Hi everyone, a strange request for you

[diynurse]

Hi all, looks like a great forum here.
I came to ask about the accommodation for my rats. They have a room in the middle of the house about 3 s meters, they only get to play in it out the cage semi supervised cus one of the little darlings has an explorers spirit and chews her way out of closed doors.

I would love to be able to leave them to live in there. I need to secure the bottom of the room, I was thinking tiles on the floor and some way up the wall, this would be great as I could just swish a mop round it to clean. There is a set of pipes boxed off in one corner, the door isnt in the same alignment to the wall and the floor boards are uneven.

Could you suggest something?

Is there a paint that will set hard, bear in mind rats chew through plastic, wood and have been known to chew though wire mesh though my girls have never been interested.

Could I cover the floor and walls with lino and then cover the chewable corners with metal plate?

I'm a student nurse so don't have a lot of money to throw at this, I think a peek in a few skips might pay off

 

[NickStone]

I hope this is your own property and not a rented one.

 

[Diyisfun]

WTF ?

 

[triplerated]

rats as a pet i dont get it but there is a material that even rats cant get through its a type off plastic called trespa usually used in commercial toilet construction and hospital furniture durable enough for the problem and is also avalaiable in many colours

 

[diynurse]

Yeah, it's all mine, just as well considering the wildlife
Thanks.
They are a bit like dogs but need less walking T
Difference is people bring your dog back if it runs away, people stand on rats

Can Trespa be moulded round corners? Or would it fit together like big tiles?
Is it fairly simple to create a wet room? The bathrooms at work are covered with stuff that looks like lino and goes some way up the wall, there's no difference in floor covering in the shower corner than the rest for the bathroom. I'm sure you know what I mean.

What would I use to prep the wiggly floor boards before I layed the lino?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Is it fairly simple to create a wet room?

I'm a student nurse so don't have a lot of money to throw at this

That'll be the main problem I suspect, tell us what your budget is and you might get some serious responses.

 

[diynurse]

Budget? £100 max at the moment, the cheaper the better!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Budget? £100 max at the moment, the cheaper the better![/quote

Oh dear! what about something like this; http://www.gardenitems.co.uk/ponds_easipond.php but as big as you can afford/fit in the room

 

[diynurse]

Erm no I think your misunderstanding what they need, I'm going to give the lino and metal a bash.
I think If i get a piece of chip board to cover the floor that will make it even enough to to put lino on, I will need some cornices to make the floor to wall transition curved and some soft pliable metal to cover the corners.
Oh I think I have sealant already. I might put mesh under the lino in case they chew though some how, I already have some.
Wish me luck

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Good luck, you're gonna need it!

 

[The Weegie]

Would it not be a good idea to sort out the problems with the door and the floorboards first.

Why not just buy or build a big cage for your rats?

 

[diynurse]

The chew marks in the door and the wobbly floor boards can wait until I'm getting ready to sell.
They do have quite a big cage, it's big enough for 7 according to the fancy rats calculator and there is 3 of them (RIP Poppy ). I couldn't build a cage as big as the room so it seems a good idea to rat proof the room.

 

[The Weegie]

What about making a muzzle for your rats?

Only joking.

Seiously though what TRIPLERATED recommended sounds the best advice, although if your doing a whole room I think it could prove expensive.

I hope you resolve the problem soon[/b]

 

[diynurse]

LMAO I have harnesses so they can go walkies but they wriggle out of them, very few rats tolerate such things and they can get their whole body through anything big enough for their head! Their better off down my jumper or in a cat box for outside trips.

Thanks for the help.

I'll post some pics when it's done and hopefully I won't have to come back with any "help me it's all gone wrong" posts

 

[bodge-it-&-scarper]

Hi
my rats only came out when we were with them. But the speed they could eat a hole in my sofa was unbelievable. They even did my sweat shirt when I was wearing it ( I do know they are very good at jumping & climbing when they want !!!
So maybe if you give them plenty of other things to chew they won't try to get out ?

Anthony

But they never bit me even when I had to trim their teeth with wire cutters