# Project: CHEAP BUILD



## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

As many of you know i was a rat owner for many years. Sadly i have been without any ratties since 2011 or so... The other day my girlfriend and I decided that her daughter is ready for a pet of her own... As many of you can probably guess when i said let's go pick out a little rat they both looked at me skeptically... I hate going and seeing the poor conditions of the pet stores but we went ahead to a "PetSmart" I was relieved that the conditions weren't horrible and none of the animals looked sickly or ill. They were all in aquariums but at least they weren't being sold as feeders, They even made us fill out a form that stated we wouldn't hurt the animal and that we were a forever home. This offered some consolation but After some time both of the girls started seeing how cute the little ratties are... They picked out a little loner rat and named her Juliet. To my surprise the girls and I were coming home with a little rat, Little did they know how excited i was... Hehe... On the way home i went ahead and dropped by the local menards grabbed Some simple materials and we came home... I put the Juliet in a rubber maid tub with litter, bedding, toys, food, and water for a few hours and built a quick cheap cage. Here is what i came up with in a short period of time. 















Materials used lol...


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

Concerns with this build.

Galvanized Material isn't pvc coated and for extreme chewers the zinc is supposed to be able to cause High Metal Poisoning... Allthough i have owned several galvanized zinc cages i have never experienced a decline in any rattie health if i were to make this for another person though i would use the green pvc coated Hardware mesh 19gauge with 1/2inch gaps... 

The Drawer is slightly flimsy and escape artist rats could escape it allthough Juliet is perfectly content and happy in her new space and isn't even interested in escaping it. Like i've said before about the metal i used i would use a sturdier thicker drawer for an escape artist rattie. 

The springs can snap out of your fingers if you aren't careful and the clip can fly off and hit you... This is a simple fix but since it's just me and my family using the cage we all just don't let go of the spring hehe ; D 

Cost of materials: Under $40.00 
Dimensions* 
Cage Wire Part 10.5x15.5inches 3 foot tall
Drawer I think it is 12inchesx18inches 12 inches tall
The whole cage is around 4foot tall.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Unfortunately, that cage is nowhere near large enough. You want at least double that amount of floor space, if not triple. She also should not be living alone.


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## toke (Aug 28, 2012)

Aside from concerns with size and her living alone as mentioned, I am impressed! It looks great, and if you were able to add an attachment to the side to give her more room to run around it would be a great, inexpensive cage for a pair of girls. I am always envious of people who can whip something up like that so quickly while I just fork out a few hundred dollars online to avoid it .


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## melcab (Jan 29, 2014)

My favorite thing about it is the drawer at the bottom . That is brilliant!


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

Hehe the cage size is fine in my opinion because she spends 3-6 hours out of it everyday in a large play area i setup for her to play with my girlfriends daughter. About not having a pair of them. She gets plenty of socialization and playtime for now i plan to find another little girl but i have to find one. I would prefer to get the other one from a legitimate breeder but i can't find one in the Illinois region... I am adding shelving soon as well which will give her more of a run as well.


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

There is just over 2 square feet of floor space if you count the drawer and the plastic shelf. 2.26 sq foot to be exact. The cage is over 2cuft
If my math is correct the cage space itself not counting the volume of the drawer is 3.8 cubic foot...

I always thought these dimensions to be enough... If this isn't enough please explain to me what is?


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## Urithrand (Feb 12, 2008)

Much as I'm hugely impressed with your handyman skills (seriously, that's one piece of craftwork!) that wheel isn't suitable for ratties. There's too many places for a tail to get caught. Rats should always have solid surface wheels, not wire mesh ones.

I'd also agree that a little more floor space would be nice for them, especially as girls LOVE to run about! Personally I'd say this is a good temporary cage, but you will need something larger for the long term.

No rat should ever be kept alone, no matter how much time they spend out of the cage. 24 hour companionship can't be substituted with 3 hours or so out human time per day. They need someone to groom and be groomed by, and someone to be their squishy pillow and blankie all at once, and humans just aren't capable of providing that 24/7!


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## Daize (Jun 8, 2013)

The cage looks great. Once you add some shelves there'll be plenty of floor space. Rats like to climb, so the height is pretty good too. 

Don't worry about having a cagemate right away. She'll do fine until you find one. So, take as much time as you need to find the right friend for your new girl. 

My girl lives alone and she's doing great. I'll never get her a cagemate. My girl has a violent history of killing/seriously injuring past cagemates. So, even without a cagemate. They do just fine.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

You can not always go by simple square footage. This is where calculators can be iffy, but most will tell you when the measurements are just plain not enough. As I said, that floor space needs to be doubled at the very least. It is very, very small.

Additionally, again, she needs to have a cage mate. There is no amount of free range time that can replace a cage mate. Single rats spiral into depression and poor health very quickly.

It's a bit silly to get a pet store rat and then not get another because the second one has to come from a breeder, so hopefully you don't go down that road. It would be in everyone's best interest to go back and get another.


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

Thank you everyone for your input. A lot of these concerns are caused by the situation. We picked up the little rat for my girlfriends daughter she is learning how to handle and care for Juliet which is the rat that lives in this cage. I built the cage on a last second decision and do plan to find her a cage mate. She was a loner rat at the pet store which is why we ended up comming home with her she looked sad, depressed, and scared. I have to talk my girlfriend into allowing her daughter to have two rats it will take time. Juliet does need a cage mate and this i agree strongly with. After everyone's concern with spacing i have decided to cut off a side of the cage and add a few cubic compartments that will be shelves that have a ramp this will give her a place to run it will be a rat run lol. My goal is to give her a 3-4 foot runway so she can run. I dislike the wheel and she doesn't like it. I picked it up on a whim for $4.00 at walmart to see if she knew how to use a wheel. She doesn't know how to use it so im going to give it to a local rescue for hamsters. I plan to build a large rat wheel using pvc and bearings Ive made rat wheels in the past and my design is something i prefer since it runs smoothly, is quiet, costs very little money, is safe, and is easy to clean. Juliet seems very happy and well adjusted to her little apartment and i will continue modifying it. 



cagedbirdsinging said:


> You can not always go by simple square footage. This is where calculators can be iffy, but most will tell you when the measurements are just plain not enough. As I said, that floor space needs to be doubled at the very least. It is very, very small.
> 
> Additionally, again, she needs to have a cage mate. There is no amount of free range time that can replace a cage mate. Single rats spiral into depression and poor health very quickly.
> 
> It's a bit silly to get a pet store rat and then not get another because the second one has to come from a breeder, so hopefully you don't go down that road. It would be in everyone's best interest to go back and get another.


She was the only female left at the petstore in the city i shop in. Everywhere else in the area only sells males. I figured i'd be responsible and try to find a breeder. I am probably going to just wait and go back to the petstore i got her at when they restock... I am not sure yet it all depends on the complete situation. finding her a good match is important to me.


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## Andyurgay (Jun 10, 2013)

I agree with all above but I also feel you are right to wait and find a girl that will fit you, your family and your new girl. So long as it doesn't take too long, I think she should be okay for the time being. I work at PETsMART and I know it is sometimes hard to get a pair at once. Rats seem to be skyrocketing as pets and we have them in demand all the time. Which often leaves one rat by themselves until someone comes along PETsMART never carries both genders of rodents to avoid pregnancies but usually there is one close by that carries opposite or same genders. My store only carries males but two within 5 minutes of us carry only females. Maybe try calling around to other PETsMART or even a petco or local shop. Some carry both genders, separate (preferable) or together. Good luck! And I'm wickedly jealous of your cage making skills.


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

Andyurgay said:


> I agree with all above but I also feel you are right to wait and find a girl that will fit you, your family and your new girl. So long as it doesn't take too long, I think she should be okay for the time being. I work at PETsMART and I know it is sometimes hard to get a pair at once. Rats seem to be skyrocketing as pets and we have them in demand all the time. Which often leaves one rat by themselves until someone comes along PETsMART never carries both genders of rodents to avoid pregnancies but usually there is one close by that carries opposite or same genders. My store only carries males but two within 5 minutes of us carry only females. Maybe try calling around to other PETsMART or even a petco or local shop. Some carry both genders, separate (preferable) or together. Good luck! And I'm wickedly jealous of your cage making skills.


There are two petsmarts within 100 miles of eachother one carries males one carries females. The one that we went too had 1 female left and we came home with her =p Im modifying the cage tonight ill post some pictures.


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

I did my first modification to the cage. I plan to add 3-4 shelfs all connected via ladders or ramps to give the girls a nice run. Juliet started using her rat wheel today so it's definitely time to get a good one in there. Here is the cage now. Keep in mind I still have to add the shelf levels and the hammock/toy cage set im making soon. Im lined up to go try and pick up another little girl tomorrow for Juliet to share her cage with. This cage will only be holding two rats. 







Feedback is welcome!


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

*UPDATE* Added the first shelves and a simple felt hammock. 






I plan to build another compartment, like the one i just added, on each wall to improve the square footage of floor space and the Volume of the cage. This cage is holding 3 rats and I made that the max capacity that I will own right now. This cage is holding Juliet (Adult female) and two 5 week old baby females. In the next month or two I will have this cage finished and it will be plenty big enough for the 3 girls. Let me know what you think critiques are welcome. Ideas are welcome too!


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## Ergala (Jan 23, 2014)

I am slightly concerned about how thin the metal is, plus the use of plastic. Rats are amazing at chewing through thin metal and through plastic 


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