Re: this is for julie regarding her cage

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Posted by Julie on February 23, 1999 at 11:52:10:

In Reply to: this is for julie regarding her cage posted by meagan on February 22, 1999 at 05:28:19:

Hi Meagan,

I believe our total cost was a few hundred dollars.
The sheets of plexiglass (2 - 4x8s) were the biggest
expense at about $65 each. The wood was around
$70 total.

We gutted out the closet, and took up the carpet.
I laid vinyl over the wood flooring and sealed the
edges with caulk to protect the subflooring from
moisture. At Eagle Hardware they have a type of
indoor outdoor carpet that is more like a very thick
felt, not that plastic grass type. I cut a square of
that to fit over the vinyl, but did not secure it,
so I can just lift it out for easy cleaning. Igs
can get their claws caught on carpet fibers, so I
wanted something in there that was easy to clean
and harmless for ig.

I went with plexiglass instead of glass for a couple
of reasons. The first was that I have no way of
cutting glass. Plexiglass can be cut with the same
saw as the wood. Plexiglass is lighter than glass so
it's easier to handle during building. I had also
heard that glass can hold in too much heat, especially
if sunlight, like from the windows, hits it. There
seemed to be no reasons NOT to use plexiglass, so
I used it.

The wood we used was Honduran Mahogany. I had first
planned on just using pine 2x4s to frame it up, but
when we went to buy the wood we were talking to the
guy at the hardware store and telling him what we
were doing... he said he had some Honduran mahogany
that he would sell us for the same price as the pine
and that it would look a lot nicer... and boy was he
right!! So, we just lucked out on the wood part.

The lights are on the inside part of the cage, the
part that was originally the inside of the closet,
attached to the ceiling. There is a secured, but
removable, screen (wood- framed) under the lights
so ig can't get at them. His basking branches are
10-12 inches under the screen. On the part of the
cage that is the addition (sticks out from the
closet part) there is another screen covering the
top of it, so there is good ventilation.

If you can picture this, or if you can tell from the
photo, you know how on a closet the doors don't go all
the way to the ceiling... if you take off the doors
there is still that piece of wall above the space
where the doors were. That is what I used to attach
the screens. There are two screens, the one on the
inside of the closet is hinged, so I can get to the
lights when they need to be replaced. The one that
covers the addition part of the cage is the ventilation
screen and it is permanently attached to the top.

All the cords for the lights and the waterfall are
run through a cardboard carpet roll that I got for
free at Eagle. I covered the carpet roll in the same
carpet I used for the floor, the green felt type stuff.
So there are no open cords running around his cage
for him to chomp on! We got all the big basking
branches from the beach (we live near the coast).
We washed and scrubbed them a couple times with
bleach water and let them air out really well before
putting them in the cage.

Hope that helps, good luck!

Follow Ups:

thanx, from meagan and petrie meagan 2/25/99 (0)

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: Hi Meagan, : I believe our total cost was a few hundred dollars. : The sheets of plexiglass (2 - 4x8s) were the biggest : expense at about $65 each. The wood was around : $70 total. : We gutted out the closet, and took up the carpet. : I laid vinyl over the wood flooring and sealed the : edges with caulk to protect the subflooring from : moisture. At Eagle Hardware they have a type of : indoor outdoor carpet that is more like a very thick : felt, not that plastic grass type. I cut a square of : that to fit over the vinyl, but did not secure it, : so I can just lift it out for easy cleaning. Igs : can get their claws caught on carpet fibers, so I : wanted something in there that was easy to clean : and harmless for ig. : I went with plexiglass instead of glass for a couple : of reasons. The first was that I have no way of : cutting glass. Plexiglass can be cut with the same : saw as the wood. Plexiglass is lighter than glass so : it's easier to handle during building. I had also : heard that glass can hold in too much heat, especially : if sunlight, like from the windows, hits it. There : seemed to be no reasons NOT to use plexiglass, so : I used it. : The wood we used was Honduran Mahogany. I had first : planned on just using pine 2x4s to frame it up, but : when we went to buy the wood we were talking to the : guy at the hardware store and telling him what we : were doing... he said he had some Honduran mahogany : that he would sell us for the same price as the pine : and that it would look a lot nicer... and boy was he : right!! So, we just lucked out on the wood part. : The lights are on the inside part of the cage, the : part that was originally the inside of the closet, : attached to the ceiling. There is a secured, but : removable, screen (wood- framed) under the lights : so ig can't get at them. His basking branches are : 10-12 inches under the screen. On the part of the : cage that is the addition (sticks out from the : closet part) there is another screen covering the : top of it, so there is good ventilation. : If you can picture this, or if you can tell from the : photo, you know how on a closet the doors don't go all : the way to the ceiling... if you take off the doors : there is still that piece of wall above the space : where the doors were. That is what I used to attach : the screens. There are two screens, the one on the : inside of the closet is hinged, so I can get to the : lights when they need to be replaced. The one that : covers the addition part of the cage is the ventilation : screen and it is permanently attached to the top. : All the cords for the lights and the waterfall are : run through a cardboard carpet roll that I got for : free at Eagle. I covered the carpet roll in the same : carpet I used for the floor, the green felt type stuff. : So there are no open cords running around his cage : for him to chomp on! We got all the big basking : branches from the beach (we live near the coast). : We washed and scrubbed them a couple times with : bleach water and let them air out really well before : putting them in the cage. : Hope that helps, good luck!

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