NIC Cage I just built- Pics!

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LaylaLop

LaylaLop

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Sep 22, 2011
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Location
Near Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Soo I got my NIC cage cube pieces today and put together a 2x3 cage since she'll be small and when she gets a bit bigger I'll probably make it larger since I have extra cubes.
I need to figure out the base part and get some binder clips to close the door. It doesn't have all the toys/litter boxes/etc. but I put those in for size comparison.

Here are pics, doors closed:
closedcage.jpg



Doors open, put down grass mats on the level so you can see it better.
opencage.jpg



I will also cover the level/white platform thing so she can't get hurt with more than just the seagrass mats. Probably linoleum with the grass mats on top for ease of cleaning.. Just the base to figure out... :)
 
It came with some special black clips that go around 2 outer parts and hook them together fairly sturdily.. I put them around where the door was on top and it held it together fairly nicely. It's still a work in progress, obviously, but I will post new pictures when I figure out the base. I'm thinking I ideally want it to be plywood with linoleum on top and possibly casters so I can move it out to clean behind it from time to time.. To hold in hay/freebie poops I can't decide if I want to build a wood edge or use something like chloroplast or plexiglass. I'm thinking maybe plexiglass I can slide in and out for easy cleaning but still keep the poops contained from the carpet. I'll probably get a carpet-protector plastic mat to put under it all as well just in case she pees/water bottle leaks.

Also, new picture of her up in my introductions thread :)
 
Really?! Those clips actually look useful!
Compared to the ugly round ones they usually come with that dont hold much....

You just want something easy to clean but with traction! Traction being the big thing. I gave up on towels for mine so mine is a NIC base with Ceramic tiles cut to fit the bottome exactly. With Laminate flooring as sides so i can use shavings.
Regardless, id choose plexi over coroplast just because coroplast is easier to chew so the plexi will last you longer, but apart from that, the floors seem to be the part where alot of people get stumped. Blah floors....
 
The clips are quite useful!

I don't know if she'll be a chewer but I was thinking I could put down linoleum tiles despite them not having good traction but easy to clean, and put mats down over it..

Did you grout the tiles or just lay them close?

Only problem is finding a place that custom cuts plexi without costing an arm and a leg! I'm thinking home depot or lowe's.. I just need to take really good measurements, haha.

So do you guys think plexi on the inner part of the cube grids to keep bedding in or the outer to prevent chewing of said plexi?
 
Oh yeah, and the bottom litter bin of her existing super pet cage fits inside the cage, so I'll be putting that as almost a half of the bottom layer to keep one of the litterboxes and hay in.

A few years ago my mom and I built a really cool NIC cage for my rabbit and it was carpeted levels and everything.. too bad she decided peeing on carpet was funner than in the litterbox, but I digress...
 
Plexi on the inside. Itll be a _____ to clean if its on the outside. My guys dont chew on the laminate.

I have the ceramic tiles smushed together as close as possible, no grout. Im actually thinking of just no shavings and they can walk right on the tile since their not smooth, their textured tile and they wont slip on them.... Hmmm
You should be able to find ceramic tiles on craigslist, people always end up with extras. Regardless their even cheap brand new, juse find some with texture to them to give the bunnys some grip, and being tiles their really easy to just take a warm cloth too if theres anything that cant just be swept off.

We cut our own tiles and plexi here, you do need a special blade to do both. In regards to home depot or lowes, the blades they have on their saws are for wood, they wont be designed to do nice cuts on plexi and you may be left with sharp edges or jagged spots so be prepared to do LOTS of sanding if thats what you do. Youd want atleast a 40tooth carbide blade to do that kind of stuff and get nice cuts.
 
When I built a custom-made rat cage out of a shelf the local lowe's had a special plastic-cutting blade for plexi/siding and they did all the cutting for like 40 cents a foot or whatnot. I don't have a garage or room for power tools other than the standard tool kit and power drill..

I was thinking plexi on the inside too.. but it depends how thick of plexi when doing an inner measurement so I guess I'll have to pull out a calculator in the store..

Is your tile sitting on a board like plywood or just the ground? I ask because I have carpet and I don't think they'd lay flat for me without the plywood base.
 
Just for reference, the cubes I bought are Safco brand and I bought them on Amazon with free prime shipping... They came with the black "w" shaped clips as well as the corner cruddy connectors. The "w" shaped clips I was not expecting and are very handy! I think I'll use the rest of them to make a play-pen...
 
My cage is a wierd situation.... its actually in a compartment on a shelf (below the budgies) so its rained 3" off the ground. But the shelf its on is a little short so about 6-8" of the cage hangs off the front (2x3 grid nic like yours but only 1 level high), the base is nic and I use the big ugly plastic connectors most pannels come with but the 2 spots on the bottom in the middle dont have connectors but are zap strapped together. The tiles are places directly onto the nic grids. They were cut to fit around the little plastic bits sticking out from the connectors, however if plywood were used to make everything level, life would have been muche easier, but in your case that wouldnt be an issue since youre using zap straps not bulky ugly connectors :) Then i just cut laminate in lengths of the cage for each side and done.

This was my 3rd or 4th try at a floor for them, I did the whole bottom out of linolium, and they ate that in a matter of 2-3 weeks, my towel bottoms were destroyed, they pooped all over the place, couldnt use water proof blanies since they will eat those *sigh* so Ceramic tile won out and its working really well. But you have to remember, most bunnys have more common sense then my 2, and probably more manners :p

I wouldnt have that lowes would have a setup for that, thats good to know (not that theres one around here) I just cant imagine Rona or Home depot doing that here haha.
 
I've had my rabbits before nibble on the edges of linoleum but they usually give up out of bad taste or laziness.. Who knows, but thankfully I haven't had a super destructo-bun yet.

I think it really depends on your hardware store since some do it and others don't.. It's usually over with the sign/siding/window area, wherever that may be.

Anyway, thanks for all the tips/advice.. I'm off to take measurements and hope it turns out!! :)
 
Haha, sometimes you never know. They're kind of like cats in that you never know what they're planning or when they might smother you in your sleep :p

As for pics, will do.. I don't know if I can get plexi today, but if I can't I'll probably get boards temporarily to keep in stray poops/hay (untreated wood, of course).. and try to find a custom plastics place. Would be really cool to get a custom-made bottom tray from someone that can do plastics but I bet that'd cost an arm and a leg... But hey, I can dream.. :D
 
I used what's called wallboard. It's made to line walls in bathrooms, I think. Basically it's a thick textured plastic that comes in 5 ft x 8 ft sheets. We got two thicknesses. One is really sturdy and we put that under the cage. The other is a little more flexible and we cut that with a box cutter / scissors and used it to line the shelves. It's easy to clean with vinegar and water too!
 
I don't usually like NIC cages, but I love yours. I may borrow your idea and make one. Tee Hee.

Do you have a picture of your clips? They kinda look wire cage clips, like you build outside wire cages with.
 
I can take a picture of them for you with my better camera..

For the base, for now, I bought a plastic chair mat that I'm going to adhere linoleum to and bought linoleum vinyl trim to attach to the inner side to keep poo/hay in. They didn't even have plexiglass at that location.

Alas, a trip to the store for more zip ties is needed before I finish construction and have class in the morning.. BUT.. it is my weekend project :)

I figure at a later date I can build a wooden base for the plastic mat/linoleum combo can sit on and add casters to that. But for now, with my dog's vet bills (he broke a tooth and needs an extraction) and since I don't have the bunny yet, I only spent about $35 on stuff other than the cubes.

Anyway, pics will be within a few days as I work on it and prep it for the new addition :)
 
LaylaLop wrote:
I can take a picture of them for you with my better camera..

Anyway, pics will be within a few days as I work on it and prep it for the new addition :)
Click to expand...

If you don't mind? Congrats on the new addition! Can't wait to see pictures. :biggrin2:
 
cagefloor1.jpg


Is the cage.. I just laid down the floor tiles all on top of one another, but they are the nicer ones with traction built in. The dark brownish thing is a vinyl floorboard piece I'm going to attach to the cage to keep in mess, but I threw it in there to give an idea of what I'm using.

cageclip.jpg


Those are the clips from 3 angles.. Hope that helps some :D I used those (in certain locations) and zip-ties (for the main connections).
 
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