For anyone who is interested in having an inexpensive, easy to make travel and holding cage, making a bin cage is super easy! You can make it as large as you would like depending on the available sized sterilite containers.
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What you will need:
- Plastic bin (preferably clear; bins with latching lids are best, unlike the one seen here. It is much more secure)
- 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth (galvanized is fine, vinyl covered is better)
- Zipties
- Duct tape of your preferred color/design
- Utility Knife
- Something to cut the wire and plastic with (I used aluminum/tin snips; power tools are much easier)
What to do:
- Start by measuring out how large you want the mesh holes on each side. For my 60qt container, my sides had holes 5.5 x 14 and the lid had 8x15 dimensions. Mark these holes or cut a paper template
- Cut your hardware cloth with 1/2" extra (or one square) on each side. Make sure you cut it so that you have the straight edge along each side, without the little wire pieces sticking out.
- Use the cut hardware cloth as a guide to make sure your hole in the bin is in the right place.
- Cutting the plastic is the hardest part. I used the tin snips to cut, but you can also use a power tool. Go slowly, as it is very easy to crack the plastic.
- Once your holes are cut out, make holes about 1/4" away from the edges every few inches or so, large enough to fit your zip ties through (this is how you will be securing the hardware cloth).
- Secure the hardware cloth with the zip ties to the outside of the cage; the square end of the zipties should be on the outside of the cage as well.
- Once secure, use duct tape to cover the hardware cloth from the edge of the hole (this gives some extra security and also covers any sharp spots on the hardware cloth you might scratch yourself on)
- Fill your travel cage with all your ratties favorite goodies!
This may not be the most conventional, and definitely not the easiest, way to make a bin cage, but for a college student with limited access to tools, this was the best I could do. Having power tools and other materials should make it way easier. This cage is not intended for long periods of time, just a way to transport rats to the vet or if you are going on a trip, or even when you are cleaning your cage if they arent free range.
What you will need:
- Plastic bin (preferably clear; bins with latching lids are best, unlike the one seen here. It is much more secure)
- 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth (galvanized is fine, vinyl covered is better)
- Zipties
- Duct tape of your preferred color/design
- Utility Knife
- Something to cut the wire and plastic with (I used aluminum/tin snips; power tools are much easier)
What to do:
- Start by measuring out how large you want the mesh holes on each side. For my 60qt container, my sides had holes 5.5 x 14 and the lid had 8x15 dimensions. Mark these holes or cut a paper template
- Cut your hardware cloth with 1/2" extra (or one square) on each side. Make sure you cut it so that you have the straight edge along each side, without the little wire pieces sticking out.
- Use the cut hardware cloth as a guide to make sure your hole in the bin is in the right place.
- Cutting the plastic is the hardest part. I used the tin snips to cut, but you can also use a power tool. Go slowly, as it is very easy to crack the plastic.
- Once your holes are cut out, make holes about 1/4" away from the edges every few inches or so, large enough to fit your zip ties through (this is how you will be securing the hardware cloth).
- Secure the hardware cloth with the zip ties to the outside of the cage; the square end of the zipties should be on the outside of the cage as well.
- Once secure, use duct tape to cover the hardware cloth from the edge of the hole (this gives some extra security and also covers any sharp spots on the hardware cloth you might scratch yourself on)
- Fill your travel cage with all your ratties favorite goodies!
This may not be the most conventional, and definitely not the easiest, way to make a bin cage, but for a college student with limited access to tools, this was the best I could do. Having power tools and other materials should make it way easier. This cage is not intended for long periods of time, just a way to transport rats to the vet or if you are going on a trip, or even when you are cleaning your cage if they arent free range.
