# NEED HELP



## schlarmanm1 (Nov 15, 2008)

Hello all My name is michael. About a month ago me and my girl friend purchased a hedghog. We first started off with one of here old hamster cage's that was like 20x20 that we only used for a day or two and then we upgraded to a Super Pet 30X18 cage. The cage we have now was only going to be a Temp. cage and after looking i have not realy found anything i like. I Am really good with my hands and like working with wood and on cars so i thought i would look into building my own cage. After looking for a while on line the only one's i could find are CandC cage's and cages made of plastic containers. I dont like either because of the location the cage will be in i want it to look good and appealing. Rather than making one i called a few custom cage companys to build one to my spec's but they were over priced and they just didnt look to appealing.

So i did my research and found out what to use and what not to use for caging. While doing some research i came accross this cage http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/comemeetmy ... gehog.html (The cage about half way down the webpage, its tall and made of wood.) the only problem i have is most websites say not to use wood as a cage because of odviouse reason's. Then i was thinking more and more about it what i want to do is basically the same thing as in the website a wood and wire cage with the bottom flooring being made of wood the 4 corner's being wood and a second floor being made of wood then the rest wire. the cage would be 45"X25" and probably 24" tall. I would use OAK wood which i would spend time sanding down till its as soft as a baby's rear end. I would stain the bottom of each floor and put a few coats of laquir on there to resist water and urine from being ubsorbed and i would also use coroplast on top of the wood so the little guy would be up and off the wood and to make it easyer to clean.

Basicaly what im asking is do you all think this cage would be good. it would be well ventalated just like all store bought wire cage's, It will be cheap because i have the tools and the wood already (just need the wire which is like $25 at Lowes) best of all it will be more appealing then any other store bought cage. the only down fall is the floor will be made of wood but i will be putting coroplast over top the wood.
Please let me know what you think
Thanks
Michael
Ps Sorry this is so long


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

Let's see... the main problem people have with wood is that it soaks up urine and is difficult to clean properly, and can harbour mites. If you are staining/sealing/whatever it is you're doing to it (not exactly sure, :lol: ) so it will be easy to clean and be resistant to any unwanted pests, I don't see a problem with using the wood. 

I would like to say, however, the cage you linked to is very dangerous with the way the ramps are made. If you are going to have a second level, the ramp and loft must be *completely* enclosed, meaning building walls on the ramp, or using a large tube, etc. 

If you can pull it off, I'd love to see pictures! Good luck!


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## schlarmanm1 (Nov 15, 2008)

Thanks for the reply i would be using many coats of either laquir or stain, along with coroplast over top the bottom of the floor so he is not on the actual wood and just for another barrier for urine. I will be building a wall along the ramps but thanks for the heads up. 

On another note what would be a good bedding or sand like material for my little guy to burrow in. The bottom floor is where i will have the bucket wheel i made, his igloo, pvc piping, and toys with probably a fleec liner. And on the top floor it is going to be a more naturel feel for him, another words it will have rocks, tree lims, logs, a small cave for him to hind in. And i was also thinking of making a small area where he can burrow with a sand like material but i want to make sure it will be safe for him.


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## sebian (Aug 29, 2008)

That's exactly what I've been looking for!! PLEASE post a picture if/when you complete it!


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## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

As for substrate, I'm not sure of a sand/dirt that would be very safe and dust free. Hopefully someone will chime in here. You have to be very careful he doesn't ingest it.

Would something like kiln-dried pine shavings work? They could possibly look natural... :? :lol:


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## schlarmanm1 (Nov 15, 2008)

sebian said:


> That's exactly what I've been looking for!! PLEASE post a picture if/when you complete it!


I surely will. Infact i will come up with some sort of design's and plans with all the tools needed.


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## schlarmanm1 (Nov 15, 2008)

But we do think this is safe as long as i use some sort of Laquir or sealent on the wood? If anyone else has a opinion let me know.

I will make plans incase some one wants to follow in my footsteeps and do the same thing. I have built a cage just like what i am wanting to do for my pet snake's and other reptiles for outdoor use. Looked great but it wasnt as big and didnt have a second floor. How ever it is best to have a table saw to do your cuts. A normal circular saw is just not ideal for straight cuts unless you have a really steady hand, lots of practice, and a really good eye. Your local hardware store can make the cuts for you but they may charge.


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## Zalea (Sep 12, 2008)

I'm not sure about lacquer and sealant so I won't try to help you there. But there was a post about this before and I thought maybe it might help you with some ideas. http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&p=6169 Good luck with whatever you decide to do.


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## schlarmanm1 (Nov 15, 2008)

Thank you zelea that was a good link.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Whatever you use to seal the wood, make sure it is latex. I built a new wooden cage unit this past summer and used Varathane colours in white. I wanted white rather than natural wood because I wanted it nice and bright. The Varathane took forever for the smell to go off it and we were taking it outside in the sun and breeze each day trying to get the smell off. Finally as a last resort when after a few weeks of airing out didn't work, I wiped it off with a strong vinegar/water mix and that seemed to help. I will say, it looked wonderful for about a month and then the darn thing started to yellow. In hindsight, I should have just painted it with a good quality latex semi-gloss paint.


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## schlarmanm1 (Nov 15, 2008)

Thanks for the reply Nancy. I did plan on using a Lacquer and letting it dry for about a week for the bottom of the floors and on the inside of the cage and using a stain for the out side of the wood to get a nice looking finish for the out side of the cage. I never thought of using latex. That may be good for the inside of the cage.


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