Almi
Well-Known Member
If no one has heard of the term "Franken-cage," it refers to a cage comprised of several different cages or cage parts put together to make one large cage.
Like many Americans, I am considered poor and I also have four children. This doesn't stop me though, from doing what I love to do. I have had many pets over the years, and as I had more kids the pets got less and less. However, I did keep all of the interesting, expensive, and/or particularly useful and versatile pet supplies which accumulated. I also tend to think outside the box, so household furniture usually gets thrown in the fun too.
This time, I decided to use our old house's unique building and layout to my advantage. I used our staircase. From the moment I moved into this house, the idea to do this popped into my head. (Once a pet lover, always a pet lover - and I've been a bunny lover since forever.) Now, going on three years later, I want to share with you my "3-bedroom staircase cupboard apartment." For bunnies.
Here is what you see when you first come down (bunnies sitting atop their kitchen). This part probably took the most thought and effort.
Here is the entire setup.
Inside left.
Doorway.
Inside right (upper).
Inside right (lower). I hope to find a large, shallow bin of some sort to put in here because they insist it be a litter box! (The unit was built for birds - not by me.)
I hope you can see this but I tried to take a picture of how I did their sliding door. It is open in this pic and slides past their supplies (pictured here behind their bedroom unit). Just a piece of clear plastic I had cut and used to use as a bottom to a rabbit/cavy cube cage setup.
I do not consider myself an expert (or even good at) building things, and it doesn't look nice. On the other hand, it was fun to do what I could with what materials I had, and it is quite functional. (Luckily, I am a small person and happy to crawl around in there to clean.) I only used my brain, hands, and 8" zip ties to make this. Mostly, I relied on tension to make things stay together, so the cage is very sturdy when it comes to pets and kids, but I can easily take it apart or move things myself. In other words, it did not take a lot of work to put together and it won't take a lot of work to take it down or make changes if I have to.
Size: The footprint of the main area from the bottom stair to the "bedroom unit" is 7 feet by about 4 feet (44 inches). The usable part of the kitchen "roof" (the part the buns are sitting on) is 3 feet by 16 inches. The tabletop measures 2 feet by 40 inches. Each bedroom is 20 x 30 inches.
Here is my 12 month old son standing next to it.
Btw, I promise the floor isn't dirty, you're either seeing baking soda remnants or paint that has been peeled away from sweeping (it used to be red...so it looks like someone bled all over lol).
Like many Americans, I am considered poor and I also have four children. This doesn't stop me though, from doing what I love to do. I have had many pets over the years, and as I had more kids the pets got less and less. However, I did keep all of the interesting, expensive, and/or particularly useful and versatile pet supplies which accumulated. I also tend to think outside the box, so household furniture usually gets thrown in the fun too.
This time, I decided to use our old house's unique building and layout to my advantage. I used our staircase. From the moment I moved into this house, the idea to do this popped into my head. (Once a pet lover, always a pet lover - and I've been a bunny lover since forever.) Now, going on three years later, I want to share with you my "3-bedroom staircase cupboard apartment." For bunnies.
Here is what you see when you first come down (bunnies sitting atop their kitchen). This part probably took the most thought and effort.
Here is the entire setup.
Inside left.
Doorway.
Inside right (upper).
Inside right (lower). I hope to find a large, shallow bin of some sort to put in here because they insist it be a litter box! (The unit was built for birds - not by me.)
I hope you can see this but I tried to take a picture of how I did their sliding door. It is open in this pic and slides past their supplies (pictured here behind their bedroom unit). Just a piece of clear plastic I had cut and used to use as a bottom to a rabbit/cavy cube cage setup.
I do not consider myself an expert (or even good at) building things, and it doesn't look nice. On the other hand, it was fun to do what I could with what materials I had, and it is quite functional. (Luckily, I am a small person and happy to crawl around in there to clean.) I only used my brain, hands, and 8" zip ties to make this. Mostly, I relied on tension to make things stay together, so the cage is very sturdy when it comes to pets and kids, but I can easily take it apart or move things myself. In other words, it did not take a lot of work to put together and it won't take a lot of work to take it down or make changes if I have to.
Size: The footprint of the main area from the bottom stair to the "bedroom unit" is 7 feet by about 4 feet (44 inches). The usable part of the kitchen "roof" (the part the buns are sitting on) is 3 feet by 16 inches. The tabletop measures 2 feet by 40 inches. Each bedroom is 20 x 30 inches.
Here is my 12 month old son standing next to it.
Btw, I promise the floor isn't dirty, you're either seeing baking soda remnants or paint that has been peeled away from sweeping (it used to be red...so it looks like someone bled all over lol).
