[erose]

Hi everyone

I have a single unit Critter Nation cage. My rats had a really difficult time grasping how to use the litter box so I line the shelf with fleece and I use a corrugated plastic pan on the lower level with unscented Yesterday's news.
The plastic is now disgusting and I want to replace the lower pan with something that looks like and will last longer. I am looking into Bass pans but I have no idea what the different options mean. I can get a customized pan with FP1 SS and I'm a little lost.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[LilCritter]

SS means stainless steel. FP1 vs FP2 is whether or not it has the notch to go between levels.

 

[Gribouilli]

I use the cement mixing tub from Home Depot. Much cheaper than Bass Pans and much deeper too so it keeps the litter, poops...in and not on my floors

 

[Rhonwen]

I recently decide to make the switch to using bedding vs fleece in at least one of my cages. My girls are pigs - they chew holes in the fleece, then burrow between the pans and the fleece - pooping and peeing the whole while. Then they lay in it.. Yuck. They're destructive enough that I can not reuse the fleece to cover pans again, and buying fleece enough for 4 cages gets pricey quickly.

The obvious problem with bedding is that it gets everywhere with the pans in the DCNs. I put a small 3" high bin in their cage with bedding as a test, and they've done remarkably well with it. Not a whole lot of bedding is getting out of the cage, no more bedding than poop anyway. I am about 95% decided on the Bass Pans, they're high enough, and have the option of a urine guard, which raises the overall height to 6" or 6.5" depending on which pan height you go with.

I do have a couple questions:

1. Has anyone purchased the urine guards, how have they worked for you, pros cons? overall satisfaction rating?
2. I've read you have to spray the pans with anti-rust and let it set. Feedback on this? What did you use to spray the pans with? how long did you let them sit to cure?
3. Personal pros cons of the bass pans themselves?

 

[LilCritter]

If you get the stainless steel ones, you do not have to treat it.

 

[OMR]

I use the cement mixing tub from Home Depot. Much cheaper than Bass Pans and much deeper too so it keeps the litter, poops...in and not on my floors

Way cheaper too! what size do you use?

 

[Felix]

^ I would also like to know what size as I'm gonna try switching soon hopefully but if they're as good as the bass pan then I definitely could use the cheaper option!!

 

[Gribouilli]

Home Depot cement mixing tub:http://m.homedepot.com/p/Plasgad-Black-Large-Concrete-Mixing-Tub-887102C/205451585

You just need to trim a little bit of their width. Here's a pic of one intact tub, and one that I trimmed:

 

[Felix]

How do you trim it? Cheers (seems like you're the one always helping me out lol!)

 

[artgecko]

I use the stainless steel bass pans and got them to make them an extra 1/2" tall. I love them. They are easy to clean and hold up well to everything the rats throw at them. You do still get some litter scattered, but using less litter helps. I only use about 1" of litter and don't get too much scattered out.

 

[Felix]

I use the stainless steel bass pans and got them to make them an extra 1/2" tall. I love them. They are easy to clean and hold up well to everything the rats throw at them. You do still get some litter scattered, but using less litter helps. I only use about 1" of litter and don't get too much scattered out.

What litter do you use?

 

[Felix]

Home Depot cement mixing tub:http://m.homedepot.com/p/Plasgad-Black-Large-Concrete-Mixing-Tub-887102C/205451585

You just need to trim a little bit of their width. Here's a pic of one intact tub, and one that I trimmed:

any update on how to trim them?

 

[catty-ratty]

I don't have one of those tubs, but I have cut heavy plastic stuff before. A sturdy utility knife would work, or maybe hardware scissors

 

[Felix]

Thanks forgive me, I'm gonna sound stupid but part of what I was confused about was what he was trimming because they look the same (like there's no sides missing on the trimmed one). Does he just mean trimming down the thickness?

 

[Fraido]

Thanks

forgive me, I'm gonna sound stupid but part of what I was confused about was what he was trimming because they look the same (like there's no sides missing on the trimmed one). Does he just mean trimming down the thickness?

I think I see where the bottom one is trimmed on the right side!

 

[Gribouilli]

Yes the second bass tub is trimmed, if you look at the holes you can see that it was trimmed on both sides Not much trimming is needed. I'll post a pic of what I used to trim them tomorrow as I'm not sure what it is called...it is basically a big sturdy scissor I got from Lowes. I first tried with a hand saw ($8 or so at Lowes) but wasn't as easy or well done than with that other tool I used.

 

[artgecko]

Felix- sorry, I didn't see your question until today. I use shredded aspen with a thin layer of wood horse stall pellets underneath to help absorb extra urine / moisture. Seems to work pretty well. I also give them newsprint and paper towels to shred if they want to build a nest.

 

[Felix]

It's all good mate, thank you for answering me

So I got the cement mixing bin today and cut it but I accidentally misread and cut the back lip too! It looks okay but will that still work okay? will they get cut on it somehow? also, it seems like there is space between the front of the bin and the doors (I have a single unit CN) except when I close that space is very tiny. Is that space OK or has anyone rats had a problem where they keep climbing out of the bin and going into that space? (again, it's very tiny, maybe even nonexistent when the doors are shut and I'm just worrying) And for anyone using the CN with these bins, what "notch" is your second floor on?

Final question (in this post , has anyone tried creating a wire thing for them to walk on so they're not actually walking around in the tub? Or is it good for them to walk around in the tub (If I had a wire floor on top of the bin I would lay some towels down so they had non-wire places to rest)

 

[Gribouilli]

It's all good mate, thank you for answering me So I got the cement mixing bin today and cut it but I accidentally misread and cut the back lip too! It looks okay but will that still work okay? will they get cut on it somehow? also, it seems like there is space between the front of the bin and the doors (I have a single unit CN) except when I close that space is very tiny. Is that space OK or has anyone rats had a problem where they keep climbing out of the bin and going into that space? (again, it's very tiny, maybe even nonexistent when the doors are shut and I'm just worrying) And for anyone using the CN with these bins, what "notch" is your second floor on? Final question (in this post , has anyone tried creating a wire thing for them to walk on so they're not actually walking around in the tub? Or is it good for them to walk around in the tub (If I had a wire floor on top of the bin I would lay some towels down so they had non-wire places to rest)

if it has rough edges, use sand paper to smooth them out. I had a dremel so I used that. If you cut too much they might chew at it or not, only time will tell. Better be cautious and sand out any sharp edges/cuts.

My rats never climbed out of the bin when the doors are closed. They can't do it because I cut just a tiny bit out of the smaller sides. When the doors are open they play in that space. Looks like a lot of fun for them. I don't mind it at all, and so far I didn't put anything on the wires.

 

[Felix]

thanks do you have a CN? I have the second floor on the highest notch now; does that sound right? the ramp wasn't going down all the way properly on any of the other notches...