# Building my first rat cage :)!



## suitcasey (Apr 13, 2008)

Hey everyone! Well I'm quite new here, my name is Casey, I'm from Northern Ireland and this is my gorgeous rat, Layla !










If you'd like to read the story of how I got her, look here 
http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8197.html
Basically, she was being kept in a tiny cage at my college, with an awful diet and no human interaction at all. It was a pretty miserable life for her, I couldn't let her spend her whole life in that cage so I told them I was going to take her home and give her a proper life. I'm now sorting out all her problems one step at a time, starting with her cage.

She currently lives in what can only be described as a hamster cage. It's ridiculously small, and pretty soon she'll have a cagemate so yeah this just won't do!
But I've found a large metal frame in the garden that used to be used for holding small plants, I think it would make an EXCELLENT rat cage!

Here it is, but ignore that big plastic sheet over it! That was still attached from when it had plants in it, just try to imagine the frame only, that's what I'd like to turn into the cage .








I havn't measured it yet, but it's about two foot long, a foot wide and six foot tall. It has four levels, and each one can be removed. It would just make the perfect cage as it doesn't take up too much space, but there is loads of room for climbing and exploring for two rats to live.

But I'm just a bit worried whether it would be safe or not. It is made out of some very light metal, and is covered in a protective paint. However, there are a couple of small areas where the paint has worn away and there is just rust. This is only really at the very bottom though (you can see it on the pics), if the rust would be a problem, the bottom section wouldn't have to be used. Is this safe to use? And if not, are there any precautions I could take to make it safe? It would just make such an excellent cage if I could use it.

So okay, I'll wait to hear back from you's on whether it should be safe or not. And if it is hopefully you's can tell me what I'll need in order to turn it into a nice cage . Everyone here has been very friendly so far, so I'm looking forward to learning here and giving Layla the life she deserves .

Casey.


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## illmithra (Apr 15, 2008)

well perhaps when you enclose it you could make the first shelf up from the bottom the actual bottom of their cage and make it solid somehow and use the bit way down the bottom near the rust as a shelf. 

she's gorgeous by the way.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

OH I have those for my plants.

You can take the bottom off, its just twisted together.

I would think its ok, cool idea. and it should be big enough for a friend or 2 too. 

This is how id do it..

Cut holes in the mesh to allow for ramps, reinforce the large hole mesh with a smaller mesh, attached with wire (or cable ties)
I would then cover this with lino. or carpet tile before fleece and cover any sharp edges with those plastic binders you get for school projects.
I would get the solid kind of mesh 1x1cm (depends how big she is, mine are tiny, you could use bigger)(comes in sheets, not rolls) and attach it to the sides and back, wired on again

I might cut one shelf in half to allow for dangly stuff like hammocks and make sure holes for ramps are on opposite sides so if she falls she wont fall all the way to the bottom

Id make ramps from wood, or mesh covered again in carpet tile and making sure no sharp bits are left

Id make a huge door that covers the whole front to make easier cleaning. You could put a smaller door within the big door so you dont have to open the whole thing all the time.

See if you can get something like a bread tray for it to sit in to make the bottom pan, this will make cleaning easier too.

Um then id fill it with hammocks and rats...


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## suitcasey (Apr 13, 2008)

Oh thank you just gave me so many brilliant ideas! Ahh I could make this look so good when it's finished!!

So you think the paint and everything used on it will be safe? Or should I coat it with something else first?

On further inspection, the only places that are actually rusted are the three bars at the bottom. But I think I could get away with using that section of it too if I can find like a litter tray big enough to cover the whole base. That means the rats will have four levels of 2'x1', that would give loads of space for toys, wheels, hammocks, climbing and exploring, wouldn't it?

If you don't mind me poking your brain for more information, how exactly would I attach the wire to the cage? I'm having a hard time trying to picture myself actually doing that in the proper way. Maybe lots and lots of cable ties??
And I would love to have a full door that comes off the front, do you have any idea how I would do this??

Thanks for any help you can give me, I'd like to maybe start this tomorrow if I can figure out everything I need!!


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

OK this is a LONG reply.

The plastic coated stuff should be fine. Its just like the powder coat you get on most cages.

As for covering... Here is an old cage I had to cover with wire mesh because my girls used to fit through the bars. The pics arent that clear, but they are all I have.









from the inside








from outside









If you can see, i wound wire (jewellery wire, although stainless steel would be fine) around the cage and through the 2 edges of mesh to make corners, kind of like a spring. You could do the same thing around the upright poles on your cage. I would also drill some small holes every inch or so along the plastic side pieces and thread those with the wire, to the mesh too so the rats cant fall down the sides, and I would wind it on to the shelf edges too. 

For the shelves I might use wood and just scrap the wire shelves. They are a big naff (well mine are, your greenhouse might have been more expensive lol) and quite bendy. Or I would use something like lino or carpet tile to cover the mesh shelves.

For the door:
Heres an idea. Il have to draw it 










To explain... The bright green is the frame that you have. I would make a wooden frame (brown in the pic) to go all the way around the front of the cage with a piece across the middle shelf, and then somehow, maybe using staple type bracket fixings im thinking something like this
attach the wooden frame to the metal frame. Then I would make 2 doors, just from a frame of wood to fit the holes, use hinges to attach them (thats what the yellow dots are meant to be lol), and cover each door in mesh. and attach a fixing to keep the door shut, maybe a bolt.

Just to explain, the red things are meant to be ramps and thats how I would arrange them, and the little black lines are meant to be wire.
The left pic is from the front and the right is from the side

I went to art school for 3 years to learn to draw THIS GOOD! Seriously though, let me know if you need any more pics or anything.


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## suitcasey (Apr 13, 2008)

xampx, i honestly can't thank you enough for taking the time to do draw all that out for me!! That is perfect, and it's exactly what I will do, I was having trouble figuring out little details but you've made them all much clearer in my head now.

I couldn't get it started last weekend unfortunately due to lots of coursework, but I'll see if I can start collecting the bits and bobs I'll need this week, and start on Saturday .

I'll be sure to post lots of pics and probably be looking for more advice along the way!!

Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate it 

Casey.


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

No problem. PM me if you need any more help.

I have a second greenhouse that has a ripped cover so was considering doing it myself 

It will be cool to see what yours turns out like before I decide to dig mine out of the ditch that its currently in


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