# temporary measures - which is best?



## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## spoiled_rat (Mar 24, 2008)

The glass tank. They can't chew out of it.


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## Lil Miss (Dec 11, 2010)

neither

you could line the sides of the base with wire, melt holes through the base to cable tie it in posistion, and it should last you till you can afford to get a new cage.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## HazelandDan (Apr 22, 2012)

Do you have any large plastic storage boxes you could convert? You could add large meshed holes for ventilation and cut holes through to hang hammocks/bridges etc? 

I don't know if this is a great idea for rats... but it's serving as a good temporary gerbil house for me. 

Just it would be a larger space for them, I wouldn't keep 2 gerbils in a 2 ft tank, let alone 4 rats.


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## Guest (Dec 4, 2012)

I don't think any of the options are viable for any more than one night.

But why not get a metal tray now that one can fit? Why buy a whole new cage?

The reason they could chew the base is because the lip was exposed so they could demolish it pretty quickly (as you have learnt) but with a metal tray that won't be a problem


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## Guest (Dec 5, 2012)

Wobbles said:


> Um, I'm not sure if rats can live in bin cages? Their not in the glass tank, at least for tonight, I put them in the 2ft wire cage instead. At least I can hang their Sputnik in it and they can climb the bars. I intend to let them out as much as possible too whilst their in such a small space.
> 
> I know their not good options, but at 9 at night there really wasn't much I could do. Leaving them loose in the shed all night is out of the question, thy might not be so lucky if they chew the wires this time.
> 
> ...


Alaska is a hamster cage not even close to being suitable for 4 rats, the first cage is also too small for 4 rats.

A metal base will probably work out a similar price as a new cage suitable for 4 rats.

I've had girls eat out of a Jenny base before (caught them before the great escape), the bases aren't really good for chewers.
Do you rats have jingle balls, or any other toys apart from what is pictured in your cage?

Sounds like the girls are bored so looking for their own entertainment, you really need to get some hammocks and things for them, if you don't want to go out and pay for them then you can rip up old T Shirts and tie them to the bars, you can either keep them and wash them every few days or throw throw them out.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## Guest (Dec 5, 2012)

Yes that cage would be fine for 4 rats, but it would be cheaper to fix the cage you have. Now that you have hacked the cage you have greatly reduced the resale value, especially as it now doesn't have a base.

Yes jingle balls are the balls with bells in, my lot also get loads of kids toys, like teething rings and stuff like that. I also find switching toys regularly helps to stop boredom too.


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

Bet you wish you'd never hacked the cage now dont you! 

You see your girls have been used to a metal base and as you've just found out they are chewers! So any base that's plastic is going to be chewed in minutes. That means the Midwest critter nation us out the question as that's a shallow plastic base too.

You need to be looking at all metal cages!


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

I think you either need to get a metal tray made or get a base big enough that the cage can sit inside the base so they can't chew at the edges.


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2012)

Just thought I'd add that it will a good idea to get your girls a wheel, my girls are always running away.

Blade actually bought up a valid point about the critter nation, especially as this all started because the trays were too shallow.


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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

I do agree they're probably chewing from boredom.Mine have a plastic base and haven't touched it.I change all their toys and hammocks around every few days though to keep them on their toes.I tried a wheel but they weren't interested in it so have taken it out for now but will try again and see if they take to it.I do have proper hammocks but I also add in tea towel hammocks (from poundland) and old t shirt hammocks, climbing ropes made out of old pairs of tights(the thick kinds), fleece scarves..rats love to snuggle in anything soft.
If you do get a new cage I would recommend either an all metal one, or to get one where the bars go right down into the bottom of the base, not sit on the edge of a lip.They're less likely to chew that way.
Whatever you decide you'll have to do it quickly as they really can't stay in a hamster cage for more than a few days. ECF have a sale on plus 25% of everything at the moment. You might find something on there.

Incidentally if you're looking for cages in the 40 pound price range, you won't find one for rats unless you look on ebay/gumtree. Cheapest I've seen for a semi decent rat cage is 89.99.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## Guest (Dec 5, 2012)

Clip the doors shut, get them some more toys and a wheel and hammocks and then get a metal base. Seriously if they have things to do they won't be looking to escape 
All that will still come to less than a new cage.

To be fair the only real reason you needed it to fit in a certain space is because you decided to get more animals so maybe consider what you have before getting more next time


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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

On ECF you can actually pick up the mamble 100cm long rat cage for £40-£45 and a few FR members own one and the set ups looking amazing it can also hold up to 6 rats so the calculator says. But the base is plastic so it won't be any good for Laura.


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

blade100 said:


> On ECF you can actually pick up the mamble 100cm long rat cage for £40-£45 and a few FR members own one and the set ups looking amazing it can also hold up to 6 rats so the calculator says. But the base is plastic so it won't be any good for Laura.


Oh OK,I'm hopeless at translating measurements to actual cage sizes(I was so shocked by both the Alaska when I got it and by the cavia hotel).Maybe she could mesh the base sides somehow so they can't get to them to chew the sides of the plastic?


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

That's why you'd need to measure up the current cage to get the metal base to fit! Measure up that way you'll know and you can pass on the size to John hopewell.


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2012)

How will a made to measure tray not fit unless you get the measurements wrong 

If you want to get a new cage then by all means go ahead but it seems a huge waste of money to me.


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## sully (May 3, 2008)

I might be talking a load of rubbish and i tried to see from your hacked cage picture and it looks like the plastic base is just slid through an oblong gap with a peice of wood fixed onto bars? Have you any rabbit wire that you could fix over the whole bar side where the plastic container slides into and tie with metal all the way round so they cant get through the oblong gap? You would then have side/s of rabbit wire or isnt that feasable not to have an enclosed base, just until you get another cage or base?If that makes any sense?

Have you looked on ebay, got some nice rat/parrot cages on there?


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## Guest (Dec 5, 2012)

I fail to see how the metal tray will be a "cheap" fix, cheaper than getting a new cage granted but if you measure the gap correctly then the tray will slot right in.
The reason they could chew through so quickly is because the lip of the base was accessible (normally the cage bars would help protect the edge) so with a correctly fitting metal tray they will no longer be able to get out, you don't waste an entire cage and your shed is safe from chewing.

As I mentioned before if you really want a new cage don't let me stop you, I just don't like wasting things. Guess that is the Cornish in me :lol:


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## Maltey (Nov 29, 2011)

But if you get a tray made for the Critter Nation how do you know it will fit for that? It's the same thing just a different cage.
I think honestly your best bet is getting a dog crate base and sitting the cage (whichever that might be) inside it or getting the Mamble cage and using it properly.
I have an Aventura and I don't think it would work for your shed:
a) the trays slide out to clean it which doubles the depth of the cage. I find it difficult to get room to clean it out in my living room and definitely could not clean it out in the whole of my 6x4 shed, let alone in just the rat section
b) I'm not sure you can make one half only and if you can I'm more sure (though not 100% so free to be corrected) that you can't make it without the stand
c) you'd be paying money for a whole cage and only using half which seems like a huge waste to me.(and I'm not even Cornish!)
d) when you pull the trays out there's a huge gap so they would need to be kept elsewhere every time you clean them out
e) the trays are shallow- you definitely cannot, CANNOT use loose substrate in them if you don't want to hoover 3 times a day. Sometime even that's not enough so you would have to use fleece. You can't get a tray made for this cage because only one door opens so the tray will not fit in. You can't slide a new tray in because the tray is the width of the gap and you can't make the gap bigger because that's where the door is.

I don't have an X-trail but I believe it's essentially the same so I assume the pitfalls would be the same.

Rats find it difficult to chew against a flat surface of plastic. Even my major escapees have never chewed their way out of a cage when it's fitted to the manufacturer's directions. If you got the marble + a wheel + some toys that would cost much less and be much more beneficial to the rats. Especially since ECF have a 25% off sale on


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## sully (May 3, 2008)

Wobbles said:


> I really don't think they'll get out tonight though. I've put clips on the side door of the cage and a heavy box of food on top of it. They haven't either actually been stuck in the little cage up to now, as they were obviously loose last night, and I've had them out today.


Having visions of the heavy box of food contents bitten through and food everywhere?


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

I thought you said you'd chucked the old metal base?


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

Can't your brother just put the cage back to how it was?If he managed to cut and solder the original one why can't he do the same and reverse the changes?Except then it won't fit because of your shiny new hamster cages


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## sully (May 3, 2008)

How are you getting on Wobbles?


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## blade100 (Aug 24, 2009)

So are the 4 in the glass tank? I thought it was only going to be for a few days not another week. And remember it may not come in time before Xmas what with Xmas deliveries so they could end up in the tank till January! 
Can you not look around your local pet shops?


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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

They're in the hamster cage I think she said.


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

what are they in now? 

Dont you think a new cage shouldve come before buying more animals this side of xmas? It must have cost a bit to have those hammy couriered down to you, couldnt that money have been better spent on getting the already exsisting animals a better cage?


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## salemsparklys (Jul 26, 2012)

LostGirl said:


> what are they in now?
> 
> Dont you think a new cage shouldve come before buying more animals this side of xmas? It must have cost a bit to have those hammy couriered down to you, couldnt that money have been better spent on getting the already exsisting animals a better cage?


Think the hammys have been coming for a few weeks now so might have been pre paid


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## polishrose (Oct 26, 2011)

salemsparklys said:


> Think the hammys have been coming for a few weeks now so might have been pre paid


Yes but the hamsters are the reason she needed/wanted to hack the original cage so that she could fit the hams in. Perhaps it would have been wiser to see if the cage worked before paying for the hammies.Seems very much an "I want" mentality with no thought for the pets already there.


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## salemsparklys (Jul 26, 2012)

polishrose said:


> Yes but the hamsters are the reason she needed/wanted to hack the original cage so that she could fit the hams in. Perhaps it would have been wiser to see if the cage worked before paying for the hammies.Seems very much an "I want" mentality with no thought for the pets already there.


No I agree with you, it would have been the smart thing to do first. I would love to get a few hammies, but I have no space for any more small furries of my own and it would mean taking the space away from a rescue so I dont have any


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## sully (May 3, 2008)

Wobbles said:


> So for now, my brother is going to tie a strip of wire mesh right across the gap to stop them being able to get out,


Thats what i said to do Have you looked on ebay, and how big is the cn, single or double height?


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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## sully (May 3, 2008)

Picture? Good luck!


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## Wobbles (Jun 2, 2011)

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