# New Rat Cage in Progress



## Magicdragon (Sep 20, 2007)

Hey what's up all, this is my first time venturing out of the "Rats Needing Homes" forum .

Well I've taken on a MONSTER project that I think I got a little over board with but it's to late to turn back now so I might as well finish it. So here is the plan.

I'm currently in the progress of building a new cage for my friends. It's going to be 3 feet wide on all sides and 5 feet tall. Now this appeared much bigger then expected when I put the dang skeletal structure together . 

I'm using 3/4" 480psi PVC pipe as the skeletal structure for this cage. It uses elbows to form the corners with a 1/2" screw in connector to go across. I use a converter to attach a 1/2" 600psi PVC pipe across. 

This makes four 5' pipes of 3/4" 480psi that go up and down. Four 3' pipes of 3/4" 480psi that go front to back and four 3' pipes of 1/2" 600psi that go from left to right. That forms the box of the skeletal structure.

Here comes the expensive part. For the walls, I'm using 1/2" metal hardware cloth. This will be used as the walls, floors, ceiling, ramps, just about everything. Something slightly shorter then 1/2" screws will be used to hold the walls into the PVC pipe while zip ties will be used to hold the floors in space, I'm currently testing to see if the dang rats will chew up the zip ties in their current cage and so far so good, they prefer to rip apart the bedding that I use to catch their mess... and of course make it completely useless.

I have no idea how many floors I'm going to make, I suppose I'll figure that out as I go along, the more floors, the more money so .. I've already spent almost 80 dollars and probably will have to spend more. Their current cage sits on a dresser and this new cage will sit next to it. A connector that I will build of course out of hardware cloth will be used to connect the two cages so they can go from one to the other. 

Finally, a base for easy clean up will be created, This will be made out of a 4' by 4' wooden skid with a 1/2" piece of plywood on top. Supports will only be on the corners and a 2' 3/4" width on all sides, square will be cut out of the plywood in the center. This will allow the cage to fit nicely on top of the skid. A plastic tray will be inserter inside the skid and when they create a mess, hopefully it will fall all the way down to the bottom inside the skid. 

A green like cloth material that you use on like cheap fake putting greens will be used to cover the wood and plants will be in pots around the boarder of the skid to hide the fact that it is a skid. 

So yeah, I've started the skeletal structure of this project already, and stopped when I realize I forgot to buy additional elbow joints for the top of the cage, but I'll be taking care of that on Wednesday. I'll post some pictures as the project comes along. 

Tell me what you all think, sudjestions and all that, I could really really use some for fun things inside the cage, keep in mind I don't want to spend any more money


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

The rats will chew the zip ties if they can get to them. My rats have chewed half of my zip ties off already, so I'm switching to some wire that's supposed to be used for hanging pictures somehow.

Do you think the rats would chew through the PVC? If it's all covered with hardware cloth on the inside, then I don't think it'd be an issue, but still might be a concern if they can get to it.

You might want to make some cross bars in the structure with some joints in them for future use. That way you could put another pipe in in the future for hanging things and stuff like that. Or for building a future platform.


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## kaylaface (Sep 6, 2007)

good luck!


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## Magicdragon (Sep 20, 2007)

I'll have to watch closely to see if they chew through the PVC pipe. It will really suck if they can, they should have plenty of over things to go after, after all, this will be pretty thick PVC pipe.


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## Magicdragon (Sep 20, 2007)

Ok so here is the skeletal structure of the cage. I can't actually build it yet because I need to clear some space in the room where it's going to be because it won't fit through the doorway once it is built.

It's 2' 10" x 3' 1" x 4' 9"


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## cjshrader (Feb 15, 2007)

Wow that is quite large.


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

that has more surface area than the showers in the dorms last year...


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## Magicdragon (Sep 20, 2007)

Well, I did some measuring and it looks like I won't be able to attach the new cage to the old one until we move out. I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be a bad idea to tip the cage over on it's side and have it in the living room... Besides, they make a lot of ruckess at night

I'll probably start putting it together on Monday and send in some more pictures of the progress.


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## BlueSkyy (Sep 27, 2007)

i find that my boys much prefer having room to run than room to climb 
so tipping it on its side might not be so bad


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

its true, my cage had fiberglass screening around it held on with zipties and..actually, i'd rather not post a picture..........

(the cage not chewed)
http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/ozzy_osbourne1/?action=view&current=workshop.jpg


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

what if you make it 5' tall and 3' wide on one side, and just wide enough on the other side to fit through a doorway? then it's a lot more useful, no?


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## Magicdragon (Sep 20, 2007)

Yeah. I am thinking about trimming it down some. It's just to big for my apartment. Besides, the cost in hardware cloth is getting expensive... it's not cheap stuff you know. I'll have to think about it and thus I'm going to delay the project for a little bit. Because once I cut it, i can't go back.... I also have to think about the skid under it. That means more cutting with tools I don't have except at work (AND THEY KEEP ME BUSY AT WORK) lawl  oh well, must think. I'll think some more as I watch this squirrel above my head attempt to drink my COFFEE


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## Magicdragon (Sep 20, 2007)

In an additional note. I am thinking about trimming the width to 2'5" and the length to about 2'. I'm not sure about the height. This PVC pipe is pretty thick 480 and 600psi.. but I would really be taking away from it's structual integrity. As you can imagine, make anything long enough and it becomes flimsy. So how tall should it be with those base dimensions... It is a good question... What do you all think?


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