# Cage-Connecting Tunnels?



## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

Hey, everybody!

So, I have a lot of rats. Fourteen, actually. (I'm looking for homes for some of them, as a side-note, if anyone is interested.) I've had them in a nice big birdcage for the past couple months, but there just wasn't enough space for everyone. I got another of the same cage today, and only discovered after buying it that NOBODY sells plastic connector tunnels large enough for rats. What a pain in the butt! I'm planning to use PVC pipe to hook the two cages together, but I'm concerned about the mechanics of joining the tubes to the cage securely. 

I've posted a couple pictures below of what the cage looks like. There are two large doors toward the top and bottom. On either side of the upper door are two smaller doors, and there are four small ones along the bottom, beneath the other large door. They all slide up and don't lock, since it's a bird cage (I've solved the non-locking part with bent paper clips). 

Does anyone have any ideas on how to join everything together without leaving holes or weak areas where the tunnels could be pushed out? 















(Sorry for the bad quality; I took them with my ipod!)
(That's my grubby little dog in the last shot, which sort of give you an idea of the cage's size.)
(The first pic is a close-up of one of the smaller doors, partially lifted open.)


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

What I would do actually since they are the same cage is take off one of the side panels on each cage and zip tie them together so you don't have to go through the trouble of the tunnels.

Don't know much of connecting with PVC pipe, you could cut out a panel of wire, and get a sheet of plastic to solder/connect the PVC pipe to and then connect the plastic to the cage.


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## Freerangepirate (Jan 18, 2013)

Lw is right about the two cages connected directly. If you are going to use tunnels I would use 4" PVC with a 4" PVC closet flange (toilet flange) on the ends. You could also use ferret trail funnels, they are about 4" as well


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'd connect the two together. I actually had this cage until I got my DCN, and we had an addition on the top of it with extra climbing space. if you have pliers it's not too tough to get the panels open enough so they'll come off.


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## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

OMG, you guys are so brilliant. That's exactly what we did. (Or, I should say, what my boyfriend did, while I handed him tools.) Pain in the neck, but it came out SO nice. The ratties are absolutely thrilled! Thank you all a billion times for your input. <3


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Nice. Though you might want to put in more hammocks for them


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I love it! Where did you get the trays you have on the top?


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## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

LightningWolf said:


> Nice. Though you might want to put in more hammocks for them


 Don't worry, I definitely will. I was just so exhausted after getting the cage put together that I gave them bare bones furnishings overnight. I'm sewing extra large hammocks, and I'll be getting some dowels today to build some more ledges and levels.The trays I have in there are plastic serving ones from the dollar store, balanced on the long perching dowels that came with the cage. There's a piece of wood screwed right through the middle of the cage to provide structural integrity, and the dowels are resting on that.


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

Looks awesome and now you have a huge cage for the ratties. Bravo!


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