How could i make a rat cage that doesnt take up alot of room or money???

Question

so, i ahve a rat that ive had for a couple of mounths and i think i need a new cage and,i want it to be homemade, but i dont now how to make one that doesnt take up alot of room and i dont want to spend a lot of money on it either,HELP!

Answer 1

Avoid using anything that your rat could chew through such as wood and plastic. If your rat gets bored, he/she will find something to chew on, even it's home.

For dimensions, go tall! Most vertical space in most homes is wasted space, so take advantage of that. Also keep in mind that rats love to climb:) Be sure that the food and water is easy to get access to, so your pet doesn't have to do acrobatics to get to necessities

Answer 2

Hi! For a start, despite his outward appearence to you, that is not indicative of how he actually feels - what about when you're not there? :[ Then, I will guarantee you, he will be pining for you and being sad, miserable and lonely... not a happy life for a ratty. Do not listen to whoever says rats do not need cage mates - under NO circumstances should a rat EVER be kept alone, despite what you think. I'm glad you've made the right decision to get him a cage mate - congrats on being a responsible ratty mummy. :) Secondly, aquariums are never appropriate to house rats in and, despite that, the aquarium you've described is far too small; when you get your ratty a cage mate, you need to invest in a large wire rat cage with multiple levels to keep them stimulated and ensure there is enough cage space for each of them not to feel cramped. They are not too expensive and it is, unfortunately, necessary.:] To introduce your new ratty to your current ratty, use the 'Bathtub Procedure'; # Put ratties in the bathtub. A bathtub is a neutral, unsmelling environment. # Put a little yoghurt/vanilla essence onto their heads. This makes them not only smell the same, it encourages grooming which speeds up the bonding process. # Allow them to decide whose boss. You must not intervene unless they draw blood and SCREAM - you'll know if your rats are fighting. If they are just pinning and 'tussling' with quiet squeaks, they are just establishing their social hierarchy and you mustn't intervene. When rats fight, they set out to do damage to each other. If this is the case, throw a towel over the main perpetrator and lift them out. This saves you from becoming injured in the cross fire. :) Finally, a little buck grease is totally normal and is something you get from male rats - however, if it is excessive (clunking up his fur and not just making his coat have an orange glow), you can use a baby wipe to wipe off the majority of it. Buck grease is a hormonal secretion that is normal for male rats, but excessive buck grease may mean that he has too much protein in his diet, or he has a hormonal imbalance. If the buck grease is excessive and the wipes and less protein doesn't sort it, whip him down to the vets so they can check his hormones. Adding a little olive oil, flaxseed and Omega 3 Fatty acids into his diet will also be extremely beneficial to the reduction of the Grease. :] Good luck!

Answer 3

Goodwill and Thrift stores probably have what you need already for a reasonable price. A cockatiel cage is excellent for keeping pet rats because it offers the ability to climb. Just be sure to secure the openings for the food/water dish because as you probably already know, rats are very smart.
I recommend keeping a piece of plastic sheeting under the cage because the rat will get shavings everywhere though.

Answer 4

Buy an old bookcase, drill holes through the shelves and build a door from chicken wire and some 2x2s. If you get a skinny bookcase it will take up more vertical space than horizontal. Be sure to get laminated wood or water proof it in some way so the wood doesn't absorb urine and smell horrible. If you find a plastic shelving unit that would be even better.

Answer 5

We've been making our cages for years now. We use vinyl coated hardware cloth at home depot and buy a underbed storage container and put the cage together with zip ties. It works great and they are strong. Never had any problems with them either. Just don't buy galvanized bare wire the zinc can be poisonous and it absorbs urine so you won't be able to get it out so your cage will always smell.

Answer 6

there's cheap metal wire chicken wire fencing material at most feed stores or farm stores, even garden departments like Lowe's or a hardware store that is small squares...not as big as chicken wire fencing...I got a craft stapler and made a tall and thin cage for our rat once. I used wood for the frame. You could put some of that wire ontop a cheap trash can and put ropes and bedding and stuff in the trash can. trash cans (plastic) are cheap and large(get an outdoor can) he can climb ropes and everything...just take him out to clean it. i had a tiny litterbox in our cage for my daughter's rats. they used the litter box and i only cleaned it...good luck. also the big plastic storage boxes for winter clothing or xmas decor is cheap too...

Answer 7

My most content rat, was free-roam. Her ''cage'', was my bedroom (no electronics, or anything she wasn't allowed to nibble on). Provide a ''litter box'' area, or else you'll have to do pick-up often.
Not all rats are suited for free-roam living though.

Answer 8

my dad converted an old table into one with sheets of clear plastic that slid on runners for the front so i could watch them and metal in corners to stop chewing when i was a kid bigger and better than any you could buy.make it taller with upstairs if it isnt gonna take up much room

Answer 9

just get a 10-gallon tank. its not that expensive.

Answer 10

Let the cat into your bed babe