# DIY Cage



## Calico (Feb 20, 2016)

In celebration of purchasing my first rats this weekend, here's my first and last DIY cage.

Cage Dimensions:
H: 72" (55" of actual cage)
W: 36"
D: 18"


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

It looks amazing. And huge!


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Love it! It looks amazing. I can't wait to see what it looks like all filled up.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

I'd actually LOVE to see how you did this in more detail if you'd be willing to share (materials and how you attached and stuff?) it's really cool and as an art graduate student we have a lot of similar stuff floating around.


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## Calico (Feb 20, 2016)

JAnimal said:


> It looks amazing. And huge!


Thank you! It is huge. I don't even own rats yet and people already think I'm a crazy rat lady


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## Calico (Feb 20, 2016)

smoteymote said:


> I'd actually LOVE to see how you did this in more detail if you'd be willing to share (materials and how you attached and stuff?) it's really cool and as an art graduate student we have a lot of similar stuff floating around.


*Materials:*
- Steel Rack - $50 from Walmart
- Hardware Cloth (3' x 5') - $7.59 per roll
- 1" x 2" x 8' Untreated Wood - $0.87 each at Home Depot
- Nuts/Bolts/Washers 
- Zip Ties
- Rust-Oleum NeverWet Paint

*Assembly:
*- I cut the wood pieces to match the dimensions of the cage, so the back was two 36" pieces and two 55" pieces and the sides were 18" and 55". The door was done a little different, which I'll talk about below.
- After cutting the wood at a 45 degree angle, I stapled the pieces together to create a frame (nailing them would look and hold up better than stapling)
- I measured and cut the hardware cloth to match the size of the frame then stapled it on the back
- The rack has holes on the corners where the shelves go. I lined up my wooden frames and marked where I needed to drill holes. After drilling, I used bolts to attach the wooden frame to the rack. The bolts stick out the cage so they can't injure the rats.
- Since there aren't any holes to put bolts through on the sides of the cage, I used zip ties to secure the hardware cloth where the shelves sit. 
- For the door, I cut it slightly longer across (38") than the actual rack. That way I could attached the hinges to wooden frame on the side
- I don't have any latches on it right now, but I'll probably use a spring type thing. I think I'm also going to put magnets on the door so it shuts right against the metal where the shelves sit. Right now the hardware cloth bows out a little. 
- I cut the corners out of the particle board shelves so the rats can access the other levels, then painted them with NeverWet to waterproof them.
**I also sanded the wood before painting and attaching the hardware cloth


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

Although the cage looks really nice, it looks like you used galvanized hardware cloth. Galvanized metal and urine do not go well together. The urine gets into the metal making an awful odor. Plastic covered or painted hardware cloth is a better option. If you can't get the plastic coated hardware cloth, you might want to make some new hardware cloth pieces and paint them with Rustoleum and let them sit till you need them. This will give them the necessary 2 week curing time before you need to use them.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Ah thank you so much! I might attempt a smaller version of this if my mischief grows and maybe when I'm living in a more permanent place I'll go full size! I appreciate the info!


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## Calico (Feb 20, 2016)

raindear said:


> Although the cage looks really nice, it looks like you used galvanized hardware cloth. Galvanized metal and urine do not go well together. The urine gets into the metal making an awful odor. Plastic covered or painted hardware cloth is a better option. If you can't get the plastic coated hardware cloth, you might want to make some new hardware cloth pieces and paint them with Rustoleum and let them sit till you need them. This will give them the necessary 2 week curing time before you need to use them.


Do they have to pee directly on it for it to smell? I'll probably replace it but I won't be able to for a while, especially if I have to paint it.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

Urine just has a way of getting everywhere. I just thought I'd give you a head's up on the possibilities so you could be prepared.


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## DenaMay (Aug 14, 2016)

This is so awesome!!


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## DenaMay (Aug 14, 2016)

raindear said:


> Although the cage looks really nice, it looks like you used galvanized hardware cloth. Galvanized metal and urine do not go well together. The urine gets into the metal making an awful odor. Plastic covered or painted hardware cloth is a better option. If you can't get the plastic coated hardware cloth, you might want to make some new hardware cloth pieces and paint them with Rustoleum and let them sit till you need them. This will give them the necessary 2 week curing time before you need to use them.


Is vinyl coated hardware cloth acceptable?


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

DenaMay said:


> Is vinyl coated hardware cloth acceptable?


Vinyl coated hardware cloth is what I used when I covered my DFNs and it held up for about 5 years, when I replaced the DFNs with DCNs. It's what I would recommend.


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