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The cages are very easy to make - First you will need a wardrobe , the size is up to you but the bigger the better .You can get them cheap at lifeline ( St Vinies , Salvos ) or you can find them beside the road on council clean up days. Next step is to strip it of everything inside and out so it looks bare i.e. only top ,bottom , sides and and back remaining . You can use the doors as shelves cut to the correct length , don't forget the hole in one back corner big enough for the rats to get between levels - hard to do when the shelf is fitted. Be carefull when fitting shelves as the sides of wardrobes are three ply and very soft , I use 50 mil screws with large washers on the outside wall to spread the weight and do not tighten to much as the side will buckle , nail the back to the shelf for extra rigidity. The shelves can be about 300 mil apart for a large wardrobe but it depends on what you want. I also place a 20 or 30 mil peice across the front of the shelf to stop things sliding off or being pushed . Paint inside and out with your own colours with a water based paint - ALL paints are now lead free .
The door is made out of 32 x 18 mil pine and half inch mesh , both you can get from any hardware store along with cheap hinges and hook and eye latches . Ladders are made out of left over draw runners and anything else laying around i.e. dowel from an old cot or playpen , hanging pots and terracotta pots cheap from Crazy Clarks ( Regect Shop), old clothing to line shelves and are easy to wash - no buttons or zippers .
Put caster wheels on the bottum as a big cage can be very hard to move without them.
The cage complete and ready to decorate should cost no more than $100 or $120 for for a very large cage ( the paint is the dearest item so shop around ) up to 1.8 m tall , it will house a lot a of rats . Extras are up to you . I hope this info helps those who want to build a large cage
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