The chameleons are low maintenance pets and are quite small in size so you do not need very large space for keeping them at home. They are generally kept in cages that can be made by us or you can them in the market. We will discuss on how to make your own screen cages for the chameleons in this article.
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Why to make a cage chameleons ourselves?
There are many reasons why one should make the cages of the chameleons on their own and few of them are listed below:-
Saving of money
One can easily save the money by making their own cages for their pet chameleon, as there will be no extra cost that will be added up to the cage and also you can get the material according to your budget.
Space utilisation
You know that what size of cage you need for the chameleon and you also know how much space you have at your home so that you can easily place your cage and due to all this knowledge you can utilise the whole space properly by making the cage for the chameleon on your own.
Developing of skills
You can either put your skills in working or you can develop your skills while making the cage for the chameleon on your own and you will learn something new and interesting and also you will enjoy it.
Customisation
You can easily customise the cage of the chameleon according to your wish and according to the need of the chameleon as you will not get what you want from the market and also you can create some unique cages all by yourself.
The market bought cage will have stuff that you might not need and it is of no use for you, but you cannot do anything. But if you make your own cage for the chameleon, you can easily customise and only use the stuff that you need inside the cage and there will be no extra or unused stuff inside the cage.
These are the main reasons why one should make the cage of the chameleons on their own and this is not a hard job to do, you just need knowledge and determination to make it, rest everything will fall in place.
What materials and tools to have for making of a cage for the chameleon?
The materials and tools that one should have for making of a cage for the chameleon are as follows:-
- Wood– You will need wood in order to make the frames of the cage and to create a frame structure.
- Floor material– you need something to cover the floor of the cage, so plywood is good for the floor.
- Screens– the screens can be used to cover all the sides of the wooden frame. You can use aluminium screen mesh, due to its durability and light weight.
- Screws and the staple gun– these are needed in order to attach the various parts of the cage together as they will help in holding the structure in place making it strong and sturdy.
- Top (premade): you can go for a top that is premade because it will save your time and effort as making a door is a tough job, so because of a premade top you can easily install it over the cage and your cage making process will become quite easy.
- Had saw, Drill or screwdriver, hammer: these tools are needed for cutting and fixing various parts of the cage, so these tools are very important and make sure one should be aware about these tools before using them otherwise you can get hurt while using them.
These are important materials and tools that are needed to make the cage for the chameleon and after having all this only then you will be able to make the cage for your chameleon.
How to Make your Screen cages for Chameleons?
For making of the cage for the chameleon one should follow the steps that are given below:-
- The first and the foremost step that is important in making of the cage for the chameleon is to gather all the material and tools that are mentioned above, only after that you will be able to start your work.
- Now the second step is to cut the wood of appropriate size that you want to your cage to be. The dimensions should be proper as this is the base of your structure so cutting of the wood should be straight and prefect so that there is evenness in the cutting because you have to join these pieces later. Now it also depend upon you and also the size of the wood that how many piece of wood you need cut to complete a frame. So be careful with your calculations.
- Now it is time to put the frame together, in this you have to put the cut pieces of the wood together in order to create a framed structure. Now it depends upon you how long and how tall or how wide a cage should be and accordingly join the pieces of the wood together with the nails or screws so that they are strong and sturdy and the frame stands still as this will be the base of the whole structure. This is the main reason you cannot be careless with your frame as the whole cage will be dependent on this frame as it will be standing on it. You can even drill holes before inserting the screws so that the process becomes easier or you could hammer the nail for joining the pieces of wood to create a frame for the cage structure.
- After the frame is ready and check whether it is strong enough to hold other things on it you are ready to move on to the another step and that is of attaching of screens to fill in the gaps of the wooden frame. Now remember that the screen mesh that you will be using should not injure the chameleon and also the holes should not be too large that the crickets or another insects can escape from those holes. You have to cut this screen mesh in perfect dimension that can easily fit inside the wooden frame. You can use cutters for this purpose and do the measurements properly as if it is not cut properly there will be problem in fitting them inside the wooden frame.
- Now after cutting off the screen mesh you have to attach it to the wooden frame, so you can do this with the staple gun and you can staple the screen mesh around the wooden frame of the cage of the chameleon. You have to be sure that these screen are tight and are pulled properly and the edges are held down properly so that the chameleon is not able to sick its tail or leg through it and get hurt. So be very careful while installing the screen mesh on to the wooden frame.
- After installing of the wire mesh you have to attach the floor to the cage of the chameleon. You have to take the dimension of the floor and cut the plywood or any other material if you want to use properly. Do the markings according to the dimensions and cut the sides and corners of the plywood nicely and smoothly.
- After cutting the flooring to proper dimensions it is time to attach the floor to the cage of the chameleon. Remember there should not be any gaps while attaching it and it should be fitted tightly and properly. If the base or the flooring material is very thin you can use the staple gun to attach the flooring to the wooden frame or you can hammer nails for the tight holding of the floor and so that it does not slip and it is tight and there is no gaps in between. The floor should be strong and tight as all the things that will be kept inside the cage will impose their weight on the floor, so choose the material for the flooring of the cage properly.
- The next step after fitting the floor you need to install the top of the cage of the chameleon. It is recommended to always go for a premade top in order to save time and efforts. Go for a premade top with the matching dimensions and you can easily install it on to the top of the cage of the chameleon. The premade tops incudes of the doors from where you will clean the cage and also put the chameleon or some other items inside the cage or remove it from the cage. The premade top is the best option for your cage as it includes the door and making of a door is not an easy task, so the premade top makes this thing easy and you can easily attach it to the top of the cage.
- Now you have even attached the top of the cage of the chameleon and now your cage is almost complete. You have to now give just final touches to the cage. The final touches are given so that the cage would look much nicer and appealing for your chameleon and also it will be placed at your home it should look amazing. You can add furniture inside the cage for your chameleon and also add some plants to give it a natural look.
- For finishing touch you can add beautiful lights and heat lamps and can add stuff like stones, branches inside the cage. You can add various substrate inside the cage to give it more of a natural and beautiful look. You can even trim the edges of the screen mesh to give it a smooth look and also add colours to your cage to make it look pretty. You can add as much as you want depending upon the comfort of the chameleon too and customise your cage according to your wish.
The steps mentioned above can help you in building the cage for the chameleon on your own. You can easily create a cage for your chameleon without any hassle and customise it as you want. Make sure the dimensions should be proper, only then you will be able to create a perfect cage for your chameleon without spending any extra money on it.
FInal Verdict:
The cage of the chameleon is a very important part of the chameleon’s life as this is where it will spend its whole life, so we should be able to give it the best cage so that the chameleon is healthy and happy inside it and is not getting too stressed.
Remember the cage should have proper ventilation so that fresh air can enter the cage and the bad air or odour will be able to leave the cage. The cage should be proper and safe for the chameleon so that the chameleon will not get hurt.
The cage of the chameleon can be self-built and you can enjoy the process of its making and also you can customise the cage of the chameleon according to your wish and according to the needs of the chameleon.
To make the cage of the chameleon is not a hard job you can make it easily by following the steps above. Make sure that you provide your chameleon with everything that it needs and also you can add all the things that you want to or that is needed by the chameleon inside the cage and you can be experimental with your decorative ideas and work it on the cage.
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