Bathaleph
Member
Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2010
- Posts
- 5
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2010
- Messages
- 5
I'm having a hair-brained scheme, so I figure I should acid test it with you folks before I take it too seriously lol
I live in a building with a bed bug infestation (our apartment has been okay for a month but I don't trust it] so in order to keep my little guy safe I have to keep him in a (39.5" x 25"] store bought cage on 2' metal legs that are wrapped with duct tape and petroleum jelly. It's the largest sold up here in Canada, but now that my rescue pig is starting to recover from his health problems, I want a cage big enough for two boars. It needs to have metal, not wood legs, at least 2' high and no more than 2" wide. The less contact there is with the floor, the better, and I have to be able to wrap them in duct tape so C&C grids are not an option.
There are two elements to my plan (muahaha]: An open top table and a flat, weighted cage pad.
1. Table:
I want to build a 3x3 grid cage, so the table will need surface dimensions of 14x3+4 = 46" to a side. The extra two inches will allow for mounting brackets. My plan is to purchase a laminate project panel or 3/4" plywood sheet and cut it to the right size with a wood saw. I will buy screw-on metal legs for it. After the table is cut to the right size and assembled, I will screw two lengths of 2" square wood strips to each edge, leaving a very small gap between them to create a slot 2" deep and just wide enough to hold a grid. I will paint the whole thing with a good wipe down acrylic bathroom paint, then attach rubber baseboards over the exposed interior wood strip to prevent chewing. If my guess is right, this will leave me with a very sturdy 3x3 grid cage without an interior tray, with easily removable grid sides 14" tall, and no exposed wood the pigs can get to.
2. Weighted cage mat:
I can get away with not having a tray in the cage because I plan to use fleece, so there will be no bedding to contain (and the 2" ledge should keep poops and most hay in). I will line it with a removable square pad (cut to the interior space of 38" to a side). The pad will consist of a fleece pillowcase with snap closure. Inside will be a 38"x38" piece of linoleum to weight it down and prevent moisture making it through to the painted wooden floor. On top of that will be a mattress pad or towels, as one would normally have. If this works, cleaning should be easy - remove pigs, lift out the somewhat stiff pad, fold it in half, take outside and brush clean, wash fleece & liner, replace. Removing poops on a daily basis would also be easy - lift out pad, bend in half, shake, poops will pour out the end into the rubbish bin. The grids from one wall could be easily removed from their slot, making brushing out any stray hay and hair easy as well.
What do you folks think? Is this a worthy project?
I live in a building with a bed bug infestation (our apartment has been okay for a month but I don't trust it] so in order to keep my little guy safe I have to keep him in a (39.5" x 25"] store bought cage on 2' metal legs that are wrapped with duct tape and petroleum jelly. It's the largest sold up here in Canada, but now that my rescue pig is starting to recover from his health problems, I want a cage big enough for two boars. It needs to have metal, not wood legs, at least 2' high and no more than 2" wide. The less contact there is with the floor, the better, and I have to be able to wrap them in duct tape so C&C grids are not an option.
There are two elements to my plan (muahaha]: An open top table and a flat, weighted cage pad.
1. Table:
I want to build a 3x3 grid cage, so the table will need surface dimensions of 14x3+4 = 46" to a side. The extra two inches will allow for mounting brackets. My plan is to purchase a laminate project panel or 3/4" plywood sheet and cut it to the right size with a wood saw. I will buy screw-on metal legs for it. After the table is cut to the right size and assembled, I will screw two lengths of 2" square wood strips to each edge, leaving a very small gap between them to create a slot 2" deep and just wide enough to hold a grid. I will paint the whole thing with a good wipe down acrylic bathroom paint, then attach rubber baseboards over the exposed interior wood strip to prevent chewing. If my guess is right, this will leave me with a very sturdy 3x3 grid cage without an interior tray, with easily removable grid sides 14" tall, and no exposed wood the pigs can get to.
2. Weighted cage mat:
I can get away with not having a tray in the cage because I plan to use fleece, so there will be no bedding to contain (and the 2" ledge should keep poops and most hay in). I will line it with a removable square pad (cut to the interior space of 38" to a side). The pad will consist of a fleece pillowcase with snap closure. Inside will be a 38"x38" piece of linoleum to weight it down and prevent moisture making it through to the painted wooden floor. On top of that will be a mattress pad or towels, as one would normally have. If this works, cleaning should be easy - remove pigs, lift out the somewhat stiff pad, fold it in half, take outside and brush clean, wash fleece & liner, replace. Removing poops on a daily basis would also be easy - lift out pad, bend in half, shake, poops will pour out the end into the rubbish bin. The grids from one wall could be easily removed from their slot, making brushing out any stray hay and hair easy as well.
What do you folks think? Is this a worthy project?
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