Old Dresser Transformed Into a Rat Condo

I wanted my rats to have lots of room to roam. I hit Craigslist and found this old dresser! This dresser had 9 drawers and now its down to 4. 

I chose to build this kind of cage because wire cages that you can buy from a pet store are expensive and are bad for the rats feet. 

In total, I believe i spent under $35!

It's not only a cage, but an accent to our living area!

Step 1: Drawers

For the two large drawers I cut the sides in the middle off for better access. The middle drawer has one side cut also. This drawer acts as the "potty". 
For all of the drawers, I went to my local hardware store and purchased sticky tile. This makes the cage extremely easy to clean!
The picture shown is the top drawer of the cage. This were they usually sleep. 
All the drawers can be pulled out!

Step 2: The Basics

The first step: Buy wood sealer and a paint brush at your local hardware store. The sealer is very important here as it keeps urine from seeping into the wood. I painted the entire inside. I then found some contact paper laying around and decided to give the cage a homey look. 

I then added wire screen to the middle of the dresser. I used wire because if i used plastic wire they would chew through it. 

Oh, and I found rope for bird cages and fastened them into the back of the dresser. Just a little something for the rats to climb on. 

Step 3: The Doors

The doors are recycled. I pulled them out of a dumpster. They are particle board. I popped out the middle, which left me with slats to put the wire into. 

To keep the wire in place I used zip ties. I then fastened "L" brackets to all four corners. Once the "L" brackets are in place you can cut the zip ties. 

Step 4: Attaching Doors

I bought hinges at my local hardware store and fastened on the doors. I also added a latch hook for each door. 

Step 5: Time to Play!

I filled the cage with many small toys, including boxes, wicker baskets, old clothing and wooden stairs. I have even knitted a hammock. I placed two water bottles on the cage. (This is ONE cage)

I also thought it would be fun to build a latter for the ratties so they would not break their fragile legs. I found a piece of wood laying around and some cork board. I took some adhesive and stuck them on.