Mod Mischief

Juniper was a fan of the extra large food dish Unfortunately, Juniper didn't make it to her second birthday (it would have been on the 29th) but she did get to enjoy a few months in the dining room hutch turned rat cabinet. After we got back from Burning Man, we sanded and painted the bottom of the cabinet to match what we'd done to the top . And we added some stainless steel hasps from Lee Valley so there'd be no way for the rats to break out (yes, before we did that there was an escape, but no harm done).

Way back in 2009, I blogged about wanting to turn an armoire into a rat cage . Well, 3 years later, we've finally gone and done it! Before  (just the top part) We found a cheap hutch at Value Village and cleaned it out, sanded it down and then painted it. making it shiny! We varnished the whole thing and added a stainless steel back splash to part of the inside. glueing in the back splash The bottom of the inside was sealed with countertop coating to make it rat proof and easy to clean. mix A and B, apply and then wait forever for it to dry We installed wire mesh on the doors and front where the glass panels used to be. the shelves started their life as a shoe rack Finally we added shelves and ladders and food dishes, and all the other rat necessities. rat cage! The new occupants think it's great! Barley enjoys her new digs And since we finally had the space, we took the opportunity to introduce two new rats to our misch...

Noi can now open her cage door. She can also remove any twist ties I use to try to keep it shut. At the moment, I have clothespins keeping the door closed and the rats safe from Simone, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before Noi figures out how to get by those too.

How awesome is this aviary ? DIY aviary from Empress of Creativity , found through Apartment Therapy Wouldn’t it make an incredible rat cage? What if I tiled the bottom like Eames’ rabbit hutch ?

With a name like Eames , how could this adorable bunny have anything other than a stylish hutch? I love this ikea hack by Nicole at designcuriosities (found via Design*Sponge ). Tiling the bottom is brilliant. While spacious, Nim and Noi’s current cage isn’t very stylish. Especially now that I’ve had to cover some sections with wire mesh and twist ties as they’ve discovered how to break out between some of the wider spaced bars. I would love to give the girls something this cool.

Chris spent at least an hour last night showing me his favourite posts on cute overload . I like a man who is secure enough in his masculinity to enjoy looking at pictures of fluffy kittens. In honour of all that is cute, here are some pics of Nim and Noi enjoying their new cage . Last weekend, Chris and I took some steel wool and a lot of elbow grease to the GGGS find and the girls moved in on Sunday. Their old cage is now making some other rats happy through the wonders of freecycle . By the way, that adorable little house was only $3 at Giant Tiger!

Chris and I woke up bright and early after Friday’s party . We probably could have used some more time to recover from the previous night’s mayhem, but there was no way I was going to miss out on our Saturday plans. Saturday was the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale . We spent all morning pulling my little red wagon through the crowded streets, checking out all the deals and wishing we lived in such a cool neighbourhood. We found some really great pieces and hauled it all home on the wagon. I got new and improved living quarters for Nim and Noi. It’ll need some tlc, but the girls are going to love having all that extra space. Cost: $2 We also found the coolest leather suitcase I’ve ever seen. The previous owner’s last name started with a Z! I can’t wait to do something awesome with it. Cost: $10 I also grabbed several wooden frames for silk screening for 25 cents each, a couple clocks to use in my records for a dollar a piece, and Chris found a styling silk tie for a two...

Reusing obsolete technology in creative new ways is awesome. Unique and interesting pet habitats are awesome. So what's not to love about dwarf hamsters living in a Mac ? It wouldn't work for rats, but it's awfully cute.

I’ve been thinking a lot about animal cages lately. My two rats, Nim and Noi, are over due for a change in scenery. I bought an antique iron birdcage this summer and was able to bring it back to life with lots of tlc and a fresh coat of paint. The girls have yet to move in because their current wire and plastic home, while being less than lovely to look at, is much larger. When the tv broke , we lucked into a new one that will necessitate rearranging the living room. Now is the perfect time to come up with a way to make the rats’ home both comfortable for them and aesthetically pleasing to me. While searching for inspiration I came across this incredible creation. The Duplex aquarium by Constance Guisset is a beautiful and poetic design. While not very practical (imagine changing the water and the potential mess from the birds) I think the concept is pure genius! Guisset has also produced another spin on the aquarium/cage combo :