Homemade Ferret Cage: How I Built It Using Recycled Materials
Built in a single weekend, this utilitarian small animal cage was built using recycled grocery store produce case under-grating and about $40.00 worth of lumber and supplies. A lower-level nesting box, recessed litter box and split level climbing porch were later added. No blueprints for this ever existed and I took very few photographs of it. So, reconstructed using image-editing software are some of the highlights of this creation, with commentary on key milestones.
In the 1990s, I owned a ferret that lived in a homemade enclosure borne of necessity and frugality. Her first enclosure was something functional, but crude. It was a cleaned white 55-gallon chemical barrel lying on its side, with a large opening running lengthwise on the top, forming an oval skylight. To this cage, I added a upright portion of a 55-gallon barrel, with a HDPE water pipe to connect the two forming something that looked vaguely like “SKYLAB”. Mounted onto vertical boards with horizontal ‘feet’, it sufficed. I built a screened ’sun porch’ for both modules to give her visual access to the outside. This looked a bit crude but it was fairly complex, spacious and functional.
When I started dating and my girlfriend was coming over for visits, I was more self-conscious of the fact that my pet was living in an ugly cage. I decided to build something better. Over the course of a two-day weekend, I built a 2’ X 4’ wooden ferret cage, no blueprints or plans were ever used. I just let myself create. I had decided to use recycled grates from refrigerators as the sides so that much was already figured out.
Still Working Under a Budget
I am not a carpenter nor draftsman so this was mostly constructed ‘logically.’ There were no plans or even rough estimates of any measurement. Every piece that was needed was measured on-the-spot and custom cut accordingly. The ol’ ‘measure twice, cut once’ approach that professional contractors use would be imperative. No actual blueprints for this cage existed then or now. I will re-create in PaintPro drawings some of what I did.
I wanted the cage to be of a certain height approximately, and it would consist of recycled materials wherever possible. I would use the under grating of discarded grocery store produce cases for the sides of the cage, but for this article, let’s assume that you will use Refrigerator grating. Shown below are several discarded refrigerators awaiting recycler pick-up. This presents a cheap or even free opportunity to obtain all the under grating that you would need. In the case of this cage, you would require six grates. Most refrigerators have two grates, some have three. Shown here on four discarded refrigerators are possibly enough grates for two cages.
Liked it
Published in: Do-It-Yourself
Comments: 12 | Post a CommentPost a Comment
James DeVere | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
I just love your writing. I need ferrets because I live in the Aussie bush filled with venom snakes.
Do ferrets eat venom-snakes?
I love your stuff…it’s thurrah. Great J
thestickman | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
I don’t think ferrets would do anything but provide a meal for venomy snakes. You’re thinking “mongoose” I’m afraid.
Even then, a mongoose would be no match for a fast-striking venomy snake. They are pretty good at killing cobras, though. Cobras are actually a slow-striking snake which is why human ’snake charmers’ can work with them.
You Aussies do have the planet’s most venomy snakes though…
-thestickman
Amit Goyal | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
All hail thestickman! Awesome article! The images are exceptional, and will be very helpful to anyone who seriously wants to build a ferret cage..
Hats of my man!
C Jordan | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
Another nicely done article, stick
thestickman | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
Guy, -you beat me to it!
I was working on a story last week (and gave up on it for now) using that day’s Toronto newspaper and seeing what the headlines ‘anagrammed’ might say. I got some really strange changes, -just did not get around to making the ‘content’ to explain what I was trying to do.
GREAT, well done here!
-thestickman
thestickman | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
my opps! -I have two browsers open viewing two separate articless and wrote review of another story and pasted that comment here instead. my bad!
R J Grant | Nov 4, 2008 | Reply
I skipped over this article twice but I’m glad I clicked it the third time around. One of my kids was into Ferrets way back when. I wish I had this article then.
Nice job.
Grant
katien | Jan 18, 2009 | Reply
Very good article if you want to build a ferret cage. I’m all for recycling.
aqsd | Mar 24, 2009 | Reply
I don’t have 6 refrigerators in my house, but this is very useful. I kind of ended up making a completely different cage.
Theresa Johnson | Jul 24, 2009 | Reply
very good piece on how to use recycled stuff to build the cage.
Elvira | Jul 28, 2009 | Reply
Thats kool i Have Five ferrets and i can say that they would love form me to build them something bigger then what the are in now
Paige | Aug 18, 2009 | Reply
This cage is amazing! I will be building it asap for my fuzziez.
To : James DeVere
How could you even THINK about using ferrets to get rid of VENOMUS snakes! You must know NOTHING about them. I REALLY hope you didnt get any yet, cuz if you theyd probly be dead or suffering from snake bites!, ferrets only eat small non-venoumous snake when they are in THE WILD! And black-footed ferrets are the only wild ferrets left. So, please, for the sake of all ferrets do NOT let them have exsposure to snakes or other venomous creatures!!!