D.I.Y. Rat Cages (Good and Bad)
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- Опубліковано 4 лип 2024
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Lets Talk DIY Rat cages. Some popular ones are just not safe at all. And I'm going to tell you why, then I'll discuss come safe options and what to think about when making a cage. :)
Credit for one of the c& c cages goes to:
/ rebbyraesun
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More educational content here:
ua-cam.com/play/PLZXFHBhc-AUNRQ7p-57MK9aXrrkYByB0n.html
Never heard of using closet racks for a cage, that's brilliant. Whenever I adopt rats that's definitely the method I'll use. Think I'm gonna make my bunny a cage from them as well. Thank you so much for the ideas.
You're very welcome! Glad to help!
You can also use cat litter trays, you need to drill some small holes and attach with zip ties but they work amazing as shelves especially if one or more of your rats is prone to rolling off the edge in their sleep.
I have no idea where you got that bin cages are better than wood but rats chew through wood slower than thin plastic.
There are also child safe varnises that are used on wooden utencils and infant toyes, aka its safe to be gnawed on, its not toxic and much safer than bin plastic.
Wooden cages are as safe for rats as they are for any other small rodent. 97% of them who have proper care will never escape but the ones that are un happy will take the frustration on the cage and chew it. Its the same with bin cages, tho its much much much more common for rodents to chew through plastic bins. And from what I have heard its closer to 80% of un happy/not well kept pets that chew through their bins and escape.
I cant link any studies cuz people dont want to study these kinds of things but everything stated is based of munchiesplace(a small rodent rescue keeper of many years)
and
SomethingAnimal (a former hamster breeder and a long long time hamster hobbyist who builds a lot of excessories for hamsters and mice(the info about safe varnish is coming from him))
Also sorry for any mistakes, Im dyslexic and struckle with spelling. English is also my second languege.
Hi! I’d be happy to explain further! 🥰
Keep in mind munchie deals with hamsters which are much different in care than rats. I have great respect for her and the work she does but she is a hamster expert not a rat one. And her info on some things (such as bedding) is outdated.
Bins work well when made properly and when filled like a regular cage. Which you can see examples of in my bin cage setup videos. Munchie also uses bin for hamsters however a big difference is how they are made. Rats require cross ventilation. Hamsters do not. Rats produce more ammonia which is why they also shouldn’t be on paper bedding but hamsters can be. To be a rat appropriate bin cage the hardware cloth(metal mesh) must be on the inside, and overlap the edges of the windows that are cut out. This prevents a rat from getting their teeth on the plastic to chew out. They need this style of window on at least the long sides of the bin and the lid to give proper cross ventilation. But even better is all4 sides and the top.
Wooden cages have more issues than just the varnish as i mentioned. Rats can chew through the wood easily. They can chew through the wood and the wood absorbs ammonia smell. Because varnishes do not stay. If a rat scratches the wood or chews it that portion is no longer varnished, and now pee can soak in.
Wooden cages cant be cleaned properly to remove this. To clean wooden houses and toys for example you need to either soak them in warm soapy water, scrub and rinse. Or leave outside in the rain. To do this with a wooden cage you would need a very large tub/container, and a backup cage. Which is honestly not likely for most people.
The ideal rat cage would be all metal to prevent chewing, and escape, with a deep base, longer than heigh, with huge doors, and easy to break down and clean. But most people aren’t going to have the skills and tools to make that. Myself included in that and i love DIY stuff.
I am specifically a rattuber. Not a hamster, mouse or any other pet tuber. Each animal has very specific care and needs to be well researched on its own without comparing to others.
And no worries about dyslexia. I also have it. So typos are not a big deal for me to read and usually understand. :)
I've made them using rabbit cages that look like the metal dog kennels and it was ok for at least two rats but you need to cover it with chicken wire or something so that they can't get out. Spent 3 days on a manic episode making rat cages and they turned out pretty good.
That sounds fabulous!
Thank you for the ideas and education. I have found myself fostering a female rat, which came to me pregnant (it's a long story)! I now I have to find 12 homes (at most). But in the mean time I needed to find a way to house all of these ratties on a budget. (And separate them once weaned/old enough.) This gave me inexpensive ideas because I just don't have the means for 2 critter nation cages. Thank you again!
You are very welcome!
I have mice so I have lots of bins some plain for when I get my rats ( in 3 days!!!) I will use bins. I'm getting 4 females all sisters. So is going to be 2 bins stacked which another bin as a "tunnle" or an extra part. Then there going to be another 2 bins stacked together connected to the tunnle thing. On the bottom of the 2 stacked I have chiken wire on the side bc of vent and bc its a sold color blue. On the top one there I'd chiken wire on the top only. It will be the same with the other 2 stacked and on the tunnle it will be chiken wire of the side and top. I'm so excited
Make sure to use hardware cloth. Not chicken wire. Chicken wire is to thin so rats can chew through it, and the openings too wide.
Ive seen stacked bin like your describing before and they are pretty neat!
Meshing the long sides at least and the top or a third side is critical for cross ventilation so glad to hear you are planning to do that. 🥰
I've heard so many conflicting things about the C&C cages and now I'm wondering if it's the right choice, would you say if you made sure to secure it correctly it would be okay??
If its properly covered over each panel with hardware cloth, and the rats cant escape, and it has deep trays and enough enrichment, and it is big enough, etc then yes it is totally suitable and no different than a wire and plastic store bought cage.
Its just not cheap to diy them so often not worth the time or money.
I’ve been looking for some sort of building plans for a cage. I would love perhaps a link to a pvc plan or something.
I honestly haven’t seen any but i haven’t looked.
The pvc ones are typically used for sugar gliders so i would look for some sugar glider forums.
You might also check etsy to see if anyone has plans for sale.
great video! I have a question tho: can you use wood for the levels and that sort of stuff?
Levels arent really needed for young and healthy rats. It’d be better to use baskets and hammocks and branches and perches and things like that you could however, use wood for a little small perches for them to hop between and that would be fine because you can clean something that size much easier And more regularly.
@@RatRandomness ok, thank you so much! :)
nice and usefull video , thanks from spain
Your very welcome!
🤘🍻🤘
Can you show us how to made the bin cage ?
I plan to have a video on that in the coming months. But in the mean time this tutorial is amazing:
www.silversrattery.co.uk/diy
Just click “bin cage”
Thanks for that I wanted to get a single critter nation till I saw the price I’m gonna keep looking for a good quality rat cage online please tell me if you know of any cheapish but still good quality cages thanks
Honestly i would look for one used! Facebook marketplace or craigslist.
Beyond that i cant really recommend anything without knowing your budget, how many rats you need to house, and if you want to work with hardware cloth or not.
If you wanna share those details with me i might have some ideas! 😉
Our babies are in a home made wood and mesh cage cage. The wood has been treated and sealed and painted with hutch paint. The floors are covered with pet mats and fleece. It has all round ventilation. It's got tonnes of floor space, height (it's taller than me) and foraging places. They haven't chewed the wood or paint atall.. Should I be worried Incase they do? Or Worried that they aren't chewing it for some reason? Three of them a massive chewers but chew other things. I've not found a metal cage as large as this but if I need to downsized for thier safety, I would.
Personally I would always advise to ditch wood cages especially if you have chewers. how many rats do you have and what part of the world are you in? different cages are available in different parts if the world.
@@RatRandomness Thankyou for replying, We are in the UK and have two adults and three babies. I've started looking at cages now and I I'm thinking the LittleZoo ventura. It'll take a while to save for but Untill then I've got two furplast I can stack (but they seem tiny lol)
@@nelmarie2412 you wont be disappointed with the ventura! Its a great cage from what I’ve heard.
The furplast towers are so clever. Ive seen a few. And rats seem very happy with it.
This really isnt good advice on proper cages. They need tall cages and lots of space.
Rats dont need tall cages. They are fossorial. Which means ground dwelling. Not arboreal- tree dwelling.
All of the reccomended options here also provide the ability to climb for rats of all sizes though. And many are just as big or bigger than a critter nation.
Where the cages that are not good are dangerous for all the reasons mentioned in the video.
Rats need deep bedding to dig in, and floor space more than height. All the good options here provide that. :)
Hi, some of these cages are good and plausible, but others, like the bin cage, seem completely unsuitable, even stacked. I don't usually feel like it is responsibile to promote DIY cages besides to those where it is their last option. Rats aren't a budget animal.
@dahliam77 I believe rats can indeed be a budget animal if the person is budgeting well.
I actually have a whole video on that!
Is it possible to own RATS on a Budget?
ua-cam.com/video/hjQ6_KAsWzU/v-deo.html
Bin cages can be a great option. Disliking them is fine. But they are a perfectly valid and suitable option. And can be a great choice for a multitude of reasons.
DIY isn't just for budget though that's a valid reason as well. 😊
Some of us just enjoy it! But regardless there is nothing wrong with talking about GOOD DIY options. People need to know what is safe and appropriate and what isn't. And this video gives them that info. Any rat we can save fro ma bookshelf cage is worth it.
I'm building a wooden rat cage but it's gonna be wire all the way around with multiple floors,CA anyone suggest a substrate to use for my floors.
Wood is a poor option for rats. They chew it, pee on it, and cause issues with ammonia.
Sealants arent safe for the rats to chew long term, and once chewed they dont protect the wood.
There are far better options. Please look into those instead, or buy a suitable cage.
@@RatRandomness wood is fine for rats as long as it's thick enough and if their happy they won't chew through the wood.
sadly it isn’t a fine choice. Rats chew by nature. Its not about happy or not. Just part of being a rat.
They can chew through concrete if they desire, thick wood is nothing to a determined rat on a mission.
Thickness isn’t going to solve the other issues either. In the long run there are far safer and better options.
Obviously i cant control what a person does. I can only give facts and let people do with them what they will.
@@RatRandomness if rats chew through concrete and chew by nature then that shouldn’t be a negative for wood cages due to them being able to chew through anything. If u notice the wood getting too weak u can easily replace it
It is. They can chew through wood a LOT easier than metal. I have seen in many a group for rat owners that they can chew through wood cages in hours.
It is simply not worth the risk on top of the other issues with cleaning and smell absorption.
Obviously I can't prevent someone from spending the money on a wood cage or making one. But I will share info. Especially when it's discussed on the channel. It's my purpose to educate. People can make their own decisions. Even if I and many many others don't believe it to be wise or safe or healthy for them.
Boriiiing!!!!!👎🏽
I'm open to real suggestions on how to be more interesting. 🥰 What would make the video less boring for you?