Tiles on bottom of cage????

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3chins

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 16, 2011
Messages
80
Location
Butte County CA
I just read where someone tiled the bottom of the cages. How did you do it? I have a ton of tile pieces left from putting tile in my house and would love to use them.

Did you put them on a board?
 
what kind of cage? Are they the stick on kind or the kind you have to put stuff on the bottom and glue them on?
 
In my homemade cages I tiled all the shelves, the tile was attached by liquid nail then the cracks were grouted with kitchen grout.


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It left over ceramic from my floor, it has to have the stuff under it. I have the Critter Nation cages. The pieces are 20 by 7 to 10 inches they vary.
 
I'm assuming by just dropping tiles in everyone means that they just put the tile on the wire bottom and ditched the pans in general? I've been considering doing this and curious how people attach the tiles together in that case or do you just leave them? What about pee in between the cracks? I'm going to be pretty mobile for a while so grouting the tiles into the cage in general would make taking it apart quite the hassle.
 
Chin_Up_Sunshine said:
I'm assuming by just dropping tiles in everyone means that they just put the tile on the wire bottom and ditched the pans in general? I've been considering doing this and curious how people attach the tiles together in that case or do you just leave them? What about pee in between the cracks? I'm going to be pretty mobile for a while so grouting the tiles into the cage in general would make taking it apart quite the hassle.
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I set my tiles directly on the wire bottom underneath (no pans). My tiles fit very tightly, so there is very little pee-leaking. You would need to make sure they are a tight fit anyway, so no chinnie-toes get caught. If pee on the floor beneath the cage was an issue, you could just put a towel or a piece of fleece under the cage to catch any drips.
 
I wouldn't grout between them. Chins would just chew the grout out, especially since it is like dust.

Instead of tile, I was able to put a sheet of lucite over the wire bottom of Idgie's cage. It isn't easy to cut, but very light and one piece. Either way, I find it much easier to clean a smooth bottom cage than trying to clean the wires. Plus, no feet falling through!
 
Idgie said:
I wouldn't grout between them. Chins would just chew the grout out, especially since it is like dust.

Instead of tile, I was able to put a sheet of lucite over the wire bottom of Idgie's cage. It isn't easy to cut, but very light and one piece. Either way, I find it much easier to clean a smooth bottom cage than trying to clean the wires. Plus, no feet falling through!
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Not true, if you use a 1/16 in grout line and unsanded kitchen grout like I do. My original wood cages had tile, 10 years and 6 different chins and many chins visiting the cages during play there was no missing grout.
 
I'm surprised that they wouldn't try to eat the grout. Good for you. I remodel and tile for a living and see many houses with grout breaking out from between the tiles. I suppose that without a lot of movement on them, they wouldn't do that much in a chin cage. And maybe the unsanded isn't as tempting as sanded grout.

As for lucite, I ended up buying the cover for a flourescent light in a drop ceiling. One sheet is under $10. You have to score and crack it to cut it and that is a pain. (Wear goggles while doing it.) Luckily, the cage that I had has a short metal wall with a flange over the wires. Because of that, I am able to slide the rough edges under the flange for a nice smooth finish.
 
LOL @ your comment. We tried to tile our kitchen, and the home improvement people said oh yes this is all you need to do etc etc. We told them we had a nearly 6'2 290# autistic child that loves to jump up and down. Needless to say we had bought to much, but ended up chipping the tiles out as they broke into pieces each time the kid decided to jump up and down clapping his hands.
Now after seeing Dawn's cages, I'm going to use my tile left over and redo the bottoms!
 
Twilight Chinchillas said:
LOL @ your comment. We tried to tile our kitchen, and the home improvement people said oh yes this is all you need to do etc etc. We told them we had a nearly 6'2 290# autistic child that loves to jump up and down. Needless to say we had bought to much, but ended up chipping the tiles out as they broke into pieces each time the kid decided to jump up and down clapping his hands.
Now after seeing Dawn's cages, I'm going to use my tile left over and redo the bottoms!
Click to expand...

OK now you have me worried. I just had the whole house tiled because my Maggie[blind, autusic,mentally challenged] pulled up parts of 2 other floors includin the transition strips that were screwed into the concrete. Maybe I am safe for a while she is only 5 and 45 pounds, she is also a jumper and hand clapper.
 
Idgie said:
I'm surprised that they wouldn't try to eat the grout. Good for you. I remodel and tile for a living and see many houses with grout breaking out from between the tiles. I suppose that without a lot of movement on them, they wouldn't do that much in a chin cage. And maybe the unsanded isn't as tempting as sanded grout.

As for lucite, I ended up buying the cover for a flourescent light in a drop ceiling. One sheet is under $10. You have to score and crack it to cut it and that is a pain. (Wear goggles while doing it.) Luckily, the cage that I had has a short metal wall with a flange over the wires. Because of that, I am able to slide the rough edges under the flange for a nice smooth finish.
Click to expand...

Human houses and traffic are not chin cages, and yeah, good for me? :confused:
 
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