RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:02 pm

Hi all ...

I was just looking for a used cage on craig's list and came across a very cheap cage that would hold 4 rats, which I need. The problem is ... there are several spots on the cage that are rusted, and I wasnt sure if you could just rub those off with sandpaper or not. Can you do that? Or is that bad?

Secondly, it's a wire cage with a wire bottom ... and .. THATS IT! Lol, nothing to hold or catch the bedding. Im not sure exactly how to go abt fixing this ... do any of you have any ideas on what to do abt that? I just dont know if it would be worth it or if I should keep looking, its very cheap.

Thanks so much in advance!

Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:06 pm

here's a picture, I forgot to post:

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Thu Jan 19, 2006 10:35 pm

I don't know about the rust spots,
but looking at the picture is strikes me that it wouldn't be to hard to construct a base, or build a tray that you could either keep inside the cage at the bottom, or place the cage in. Get some plexy-glass or something and make a base with 4 sides. Shouldn't be too hard. You could even do it with sheet metal (carefully). If you are, or have someone handy, I 'm sure it's wouldn't be too hard, or very expensice to rig something up.

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Loving Mum to my rattie boys, Zipper and Ty
Bestest Bud to Milly, the greatest horse ever

Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:02 am

Getting rust off isn't the hardest thing it the world, but it can be among the most frustrating. Get a good, industrial-strength cleaner like CLR and scrub the balls out of the rust spots, then see if Home Depot/Lowe's/Whatever has some kind of sealant that specifically says "safe for animals" to coat the rust spots up--or see if a local powder-coating company can just re-coat the entire cage for you.

As for the wire bottom, I'd honestly just cut the thing out. Rats can't be running across a wire floor--they need to be able to get off of it. Alternatively, you could easily make a base for it by measuring the sides, going to (insert your favorite bargain-basement department store here), and picking up a Rubbermaid/Sterilite bin that's wider than the cage to use as a base, then just fill that up with bedding and bury the wire floor in it.

It looks like a good cage, but if you can hold out until a Martin's pops up on Craigslist (they do, you just have to read the description carefully, because most people don't put "Martin's" in there), I'd suggest doing that.

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-Ben
My rats: Squishy, Squee, and Nibbler
My dogs (at my mother's house): Lucy and Ricky
My cats (at my dad's house--in Florida!): Cleo (RIP) and Zima

Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:27 am

I vote for a plastic storage container.

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~~Dawn~~

Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:10 pm

HMMM .. yeah I definitely have time to wait, since my boys n girls wont be ready to come home to me for at least another month & 1/2 or 2 (some arent even born yet! Mr. Green

)

But after all the looking Ive done, I havent seen any deals quite as good as this (the cage is only $25 and it holds 4 rats). Usually I see some pretty expensive ones. Im just ... so EXCITED abt my breeder rats (my first breeders!) that I want everything to be all ready and perfect when they get here Kiss

U guys have given me some great ideas, thanks so much!

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Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:51 pm

They make these sanding stones you can buy at Menards or other home stores.
They are called QuikSand http://www.goearthstone.com/quik_sand.asp
They would work really good on this and then you could repaint the spots.
Plus I know you will put some fabric or something over those areas to prevent more urine
damage....
Personally....if I could get that cage for $25 bucks I would do it!

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~~Dawn~~