Goosemoose Pet Portal

Ok, well the first night went well no escapees. Second night two of our girls got out. 3rd night my nubby girl decided she should come visit me in bed and give me snuggles 3 times before I put her in another cage. So, tonight the modification began. They chewed right through screening so back to the hardware store I went for the green pvc coated hardware mesh (1/2"x1/2"). I picked up a cheapie pair of wire cutters (like $12) and 6 rolls of the hardware mesh (I think I'll only need 5 though). So, about $60 bucks later out I walked and home I went. I also got 200 of the heavy duty 7" black zip ties, and about 100 of the tiny (for computer parts and such) zip ties. For those of you who have ordered your FN's and want to have the hardware cloth cut and ready for when your FN arrives (like I did but didn't have the correct measurements to prepare) here are the measurements you'll need and amounts.

Measurements are taken from the INSIDE of the doors and harware cloth was assembled that way as well. I did the front, back, sides, and top. I did not do the bottom as the bottom pan covers it and my girls don't move the pan. If you feel the need to than you would just make 2 pieces the size of the tops.

(4) Doors= 16" x 21"
(4) Sides= 21 1/2" x 22 1/2"
(2) Backs= 34 1/2" x 22 1/2"
(1) Top= 34 1/2" x 221/2"

Notes: The hardware cloth tends to roll since it comes in a roll. Flip it "backwards" while attaching it to the cage. You can also bend it backwards to keep it straight. It helps to have 2 people working on it. One to hold it in place and one to zip tie. It took about an hour or so to do just the top part of the cage. It's fairly easy though once you find your groove. I hope this helps somebody!

 :BlueDumboSmile:

Here's the top of the cage:
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/505470254_7ac576acac.jpg?v=0)

And the side of the cage:
(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/505470262_cf3c50c62c.jpg?v=0)

excellent thread!! I've always wondered how others modified their FNs (though I'm still hoping Midwest comes out w/ a "rat nation"). so, did you only end up using 5 rolls?

Yes, we only ended up using 5 rolls. We used the 2ftx3ft rolls. they also make a 3ftx5ft roll bt i figured there would be too much cutting and alot more waste that way. I totally missed they were coming out with a rat nation before buying the FN. Oh well, i don't mind the modification. :)

Good job! I'm thinking of maybe doing that until my little Ness is bigger. She hasn't come out yet but I know she could if she really wanted to.

Thanks for posting the measurements - I need to modify mine too!

Wouldn't the hardware cloth get slightly less dirty if it was attached to the outside of the cage, and also be easier to scrub that way?

I'm just curious on your logic for putting it in the inside.  :)

I attached mine on the inside as well. At the time I did mine I figured I had seen enough cages with wire attached on the OUTSIDE and they look cheap/tacky. The wire attached on the inside looks much nicer. You still get the look of the general cage, but with added security. I figure I have to replace the wire about once a year (it chips/rusts in places)...but no biggie in my opinion.

 Thanks for the measurements. I still have to do my boys cage and I do not really want to measure it all out again Hahahaha

-Melina

It might be easier to clean on the outside, but i've found (at least with my cages) the sides really don't get THAT dirt and don't really require anything more than a wipe down everynow and then. I also know if it's on the inside than the ratties can't get stuck between the fn bars and the harware cloth, oh and it looks alot nicer as well.  :rattysmiley:

you're welcome! Figured it would help somebody out! I know that I wanted to have everything ready and good to go by the time I got my fn but had trouble finding measurements, so thought this would help some other eager beaver like myself out.  :BlueDumboSmile:

Bump for NatalieB  :thumbsup2: :BlueDumboSmile:

LOL, thanks!  I just went looking for it, too!

I'm taking notes... and will hit the hardware store tomorrow.   :thumbsup2:

I've been looking for black zip ties, and have had a hard time finding them.  Today I found them at Harbor Freight, and they're on sale for $3.99 for 100.

Can someone possibly get me the measurement for the inside of the base floor pans? :)

I bought some auto floormat carpet stuff today, I am going to try to cut that to fit inside the pans.

We got our FN in october and was fine with our current 4 girls.  But in Feb or march we adopted 3 little girls and chose to modify the top of the FN only for these three and not even introduce them to the older 4 as we have an senior rat that was VERY territorial and chose not to introduce anymore to her.

We also chose to put the green pvc coated hardware cloth on it.  We put ours on the inside mostly for the safety issue...i had bad visions in my mind of one of the little ones managing to get stuck between the FN bars and the hardware cloth. 

And for a bonus i thought the look was really good with it in the inside.  I did attach mine slightly different but still with zip ties.  i did not go over the door frame itself.

I think it is imperative to use a 2nd person especially for the tops...those were a B****.
I started with the doors and got the hang of it before attempting the top and sides of the cage. 

I think that I will probably end up modifying the enitre cage at a later date if necessary.

I did the same thing. Coated hardware cloth, 1/2X1/2" black zip ties.
:)
It was a bit hard but it got done.
The only thing I didnt like is that my ratties are exceptionally dirty..then had junk caked in between the edges of the wire EVERYWHERE! I ended up removing the cloth and cleaning the whole cage and wire sheets individually. I then attempted to cover it with screen..yeah..that was WAY too hard and was not working so I put the mesh back on again.

Good thing is that it is easy to cut the zip ties and remove the sheets of cloth to clean underneath. :)

munkeesmama thank you for the great idea as I have been torn on getting a third FN for my babies but was trying to dream up some ideas. Looks great what you did.  :)

I wanted to bump this thread up as it has important information people will benefit from.

thank you so much for this awesome thread. it helped me sooo much!!!

This tutorial is superb, and has given me the confidence to go ahead and modify half of my FN so the "big girls" (especially my very dominant female Jamie) can sniff the "baby girls" for a while before they finally live together.

Given just how useful this article is, and how many of us are using FNs to house females and babies, is there any chance of getting the thread (or at least the relevant posts) stickied? People have been really good about bumping it, but maybe that's a sign it needs a permanent place above so they don't have to.

This is a super great idea.  I have all giant boys now, who have no chance in heck of getting out, but after they pass, I'll surely have some babies to keep in.  Or, I could just buy a whole new RN.  Hee hee.

When I called them about the Rat nation they said that it was NOT coming out this year and may not ever come out. I called them about 2 weeks ago.  :icon_scratch:

Wish I had seen this thread before I modified! But I made out alright in the end  :rattysmiley: For the life of me I could NOT find coated hardware cloth.  :-\ I ended up buying galvanized because I was eager to get it modded. (Having a set-up FN sitting empty in your house for more than 24 hours doesn't feel right! lol). I bought the 4" electrical ties that come in packs of 100. I used both packs up  ::)

I attached the wire to the outside of the doors, mainly because I'm paranoid that the babies will somehow poke themselves on the trimmed edges. I'd rather poke myself (and did many times while cutting). I prefer the FN without wire, but for those of us who own small females (or those escape-artists), and/or babies, the modification is needed.

(Ignore the messy bedding, I have no fleece yet!)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/Spatx/FN/DSCF2600.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y27/Spatx/FN/DSCF2031.jpg)

Thanks so much for the great cutting measurements!  It made it so nice to just be able start cutting everything out,  :bow:

Your welcome!  :thumbsup2:

 :bow:I also want to thank you...It gives me a chance to get started while I wait for the FN to arrive! :doh:

Okay so, I'm gonna go ahead and mod my FN when I get it. However, I'd rather use black hardware cloth and keep it on permanently since I'll be getting new little ones as the years go on. Now, the site I'd be ordering off of has rolls of 48" x 10'. So I'm guessing I'll only need one roll which is $75. But will I be able to get the dimensions right? I mean, will they be the same? I know I'll have a ton of extra but I don't mind.

OK I have been to lowes and Home depot. WHERE WHERE WERE DO YOU FIND THE GREEN MESH. I've had one girl escape after 3 hours of cleaning and setting it up (should have known better) and I just wanna buy it and get it ove with *cry*

Maybe ACE Hardware?

One place I haven't tried because its not open on my day off (sunday) or today (independence day) but I'll see if I can get up there since I'm off saturday :)

You did go to the outdoor gardening department (at Home Depot anyway), right?  I went there the other day and looked at all types of screening and fencing in the indoor "building" section, but couldn't find the right stuff.  I went back again and went to the outdoors part, and there are a bunch of different kinds of green mesh available.  I'm pretty sure most Home Depots are pretty consistent as far as stocking goes, but maybe not...?

TO be honest I couldn't even find and green mesh in the Home depot. I looked outside but I got fed up and left. The only stuff I can find is the 2"x3" and that just won't work. I think I may have found some at Ace, but 40.00 is a little high. I might have found some red on e-bay, but it only comes in 100 ft and I'm sure the shipping is outrageous.

Ace does have free shipping to the store, but I'll double check to see if they have any there before I do that. I want to physically SEE it before I buy it to make sure its right---they only have a drawing on ACE.com

At home depot look INSIDE near all the screens and lumber. Ask an employee to help, it's called hardware cloth.

I thought Home Depot would have everything, and I went there looking for cloroplast (sp?), which other people had gotten to make playpens and such.  I asked several employees, and described what it was, and none of them even knew what it was!  Good luck finding what you need.  :thumbsup2:

Yea I went around today and still couldn't find any, apparently its been on back order for about 3 years in hope depot when I asked today. I can get it shipped to ACE, but it will be at least 2 week before I get it. I'm gonna check a few hardware stores when I go down to Chatanooga this weekend and see if they might have some. Otherwise I might just have to come up with something else----not that I can think of anything that wil work thats not expensive.

I lost one out of the cage and she's the biggest dumbo in there---so if she can get out....we know thw rest can. I put them all back in the old cage which broke me because I spent about 3 hours setting up the new one AFTER I had built it. I kinda knew it would happen anyway, but oh well. At least I didn't break the old one down yet, but I will need it in 2 weeks for some baby double rex's I'm rescuing. SO the quicker I can get this stuff the better.

Oddly enough, not all Home Depot employees know WHAT 'hardware cloth' is. To make matters worse, some Home Depots have it outside in the 'garden' section, and some have it inside in the 'fencing' section. Don't assume that the employee knows what you are talking about. In two different Home Depots I found 5 employees that had NO IDEA what I was looking for. In both stores, I finally found it myself. It took over one roll of 3' by 5' to cover just one level of my FN. I figure it will take 5 rolls to cover all three levels when the rest of the cage arrives, and we get it together. I want to check out Lowe's, but haven't made it there yet. Ebay had one seller who had it in black until I finally decided to order it, then they stopped carrying it.

LOL yea I noticed that about home depot. they were kinda clueless---I SWEAR I found it somewhere in the past and said to myself "remember that they have this, you'll need it at some point".



Of course



I forgot.

Ha ha!!  Sounds like me.  My daughter tells me I have the brain of a goldfish.  Three second memory.

LOL, I think my mom would hit me if I said that to her! She's sensitive about her age  :cheeky:

Yeah, but she'd forget you said it three seconds later.  :yelcutelaugh:

I caved and just bought the galvanized stuff. I can't sit there anymore and stare at a empty FN (tho frankies in the bottom of it right now). I got 2 rolls of the 24"x 10ft I hope thats the right stuff.

I know I'll have to replace it, but I'm sure I'll be able to find some real stuff down the line. Somewhere.


Yea with all of the stuff that keeps happening to me I forget stuff pretty easily. One emergency after another. *sigh*

I'm going to be really watchful after I put them in it too, since everyone been having issues w/ FN's recently.

This will help with my project this weekend  ::) 3 out of 9 rats have decided to free range. Unfortunately for them, I'm not going to wire in the whole cage, so they get half. Maybe that will cut down on the bickering at night as well  ::) Of course, I wandered around Home Depot for 20 minutes and it was the last place I looked, plus, about 8 associates strolled past me. Their customer service sucks. We'll see how it goes; at least they had the green stuff (wedged in the bottom in the back, of course).

Question- for those of you with covered FN's, how do you clean the wire? I haven't had to take my non-covered one outside yet because it simply doesn't get stuff caked on it. But with covered, I'm assuming the pee and poop would build up.

I have my wire on the outside, and so far it doesn't smell at all. The ratties are litter trained so no poop gets on the bars. They usually tend to go pee on their fleece. Also, because the bars are on the outside of mine when they climb around they don't seem to get the bars dirty. I've had the wire on my FN for about a month now with no problems. I'm hoping to take it off one day, but it won't be for months, and only if my girls get big enough.

Do you ever have a problem with the rats trying to stick their heads through the FN bars since the wire is on the outside?

Nope, because the wire is pressed up against the bars they can't stick their heads out luckily :) I had to attach the hardware cloth with wire because they are little chew monsters. Since I did that though, no midnight escapes or any problems.

Ugh.. I suck at this sort of thing. How many 24"x5' rolls would I need if I cover the bottoms too?

Haha, success  :hyper: I ran out of time last weekend, so the project was delayed, but the wire and the rats are now all where they should be. I hope to eventually take it all off when the girls "remember" how fun the cage is and "forget" they can escape. That may or may not happen.

Thank you so much for the tutorial!  I am off to OSH to pick up my hardware cloth and zip ties because I am joining the FN club!  My wonderful sister couldn't stand that I was making her niece wait for an FN so she ordered one for us and it is set to arrive next week.   :party:    I am sooo excited, but very nervous about the modifications.

Nice to see you here! It's elaina, i made the tutorial  :BlueDumboSmile:

Thanks Elaina!  I PMed you.

Well my FN arrived yesterday and I am still zip tying.  My fingers are so sore but once the girls get moved in I am sure it will all be worth it!  I am going to dive back in today and hopefully get it set up tonight. 

I took a trip to Home Depot today to see if I could find the hardware cloth. I managed to find it outside in the garden section, with the fencing and stuff. They didn't have the green coated wire, only the non-coated. Might they have put the coated somewhere else? Any suggestions on WHERE they might have put it? lol. Also, has anyone found this stuff at Lowe's by any chance?

I purchased my green hardware cloth at OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware).  It was in the screening area where they had everything from window screens to chicken wire.  I started using zip ties but quickly got tired of doing it and having sore fingers so I got a spool of twist tie wire and wrapped it through every fourth hole.  That made things go much faster.  I know I will have to keep an eye on it to make sure the girls don't chew through it, but I don't think they will.  My FN is now put together and all I have to do is finish covering the doors and decorate. 

Lol, well considering that I'm in Florida, I can't really go to OSH, unfortunately. Thanks anyways though. A spool of wire might be better than zip ties...Hmm.

I used the spool of wire but it is a *bleep* to tie on and you have pointy wire pieces sticking up everywhere.

Eee! Maybe I should stick with zip-ties after all... ::) I'm beginning to think these things hold the whole world together.  :yelcutelaugh:

As long as you can get them tight, the ratties shouldn't be inclined the chew at them... but a package of zip ties is a dollar at the dollar store, so they are easy to repair.

I used a roll of twist tie rather than wire since i had the same expererience that you did.  Twist tie is very easy to work with.

OHH I see what you mean. I thought you meant just plain wire that you "twisted" around the mesh. I understand now. Twist ties, like the things they put on bread, right? :D

Yes!  I was able to buy it on a roll at the garden store.  It looks neat and was so much easier than zip ties. 

Lowes and Home Depot both have the green mesh.

Thanx a ton for the measurements. They really helped!! :heart:

I was at Home Depot last night and picked up a 3 x 15 ft roll of black plastic mesh for around $11.00.

Thank you!  It's so nice to have the measurements ahead of time.  I'm terrible at figuring it out myself, no matter how simple and straightforward it is.

I wanted to ask if you all folded the cut ends of the wire over.  We did this when we were making the travel cage, and it was the biggest pain in the butt ever, and they catch on everything.  My sister helped me with it.  She's so sweet and long-suffering that I'm sure she'd help even if it meant folding wire over for 5,000 hours again, but it would be nice if we didn't have to.  Would the rats probably be fine if we just cut the ends very short, since they'll only be at the edges?  Even if the hardware cloth is placed on the inside?

Man, I hope so.

I simply snipped off the sharp ends as close to the wire as possible.  With all the zip ties and twist ties the wire is flush with the cage bars anyway.

Awesome!  My and Rachel's fingertips thank you.  ;)

Thanks for the measurements that was very helpful! I just have one question though. Once you put on the hardware cloth how long should you keep it on? I'm getting baby boys and I was wondering how long I need to leave the cloth on.

kelly,

You got plastic mesh?  the ratties will chew right thru that. you need wire but it can be plastic or pvc coated.

Wow, those cages look really nice when you decorate them.
I wonder if I should write the measurements down now, so that when I move out and get my own I won't have to do the dirty work  :yelcutelaugh:
Or maybe when that time comes, they'll already have come out with the Rat Nation?

I've got a question about the FN cage, when you put a rat in the top, is there any way to go down to the second floor from there? In otherwords, is it one big cage, or seperated sections?

They're connected with a ramp, but you can separate the 2 levels by swinging the ramp up and hooking it.

Oh I seee... Is the floor made of wire?

the floor has thw same 1"x5" wire but is covered with a thick plastic pan.

And is there a open spot in the pan so that you can have the pan there and the ramp down? Or does it cover the door?

Just a note that, if you have rats small enough to need hardware mesh on the cage, you probably will want to cover the bottom (part that goes under the pan) as well.  It's the same dimensions as the pieces for the top and back.  Someone here lost a rat not too long ago when she somehow got under the pan and got her head stuck between the bars.   :(

Finally found this!  Thanks a ton for the measurements!  I think I'm going to need to modify my cage after all. Mika seems to be able to get out. She hasn't as of yet, but she keeps getting half way out, and then going back in because she's too scared to go all the way. So, I'm going to have to mod the cage this week. >.<

This thread really should be stickied/pinned. XD

The pan is designed with a opening that matches the opening in the wire floor.

Mine has been modded now, too!  I have lots of cuts on my hands, and sores, and a blister that's killing me today, but it was worth it!
I ended up buying 7 rolls, because I did the shelfs under the pans, too.

(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x68/ScreenShots832/HPIM1942.jpg)
(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x68/ScreenShots832/HPIM1944.jpg)

Hi,
I know this is for the Ferret Nation but does anyone know how much hardware cloth would be needed for a Feisty Ferret cage. I plan on ordering the cage
and putting my three girls in there. 2 (9.5)week olds and one 5 week old (they took mom too soon). My eldest are getting pretty big fast. I know my youngest is still small.
But they need more more space. I have a temporary setup sterlite setup with homemade built mesh lid and mini fan outside for those stuffy days.

Measurements or a hint to the thread would be nice I hope to get the cage soon next week or two.

Thanks.
riivvers

(Edit.)

I have recently bought the Ferret nation cage for my 2 girls.  I am going to modify it the same way that you have done - but I can't find PVC coated hardware cloth.  The stores around me only carry "bare" galvanized wire.  Would this be ok or is it more likely that they will hurt themselves on it.  Help would be appreciated  :BlueDumboBigEyes:  By the way I live in Vancouver, Canada so some of the stores in the States we don't have up here.

Is the length or height first?

I don't have a Ferret Nation yet, but I would like to have it all cut and ready when it gets here so I can put it together and modify it. And For the sides, what sides are we talking about, and what about the backs? Do you consider the whole back of the 142 model 2 backs, since it could be split? Sorry, I'm just confused and I want to have it right.

Psst.  Does it matter?  You can just turn the hardware cloth to make it fit the other way!   :cheeky: :doh: :thumbsup2:

Wouldn't you have to make sure to cover the "floors" as well, under the pans?  That would probably be the same measurements as the "top", right?

Oh.My.Gosh. What a dumb question!  :yelcutelaugh: I'm so sorry! Thank you, Dearpie!

The measurements and the amount of supplies you gave us is enough to cover the entire 142 FN, right?

I don't think you need to modify the FF cage. It's bar spacing is 1/2 inch. My babies are small and they can't get through 1/2 bar spacing.

I bought a Ferret Nation 2 days ago, and found that my hairless girl Lily could fit her head and shoulders through the bars, so-o-o-o...off to Lowes I went for hardware cloth!  I also bought just the galvanized, as I plan on taking it off once she gets big enough.  For anyone else who is interested, at Lowes, these rolls are in the garden department outside.  I've gotta say, even though it was GREAT having the measurements, the whole project has been one giant pain!  My hands are shredded and fingertips almost raw from zip tying...I went through 300 already, and still need to secure both sides and the back of the top level!  It's frustrating because I am SO CLOSE to being done but I have to work tomorrow so will have to wait to go buy more zip ties. I have the girls in the bottom section only, and I can't wait till they can use the whole cage.  Like anything else, I learned along the way, and in time I am going to go back and re-do some of the panels; for instance, I didn't like having the zip ties over the door frames as it makes opening and closing more difficult...I trimmed the top level door panels a bit differently and was able to attach them securely without going over the frames.  I will switch out the bottom doors once I get more ties.  On a happy note, I put all 4 of my girls together and they are getting along wonderfully!  By night's end, we had major rat pile in their ball.  I will post pictures later!

Can someone post pics of how exactly the mesh gets attached?  I was looking at the doors the other day, and can't see a good way to attach the mesh other than right around the door frame, which, as baileyjane said, would make closing and opening the doors a pain.

Yes please. Sure you can read how it's supposed to go but nothings better then pictures! I will have to mod my new one too!

I just started mine, and decided I would just figure it out as I went along.  I ended up fitting some of the zip ties around the bars, but some I had to put around the frame.  It's more of a snug fit to close the doors, but not difficult.  Here are some pics:

Hinge side of one door:
(http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w216/JR1030/FNMods1.jpg)

Top of one door:
(http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w216/JR1030/FNMods3.jpg)

Back corner of inside:
(http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w216/JR1030/FNMods2.jpg)

I have to say my hand is REALLY sore from cutting through all the wire.  And once the zip ties are trimmed, the cut parts are really sharp, so I'm trying to figure out a way to file them or something.  Hope this helps.

In the second picture is there a reason why you zip tied it on the second square and not the first one?

I was starting to get nervous that just putting around the one wire in the first square wouldn't be secure enough, if it bent or they chewed through it, so now I'm trying to put them all through the second square.

Well... I could only afford 3 rolls of the green mesh. I'm not doing the top because it's covered already with spare cages. Do you think it will be enough?  :puppy_dog_eyes:

Let's be clear. The doors are 18' wide. Not 16.  ::)

But, assuming you're only putting the mesh inside the frame, you only need to cut the mesh to 16".

I did.  :eek: Unless I counted wrong, but then I counted 18 inches and it worked fine. I must be losing it! We should also talk about utilizing mesh space. I was able to cover all the bottom FN with one roll (3 by 5) by zip tying the scrap together. In total it might take me 2 and a half rolls.

Did you cover the middle floor under the pan?  And the bottom floor under the pan?  I'm doing those, just because I'm so paranoid that a baby will get under there and then get strangled on one of the bars.  :BlueDumboBigEyes:

What????? You have to cover the bottoms too?

I'm not sure you "have to", but I'm worried that the babies might somehow get under the pan, and then either get out, or get trapped between the pan and the bars and get killed.  It has happened once or twice on this forum, unfortunately.  :BlueDumboBigEyes:

Oh... :BlueDumboBigEyes:
I don't have enough to do it, and I don't think my dad will want to do it, so I can't. I'll just hope for the best.  :-\

Yeah. COVER THE FRIGGIN BOTTOMS! Especially if you have girls and boys. And the boys would be in an unmodified FN. Yeah. I found a girl in with my 3 boys emile remy and poof. I think you'll see a new "eepers" post here in 23 days. I already have 18 rats! %$^&$*@*$&%$%

 :-\ Anyone want a free rat?  :BlueDumboSmileTongue: Just kidding. Lil nitwit.

Seriously? I don't have any boys, and my girls aren't very naughty and aren't desperatley trying to get somewhere/escape. I'm not really worried. The cage is modded and put together, and my girls really like it.

cool. but mine are freaks.

Ack. I just got all the pices out of the box, bought the supplies and now I have no idea what to do, since no one will help me in my house xD

"Simple" of what to do - cut the mesh to size, attach to the panels, build cage. 

Reality - it's NOT easy.  You really need 2 people to build it, unless one is in urban development and has a background in construction (aka my father), and even then, you'll have blisters and bruises. 

IMO - if you don't have escape artists or unaltered boys and girls in the same cage - I'd only modify under the pans, to prevent someone breaking their neck when they get the bright idea to see if they can stick their head down under the pan.  If you have escape artists, little females or babies, both sexes, or squabblers, I'd modify the entire cage.  That's just me and my opinions.  I've modified both FNs now, since the girls are escape artists and little, and the boys will eventually have babies with them.

I did it by myself, I had HUGE wire cutters though, and little ones for touch ups. It's not that hard if you follow the instructions, make sure you have something heavy to held down the wire because it tends to bounce back and hit you in the face...  :doh: It's just tedious and if you have the right tools it goes by fast. Minus the breaks I took it probably took 3 hours.

You have to make sure that you check all screws and screw holes, in case the instructions didn't say. You could end up with a very wobbly FN...

I just bought my 2nd FN and decided to modify it prior to assembly. I have a feeling its a LOT easier to zip tie prior to putting the cage together than it would be to do all that zip tying after its all set up. Still, I had HOURS invested in this mod... But honestly, it wasn't difficult and I did not need my hubby's help until it came time to set up the 2nd level of the cage...

I ended up using 4 rolls of 2' x 5' wire but did not have enough to cover the top. I had very little waste, so I'm not sure how I only got the sides covered with 20' total length of wire  ???

I would make sure you have a GOOD pair of tin snips/wire cutters... that helps :)  And I had rolled out the wire the night prior to assembly and flattened it down with weights. That made measuring/cutting pretty pain free. I also made the error of zip tying the first panel with the little nubbies facing the inside of the cage.  :doh: Those little nubbies can be quite sharp, so I had to make sure I had the cut-part of the zip tie facing out so my girlies' little feet wouldn't get hurt :)

So far, the girls are loving the cage! The wire allows them to climb all over and provides me with a little peace of mind... Thanks again for your ideas on this mod!! It made my life a lot easier  ;D

 :doh:

SO, my fiance and I...about a week ago...did the EXACT same modification, but we hadn't found this thread.

I JUST finished their bottom level tonight!!!

We used a thick, black, plastic hardware cloth found at HD as well. It was more trouble bending and keeping it in place...but it was cheaper and less SHARP edges. We fore-went the zip ties, and used plain old wire. Just wound it around the bars. It took about 3 hours in total, maybe more. But it worked really well!

Has anyone wired the very top of the cage? My girls are smart and found they can climb the sides and get their heads through the bars going across the top of the cage. Right now we just have a big piece of press board and some boxes up there, but I was wondering how ya'll dealt with tha?  :lovestory: (<-----cutest smilie ever HAHA)

My fiance and I are considering getting a couple of FN's for the crew. I already know we will have to modify the girls cage of course. The boys we will have to test and see if we decide to get them a FN. Anyways, Most say they got the coated wire at home depot? how much was it? We haven't tried to look locally yet but there is a Ace hardware and a Home Depot near by. We also have a lowes, a bit farther. I was wondering if we can't find the mesh locally, has anyone found it reasonable online?? If so, could you please post a link. Thanks!  :)

We got our coated wire at Home Depot in the outside garden area by the fencing material... I got four of the 2'x5' rolls for $31.00

My friend and I went to Home depot yesterday and could not find it. We went to the garden center and wondered around. We also looked in the regular fencing area but only found the galvanized.  :(

Anyone in FL found it?  :P

Maybe try Tractor Supply? From their website, it looks like they might have it.

where did you get your ferret nation from and how much did it cost you?  I am looking into buying one and I am trying to find the best price.  It seems that online is the best, but I dont want to have to wait for it very long.  thanks!

Thanks so much for the measurements, it made it so much easier for me to mod mine. I found it to be easy to do, on my own - I think the trick is to have a really good (sharp!) pair of wirecutters. Mine cut like butter and while it took me some time to cut it and then attatch it it wasn't hard to do, just time consuming.  The hardest part was finding the hardwire cloth - went to two lowes and two home depots before I finally found one that had it in stock.

No more Anya jumping on the bed at night!

(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/listentotheraine/P1120346.jpg)

The best online price I've been able to find for a Ferret Nation is at Ferret.com.  The FN cage is $154.99, and total shipping on ALL orders regardless of size is $6.99.  If you are not in a big rush, I would sign up to receive emails from them because I often get emails giving me 10% off my total order.  Also, if you put something in your "cart" and then just leave it there, they will email you reminding you and giving you 5% off if you place your order.  I have two FNs and am thinking of buying a third, and Ferret.com offers the best price I've seen.  Hope this helps!!!

woo hoo.  That was fun.  Not.  The finished product looks great though!  My hands are cut, blistered, and sore, but who cares about that :yelcutelaugh:  I am soooo excited to start making in liveable for little girlies :hyper:  Thank you so much for posting measurements, it's a life saver!

Well this is exciting. First of all, somehow they forgot to include the instructions to actually put together the darn cage, so I'm going to have to look online or have my hammer-happy brother put it together. Now, I've run out of zip ties, and I'm almost done!  :doh: Not to mention my hands are sore, and definately going to be blistered tomorrow and I broke a few nails on those stupid zip ties. The worst part was cutting the dang hardware cloth, to my surprise, I thought it was going to be the zip ties I would be cursing.

I'll have to post pictures once I've got it all put together and decorated with the hammocks I'm getting from Dearpie and Scubbs. Then it's all ready for the boys I'm getting next week!  :hyper:

I know many people have been having trouble finding the hardware cloth so I thought I'd post a few places I found it online. I just ordered my FN last Thursday and Ferret.com e-mailed me to confirm it shipped. But get this: the e-mail said a tracking number was included but the line was left blank! Gr! I guess it's for the best. At least now I won't obsessive-compulsively check the tracking all day, every day until it gets here!

http://www.gertens.com/shop/catalog/garden/garden-accents/fences-edging/midwest-air-hardware-cloth-mesh-pvc-coated-.html

http://www.backyardstyle.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-20890

http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop/flypage&product_id=20890

I hope that helps!

Best,
Brenda

I have just the galvanized weaved hardware mesh 1/2" by 1/2" stuff at the moment is that ok? Or should i get pvc coated if they sell it? I didn't see any when i was there though.  Also with that mesh on think the 1/2 by 1/2 is small enough so i can move my baby rats into it?

If you're going to leave it on for a long time, it will really start to smell.  If it's only for babies, and you can take it off when they grow up, then it should be ok for a little while.

the pvc coated stuff wont smell?

Coated wire is easier to clean.  Galvanized soaks up the pee smell and nothing will get the smell out.

So the coated stuff is wire underneath the coat of pvc?  And do you guys recommend putting the wire on the inside or the outside of the cage? Are the ladders spacing to big for baby rats? should i put tap or something on it till they get bigger?  Also i'm having a hard time getting the ladder going up to the 2nd level to stay put it doesn't seam like there is a spot for it too attach too, i have the cage set up just like the picture.  The loops at the end of the ladder don't go around anything it just kinda leans up against the back of the cage:S

edit: Ok i just read that and its kinda of a rant, just i have so many questions.  Sorry about the way its written.

Yes, the coated stuff is wire underneath.

I put the mesh on the inside, so they wouldn't get stuck in between the wire and the bars somehow.

You could cover the ramps/ladders with fabric if you're worried about their feet getting stuck.  More likely, they'll just climb up the mesh and ignore the ladder.

The ladder should hook to the shelf, not to the back of the cage.

figured it out

I started to modify my fn cage and well i was cutting the hardware mesh and i was following the squares to keep it straight and it ended up being so unstraight. The wire is like bent or something.  This happen too anyone els?

I'm trying to figure out how you used 5 rolls of 2'x3'. I see needing 8 when I plan it out. Did you use scraps for some parts?

I think my rolls were longer than 3 feet...maybe 5 feet?  I did end up piecing two together for one back piece.

I know this is a little late, but thank you so so so so much for the measurements.  :bow: I started on mine last night, and managed to finish the top (it was just me, and I'm a munchkin so it took me a stool and a lot longer) in 3 1/2 hrs. It looks great, unfortunately I could only get galvanized, but my guys don't tend to make a mess near the edges of the cage ;D so I luck out there. I am waiting to do the bottom, I plan on it, which will allow me to let them run free, but I'm also waiting to see if my fiance will be giving me permission  ::) to rescue a few babies that are due soon. ::fingers crossed: :hyper: These specs helped me a lot with the cutting and arranging. Saved a lot of time not having to clip or re-cut because it didn't fit properly. I'm not the most engineering inclined person. Now to keep it clean and decorated! Thanks again  :balloon:

Thank you thank you thank you  :bow: :bow: :bow:  for posting these lovely instructions.  Off I went Saturday to Home Depot for zip ties and hardware cloth [green pvc coated] and I'm pleased so say I found it all by myself,  no mindless HD help needed.  :P  Came home and cut the pieces to the lovely specs listed in this thread.  Last night hubby and I put them on in about 20 minutes. 

It's beautiful!  All ready for new babies!  Total time involved, including Home Depot run, cutting, trimming/sanding edges smooth, applying with zip ties and admiring work well done, just about 2 hours.  Woohooo!  :hyper: