DIY Pet Containment Pens

Use metal grid cubes to make play spaces for ferrets and other small animals.

Pets, particularly those that are small and house-bound, often need to be contained in a safe, secure area for playtime. Since cages are not often spacious enough for much exercise, these homemade playpens are important to an animal's overall health and well-being. You can make a simple containment pen that is portable and can fold up for easy storage. These pens are suitable for your guinea pig, chinchilla, ferret, rabbit, rat or other small animal.

Things You'll Need

• Metal grid cubes
• Small cable ties
• Scissors
• Spare towels

Instructions

1. Determine the circumference of the pen you would like to make, and how many grid cubes you will need to complete that distance. Most grid cubes are 14 inches square, so divide your distance in inches by 14 inches to get the amount of grid cubes you need.

2. Lay out your grid cubes on the floor in one long row, with the sides of the grids touching each other.

3. Attach the grids to one another at the sides, using loose cable ties. Use at least two cable ties for each side.

4. Put the grids into a standing position and close the pen, connecting the remaining sides with cable ties. If the grids will not stand on their own, attach the cube connectors that came with the grids to the bottoms of each grid.

5. Tighten the cable ties and trim the long ends to 1 inch. Make sure that the trimmed ends are not accessible from inside the pen.

6. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for a second row of grids, if you need to make a taller pen for rabbits or other jumping animals. Attach this row to the first row, using a liberal number of cable ties and cube connectors.

7. Lay out enough spare towels to cover the pen size. Place the pen over the towels, and put your pet inside. When you are finished using the pen, remove the cube connectors and fold the grids together.

Tips & Warnings

• When choosing grid cubes, make sure that the inner grid squares are small enough that your pet cannot squeeze through them or get stuck in them. For guinea pigs, the ideal inner square size is 1 1/2 inches or less. For smaller animals, go as small as you can.

References

• Guinea Pig Cages: How to Make a C&C Cage
• Cavy Care: Cubes and Coroplast Cages

Resources

• Guinea Pig Cages: Small Animal Cages Forum