[Pixie]

I currently have a cage that IS big enough for my two baby girls... but I'm sure that in a few months when they're bigger that won't be the case. What's the best idea.

I'm a poor college student with little money to spend. Would it be cheaper to buy a huge cage for like $80, or should I instead try to build my own cage? Has anyone here built their own cage? How did you do it?

OR, are there cheap cages for sale anywhere?

Thanks for the help!

 

[hjkaga]

check ebay, you can usually find a good deal there. I have made smaller homemade cages, but nothing real large yet.

 

[JennieLove]

I have built my own 2 story add on cage...It was way cheap to build and was a fun project to do with my BF. However, building your own cage can be rough. After my BF and I were done we looked like we got in a fight with a lion or something LMAO. We were all scratched up and bleeding from were the cage had got us. But in all honesty, after having made a cage before, I think its better to just look around for a good "cheap" cage. Thats what I ended up doing after around 7 months of my own made cage. Not beacuse it was a bad cage or anything, just beacuse it was VERY hard to clean being so big (its was a topper for a 40-50 gal tank) Tanks are a pain to clean as well and I had always wanted a real cage, so I baught one and I'm very happy now and I'm sure my babies are aswell haha. But yeah...just keep an eye out, look at the adds in the newspaper for cages, go to garage sales, look on ebay like hjkaga said, they are everywhere. The cage I have is called a Marchioro cage. Its a very large cage (Best for older, bigger rats cuz young rats might fit through the bars) That cage cost me about $40 at Petco, and it has alot of room inside to setup from things for ratties (hammocks, tunnels...stuff like that)

 

[Pixie]

It's good to hear all that. After hearing your experience with building one and such, I think I'd be better off just finding one for sale. About how far apart should the bars be do you think?

I have built my own 2 story add on cage...It was way cheap to build and was a fun project to do with my BF. However, building your own cage can be rough. After my BF and I were done we looked like we got in a fight with a lion or something LMAO. We were all scratched up and bleeding from were the cage had got us. But in all honesty, after having made a cage before, I think its better to just look around for a good "cheap" cage. Thats what I ended up doing after around 7 months of my own made cage. Not beacuse it was a bad cage or anything, just beacuse it was VERY hard to clean being so big (its was a topper for a 40-50 gal tank) Tanks are a pain to clean as well and I had always wanted a real cage, so I baught one and I'm very happy now and I'm sure my babies are aswell haha. But yeah...just keep an eye out, look at the adds in the newspaper for cages, go to garage sales, look on ebay like hjkaga said, they are everywhere. The cage I have is called a Marchioro cage. Its a very large cage (Best for older, bigger rats cuz young rats might fit through the bars) That cage cost me about $40 at Petco, and it has alot of room inside to setup from things for ratties (hammocks, tunnels...stuff like that)

 

[JennieLove]

I think its half inch for youngin's and you can use an inch for older rats with no problem. Mine are a inch apart, but my babies are quite bigger than yours. I have seem people make additions their cages whos bars are too wide apart for their rats. Just look around, there are tons of ideas out there.

 

[Pixie]

Haha, on a side note... I know rats love to climb. I had the bottom door open last night to try and play with them. Oreo was poking her head out and usually I hold my hand under the door. That way, if they want to come out, it has to be on my hand (I want them to trust me and this is one of my tactics to get them used to being handled without completely forcing them).

Anyways, she was trying to find an alternative rather than going on my hand. So she climbed to the side onto the open door, and then scaled her way up to the top of the cage. It was hysterical. I'll have to try it again and try to get some video footage this time.

 

[JennieLove]

LMAO...Yeah When I first got Jay and Bob, Bob was fine climbing on my hand but Jay wanted nothing to do with it so he did the same that your did. Its crazy how smart the lil buggers are!