NOTE:  Because the spacing on the exterior wire is 1"x1", this cage may not be suitable for very small or young rats. It's possible they can escape through the wire. (I do have a petite female in this cage however, and have had no problems) This cage is also suitable for older rats. Unlike some other cages, the ramps have a shallow incline, and there are no large heights for a rat to fall from. (Loss of hind end mobility is common on older male rats).

Supplies Needed:

* 1/2"x1/2" hardware mesh, preferably coated
* 1"x1" hardware mesh, preferably coated
* wire cutters
* LOTS of zip ties.
* Some sort of pan. May be easiet to order one from Martin's Cages
* 6 door latches
* plastic door liners - optional, but suggested
* gloves - optional

First, you need to figure out the pieces of wire you'll need, what the sizes are... The 1"x1" wire was used for the outer pieces of the cage (top, sides, front, back, and doors), while the 1/2"x1/2" wire was used for shelves and ramps. I purchased a 36" wide roll of 1"x1" 12.5ga coated wire (this is VERY thick, and may be hard to cut. I would suggest 14ga or 16ga wire if available), and a 24" wide roll of 1/2"x1/2" 16ga coated wire. These can both be ordered by the foot through Klubertanz.

    2 - 36"x36" (front and back panels)
    2 - 24"x36" (left, right, and top panels)
    2 - 24"x36" (two full size shelves)
    1 - 12"x24" (top shelf)
    4 - 5"x15" (ramps)
    1 - 5"x10" (ledge for bottom ramp)
    1 - 11"x20" (top door - 20" wide, 11" tall)
    1 - 8"x24" (middle door - 24" wide, 8" tall)
    1 - 10"x24" (bottom door - 24" wide, 10" tall)

Keep in mind when you cut the pieces out, there will be waste with each cut! For the 1"x1" wire, there will be 1" of waste for every cut, and for the1/2"x1/2" wire, there will be 1/2" of waste for every cut. Be sure to add this in to the total length you need when buying the wire.

You may notice that the wire won't roll completly flat when you unbend it. It makes things slightly more difficult while building the cage, but will become nice and straight once the entire thing is together. It's also easier if you unbend each piece after it is all cut, instead of trying to flatten entire rolls at a time.

Once the pieces are all cut, and somewhat flat, you will need to attach the left, back, and right sides. It's easiest to just lay it out on the floor, and attach it that way. I used zip ties, which are a lot easier if you make a mistake. If you have chewers, you may wan't to add c-rings once the cage is assembled correctly. Basically, just lay the pieces together, and "tie" them together with the ties. After the 3 sides (do NOT attach the front panel yet) are attached, you can add the top, which will help sturdy the cage. (I've found it easier to assemble the shelves when the cage is standing, rather than laying flat).

Your next step is to attach the shelves to the cage. With the full shelves you will also want to make sure to cut the hole where the ramp attaches. I made the hole 5" deep, and 10" long. Both shelves have the "ramp hole" starting at 10" from the left side. Shelf locations are listed below, from bottom of cage to top:

    Lowest parti-shelf (the ledge for bottom ramps): 7" from bottom of cage, right hand side.
    Lowest full shelf: 14" from bottom of cage
    Second full shelf: 22" from bottom (8" from bottom full shelf)
    Top parti-shelf: 7" below top of cage, left hand side

Once the shelves are in, next comes the ramps. If you cut the holes in the full shelves as specified above, there should be approx. 3" of overhang from the end of the hole, to the bottom of the ramp. For the bottom two ramps, one ramp goes from the hole in the bottom shelf, to the 5"x10" ledge. This should line up exactly, with no overhang. The next ramp connects the ledge, and sits on the bottom of the cage. Attach it on the right side of the ledge, flush against the cage wall.

All you have to do now is finish the front panel, then attach it. The bottom doorway should be 4" up from the bottom, and 7" from the left. The hole should be 22" wide by 8" tall. The middle doorway should be 22"x6", starting at 15" from the bottom, and 7" in from the left. The top doorway should be 18"x9", starting at 13" from the left, and 2" from the top.

After these holes are cut you can attach the doors next, or attach the panel to the cage. Doesn't really matter what step you do first. When you attach the doors to the panel, you want to attach it so there is 1" of door overhanging on each side. As far as attaching the door latches, there is no set measurement as far as location goes. I just attached them so the hook attaches 1" over from the edge of the door, and no more than a couple inches in from the top/bottom of the door.

Next step? Attach more zip ties where it seems a bit unsteady, make sure the doors latch properly, and the wire isn't bent in a way which would allow rats to escape. Then, just add toys and rats!  According to the Rat Cage Calculator, this cage can hold 9 rats.

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