CN pictures...show 'em off!

RattieTaffy · Mar 5, 2015

The cage all set up for when I get my girls! Wont be for another week but I couldnt resist.
I dont have shower hooks yet so I just used some spare unused shoelaces I've had lying around for years lol
Simple for now. Still have to buy food, litter and water bottle this weekend (so yeah thats why there is no water bottle in the picture)

BlueSkyy · Mar 6, 2015

I like how you put the ramp sideways like that! I may have to try that tonight!

dspch911 · Mar 6, 2015

RattieTaffy said:
The cage all set up for when I get my girls! Wont be for another week but I couldnt resist.
I dont have shower hooks yet so I just used some spare unused shoelaces I've had lying around for years lol
Simple for now. Still have to buy food, litter and water bottle this weekend (so yeah thats why there is no water bottle in the picture)

Put in 2 water bottles in case one malfunctions and that happens more often then I like with my boys. If your in the states Home Depot has the shower curtain hooks for around $1.50 and they cannot chew those like shoelace strings. Looks good though.

SQ · Mar 6, 2015

also use a water dish that can not be upset .... this is very important, especially for young rats that may not have tongues strong enough to move the ball bearing in a water bottle, even although it looks like they are drinking

looking good

RattieTaffy · Mar 6, 2015

I just wanted to hang up the hammocks right away so I used some shoelaces lol But yeah I plan to get shower curtain hooks this weekend. I think my dad has to go to Home Depot anyways so I'll make sure when we go to get shower curtain hooks there

I also plan to get one big water bottle and use a water bowl so if the bottle malfunctions or something there will still be a water dish. (That I will frequently change out with fresh water)

My dad won $500 off a $5 lottery ticket so I can probably convince him to let me get a few extra things for the cage lol

SQ · Mar 6, 2015

Oh, and don't forget a solid 12 inch diameter wheel (like a silent spinner, or wobust wodent wheel, etc)

dspch911 · Mar 6, 2015

SQ said:
Oh, and don't forget a solid 12 inch diameter wheel (like a silent spinner, or wobust wodent wheel, etc)

Absolutely a must, even if they don't use it - it makes a great sleeping area.. :rofl3: And you can put in cut of fleece pieces..

RattieTaffy · Mar 6, 2015

Well I cant really afford a $30 wheel right now lol
Maybe in the future though lol

RatPack · Mar 7, 2015

Right now Dr. foster and smith has them for 19.49

I am thinking of buying one for our new boys cage..Hopefully they will use it.

RattieTaffy · Mar 7, 2015

But plus shipping its close to $30 lol
My local petstore has them for $27 so its really the same price.

Also, updated my cage with a water bottle and a tube (and shower hooks). Had to get the tube for playtime. It was 30% too

Gonna use that GoT book set box until they get a bit bigger and I can buy a nice wooden house for them.

dspch911 · Mar 8, 2015

If you put a wooden house in the cage it will smell like pee in no time and you will have to throw it away. Stay away from wood. Those bins under the cage are very pretty so I'll warn you - those too will be full of poop and pee. Our darlings are messy - they kick and toss out poop and spray pee... even the girls! Your better off with plastic containers w/lids that you can wipe off with baby wipes. You'll learn, but your cage is looking even better. My hubby took a tube like that and put the hooks through it hanging it from top to bottom.

RattieTaffy · Mar 8, 2015

dspch911 said:
If you put a wooden house in the cage it will smell like pee in no time and you will have to throw it away. Stay away from wood. Those bins under the cage are very pretty so I'll warn you - those too will be full of poop and pee. Our darlings are messy - they kick and toss out poop and spray pee... even the girls! Your better off with plastic containers w/lids that you can wipe off with baby wipes. You'll learn, but your cage is looking even better. My hubby took a tube like that and put the hooks through it hanging it from top to bottom.

Its all I got for now haha
The girls are quite small. They havent even tried to go up the ramp and they havent gone on top of the house.

Is there a way to make the fleece absorbant? Should I put towel underneath it? Water drips occasionally from the bottle and it just sits on the fleece. Doesnt absorb or anything

dspch911 · Mar 8, 2015

I have used towels under mine, but don't anymore. Have to be careful with the strings. The bottle shouldn't be dripping that much - make sure the washer inside is pushed down all the way. Where are pictures of your babies?

dspch911 · Mar 8, 2015

Geriatric cage design for Axe and Peanut, they have the top of a DCN, Wally has the bottom.

Geriatric/HED cage design for Jack and Lovee, they have the top of a DCN, Stewart has the bottom.

Yoda, Sneezer, Newton, Streaker, and Birney's DCN (needs more hammocks on the bottom - I'll get on that)

Clark, Hawk, Hank, Torres, and Weston's DCN (only the top - daddy was blocking the bottom)

RatPack · Mar 9, 2015

Spoiled babies

KatTheHippie · Apr 28, 2015

I love Critter Nations. There are so many ways to set them up, and rearrange them. This set up is one of my favorites though, and my boy's love it! Since they don't get as much out time as they're used to right now, and the top half of the DCN is folded up because we're staying with my boyfriend's parents for right now, I move everything around every cage clean to keep them entertained

Sheldon · May 3, 2015

Love it!!!!!!!!

KatTheHippie · May 4, 2015

I finally got the top half of the DCN put up. It's so much better now, and I decided against putting in the middle floor so it would seem less like 2 separate cages, and the boys have more levels to climb around on. Little Bowie is going crazy right now, running all over the cage!

RatPack · May 7, 2015

That cage is pretty awesome haha

KatTheHippie · Jun 9, 2015

My boys! Here's their current cage set up

I'm super proud of this one. I've been making a lot of stuff for them lately, sewed a whole bunch of new liners, put up some small shelves, stained the big wooden ladder with food coloring, and made the little green ladder from wooden dowels and scrap fleece, it was also stained with food coloring. I'm looking into some other projects I'm excited about

I'm considering opening an etsy shop for the things I make. Mostly shelves, ladders, maybe bedding since I hand make my own safe paper based bedding, and other cage accessories since there are SO many shops out there selling hammocks and liners.