# Homemade rat cage help



## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

So my mom finally said yes to the rats  though the cage can't be a critternation (too expensive) and I can only get two girls. All the cages that aren't critternation have major flaws and are expensive for what they offer. I'd get a Martin cage but my mom won't let me order online. (I had one bad experience with a game I bought and now she's afraid I'll get upset again) I figured a I could build one with Mr. Woodman aka my dad. I have some questions.

Should I only put mesh on the door, or on the door and all sides. 

How many shelves should I make and how should I position them?

The cage is made of wood, how should I waterproof the wood? I heard waterproof paint does nothing. I was thinking about putting contact paper on the sides and floor but I'm not sure if they would chew it?

What should the dimesions be?

How can I attach the mesh?

Should I bother with a storage shelf and/or casters?


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

Another question:Should I make one door or two doors?


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## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

Just make sure to make it out of something easy to clean and pvc coat wire to make it last long term. Also some ppl build cages out of storage cubes.


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## Lare (Jan 18, 2014)

My father built me the cage attached..
It's made from steel and hardware cloth/wire/whatever you'd like to call it. To attach the wire to the frame he would slide it in between two pieces of metal angle and then put a screw every few spaces. Neither me or the rats can get pricked on the wire this way because it's between the two metal pieces. But you mentioned wood in your post, so I doubt you can do it the same way, but you probably could attach the mesh/wire by using a drill and screws. 

I've heard that only having one door worth of wire isn't good ventilation for the rats, but I'm not sure how valid that is. If I were you I'd put it on all sides if you can, because it's fun to have a lot of places to see what your ratties are up to! Normally height is more important than width, because rats love to climb. My dad nearly had my cage finished by the time he told me he was building one so I didn't ask him to flip it the other way to give them more climbing room rather than walking room. My boys like it though, more places to wrestle. As for shelves, I'd put in as many as you think is needed. Leave some space at the top for hammocks and have them spaced out. It'll give your future girls lots of places to play, run, climb, etc. and more places for you to put toys  

My cage is on casters and honestly I'd recommend having yours with casters too if you can, especially if it's as heavy as mine. The casters make it super easy to pull out and sweep under (I have hardwood floor in my room) and move it around. As for storage shelf, there's some room under mine where I throw their box forts when they're not using them, but I just throw their food and gallon of water on top along with a few pieces of extra fleece that's folded up. So really it's your call on that, if you have a lot of stuff that you think won't fit elsewhere, go for it.

I also recommend two doors. Having two to open up wide is a lot easier than trying to shove everything through one door.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

Ok thanks! We're starting tomorrow. I'll post some pictures when were done. I'm not getting a storage shelf or casters because I probably won't have much stuff and I'm afraid of casters because my room is on a slant (it used to be the porch and they are slanted so water runs off) and I keep imagining the cage rolling down to the other side of the room lol. Ps: love your cage!


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## Lare (Jan 18, 2014)

Also, here's a helpful guide if you're making your cage from a bookshelf or something like that  
http://www.dapper.com.au/cagebuild.htm 
It also mentions that laminated wood is waterproof, so that might be helpful to you? 

The part about the storage shelf and casters make sense.. Good luck! I'll look forward to seeing pictures. (And thank you, the boys and I love it too!)


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I had to completely re-renovate my ferret nation when I got it because it was very rusty and all four wheels needed to be replaced. The casters I bought where the ones that lock in place. Even though my cage is on fluffy carpet the floorboards outside of my room are very uneven. The casters I got help the cage stay put on them, and it also allows for me to move the cage easier.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

The cage isn't going to have wood anymore, it's all mesh with a metal base. I was SUPPOSED to start it today but I have to do this stupid science project! Do you think 30Lx18Wx30H (inches) is good for 2 females or should it be bigger? It is going to be two stories.


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## RexRat (Nov 29, 2013)

If you search for rat cage calculator, it should tell you what is suitable. According to one of the calculators, that should be great for two rats.


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## crazyratgirl101 (Nov 29, 2013)

Ok I checked it said it was minimum for four, which is good for two. I might start it tonight. I don't know. If I finish the dumb project I'll start it.


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