Okay, so as you all know, I am making my own cage. Now, Im debating whether I should use plastic mats or fabric to cover the wire they will be walking on. What are the pros and cons of both? I also dont know what I should use for the bottom of the cage. Does fabric hold smell well? How often do you wash it? The only thing I wouldnt like about the mats is that it doesnt absorb anything so I would constantly be wiping them down. What do you guys think?
Plastic mats and fabric
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fabric can get pretty gross, and I'd say (depending on how many rats you have) you should replace it 2-3 times a week.
plastic would be much easier to spot clean!
Some people use linoleum tiles, and I have not tried it yet but i'm planning on putting them in my cage today. I'll let you know how it goes
plastic would be much easier to spot clean!
Some people use linoleum tiles, and I have not tried it yet but i'm planning on putting them in my cage today. I'll let you know how it goes
you can train your rats to use the potty and i've found that a quick wipe with the baby cloth at the end of the day keeps everything fresh once they've got the hang of the potty. i saw what you were doing with the cage and if it was me i would rather go with the lino. the fabric will need to unattached and taken out to e cleaned every other day or so which can become quite a bit of laundry with a cage that size.
i would also recommend adding cross supports for at least the main level. the rats don't weigh a whole lot but once you add toys and you're in there wiping down the level or replacing the fabric it will need to be a bit sturdier. you don't want it drooping in the middle after a little bit of use.
and i would also take duc tape or the plastic binder clips to seal the edges of the opening to the main level so they don't get stratched. i know from personal experience that wire can get really sharp when cut and can be very difficult to file down.
finally my only other concern for that cage would be if the rats chew the pvc piping that they might be able to get inside the tubing and then get stuck. i know its been a lot of work and it looks really great but if there is a problem with it you may want to move the wire to the inside of the tubing so the rats can't chew it. hmmm... i hope you know what i mean because right now i can't think of a better way to describe it.
i would also recommend adding cross supports for at least the main level. the rats don't weigh a whole lot but once you add toys and you're in there wiping down the level or replacing the fabric it will need to be a bit sturdier. you don't want it drooping in the middle after a little bit of use.
and i would also take duc tape or the plastic binder clips to seal the edges of the opening to the main level so they don't get stratched. i know from personal experience that wire can get really sharp when cut and can be very difficult to file down.
finally my only other concern for that cage would be if the rats chew the pvc piping that they might be able to get inside the tubing and then get stuck. i know its been a lot of work and it looks really great but if there is a problem with it you may want to move the wire to the inside of the tubing so the rats can't chew it. hmmm... i hope you know what i mean because right now i can't think of a better way to describe it.
oh and to coat the wire so it doesn't rust there have been some people on here that have used appliance paint. i'm not sure if you can get a spray can of it but a few coats of that would work. i haven't read into the product however so am unsure of how safe it would be for the rats. but if they use it on the appliances that we use to cook and clean with i think it should be safe for the rats to.
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