How to Build an Indoor Iguana Cage
Iguanas are a popular reptile pet. However, iguanas require many supplies to ensure they stay happy, health and safe. One of those supplies is a proper iguana cage. You can purchase an iguana cage at your local pet store, but these can be expensive. You also are at the mercy of the manufacturer when it comes to size. Luckily, with just a little time and energy, you can inexpensively design your own iguana cage using PVC pipes and garden mesh, with control over the final size.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Eight 3-way PVC corner adapters, 1-inch diameter
- Four 4-foot PVC pipes, 1-inch diameter
- Four 5-foot PVC pipes, 1-inch diameter
- Four 6-foot PVC pipes, 1-inch diameter
- Four 40-inch by 25-foot plastic garden netting
- Plastic zip ties
- Velcro cable ties
- Mason's twine
Instructions
-
-
1
Place a three-way PVC corner adapter on your work surface with two of the connectors pointing side to side and the other pointing upwards. All three connectors should be 1-inch in size. Insert a 4-foot PVC pipe into one of the connectors and a 5-foot pipe into one of the other connectors. Each of the pipes inserted into the sideways pointing connectors should be 1-inch in diameter and they should be inserted into the connectors that are pointing side to side, not the one pointing up.
-
2
Repeat Step 1 with a second three-way PVC corner adapter and one more 4-foot and one more 5-foot PVC pipe.
-
-
3
Place the pieces you created in Step 1 and Step 2 on your work surface so they form a rectangle. The 5-foot pipes should be parallel and the 4-foot pipes should be parallel. Connect the two open corners together using two more three-way PVC corner adapters. You have now created the base of the cage.
-
4
Repeat Steps 1-3 to create the top of the cage. Turn the top of the cage over so that upward facing connectors are now facing downward.
-
5
Insert all four of the 6-foot PVC pipes into the upward facing connectors of the base of your cage, one at each corner. Each of these PVC pipes should also be 1-inch in size.
-
6
Lift the top of the cage you created in Step 4 onto the rest of the cage. Insert the ends of the 6-foot PVC pipes into the downward facing connectors of the top of the cage. You may need a second person to successfully help you lift and place the top of the cage.
-
7
Designate one of the 6-foot sides of your cage frame as the door of your cage. Starting with this side, attach one of the ends of the first piece of your plastic garden mesh to one of the PVC poles using plastic zip ties and wrap the mesh around your cage until you reach your starting point. Use the plastic zip ties to attach the mesh on each PVC pipe you come to, but leave the end unattached when you reach your starting point. Use four or five ties per pipe. This will only cover the cage halfway up. Because of this, you will need to take a second piece of the garden mesh and repeat the process.
-
8
Drape a third piece of the plastic garden mesh over the top of your cage. Use zip ties to attach it to the PVC pipes. Turn the cage over and repeat this step to cover the bottom of the cage.
-
9
Attach the open end of mesh for your designated door side to the PVC pipe, leaving a quarter of it unattached. For this quarter of unattached mesh, use Velcro cable ties to attach the mesh to the PVC pipe. This will allow you to disconnect this area and reach inside as needed, but still keep the mesh secure so your iguana does not escape.
-
10
Sew the loose ends of your mesh together using masons twine. To do this, feed the twine through the open holes in the mesh, weaving it together as you go. Make sure you do this anywhere there is overlapping mesh that has not been attached to piping.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
The size of this cage can be adjusted as your needs dictate. The finished product, following this plan will make a cage that is 5-foot-by-4-foot at the base and 6-foot tall.
Inside your completed iguana habitat, you can create basking shelves or ramps as you see fit.
This cage is designed to be safe inside or out. If you are using it as a purely indoor cage, however, be sure that you keep it in a dedicated reptile room where you can control heat and humidity.
You can line the floor of the room you are keeping your cage in with a tarp. This will catch any droppings from your iguana. The tarp can then be removed and cleaned as needed.
There is no need to glue your PVC pipes and connectors. The pipes will fit snugly. However, if you find that the connections feel loose, you can apply an epoxy glue as needed.
References
- Photo Credit iguana image by Jose Hernaiz from Fotolia.com
