# Lining Wire Cage Shelves



## Perocore (Jan 6, 2014)

Hello,

The cage I have for my boys has wire shelves, which I had originally been lining with fabric. However, the boys have managed to pull up all fabrics layed down, and now Isaac, the heavier of the two, appears to have bumble foot.

So what are some ways I could line the shelves that would be incredibly difficult for rats to remove? I was thinking of getting plastic place mats and cutting them to the right sizes, but I don't know how I'd then go about securing them to the cage so they can't be pulled or pushed up.


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## CleverRat (Mar 9, 2014)

I know a lot of people use those black binder clips, not sure how effective it is. Sorry I'm not of much help :/


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## Crezzard (Jul 20, 2013)

Yes i use binder clips it's the only effective way I've ever found. They don't pull the fleece up... Xx









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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Bumble foot doesn't get caused by just wire floors, it is caused by dirty bedding and dirty wire floors. Our guinea pig when we got him had bumble foot from the poor conditions he was in. Have you been wiping off the wire levels? when you change the fleece? and the only thing that seems to really work is binder clips, also giving them extra fleece scrapes to nest in helps.


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## Perocore (Jan 6, 2014)

I'll try the clips...but would zip ties work (depending on cover)? 

And the cage gets a wipe down weekly and towels are changed weekly or more often depending on how soiled they become. Neither rat is obese, so the wires are really the only potential cause.


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## Roonel (Jan 27, 2014)

Clips work well. I think zip ties would be more effort to redo each time, because you need quite a few for each shelf, tbh.


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## Crezzard (Jul 20, 2013)

Zip ties would've hard work, to keep clean your fleece is going to need changing twice a week and washing x


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## ratswithfoxandbear (Feb 12, 2014)

Perocore said:


> I'll try the clips...but would zip ties work (depending on cover)?
> 
> And the cage gets a wipe down weekly and towels are changed weekly or more often depending on how soiled they become. Neither rat is obese, so the wires are really the only potential cause.


I would suggest upping the amount that you clean the cage because the idea that wire footing causes bumblefoot was disproven. Wire mesh that has not been cleaned or carried infection is the root cause of it. Do you use a peroxide or other bacteria-killing wash on top of the soap that you use in the cage? I'm not trying to be rude of course. It also could be the bars that your rats climb on. When cleaning, sometimes I watch myself get lazy and just do a quick wipe-down of the bars that they climb on, and you cannot. This puts the same kind of pressure that could cause a small cut and then lead to infection.

As far as keeping the fleece down, I use giant binder clips and need to keep heavy stuff by the corners. My girls chew through everything, so I am still figuring out what to do since the girls love to get under there. Also, I am in the process of getting more hide-aways and fleece hammocks because I am hoping they learn to hide in the hammock instead of under their bedding.


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## ratty_milkshake (Feb 24, 2014)

I have resorted to putting half bricks in the corners and sides along with the bulldog clips.

They still pick it up though no matter how many clips & brick i use. I use newspaper to line the wire as they chew through the fleece instantly. 
They seem to have super rat strength. Bricks are always pushed around when i get to the cage in the morning.


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