Need Help... Escape Proofing Cage

[CrazyChamLady13]

As everyone knows, Waldo is an escape artist. I'm getting the second 24"48" cage from another member and to decide on the stand. My original plan was to build a 48" and put both cages over the one drainage pan I have. But now I'm not sure how to do this. Does anyone have and suggestions? I need to do something where Waldo can't get out PERIOD, unless I let him out.

 

[CrazyChamLady13]

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[little leaf]

this is something I made for my cages - it holds 2 18 X 36 - but you can make it any size you want -

 

[Psychobunny]

If you are using a Reptibreeze, or one in that style, they have a thin white plastic floor, you can drill several holes in it for drainage.
That's how I do it anyway.

Not possible for anyone to make a break for it!!

 

[CrazyChamLady13]

I plan on moving them outside during the day so I'm trying to figure out how I can snug it on the stand so the wind wont knock them over. But at the same time, I don't want to ruin the cage. Waldo will climb the screen like crazy while he's outside.

Then the stand I want to allow plenty of room for my beardie to go outside as well. Is there a way to put a lock on the screen cages.

 

[NorCalAnthony]

Here are some crummy cell phone shots about how I set up two 18" x 18" x 36" Reptibreeze cages for my lovely ladies:




I have them secured together with some small stainless steel nuts, bolts, and fender washers that I poked through the screen as close to the screen frame as possible (for added strength). They're marketed as "extreme climate protection" on the packaging so I thought they would hold up well to the constant mistings.





I drilled small holes (1/8" I think) in the center of the plastic bottom piece to allow the water to drain out. The holes are large enough to allow water to drain through without clogging up but they're also small enough to keep all of my feeders from escaping through them. The plant stand also helps put weight around the center so the plastic piece slopes inward to direct water towards the holes. Sorry about the messy cage but today is my cleaning day and I wanted to reply to the thread before I got to the cleaning lol.




The stand is a plastic garage shelf that I got on sale at Home Depot for around $30. It's a 6' tall shelf but with only using the bottom three shelves like I did it stands 38" tall which is perfect for the 36" tall cages. It's a "ventilated shelf" so it has slats along the bottom which allows the water to drain through the holes in the cage in to the buckets below.




I did have a problem with water running down the center beam of the shelf and draining all over the place so I raised up the cages off the shelf with some 1x2's cut down to length and then slid the lids from the buckets under the cages to collect the water. I drilled larger holes (3/8" I think) in the lid going in straight lines with a gap along the middle so that I could straddle the center beam with all of the holes and keep the water draining straight down in to the buckets.




The shelf I got was the 18" x 36" model so it fits my two cages perfectly and since I never had to overly modify the cages to set them up this way they're still as secure/escape proof as the day I bought them. I think they had a 24" deep model that would work for your larger cages. Hopefully this helps. Good luck with your project