a local place that sells coroplast. Do NOT use the cube finder, the site is referring to the larger spaced cubes suitable for guinea pigs, not the mesh we need for our rats.


http://www.guineapigcages.com/where.htm


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

i have a kitty litter tray in the bottom of the cage, and the boys sleep in it, as well as doing their secret ratty business in it, lol!! 

as a covering for the floor, i just put down newspaper. they love re-arranging it... ovbiously i cant do it properly, lol. under the cage itself, i have a flattened cardboard box, the type from office depot that holds 10 reams of photo-copy paper... fits perfectly. under that, i have a sheet of plastic to protect the carpet and to catch the fallout from the cage.

to hold hammocks in place, i just use ordinary clothes pegs.


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

I have mine sitting on the floor (wood floor) with a old sheet under it. Moose is litter trained, about 99.999%. i didnt put squares on the bottom


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