# Bar-spacing?



## SgtPigeon (Apr 3, 2007)

I have a cage with 1.5-inch by 1.5-inch spacing. I haven't had an escapee yet but I don't want to push my luck since we also have a cat in the house most of the day, who gets along fine with the rats but I still wouldn't want them together unsupervised. Would window screen mesh be suitable if I just lapped it over the cage and zipped it on tight? Could this catch tiny rat toenails or, what are some other steps I could take to escape proof the cage? thanks.


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## IceLore (May 13, 2007)

I'd think that window/fly screen would be really, really easy for the rats to chew through if they go a hold of it. Something like hardware cloth or chicken wire can be used the same way and it a lot stronger.


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## SgtPigeon (Apr 3, 2007)

Wow, thanks for the fast reply.
In that case would Galvatized be fine? Because i've looked around all the hardware stores here and none of them carried plastic coated wire :?


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## DonnaK (Feb 8, 2007)

I don't know if you can get anything other than galvanised when it comes to chicken wire and such. The only problem with galvanised is that it absorbs(?)/reacts with rat urine and can stink. That's a good point, actually... I wonder how other people have coped with that... unless there is a coated chicken wire you can get...


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## SgtPigeon (Apr 3, 2007)

I never thought of that with chicken wire, but to solve that problem people could just get it personally powder coated at a shop I guess, couldn't they? I was refering to hardwear cloth when I metioned the lack of powder coating here, sorry for the mix up 

actually that just gave me another idea, could I just get a bit of pc wire and string it through every bar to cut the space between in half?


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

you could weave the wire sure, but how would you secure it? you could also go with your original idea but just make sure the get the metal mesh. my dad has it on the screen door and it works really well against dogs and cats. he's had it up for a couple years now and its only now that its getting any tears in it. so i figure if it takes that long with cats climbing and dogs digging to cause damage if you have tightly stretched on the cage you should be fine with it. its also coated so it should be really easy to clean and should hold odor. 

i believe reachthestars has a picture of her cage on here somewhere with the mesh screening. she's been using it for a while and seems happy with it. if i can find the picture i'll post it here for you.


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## SgtPigeon (Apr 3, 2007)

Thanks, I'll probably go with that or hardware cloth. I have a friend that welds stuff so, for the stringing I could just ask her to burn them on for me but I don't know what that would do to the wire and am not sure if it'd still be safe for the rats, I could ask her but I think I will just go with the first two suggestions. Thanks for all the replies, and a picture would be lovely if you could find it, but if not it's no biggy.


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