$7 remodelling!

[sarunia]

so i'm a student on a tiiiight budget, but i was hoping to give my rattie-babys a better cage. broke, i decided to purchase some dowel rods, fleece (i was using carefresh... yuck!), and a bit of glue. i managed to make a perch, thanks to hairties and ribbon, and put in some more little things....
i know the cage is a bit small, so don't flame; i'm working on saving up for something bigger but it might take a month or two :gaah: so hopefully this will work until then.
let me know what ya'll think and if you have any other ideas of cheap little things that might enhance the cage.

 

[twitch]

hamster ball tied to the side somewhere. you can often find them in flea markets, yard sales or used discount shops.

another way to make cheap and quick double purpose levels is dollar store dish clothes and towels (you could also use old clothes or bedding-ask around for it and you will be up to your ears in it in no time) and safety pins. you can fold them into pocket hammocks, corner hammocks or stretch tight for easy to clean and bouncy levels. cheap tunnels can be found in PVC pipe. if there is construction going on somewhere handy, hang out there for scraps. make sure you wash the heck out of it but free tube! bait bags are also great fun for them. take some cloth, string and treats. place treats in the middle of the cloth and bunch the cloth around the treats to make a bag. tir the string to the bag to close then tie the other end from the top of the cage. they will have fun trying to get the treats out and something tasty once they do.

also, keep your eye glued to the classifieds for cheap cages or come-and-gets. another great way to find free cages is taking a walk around (or a drive) come garbage day. it is amazing what people will just throw out. there is a post in the habitat section of this forum about "beni's retirement home", i saw that exact same cage, no damage all pieces intact in the garbage a few weeks ago near where i live. i didn't get it because its kinda heavy and i didn't need it, but it was just lying there for someone to take it. go out early though, there are a lot of other divers out there as well. i got my futon frame this way, went to a pawn shop and got the cushion for $10. in stores it would be nearly $100 and there is nothing wrong with it.

when money is tight you need to learn how to scrounge. but once you learn it, it is an valuable tool. not everything that is thrown away is trash.

 

[skinnyhippiechick]

Whereabouts are you located?

dl

 

[jorats]

Your sweeties seem to like their new level.
It's great that you are saving up for a bigger cage, in the meantime, lots of out time with these two ratties will be much needed.
I agree, keep your eyes on ads, you can get some really good finds that way.

 

[Dahlas]

Until you find a bigger cage, besides lots of out time, have different things to add to the cage every night. Tubes, cardboard boxes, crumbled up newspaper with treats inside, treat balls, paper bags, child’s sneaker or shoe, old socks......anything new to play with, chew on to keep them mentally stimulated....
Gather up a big box full and add one or two new things every night.......take out the old one and add the new one.

 

[sarunia]

@ skinnyhippychic.... i'm located in lexington, ky not too many rattie owners here, i'm afraid.
when i woke up this morning, they were sitting on their new level, fast asleep...and oh-so-cute!
i try to keep a towel or hankerchief in with them; they love to move it around and burrow in it, but i'll keep in mind your other suggestions!! thank you guys sooooooo much!! and i'm hoping that i can find something in the classifieds or something that has been dumped.
and don't worry, they get a lot of out time. whenever i'm at home, they're out and they love to play around my living room, which has lots of things to climb on but has been throughlly rat-proofed after slava's brush with the pit under the fire place :wallbang: after that, it got taped up but they still like to climb around on my piles of books and burrow under the "living room duvet" (an old comforter that got transported there in the winter and has never seemed to make it out!)
thanks so much, again for all of your suggestions :hugs:

 

[Vixxie]

My girls love the arms from old sweat shirts. Any old shirts around i cut the arm out of it and hang it in the cage or lay it on the floor for them to run in and out of. :thumbup:

 

[bellazrat]

I don’t know if they have a dollar tree where you live, but they actually have some fantastic things that can be used as rat toys. The one by my house has a whole isle for pets so I buy the little cat balls and plush toys with squeakers. Also they have these sponge holders made of net, with suction cups on the back, and my rat loves to lay around in that like a hammock. They have fleece nursing blankets that are perfect for the bottom of cages or DIY ratty renovation projects. Their cheapo (not so amazing for your bum but fabulous for your rat) toilet paper rats have a grate time with. Simply connect it to the wire cage with Velcro cable ties, that they also carry, and presto your rat will have hours of fun tarring little pieces off to nest in! This is the most rat friendly dollar store that I know of but I’m sure you can find awesome little rat toys at almost any dollar store with a little imagination.
I am 17 and I know what its like to have no money and still want to give your little friends the best play pen ever so I hope I helped! By the way can you tell this is how I did my rat pen? lol I got it out of the trash too! (Wow I’m cheap!) It was an old bookshelf but with a little wire we had lying around and some fiber glass it became a rat palace!

 

[SQ]

I have used cookie cooling racks cable tied onto the cage as shelves. I cut dollar store dish rain trays to fit and cable tie them onto the ciikie racks to make a solid floor.

 

[Kimmiekins]

@ skinnyhippychic.... i'm located in lexington, ky not too many rattie owners here, i'm afraid.

You'd be surprised! A good chunk of our adopters come from Lexington. :thumbup: