DEGU CAGE FINALLY DONE (lots of pics)

[Neo]

alright so first we start w/ supplies and an outline on the computer:
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812supplies.JPG

now for some rather unconventional sawing methods performed by me in my pajamas...
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812sawing.JPG

nailing a wooden frame together:
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812frame.JPG

adding some wire to that frame:
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812framewire.JPG

adding two doors. the bottom one is for easy cleaning and keeping litter in when its closed. the top one is for regular use:

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812framedoor.JPG http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812framedooropen.JPG

starting the wiring frame for the top two floors. This is where it gets tricky and bloody.. wire is sharp!
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812topwire.JPG

finished product (sry bout the lighting!)
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812cageright.JPG http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812cageleft.JPG

and of course one of the 2 degus I put in there (pics of the other are still developing) This one's name is Sadie (pronunced saydee) the other (not pictured) is zoey. They're soo great. well worth the 2 months of building
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/2812sadieball.JPG

[sapphire_moon]

Hey you could market those! For rats and ferrets (pet rats need amazing amount of space, 2cubic ft per rat!) I know we could use one for our rats, especially when we get really different colored ones...lol

Nice cage, I hope he don't chew through the wood!

[Neo]

thx this cage is 40x60x100 cm LWH. and the wire lines the inside of the cage so the degus cant get to the wood :) total cost: about 70 USD. sure beats $150-$299 at the pet store. as for marketing eh heh heh... if neone really wanted to buy from ME.. that's up to them :D my cage has a lot of flaws.. cracked wood and stuff.. and i have to saw things manually so it's crooked and stuff. It'll hold but it may not look good. If buyers can put up w/ that I'd be happy to build for them.. but shipping is a problem.

[Linds]

Those are going to be some pretty happy degus! :D Did you (100%) waterpoof the wood? Rodents do a number with their feces/urine on wood in a very short time. Once the smell gets in, it doesn't come out :eek:

[sapphire_moon]

if not what a lot of people use is the stick on tile stuff.......lol. Umm lynoleum???? I know thats not how you spell it, but I think you'll know what I mean.

[Neo]

for the very first floor i used melamine and bedding. so urine shouldnt be a problem there. the top 2 floors are a really hard form of cardboard w/ some sorta top that doesnt look permeable but... i really wasnt expecting them to pee there cause the care sheets i read said they'd go to the bathroom in bedding... but now it's apparent they go whereever they please and i think it'll soak through but.. as far as i can tell they dont smell at all

[Dark_Angel_25]

what did you use to keep the wire top portion of the cage together? twist ties? I can't tell from the pic it is too small...

[Neo]

ok well my parents got on my case about vacuuming everyday cause there's like a hundred pieces of poop kicked out daily so I just built duct tape sheilds around the top floors and added bedding to each floor now.. smell shouldnt worsen this way too.

for wiring there was left over wire from the packaging of the mesh so I drilled holes ever so often in the cardboard floors and put wire through it to tie the board to the sides w/ pliers which is actually very strong for support if you do it in good intervals. And wire to wire connection is mostly tying the wire together.. not too safe w/ the sharp edges still sticking out but i covered them up now.

Also the top 2 floors aren't connected to the base except through a ladder tied to the side of the base but rests on the second floor. So you slide the top to the right and it should come off for cleaning or w/e.

[sleddergirl]

We had a litter of 9 degus born at my store just before New Years. I will be bringing one home soon, one of the other babies pulled his eye out so he is now the one eyed degu. I named him Pirate......lol.

[Neo]

wow congratulations! good luck w/ your lil pirate :P