# Make your own rat perch !



## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

Ok , so I had a few days off work this week and during my boredom I decieded to have a go at making my own rat perch/ledges to give my girls something more interesting to climb/sleep on.They are a bit rough as I wasnt sure how they would turn out but with a bit more care and attention I think they could look really good.Heres some pics:

Here is the rat ledge with whats needed to secure it to ANY rat cage:










here are a couple of pics of how they are are attached to the cage:


















And heres a pic of snoogles chilling on one !










They were really easy to make , and cost next to nothing as most of the stuff I had lying about the shed.
Just take a piece of wood , measure and cut what size ledge you want , I made 4 ledges 5inches by 4 inches and two more slightly bigger to give more sleeping space.

Then using rough sandpaper wrapped around a block , sand of the jagged edges and pointy corners so they look neat and rounded.Blow off the saw dust and wipe clean so you rats dont breath in the dust.

Then mark and drill 2 holes slightly smaller than the screws you are using to fasten it to the back of your cage.You dont have to do this but it makes it much easier to put the screws into the wood.

Your done ! just use a washer between the screw and the cage to secure it firmly to the cage wire.

Ive been thinking about making neater ones with rat friendly coloured woodstain/die to make different coloured ones too.

Just remember , always be careful when using power tools or get a parent to show you how to use them safely first.
Its not easy scritching a rat with no fingers.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

That's actually not a bad idea ..

Hmm .. *goes rumaging in the garage*

:lol:


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## Punk-Kay (Aug 13, 2008)

That's really cool that you made them ya self! I got really similar platforms in my Jenny cage and in my Freddy cages but I bought them from ebay! May have a look into doing them myself though


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## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks ! I know they look a bit rough but I plan to re-work them making the over all appearance a lot more neat , maybe even different coloured non-toxic wood stains too to brighten the cage up a bit.

They are actually really secure and my rats seem to love sleeping on them already , so all in all a success!


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Japlac or the paint (not spray) version of Plastikote is meant to be well used with rats and wood-products. It's acryllic based and stops urine seeping into the wood

It's also good for covering metal bars etc


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## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

Cool thanks , ive been searching online for pet friendly paint/stain but couldnt find anything.Ill have a google now.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Make sure the tin says 'child safe' but most Japlac you get (in Homebase, B&Q) is suitable for childrens toys etc

I had the lovely issue of searching for paints when covering galvenized meshing .. these are the two that seem to be most reccommended in the UK


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## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

Im having trouble finding non-spray plastikote and Japlac looks like it could be a bit slippy under my rattys feet.Hmm


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Japlac should dry to be no more slippery than plastic, I would think. If I can find a spare piece of wood I'll attempt giving it a paint to find out


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## Siwain (Feb 25, 2008)

You should make this a sticky!

Amazing, that's such a great idea!


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## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

I don't know about making this a sticky but a section on D.I.Y rat toys , accessories and cages would be pretty cool.
People could provide pictures and instructions on how to make their own stuff and save money.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

We have a "How to" sticky already in the making. Perhaps you could add this info there? I know many would find it useful and it will stop this thread getting buried in the day-to-day mishap of this place?

Here is the how to thread

http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=11101.html


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## cinderella (Sep 10, 2007)

those are awesome, i see a project coming up


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

This is what we do at the zoo to secure look out shelves, branches, etc. for our animals. You can do this for iguana cages with big branches, bird cages, anything really.

My one piece of advice is to maybe line the shelves with carpet or something "rough" that the rats can get purchase on. When I set up the first incarnation of the play closet, my rats were constantly slipping and sliding off as they jumped from shelf to shelf because of the smooth wood.


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## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

I think im ok , the woods pretty soft and has a slight grain to it so they can get their claws in.
Thats why I was worried about painting them , incase they slip off and hurt themselves.


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## Jingles (Feb 2, 2008)

hey!


i got some of that stuff laying around my basement!

i'm totally going to go do this right now!



******bomb idea*******


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## Doskymom (Jul 29, 2008)

And if you are not handy (and I'm not) you can always just buy the bird perches - they are the exact same thing and that's what I've been using in my rat cages for years now.


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## JulesMichy (Apr 8, 2007)

Handy is really an overstatement. You need a piece of wood, a screw, a washer and a power screwdriver. Done!


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## cassi.opeia (Oct 1, 2009)

This is such a cool idea, and perfect for me because i was looking on how to add a couple shelves onto my rat cage, and since it's not quite pay day yet, and i dont feel like waiting [im quite impatient] this is a GREAT idea!!

Thanks SO much for putting this on here!


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