# Non-powder coated cage



## Miyu (Jun 1, 2007)

Hey everyone. I have two female rats, and I wanted to get a bigger cage for them. As a surprise for me, one of my friends bought me a cage from ebay. The problem is that the wire isn't powder coated. Apparently the guy who sold the cage won't refund the shipping cost, only the purchase price, plus I'd have to pay to ship it back. So I was wondering if there's any way I can salvage this cage so it won't rust. I don't know if there's anywhere that will powder coat it for me, and I probably couldn't afford it anyway, so is there anything else I could use? A friend suggested some kind of weatherproof spray paint, but I don't know if that would be rat pee proof ^_^ Any suggestions?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

There are shops that do powder coating, usually for vehicles. I believe it would cost around 50 dollars, depending on the shop and the size of the cage, of course.

You could possibly use a spray sealant and then a non-toxic waterproof paint.


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## tattered_teddy_bear (Apr 24, 2007)

Forensic said:


> There are shops that do powder coating, usually for vehicles. I believe it would cost around 50 dollars, depending on the shop and the size of the cage, of course.
> 
> You could possibly use a spray sealant and then a non-toxic waterproof paint.


WOAH! you could make it cool colors!!!!


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## tattered_teddy_bear (Apr 24, 2007)

btw Miyu i like your user name.... anime?


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## Miyu (Jun 1, 2007)

Yeah, the paint was suggested, but my older girl tends to chew on the bars of cages sometimes, so even if it's non-toxic would it still be okay? That would probably be cheaper and less hassle than taking it somewhere for powder coating. It's not a huge cage, but it wouldn't fit in my only form of transportation - my boyfriend's very tiny car ^^;

And yes, it's from Vampire Princess Miyu ^_^


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## tattered_teddy_bear (Apr 24, 2007)

I love that anime. larva is dreamy in a creepy sort of way...

painting it sound like the best way to go.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Honestly, I'd borrow someone's car and get it powder-coated. I've got a small cage that came from thrift that looks like it was painted by a previous owner, and the pee ate through the paint and rusted it all around the bottom. That part reeks, and it's all rusty. 

Also, if you call around to lots of places that powder-coat, you may be able to get a better price.


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## Miyu (Jun 1, 2007)

I called some places today to see if there was anywhere I could possibly get it powder coated, but I couldn't find anywhere, and no one I talked to knew of any place within reasonable distance (the city I live in isn't very big).

I have heard of people using linoleum tile to cover wire shelves and ramps and such. I'm thinking maybe of using it to cover the entire bottom and top level of the cage, plus the shelves and ramps, and painting the cage with the waterproof paint (and still using towels and fleece as bedding over the linoleum). Would that, along with frequent cleaning of the wire sides, keep the cage in decent condition?

With the cost of gas, driving a considerable ways, plus paying for the powder coating, it might be more cost-effective for me to just get another cage, if there is really nothing else I can do.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Yeah, that would be the best solution. I wish I could help with a suggestion of good paint to use that's non-toxic, but I haven't dealt with this before.

Anytime you see the coating coming off, you should reapply it to the areas. With my galvanized cage, it took less than a year with only one rat in it to get disgusting (the side bars, and I scrubbed them regularly).


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## Tammy (Jun 8, 2007)

I read on a rattery's website (I forget which one), the owner recommended using the kind of spay paint made specifically for appliances. It dries to a hard finish similar to powder coating. I would however read the can to be sure it is non toxic if ingested....seems like a good idea to me.


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