My New Bat Cage

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I have always loved bats and have been wanting to rehab them ever since I got into wildlife rehab. There are so many rules on rabies vector species in Ohio, but I have finally gotten to the point where I will be able to take them in starting next year :wahoo. In order to be able to legally rehab bats, you must have a category 2 permit, take the rabies vector class, and get the rabies preexposure shots. To get a category 2 you have to have had a category one for 3 years. So, finally this year I got my category 2 (I was a subpermittee with no permit for 2 years so it took me 5 to get a category 2) and next month at the wildlife conference I am taking the rabies vector training class. Then I am getting my preexposure shots (have to find out where to get them and how much). Then all that is left is the cage, which I was going to wait to bring up with my dad, but my mom heard about my plans and told my dad, so..... he is building it now :D. We just started last Friday and it is going to be done this weekend, so just about a week from start to finish :thumbsup.

The bat cage is going to be AWESOME! It is going to be 8' wide, 16' long, and 8' high. It is going to have 12' covered with a roof and 4' with just netting and my dad is going to install a light over the open part to attract bugs (bats must be ablet to catch all their food with no supplemental feedings before you can release them). I special ordered the wire because bats have to have small holes because they get their wings caught easilly and can fit through small openings. The wire is 1/4" vinyl coated wire. It came today so we started netting it, it is going to be AWESOME. I am soooooooooooooooo excited. Most people think I am nuts because I won't get many bats in and think it is a waste, but for me if I can save even one bat it would make it all worth it. Plus, I can use the cage for songbirds, opossums, squirrels, or bunnies. It is made specifically for bats, but I made sure to get wiring that the squirrels wouldn't chew through and would be good for bats and songbirds. It is perfect. Here are some pictures of it from today:

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4933.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4934.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4935.jpg
Closeup of the trexx floor, I love that stuff, it may be expensive, but it is easy to clean, great for bunnies because it isn't rough on their paws, and very sturdy. I wouldn't use anything else!

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4936.jpg
My dad working and my brother being funny. He is the best brother in the world, who else would work for hours on end for their sister with nothing in it for them (other than getting a new huge cage to help me clean out every weekend :crazy) He also helps out with all the cleaning and lifting for my rehab guys.

[krawls]

That is COOL! The Trex stuff is made a mile from my house. :)

[island rehabber]

SR&B2 that cage is going to be AMAZING! You definitely do have the best brother AND the best parental units in the world. Give thanks for them every day! :bowdown
Bats are so incredibly cool....I took one all day seminar on bat rehab in New Jersey last year and it was fascinating. For 'nest boxes', this one rehabber used hanging shoe boxes made from frame and netting -- she said the mamma bats loved them!

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I know I have the best family in the world :D. An all day bat course, that would be amazing! I love those funny looking little creatures. I have to talk the head of the center into giving me the bats that come in. The current policy is to euthanize them because she doesn't think they can be successfully rehabilitated despite all the people that rehab and release hundreds a year!

[JohnRegsaver]

I LOVE BATS TOO! possibly my favorite animal! LET ME COME HELP YOU!!!!!!!!!

[Feeze]

You really went through 5 years of training and you're going to take the preexposure rabies shots JUST for the bats?!!:thankyou :thankyou :thankyou

Bats are my all time favorite animal. It's been my dream for years to set up a rehab facility for bats. I wish I'd been born earlier, cause I'd love to be out there helping biologists research the white nose syndrome right now. I really hope they are getting the money they need.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Yep, bats are one of my favorite creatures :D . I figure I will have to get the rabies preexposure shots eventually, since I want to work at a wildlife center someday, so why not get them now.

[island rehabber]

If anyone doesn't know of this site, and loves bats, you absolutely need to check it out: www.batworld.org (http://www.batworld.org)

Just read the In Memory section and you'll be amazed at what these folks do for their favorite creatures. :thumbsup

[Jackie in Tampa]

When I saw these pics...my jaw hit the ground!
I love your daddy...and brother! Family support rocks, not too many of us know the luxury of having someone behind us...that helps to boot!

The dang thing is awesome! OMG!!!!!!!


as for bats...better you than me!
I did take in a bat acouple years ago, but he passed in the first 24.
Here in Tampa, the shots would run me 1500 bucks with all the tests etc.

Wow is all I can say!!!!!!!!:bowdown

[island rehabber]

Here in Tampa, the shots would run me 1500 bucks with all the tests etc.



Here in NYC they are about $1800 - $2200...guess why we have no RVS rehabbers at all in Region 2?

[Jackie in Tampa]

Here in NYC they are about $1800 - $2200...guess why we have no RVS rehabbers at all in Region 2?
Loopys son Troy, had the series. He did have to have additional hemogloben shots also, if I remember right.
He had a few days that he did feel poor, but nothing too serious, again, if I remember right.:dono
:thumbsup
I hate shots myself...no bats for me!

[NewMommy]

Hi!

This caught my eye right away. Thank you for loving bats! When I moved to my home here on the lake, I had tons of bats in the attic but then I remodeled and they moved to my neighbor's shed. I could watch them in the evening come out and in the morning, go back in. Now they are all gone (at least 50 of them). That darn white nose fungi has killed them all. I had only one flying around this summer and it did so in the day time so I'm thinking it was ill. I have bat boxes in my yard but no bats. Glad someone is going to work on saving them.

[psychobird]

i think it's wonderful your going to rehab bats!! they are very important to our environment and they are dying by the hundreds of thousands here in the northesat from the white nose syndrome
http://www.earthfiles.com/news.php?ID=1577&category=Environment
it's very frightening, each and every bat is sooo important right now, no one should be euthanizing a savable bat, the disease is spreading, i hope it never gets to your state but it probably will, so kudos to you.
i have only had one bat come to me and she was badly injured and died, but i know a great rehabber who pretty much exclusively does bats, so if i did get any i would take them to her.
oh, and my health insurance covered my pre exposure rabies vaccination, plus they cover my yearly titer tests.

[Fireweed]

WOW!!! AMAZING! SR&BT, I *heart* you so much right now! AND your family!!

I love bats, too! :thankyou for being YOU! :grouphug

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

WOW, the rabies preexposure shots cost that much in your states? That is crazy. I have heard that it is $300 here, which I thought was expensive. They should cover that in the rabies vector class at the conference and maybe I will get lucky and my insurance will cover it, I do have good insurance.

I got really good news today too... I got the grant to go to the Ohio Conference this year :wahoo. $300, it is covering the cost of registration plus the room for two nights (I am rooming with someone named Heather, I emailed her hopefully we will get along :D). All I had to pay was $40 for the rabies vector class. I am super excited, I was hoping I would get it. I didn't NEED it to go, but was really really hoping to get it after spending over $2000 on the bat cage so far (costs still going up as we get more wood and stain and screws and washers). It is awesome though! We got a lot of the wire up today and my dad worked on the shingles on the roof. I think it will be done this weekend provided it doesn't rain all weekend.

[Feeze]

I'm so happy for you and because of you.:D

IR, I had never seen that site before (another site like TSB I imagine. Anyway, I'm reading now, and loving it.:jump)

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

The bat cage is done :wahoo. It is AWESOME! My dad even put a support pole in and notched it and put two shelves on it for a squirrel tree kinda thing :D. Bats can use it as a platform for their bugs, or just a landing spot.

I already moved the squirrels out (all 12 of them together :D) and they like it. They are a little scared and try to climb the wood walls like usual, but they will get used to it and love all the room to play and explore. I am going to go back to the woods and get them TONS of branches and stuff to play with.

I will post pictures probably tomorrow.

[Jackie in Tampa]

....we want pics, we want pics, we want pics...
:wahoo :wahoo :wahoo

[psychobird]

not trying to hijack here, but at the wram conference a couple of year ago, there was a woman from the place that was trained at one of the places in texas that rehabs bats and she talked about this bat in the link and bat rehabbing in general.
i always bring my daughter to these things and we were all practically screaming AWWW!! when she showed pics of bootsana, oh how i wish we had these kind of bats here
http://www.batworld.org/adopt_a_bat/bootsana.html

[island rehabber]

omg, how much do I love those people? :Love_Icon

Can't wait for pix, SR&B2!

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

OMG that is the cutest bat I have ever seen!

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Here are the new pictures of the FINISHED cage. Plus some of the squirrels that moved into it.

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4937.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4938.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4939.jpg
Netting at the bottom so the bats and bunnies don't go under the ledge, which we made to let water out). I did this part myself :D

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4941.jpg
Another picture of the netting at the bottom

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4942.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4943.jpg
The outside bank that will be used for bunnies and to prevent escapees

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4945.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4947.jpg
Squirrels getting ready to move out

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4948.jpg
Hanging upside down from the open ceiling

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4949.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4952.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4953.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4957.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4958.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4959.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4960.jpg
The tree thing we put in with ledges for nestboxes or food

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4961.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4963.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv282/2009wildlife/100_4964.jpg

[whopoopwrasse]

WOW, what an amazingly cool cage, what is the mesh made of? I love it, and it seems the sqs do too!

Did you see the little video of Bootsana? so cute! How could Ace Ventura not like bats? :thinking Must be because he never met Bootsana! :D
Love the little pacifier! :Love_Icon :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

The mesh is 1/4" square vinyl coated hardware cloth. I ordered it from Louis Page caging company. It is really good stuff- small enough and soft enough for bats and birds, yet strong enough for opossums, squirrels, and bunnies. So, I now have a huge multi-species cage that I am already enjoying. In the spring I had 2 squirrel and opossum cages and 3 bunny cages (I could put bunnies in the bay area before the second door). I now have 3 squirrel cages, 4 cages that work for opossums (I got a smaller cage (4' by 3' by 5' tall) off craigslist that my dad fixed up to be an outside cage and it is good for when I have a couple possies and no space to put them since they take SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO long in the outside cage before they can go free). I am very pleased :D. If I have caging issues with not enough space, I have taken too many babies because I have enough cages to easilly house 20 squirrels, 10 opossums, and 10 bunnies all at once. Well, if I get bats or songbirds, they would take up the big cage and then I could only fit 6 squirrels, 10 opossums, and 5-6 bunnies, but still! So, I think I am set. Now all I need is some reptariums for the baby bats :D.

[whopoopwrasse]

WOW!! You are going to be one busy lady soon!! :D
It's really nice that you're going to be doing bats, not many people even give a second thought to those little critters!! :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown

[longshotgamble]

Lucky you!
I couldn't think of a better person to have this set-up. Your family just rocks! Mine kind of thinks I am looney, but then again maybe I am.
I had to borrow your picture of the squirrel cluster for my desktop background, that way I can see that bundle of love every morning when I wake up and last thing before I go to bed
I guess you are grinning from ear to ear, as I would be.
Take care.:grouphug

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

My family is supportive, but they really wish I wasn't into rehabbing. They don't understand why it means so much. My mom was hoping I would outgrow it :thinking but has realized that isn't going to happen, so she will help out any way she can since she knows how much it means to me.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:thumbsup awesome awesome!

[Pointy Tale]

It's like all fluffy goodness wraped up into one happy place!:)

[NewMommy]

What a great cage!!! Love the pics of all the little squirrels!!

[Ardilla]

Every time this thread pops up, I read the title as "My New Bat Cave.":tilt

[Kaycee]

I love your cage! I just showed my dad your pictures he said "why not you get everything else you want" so your cage has just made my whole day! :) Now my little babies will have a great place like yours!

[thunderstarstruk]

that bootsana vid is ADORABLE!
i love bats, theyre so cute :)
we have a lot of them in the forest preserves around here, its so cool to watch them all come flying out of the nestboxes at twilight!
youre awesome sr&b2! :thankyou for all you do to help these cute little creatures :bowdown

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I love your cage! I just showed my dad your pictures he said "why not you get everything else you want" so your cage has just made my whole day! :) Now my little babies will have a great place like yours!

Are you a rehabber or just raising a few squirrels? If you just have a few and aren't planning to start rehabbing, you can go with something smaller (6' by 4' by 6' tall is a good starter cage). My cage cost me just over $2500! You could build a smaller one that is still suitable for under $1000. I ordered the netting (which is really good stuff that goes up very easilly) from http://www.louispage.com/welded-wire-mesh/vinyl-coated---vc/. The floor is Trexx, which is the most expensive part of the whole cage. If you are only rehabbing a couple squirrels, or just squirrels, you could use gravel and buy hardware cloth (the 1/2" by 1" is best for squirrel cages and will work for any size squirrel from flyer to fox squirrel). If you did that, you could probably build a cage for under $500.

If you are going to become a rehabber, I would go for the big cage just like I built if you can. If you will be rehabbing a lot, though, you may want to build a cage like my first one with 2 cages in it instead of one huge cage. Then you can put squirrels in one and bunnies or whatever other species you will rehab in the other cage. I will try to find the link to pictures of my other cages.

[Feeze]

My family is supportive, but they really wish I wasn't into rehabbing. They don't understand why it means so much. My mom was hoping I would outgrow it :thinking but has realized that isn't going to happen, so she will help out any way she can since she knows how much it means to me.
That's pretty much how my parents felt about me volunteering at the animal shelter. They have no idea, I'm doing all this to prepare for becoming a rehabber when I move out.:tilt You really are amazing girl.:grouphug

I am so in love with Bootsana.:Love_Icon

[Kaycee]

Squirrelsrule&Bunniestoo

I've filled out my rehabber application and am waiting on the game warden to get back to me. I only have 3 right now but yea I think we are going to go with something a little over half the size of yours. I wanted to do it right the first time around though so we won't have to build another one.

[TinyPaws]

Wow, that is a great cage...Lucky squirrels...They might like it there so much, they won't want to leave.....:rotfl

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Squirrelsrule&Bunniestoo

I've filled out my rehabber application and am waiting on the game warden to get back to me. I only have 3 right now but yea I think we are going to go with something a little over half the size of yours. I wanted to do it right the first time around though so we won't have to build another one.

Building a good one the first time is a good idea :thumbsup. My process seems to be wait until I desperately NEED the cage within a couple weeks, my dad whips something together and it is sufficient for the time being then we see what I like about the first one and what I want changed and then the first one comes down and a new improved one goes up.

Here are a couple pictures from my very first squirrel cage that we built out of the pipes from the pool (my dad had built this big elaborate tubing system to carry the water to the roof and heat it) and spare wood we had. It was built when I had 2 black squirrels that I would have to either give back to the wildlife center for release in November or build a cage and overwinter them. It lasted 2 years and served the purpose but the roof wasn't sloped and it wasn't that sturdy. It didn't have a second door at first, then the black squirrels escaped, it took 2 days to catch them, so it got another door! Things like that you learn as you go.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/000_4009.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/000_3966.jpg
You don't want to use wood like this for the floor because it is a MAJOR pain in the butt. The cracks are too big that a bunny or squirrel could get a leg caught so you have to get dirt and put it between the rows and then when you hose it it makes a mud mess and you have to get more dirt.

And our new improved version built 2 years ago:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/000_4472.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/000_4470.jpg

These two cages (they are connected by a center wall and each one is 6' by 6' by 6-8' tall since the roof slopes) are perfect for squirrels, possums, and bunnies. Nice slanted roof, trexx floor, solid wire. Only problem is that the wire isn't suitable for birds or bats, so I needed the new cage.

I think an outside bank area with a second door is essential. I have had 5 escapees and you want to do everything you can to prevent that. Here is the picture of the two cages with the outside bank area attached:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/000_4676.jpg

Our first attempt at a bird cage, which was built this past February since I wanted to get my Federal bird permit and had to have the cage done when I applied and got inspected. It is 8' by 4' by 8' tall. Not bad, but not too solid and the walls were netting and could only be used for birds, so it sat empty most of the summer. Here is a picture of it:

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r299/4bunnies/100_1534.jpg

When we built the new bat cage, we tore down the old bird cage and the outside bank and left just the two squirrel, possum, bunny cages standing. Then we built the new outside bank and bat cage onto them and now I have 3 awesome cages suitable for anything I get in :).

Those didn't include my bunny hutch that my dad built me for my three legged cottontail and donor bunny either :). I had an older cage a friend gave me and then my dad built me a new one. I can't find the pics though :shakehead.

And that is the story of my cages, sorry it was so long. You will learn as you go. The two connected cages cost me about $1,500 to build and is a VERY good started setup! You will want to sit down and look at your minimum requirements for size and think about what you want to put in the cage and all the little things to worry about (wire size for tiny creatures, the flooring for bunnies sensitive feet, soft wire or net for flying creatures in case they crash, things like that). You want to build the most versatile cage possible! When you finish, post some pictures, we can all get ideas from eachothers cages. There is a thread on here with several people's setups, a good thing to look at when designing a cage :thumbsup. Of course, if you are like me you go from thinking about it to done in under a week :tilt.