# Homemade Cage



## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

I have been searching around on here to see if anyone else has a cage like mine but I didn't see it. Back when I didn't have a whole lot of money and needed to upgrade my original fish tank setup I stumbled on plans for a rat cage made out of those see through Rubbermaid containers. This plan was a temporary solution but has since then become a permanent cage due to it working so well. 

I only have a picture of the original cage at the moment but I will soon be able to take a picture of the cage as it stands now. 

So I started with two 30 gallon containers and I melted a hole large enough for a T-Shaped PVC pipe to fit in on either side. I then cut the inside part of the lid and attached wire screen (reference picture 2). Then on side B I cut a rather large hole in the side and put the wire screen on the outside. 

I later used a piece of the cut out lid to make a second level on side A. Their house is up there now and they only sleep up there now. 

About a week ago my roommate and I decided to litter train the rats. So because the cage is plastic we cut a hole in side A and got a small clear rubbermaid container and attached it with a PVC elbow. We still haven't found a type of litter to use for the rats that is safe and need ideas for that if anyone can tell us? 

My plans tomorrow is to get a third 30 gallon container which will go on top of Side B (the one without the top cut off). I want it to have lots of things to climb on and have a raised platform for them to sleep on and maybe a wheel for the two babies (or large rats but from what I have read the large rats wont use it). This will make the cage 90+ gallons with lots of places to play in and sleep on. 

The pictures below are of the original setup and are rather simple and boring looking compared to what the cage is now. In a week or so I will have my camera back and Ill take a picture for you all to see. There are way more things for the rats to do in the cage as it is now. This is a work in progress. 

By the way, the side without the top cut out has a rather large air vent on the side of the cage. Dont worry about air in that section because yes it is there.









Side A:









Side B:









This is the T-Connector. It has a piece that you can unscrew to let the rats run around on the floor, which we do often enough for them to play around.


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## Katherose (Nov 20, 2007)

Out of curiosity, what are the dimension? You've been quite creative with that. *thumbs up*


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## jesirose (Feb 22, 2008)

I got a wheel for my girls and they never touched it, so I got a new one, it's all plastic not wire, 12", and they LOVE it. I had to start closing the office door at night because all I could hear was the wheel. So I would say get one like that. The only problem is because your cage doesn't have bars, it won't hook onto them so you might need to find some way to make it more secure, wheels tend to wobble with rats cause they're so big.

Clever cage btw! How many rats are in there?

When people say litter training I always assumed their using the regular bedding, just in one spot. When I had this cage set up: http://flickr.com/photos/jesirose/2288240529/ All the levels had fleece and the bottom had a tray with carefresh - they learned right away to poop only in the tray. I know there is litter for hamsters for litter boxes and I think it is safe for rats too. Did you look on Petsmart? http://www.petsmart.com/family/inde...ET/2769319&fbc=1&fbn=Taxonomy|Litter+Training


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## jesirose (Feb 22, 2008)

Oh, and you need WAY more toys and hidey spots. The cage looks cool but it is way too bare. Lots of chew toys, my girls love the "snak shak" ones and also the nut knot nibbler thing is great. 

Really clever with the hammock too! You could get one of the cubes that the girls sell on here that would be another good hidey spot. Mine also love the timber hide-a-way.

You're in Canada right (if not I'm a dork.)? I think you can get all that stuff there too, not just in the US.


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

The cage in the pics is the first day. Since then I have added hanging chew toys, put in more levels and lots of the things. When I get my camera back I will take updated pics!


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## jesirose (Feb 22, 2008)

Oh okay sorry if I missed that part!  How did you hang them?
I can't wait to see pics!


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

> Out of curiosity, what are the dimension? You've been quite creative with that. *thumbs up*


A rough guess for each section would be something like, 

14" Width
30" Long 
18" High


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

And I forgot to add that after today there is three of those containers.


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

IMO if you use tubs like that then at least 1/2 if not more of the siding/top should be screen or mesh. At this point it really is not much better than an aquarium with a screen top. The idea is great, just needs a bit of tweaking.


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

Umm, on side A the entire top of the lid is screen and on side B half of one side is screened in... And again, this was on the first day (like 5 months ago) and many modifications/additions have been made since then.


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

tab2008 said:


> Umm, on side A the entire top of the lid is screen and on side B half of one side is screened in... And again, this was on the first day (like 5 months ago) and many modifications/additions have been made since then.


Which is actually less airflow than you would get with an aquarium, and we all know their faults. Unless your recent modifications involved adding more screen to the already existing sections then you have not solved the problem. Wire cages work best for rats and have one solid side (the bottom). According to your descriptions you have .5 - 1 wire sides. Which is not enough.


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

> Which is actually less airflow than you would get with an aquarium, and we all know their faults. Unless your recent modifications involved adding more screen to the already existing sections then you have not solved the problem. Wire cages work best for rats and have one solid side (the bottom). According to your descriptions you have .5 - 1 wire sides. Which is not enough.


I understand what you are saying but I don't believe for a second that on side A where the entire Top is screened in and on the bottom there is a 5 or so inch pipe going into the Side B. Also on side A there is another smaller, three inch or so, pipe going into another compartment. Now on side B I am actually modifying it with more leftover screen tonight because of the new addition on top of it (where there were air vents before). With the new screen I'm putting in tonight we will be looking at one full side screened in, a 5 inch pvc pipe going through the roof to the second level, and the 5 inch pvc pipe going into side A. 

I find it hard to believe that that wouldnt be enough oxygen/airflow for them. And, this summer the place is to figure out a way to get a fan system going in there to force the air to move.


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## glindella (Sep 9, 2007)

I've given my opinion and I'm just stepping back from this. You're getting defensive and not actually thinking about what I've told you. Sleep on it...


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

No no no, I'm not trying to come off as defensive. And, if I wasn't taking in constructive criticism then I wouldnt be adding more vents right now... I am adding at least 3 tonight.


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## Cameron (Feb 29, 2008)

Is this going to be a full time cage or a maturnaty cage etc...

Can we have updated pics???


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## Katherose (Nov 20, 2007)

How many sides (not including the bottom) of each container are going to end up being wire mesh?


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

On side A, the entire top of the cage is mesh, and im going to add a 12x8 inch vent on the side (when I get more screws). 

On side B (the one with the solid top which hold the second level), 

Theres a 12x12 inch vent on the side, and an 8x8 inch vent on another side. I Would like one more vent but with it holding up the tub on the top I have to think of structural integrity. But there is also a 5inch (or so) PVC pipe leading into side A and a 5inch PVC pipe through the roof and into the second level. 


On the Second Level there is a 12x12 inch vent on the side and a large mesh area on the cover. Plus the PVC pipe leading through the floor and into side B. 

When I get my camera stuff (I need my SD card, my roommate took it to belize for March break) I will take more pictures of the cage. 

Just another update. I added a 12 inch plastic wheel, a cloth hanging tunnel, a second waterbottle, more PVC pipe, and a rope bridge. All added since yesterday. I'm having fun decorating the cage.


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## Almi (Feb 11, 2008)

Haha, that's exactly what I had for my girls before I built them a different style cage.

They went from this:











To this:











I felt they weren't getting enough ventilation in the bins with just the tops being mesh (I was cleaning it out every other day...ugh), and it was also a tad too small for four rats. I was always afraid that I'd fall in love with another rat and then I'd need to build a bigger cage anyway, and I didn't really feel like having a huge bin system and messing around with modifying all of that. =P

And actually, it didn't cost me much more money to make the wire cage (which can hold 10 rats) than it did to make the bin cage (which can hold about 3 rats). I think it costed me like $32 for the huge wire cage and about $30 for the bin system. Plus, my ratty girls love it. I just added some new toys today, and there's still tons and tons of room.


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

I use a soldering iron to melt the plastic so adding vents to the sides as well as the tops is rather easy. There is an updated topic on this here: 
http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=7462.html


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## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

I'm also going to put in the opinion that there's not enough ventilation here. I would think that to be safe, at least three full sides (or two sides and the top) should be mesh.


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## tab2008 (Feb 29, 2008)

Ok, this is why I started the new topic with NEW pictures... These pictures that are in this thread are old... I have even added more vents tonight and I am about to take more NEW pictures.

http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=7462.html


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## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

Oh good! Can't wait to see. But I did look at the second set of photos before I posted, and I stand by my opinion that there ought to be three full sides of mesh.


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