upgrading rat cage - Paw Talk

ratty_ratkins · #1 01-16-2005, 09:35 PM

i have been thinking of this for some time now, but i have decided to make my aquarium rat cage a two story cage.

my rats live in a 40 gallon aquarium and i am going to buy some wire mesh from a hardware store and make a second story where i can put hommock and such in it

. i have it all planed out and i am very exited about it. the only cost that it will be is the cost of the wire mesh. does anyone know how much it would cost for about 15 foot of mesh. i looked on the enternet and didnt have any look on finding prices. its no big deal if no one knows because i will find out tuesday. i am just so anxious!!! my ratty boys will definally love me for this. i just hope it doesnt cost a lot of money. i heared that making cages is alot cheaper than buying one. maybe i can get buy on 12 dollars

AussieRene · #2 01-16-2005, 09:47 PM

I don't think it would cost too much to buy the wire netting. sounds like a great idea for the cage. they will love it in there!

ratty_ratkins · #3 01-16-2005, 10:14 PM

see there aquairum is not high at all, so i cannot have any hammocks or nothing like that in there, but when i get this build they can! if that mesh is too far out of my price range i swear i will cry

Padfoot · #4 01-16-2005, 10:21 PM

The wire mesh I bought for the lids of my cages costed me around $2-3 per feet. There were different prized ones, though. I think it depends on the size of the holes and the thickness of the wire.. but the range is around $2-5 per feet. 8)

ratty_ratkins · #5 01-16-2005, 10:50 PM

gosh, that can get expensive if you want 15 foot or so, but not as expensive as buying a bigger rat cage. thanx alot.

Chinchilla_Girl · #6 01-16-2005, 11:12 PM

Try your local feed store...many of them carry all kinds of wire mesh sizes and guages. Normally about what Padfoot said, $2-$3 per foot

ratty_ratkins · #7 01-17-2005, 08:07 PM

i bought the wire and its was 13 dollar for 24 feet. so i guess thats a great deal. i have started putting it together and the only problem i have so far is i dont know about how to latch the ramp and the doors? i am sure i can figure it out, but do you have any ideas? plz

Padfoot · #8 01-17-2005, 08:29 PM

Hmmm.. maybe this site I found can give you some ideas on how to attach it all (even though this cage is quite different from what you're trying to do...)

http://www.ratfanclub.org/cagepln2.html

AussieRene · #9 01-17-2005, 11:32 PM

I used thin wire to attach the wire to my cage and also to hold the doors closed

Catherine · #10 01-18-2005, 12:33 AM

Rats would probably chew through cable ties wouldn't they?

ratty_ratkins · #11 01-18-2005, 01:01 AM

i am not even sure what a cable tie is, but thin wire sounds like an okay idea. i know i have some. i wonder if i should cut the whole door out and re attatch it with the wire, to make it open and close easy and use the wire to tie the door shut. i am alittle bit concernd with the holes in the mesh. they are 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. my rats are full grown so i am pretty sure it will be fine. and of course i will have cardboard and fleece covering the bar floor bars, but it isnt that that is concerning me, its the ramp.... (which is also made of the same mesh)

AussieRene · #12 01-18-2005, 02:14 AM

for my mice the wire mesh was a bit wide so I bought another bit of wire the same size and just put it accross the opposite way so it's now small squares that they can't get out of. works good cause they can't climb through the lid of cage (the rest of our cage is a big plastic box)