Luxury double tub rat cage. DUW 20+pics!

[truthsdeceit]

It was cleaning day today at the zoo...lol. And I thought I'd share pics of my super sweet luxury double tub set-up for my two male rats. This thing is a major work in progress, I'm always adding, changing, doing something to it. It started out as just one tub with wire-mesh added to the lid and had since gained.

--A hammock, wash towel held up with paper clips, works great!
--An open wire front, which I then mostly covered up and made the back since they threw shavings out and made a colossal mess. Don't ever mesh too close to the bottom of a tub it's a hassle to clean up after!
--Super tall food hopper for easy feeding.
--A second tub (60qt sterilite buckle up box same as the first)
--Connection tunnel (two tupperwares on end, lids glues together with a hole cut in them so they snap together and apart)
--One mesh side vent, then 3 more added whenever I had extra bits of mesh laying about, so they're all diff sizes and stuff.
--Flip top lids, added by making duct tape hinges mid lid.
--Ect..

They've been in this for over a year, not counting when their out visiting ladies. And I've had no chewing issues with the holes or the duct tape. I keep them too busy.

Now for the Pics! I may comment here or there but mostly I'm gonna number them, so if you have a question about how or why I did something you can refer to the pic#.

#1 the tunnel is hotglued on then taped for extra support, you couldn't tear these things off.


#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7 talk about cross ventalation.. you can see through all four walls of the tubs!


#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13 tunnel entrance/exit is lined with mesh to keep them from chewing.


#14 and how the tupperware tunnel works


#15 two lids glued together with a hole cut out.


#16 without the lid


#17 using a new lid to block the tunnel, good for cleaning or adding something to one tub while they chill in the other.


#18 went a little crazy with the soldering iron...lots of holes! lol


#19 old pic! this tub now had mesh vents on both sides see pic18


#20

#21 when the lids down it holds the top of the hopper on so they can't knock it off.

#22

#23

#24 and a look inside half the tunnel


That's it. Hope someone gets some tips/ideas from my mass amount of pictures.. Cheers

[truthsdeceit]

My mistake... my tubs are Iris buckle up boxes NOT sterelite. I don't even know if sterelite makes a buckle down lid. So yeah, it's Iris tubs!
Getting buckle down lids is very important if you're gonna make them hinged, because the hinge makes the lids not snap on properly and they could be pushed off, with buckles it's all okay.

[llovelace]

Nice Job

[Drew87]

Very cool man, looks like you take very good care of your rats

[truthsdeceit]

Nice Job

Very cool man, looks like you take very good care of your rats

Thanks guys! Yeah, they're spoiled little ba***rds, lol.

I originally got them so I could breed rats, I only needed one but they came as a pair when I adopted them from a rat enthusiast. She'd rescued them herself and had only had them like 2 weeks but in that time she handled them alot! So they are super tame, I mean super, lay on their back in your hand, beg like a dog tame. And so they are now spoiled pets since I don't breed rats too often (just enough to fill my freezer for 6 months then I adopt out my females) and can't bring myself to get rid of these guys. I've even taught them to come to kiss noises so that I can let them wander free in my apartment. They're so cute popping out from under the couch to say hello. lol.

Sorry for the long story. But I love my rats.

[truthsdeceit]

I like to share pics! can you tell....? lol.











I always watch them when they're out like this.

[littleindiangirl]

I had an idea for doing something like that a long time ago, but I ended up just spending the money on a big ol' cage!

I like the setup, very ingenious!

[truthsdeceit]

I had an idea for doing something like that a long time ago, but I ended up just spending the money on a big ol' cage!

I like the setup, very ingenious!

Thanks!... I actually didn't spend much on these. Just bought the tubs, I had one tub for the boys and one tub for my breeder females (when not in my maternity rack). When I gave away the females I added their tub to the boys.

The tunnel was tupperware I already had.
Other materials like left over mesh, paperclips, dishtowel, duct tape, ect... cost so little that I don't even count them. Esspecially since I usually have the stuff laying around for other uses.
Like I said, this thing is a major work in progress, not because it needs work, but because I'll be doing something and suddenly realize that this paper clip could be used for a hammock hanger, or some similar idea will hit me and I have to try it.

And I just really like tubs, easy acess, easy to clean, light weight, I can control the openings so they don't get the chance to throw out bedding, And fits on my shelf.

[wolfy-hound]

That's very cool! What spoiled ratties!