The majority of rats, adults and babies, males and females, can squeeze through bar spacing of one inch in size. Some larger males may not be able to, but reality is that the majority of rats can; To make your cage as usable and versatile (for all ages) as possible, you will want to wrap it. While I don’t suggest purchasing a cage with one inch bar spacing at full price, it can make sense to purchase a cage like this when it’s on sale or at a bargain (some can even be found free on secondhand sites); So for cost affective purposes, it can make the most sense to ‘wrap’ the cage in half inch hardware cloth to ensure no escapes happen. Even when your rats have yet to escape, or seem to show no interest, they can always come and go as they please without you knowing; It is vital for their safety (and in many ways, ours) that we house them in cages that they absolutely cannot escape from. The following guide is a breakdown on how to best go about this process; Best of luck!
What you need:
Half inch hardware cloth
*50 sq ft for a single FN
*85-100 sq ft for a double FN
*This isn’t to say the Midwest cages are the only suitable ones out there, there are plenty of cat/ferret/rabbit/guinea pig/bird cages out there that are suitable in floorspace for rats, but just need to be reenforced with hardware cloth to deter escapes. This is simply to give an idea of how much one may need.
Zip ties
Angled wire cutters
Gloves
Measuring tape
Tips:
NEVER wrap a cage in chicken wire.
Do NOT attempt to cut this wire with scissors.
Save spare hardware cloth pieces for future cage repairs, wraps, and to build bin cages/carriers.
Be safe! Wear gloves at all times while cutting the cloth, or else you could risk small pieces of metal getting stuck in your skin!
If you think you bought enough materials, buy more just to be safe!
If you have heavy chewers, consider metal zip ties instead of plastic.
While the hardware cloth can support some light accessories, it’s important u do not rely on the wire alone to provide support.
Steps:
Step 1: Dismantle and apply cloth
Dismantle the cage and measure the pieces of the cage you are going to cover with the cloth (You will want to attach the cloth as close to the edge as possible to be flush, and prevent escapes). A tape measurer is especially handy for this, and when handling the cloth always wear gloves! Dismantling the cage (when possible) before wrapping means less materials used, and more convenience as it can be dismantled in the future without taking all the hardware cloth off.
Step 2: Cut cloth to size
Cut cloth to size, trim as flush to the sides of the hardware cloth as possible! This will deter anything from hooking onto it. Do NOT attempt to cut this with scissors, you will hurt yourself. You need a good pair of wire cutters for the best, safest, and fastest result.
Step 3: Apply cloth
Zip tie measured cloth to the cage. Be sure to trim them after! Be mindful of your clothing, they will snag and could even rip; Do not do this wearing things of value! Do this in an open space, and be careful of others around you.
Step 4: Reassemble and enrich
Reassemble the cage, and enrich! The grid style of the hardware cloth allows for more versatility within setup, as you can now attach more accessories and cage fillers, as well as create plenty of different layouts in the future. Do not equip heavy accessories to the hardware cloth alone, as it could break.
It can sometimes be difficult when setting up a cage that is wrapped; Just be patient, take your time, and create layouts carefully with function in mind. It can actually be easier, after getting the hang of it, to set it up when it is wrapped as cages with horizontal bar spacing can be less versatile in layout due to the limited bars to attach accessories. Best of luck!