Cage Liners & Custom Hammocks

[TorachiKatashi]

I haven't been around in a while, but I'm trying to figure out where I can order fleece cage liners for my Double CN. I ordered my last sets from MomRat, but her website says she is "on hiatus," with no date or year or anything to indicate if she went on hiatus this year or three years ago, so I have no idea how recent that is.

I'm also looking for custom hammocks. Same deal; all the places I used to get them are either "on haitus," or have shut down completely. I'm only interested in customs, not pre-mades (with the only exception possibly being if the person also makes cage liners: the liners and hammocks all have to match.)

I've browsed through the threads but so far haven't been able to find any of what I'm looking for. It seems as though people only ever make pre-made hammocks anymore, and cage liners are nowhere to be seen. I swear this stuff was popping out of everyone's ears three years ago and now it's like they don't even exist.

 

[lindsayfawn]

I make custom hammocks. Check out our website. All proceeds go to the rescue too

I don't make cage liners though. Might be something I could try though. Can't be that hard lol

https://sites.google.com/site/leroyslazyhammocks/

 

[Godmother]

TheRatStash does liners, with some solid colours available, so that you could buy hammocks elsewhere that look good with the solid liners.

 

[TorachiKatashi]

I make custom hammocks. Check out our website. All proceeds go to the rescue too

I don't make cage liners though. Might be something I could try though. Can't be that hard lol

https://sites.google.com/site/leroyslazyhammocks/

Thanks! I don't see a list of available solid colours for the inside of the hammocks, though? I only see a list of patterns for the outside. The inside is important because it has to be the exact same colour fleece as the liners I get.

TheRatStash does liners, with some solid colours available, so that you could buy hammocks elsewhere that look good with the solid liners.

I saw those ones, but they're really expensive. Just one shelf and pan liner from there costs as much as TWO shelf and pan liners cost me from MomRat. They also seem to be extremely limited in design/colour options. I can't afford to pay $60 JUST for one set of liners that only come in bright, girl colours. >.<

 

[lindsayfawn]

The fleece is listed first and then the fabric. Some of the fleece has prints instead of being just solid.

 

[Godmother]

I also loved MomRat's liners. But I think that many hammock and liner makers found the effort wasnt worth the earnings, because the sewing is just a small part of it. I bet that the emails, the handling of payments, and the handling and shipping take a huge amount of time. Perhaps MomRat needed to charge more? In any case, the ones who do make liners do a wonderful job. Forgot to mention that Henry's Haven makes liners, at least they used to. Also high quality.

It depends on how much your rats chew, too. The bad chewers don't merit the fancy liners, naughty little ratties! They get dollar store blankets.

 

[Godmother]

I actually enjoy mixing up the patterns. I got new patterned liners this week and made a bright and cheerful cage with hammocks in similar colours.

https://m.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbi ... 0444858283

I took the photos with my phone and can't get the pixels small enough to post here with a couple of extra steps, so I sent you a Facebook link.

 

[Petunia]

I also loved MomRat's liners. But I think that many hammock and liner makers found the effort wasnt worth the earnings, because the sewing is just a small part of it. I bet that the emails, the handling of payments, and the handling and shipping take a huge amount of time. Perhaps MomRat needed to charge more? In any case, the ones who do make liners do a wonderful job. Forgot to mention that Henry's Haven makes liners, at least they used to. Also high quality.

It depends on how much your rats chew, too. The bad chewers don't merit the fancy liners, naughty little ratties! They get dollar store blankets.

oh this is so true Godmother.... I don't think most people understand how much time is involved in all the different things you need to do to offer custom hammocks and liners, if you make them. There's also the choosing the fabrics, ordering them, prewashing them, ironing the flannels and cottons, photographing them, uploading photos, croppping, writing descriptions, putting them on your website, taking photos of the finished product, etc etc Also keeping track of inventory, organizing the storage of the fabrics and also keeping track of your other supplies, grommets, needles, thread, and figuring out what you spent and what you need to charge to even get back the money that you spent!
I don't make any profit on my hammocks, for example, but I will continue to make them because at least I do get back some of what I spent. I didn't keep very good records so I honestly don't know if I'm breaking even, and sometimes I think I should just sell off my fabric but I enjoy sewing and seeing the rats in the hammocks so....
for that alone it's worth it to me. But as a business, it's an incredible amount of work for a very small profit.
I don't sew as well as say, Melissa of the Rat Stash, so I could never justify prices in her range but I can assure you, her work is extremely high quality and worth every penny she charges.


also, TorachiKatashi The Rat Stash liners are double layer, at least (I think she also offers your choice of terry inner padding, or she used to)
MomRat liners were a single layer of fleece, with no grommets or elastics. So twice as much fabric plus grommets and stuff- the cost of those adds up. It costs me $1 for just 4 grommets, for example

so yeh there's a lot that goes into these things.

this is another hammock maker who offers liners, and does superior work:
http://www.chelseyscozies.com/fncnliners.php

 

[Demonardae]

I do custom hammocks, and I'm sure I could learn to do cage liners too. Half of the proceeds go to Ottawa's pet rat rescue. Here's a link to my kijiji ad. http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-pets-accessor ... Z489225765

 

[TorachiKatashi]

Sorry for the late reply; had a busy week working, and then my old boy Vin passed away on Saturday, so I haven't been online much.

I was always happy with the MomRat liners. I wouldn't want anything more fancy than that; not worth the money. I'd rather pay $30 for liners I'm perfectly happy with, than $60 I'm not any more happy with than the $30 ones.

Couldn't find any mention of liners at all on Henry's Haven.

I like the hammocks on Chelsey's Cozies, might have to order some, but her "liners" aren't really what I'm looking for. So far as I can tell, they don't wrap around the pans at all? They just lay on top, not sure how that's supposed to be useful at all (or how it's worth $66.) If I wanted to that, I'd just go buy some blankets from Wal Mart.

Any other recommendations for cage liners is appreciated.

 

[victoria]

Momrat is the only one that made liners that were like fitted bed sheets. A friend gave me some and I tried them with two colonies of rats and both were destroyed the first day. I've had the liners that just sit on the shelves for over three years and they work great. Well worth the investment IMO. (Rat Stash liners also just sit on the shelves and pans although I think they have an option where you can clip them down.)

 

[TorachiKatashi]

Does anyone know if Chelsey's Cozies is still operational? I sent an e-mail but haven't heard anything back, and from looking around the site, it looks as though she hasn't completed any orders since last year.

Likewise, it seems like almost everything on the Rat Stash website is either "Sold Out" or "Currently Not Available...?"

I'm not sure I understand about the liners. What exactly keeps them ON the pans? Does anyone have any pictures of these types of liners actually in use? Wouldn't the rats pull the liners away, bunch them up, crawl underneath in about six seconds if they're just laid across the pans like a blanket and not secured in any way?

 

[violet976]

I just saw this thread & figured I could clear up a few things (I run The Rat Stash). At the moment I am only offering premades as I'm also working with a new company and still figuring out how to juggle it all. I currently only have Ferret/Critter Nation liners, Martin's Liners & C&C liners available, and only with the fabrics listed on the website product page. They are double layer fleece, so probably more than you are looking for anyway, but I honestly don't know of any sellers at this point offering fitted liners like MomRat did (perhaps you can email her directly?). As for how mine attach, the large pans are grommeted and attach with metal shower curtain hooks at each corner. The smaller shelves attach with elastic at each corner. I found that most rats will destroy liners much quicker if they cannot get underneath them, so rather than fight it securing them at the corners only allows the naughty ones to go underneath if they want. They are going to do it anyways, so I'd rather they pull them back and go under rather than chew *through* to do so.

& Chelsey's Cozies should be taking orders at this point. If you look at her facebook page she has been sewing up a storm this year, so she's definitely still in business and active.

 

[Mairead]

[quote="victoria"I've had the liners that just sit on the shelves for over three years and they work great. Well worth the investment IMO.[/quote]

Do you buy or make your liners? If you buy where do you get them?

 

[Godmother]

I agree with Violet976 that some rats are going to get under the liner no matter what. Mine will chew liners that are too firmly attached. My latest set from TheRatStash are almost unscathed, even though I went away for nine days to see my family. (Husband is willing to do food and water and meds, but not cage changing).

TheRatStash liners are soft and thick, and that's especially nice for older rats. The young ones enjoy the luxury, too! Sometimes they will burrow under the liners, but the cage pans are much easier to clean with than with loose blankets.

 

[violet976]

If you need some that are lower priced, you can check out:

Robin's Hammocks and Beds

 

[victoria]

I've had the liners that just sit on the shelves for over three years and they work great. Well worth the investment IMO.

Do you buy or make your liners? If you buy where do you get them?

I bought mine from a hammock seller that's no longer in business. I want to make my own (I have everything, it's just a matter of improving my sewing skills and sitting down to do it) but I don't know if that will happen anytime soon. If you can afford it, I highly recommend the Rat Stash ones (I had a chance to see them first hand when I pet sat for Nancy/Unepuce), they're really well made. I'm not sure if Nancy got an added absorbent layer, I think it's a good idea but not necessary. I don't know if it bunches over time and affects the durability either. If not, the ones violet linked from Robin's Hammocks seem decent. I know they're expensive either way but they are so worth it since they last so long and you don't use disposable bedding. Or if you are handy with a sewing machine, I don't think it's very technical, it just takes a lot of time.

I can guarantee you the Momrat style liners would not last with your boys, as they (mostly Robin) destroyed a brand new set at my house in less than a day and a half. They were cheaper but I think most rats would have a tendency to destroy them. That's my experience anyway.

 

[victoria]

I've had the liners that just sit on the shelves for over three years and they work great. Well worth the investment IMO.

Do you buy or make your liners? If you buy where do you get them?

I bought mine from a hammock seller that's no longer in business. I want to make my own now that the original ones are dying and I am finally connecting my 2 CNs (I have everything, it's just a matter of improving my sewing skills and sitting down to do it) but I don't know if that will happen anytime soon. If you can afford it, I highly recommend the Rat Stash ones (I had a chance to see them first hand when I pet sat for Nancy/Unepuce), they're really well made. I'm not sure if Nancy got an added absorbent layer, I think it's a good idea but not necessary. I don't know if it bunches over time and affects the durability either. If not, the ones violet linked from Robin's Hammocks seem decent. I know they're expensive either way but they are so worth it since they last so long and you don't use disposable bedding. Or if you are handy with a sewing machine, I don't think it's very technical, it just takes a lot of time.

I can guarantee you the Momrat style liners would not last with your boys, as they (mostly Robin) destroyed a brand new set at my house in less than a day and a half. They were cheaper but I think most rats would have a tendency to destroy them. That's my experience anyway.

 

[Petunia]

If you need some that are lower priced, you can check out:

Robin's Hammocks and Beds

thanks for posting this violet976, I guess my idea for the long cube/tube isn't terribly unique :lol:
She's got a "Nut House" that is quite similar, and shorter & as most ppl are saying the 20inch long monster prototype I made is too long, she obviously figured that out much quicker :giggle:

I tried to see her fabric selection but it took me to a FB page that I didn't have permission to see....?

if you're willing to settle for premades, most of my prices can't be beat :cheeky:

 

[Mairead]

I've had the liners that just sit on the shelves for over three years and they work great. Well worth the investment IMO.

Do you buy or make your liners? If you buy where do you get them?

I can guarantee you the Momrat style liners would not last with your boys, as they (mostly Robin) destroyed a brand new set at my house in less than a day and a half. They were cheaper but I think most rats would have a tendency to destroy them. That's my experience anyway.

Yeah I just want the ones that lie on the shelf, that little destructo Robin would shred them otherwise, you should see what he's done to the hammock I bought them. I guess I'll just have to sit down and make some.