# DIY Cages and Plastic Zip Ties..



## em_rbass (Sep 19, 2009)

So, after taking on my third and final (..maybe ) unloved rat, I am planning to slowly work my way into the introduction process. The cage my new guy is being kept in is roomy enough for him, but it can't house 3 male rats. The cage my other two are in is an undersized, over-priced, poor excuse for a cage.. It is a Super Pet cage, designed specifically for rats. Go figure.. 

At this present time, I don't have the funds to spend on a nice cage alone (no supplies or accessories, no bedding, just the cage). I'd love to get my boys a Martin's R-695 or a Critter Nation, but for now I have done what I can to remedy the situation. :-\

I've looked through the cage pics in this section of the forum multiple times, and I noticed that some people have used mesh storage cube grids to construct a cage for their ratties. I went ahead and purchased some mesh cubes for my rats as well. They look just like the grids in the picture:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/photos/data/536/medium/2319connectors.jpg

I stayed away from the kind with the large square openings. I don't want to worry about my ratties trying to pop their heads through the squares and getting stuck, or being able to actually get out of their cage. My room is a bottomless pit at the moment as I am completely clearing out some old stuff I don't need (I will likely be moving in less than a year), and I can't house them in any other room as per my mom's wishes. It would be so wonderful to move out and find a rat-friendly roommate. Pipe dreams! Anyway..

Basically, I can construct a very roomy cage for my boys with the grids I purchased. The specific cage dimensions I was looking at could house 6 rats, which should be more than enough room for only 2 (soon to be 3, hopefully). My main concern would be the materials I'll be using to hold the cage together. The grids came with round plastic connectors to snap the grids in place - and although my two boys aren't as bad about chewing as they_ could_ be - I know that they'll chew them all to pieces.. eventually. I worry about the same thing happening with plastic zip ties. I found METAL zip ties online, which would be lovely.. the problem is, most websites sell a bag of 100 metal ties for close to $50.00, about as much as my grids cost with shipping. I really have to be conscious of the amount of money I spend on the cage by itself. I'll still need to get fleece bedding and more toys after the cage is set up. I thought about getting a roll of wire, but I don't know whether or not I could get it to wrap around the grids tightly enough to keep the cage secure. My grids also have open ended corners, so I considered getting a bag of j-clips from Tractor Supply and attaching grids by fitting as my clips on the open corners as possible. Obviously, I have yet to experiment with this so I really don't now how well it will work.

Does anyone have any suggestions for non plastic ties or wire that can fit through small mesh, or do you know of any preventative measures that can be taken so my rats don't chew up their zip ties..?


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## Lynxie (Jun 25, 2008)

I've seen a lot of cages put together with plastic zip ties. They're cheap, and if they chew them you can just replace them.


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