# Homemade Rat Cage tips/pictures/etc?



## Elephantompickle

Hello! I'm planning on building my very own rat cage soon and would like as many ideas as possible. Please post pictures, videos, tips, procedures, etc. 
Here are some pictures I found online:


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## EleashaC

I love how huge that one on the bottom is, but I can see it being a pain in the butt if you've got multiple rats, and you have to open those huge doors to fetch out one, and three more go tearing out by your feet... I'm not handy at all, so take my opinions with a shaker of salt, but that top one looks like the best choice, to me.


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## fanfare

I second the multiple doors. it wouldn't be too terribly hard to add smaller doors though.


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## SheWroteLove1

I'm planning to build the first one. Do you know what kind of material (wire mesh?) they used on the front and sides?


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## JLSaufl

That's hardware cloth, you can get it at any hardware store, just make sure it doesn't contain lead. I know the one that Lowes carries used to use lead solder. 

I just built a cage our of hardware cloth, it's difficult to work with and you need to be careful of snagging your clothes and anything else around you, it's unbelievably sharp as well. 

If I had to do it again, I'm not sure I would build one, I would go to my local feed store and buy two rabbit crates and attach them together somehow or something. 

Here's a couple photos of my cage, also please ask if you have any questions. 

(the top part I made, the bottom is a converted rabbit hutch)



View attachment 12642
View attachment 12643


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## BasmatiRice

I tried making my own cage but I didn't thought some of the details through... I'll try posting some pics:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fsp1lgahdr4zigu/2012-03-09 18.05.36.jpg









https://www.dropbox.com/s/jcgatgtdmaay4z0/2012-03-16 20.47.18.jpg









What I didn't think really well was the floor... I haven't had a good idea for it yet (I've been thinking about using one of those rugs that you put outside the door, covered in fleece, but haven't found one with the right measures).
The other thing that could've been better done are the lower part of the walls, my rats threw a lot of stuff out of the cage when I gave it the test drive...

Note that the shelves in the pic are only experimental!
(How do I post pics?)


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## BasmatiRice

Ahh here we are


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## JLSaufl

Basmati, what fo you have around the edges, the clear, plastic stuff?

ps: Lisbon is one of my all time favorite places, well, maybe all of Portugal.


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## BasmatiRice

Those are "book spines" (??) that I bought in an office supplies store! It's meant for putting paper works together? I don't know the right name for it lol

After I cut the wire there were a few very small wire tips that could hurt their paws if they happen to put them there, and this seemed like a good solution at the time... But the wire isn't very stable and the walls don't stay up straight as you can see in the pic... I also never found a good solution to close the doors, in part because of the walls problem... Oh well, I just bought them a new age good for 6/7 rats so I'm only finishing it as a hobby 

Also, Lisbon is a very nice place to go, you should try coming during mid june, to see the Santos Populares party! Its very much worth it 


Animals are not things.
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## Gannyaan

Hey basmati- cool cage, maybe you can get it to work one day! I would love to make one for my girls.... 


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## SheWroteLove1

I just made a homemade one last night out of an old dresser, it has a LOT more privacy for my girl. She's on free-range 24/7 but it'll give her a quite, dark place to retreat with all her toys, bedding, litterbox, food/water, etc. Pics to come!


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## Muttlycrew

Here is my girls' home made cage. I like the majority of it except that taking the dog beds out of that area exposed the wood trim along the bottom (which obviously isn't painted) so it is semi in aesthetically pleasing... 
This was the first day. I have since put in a pink and green hammock in the bare corner and a hanging "cuddle bag" in the back corner as well as one of those scarf type deals hanging from the left to the right that they love to climb across.
This cage is 5 feet long, 3 feet high, and 1 1/2 feet deep. The baskets added have circular holes so they can grip them and are at different levels so that they can climb all over. Those two love this cage! They are constantly zooming up and down the baskets an across the scarf, it's cute. I'll get an updated pic when I get home.











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