The Importance of a Plan When Building a Reptile Cage

Would you put together a model plane without looking at the finished plane picture or looking at the plans? Does a builder build a house without a plan?

The answer to these is pretty clearly no. A homemade snake or other reptile cage is so much simpler though, you say. I can just put it together as I go. Not so, my young apprentice. There are many pitfalls awaiting the inexperienced. Simple things you can miss. Silly mistakes you can make, and believe me, it is very easy to make them. There are a host of things that can make a simple cage take much longer than it should plus some possible costly mistakes.

If you have never kept a reptile, then before you even plan a reptile cage, you need to do some research on what sort of cage your retile will need. A snake will need cages of certain dimensions; lizards will need other dimensions and arboreal species yet another type of cage with different dimensions. It's also helpful if you know how large your pet will get so you can plan ahead.

Another benefit of a plan is it helps you to think about your pet reptiles other needs such as heat mats, basking lights, UV lights, misting systems, substrates, decorations such as artificial walls, artificial trees and branches, and how these can be made and placed in the cage.

Once you have a clear idea of what you want the finished product to look like and how large it will be you are ready to plan how you are going to construct it. At this stage, having a plan, however rudimentary, is important. Once you have a plan in place you can think through the issues. In many cases it will allow you to remove the problem before you even start, as the plan often reveals an error or issue. Naturally, the more detailed the reptile cage plan, the more you can make allowance for possible issues. It can also eliminate waste and save money as you only purchase the correct amount of material.

Having a plan is useful as it allows you to see and understand how the cage will be constructed. You can work out how you may want to alter the plan if you feel the need to change.

And finally a plan is essential for the construction phase. What goes where, what is the order of construction, what size should this piece be and so on.

When building a reptile enclosure, if the plans are detailed enough you will constantly refer to them. This also helps minimize those costly errors.

Using a plan, whether is be yours, someone else's or a purchased plan, will save you time, money and effort. It will produce a much better result for you and your pet.

Mark Chapple is the Author of "How to build enclosures for reptiles." Find out how anyone can build reptile cages. Full color pictures, detailed diagrams and easy to follow, step-by-step instructions and what you need to know when constructing reptile enclosures. http://www.reptile-cage-plans.com

Today's PET CARE NEWS & INFORMATION resources updated Thu. February / 09 / 2012  

Pets perish in Santa Rosa fire, pot plants OK San Jose Mercury News AP SANTA ROSA, Calif.—Six animals—two cats and four dogs—have perished in a fire that destroyed a Santa Rosa house but spared a medical marijuana growing operation in the garage. None of the four people who lived in the home were injured in the ... Fire at Santa Rosa marijuana grow operation kills six petsSFGate.com (blog) Six pets perish in house near downtown Santa RosaSanta Rosa Press Democrat all 29 news articles »

The West Australian

Program helps people find their ideal pet The West Australian The colour-coded program in the United States evaluates shelter pets and the people looking to adopt them in an effort to match personalities, energy levels and needs. Playing Cupid with Meet Your Match helped workers at the Richmond Society for the ... Find Your Furry Valentine with Meet Your Match!Petside Find puppy love (cats too) through Meet Your Matchkypost.com all 63 news articles »

Firefighters rescue pets from Park Township house fire HollandSentinel.com No one was home at the time of the fire, but the fire departments rescued several pets trapped in the basement of the house. Authorities are still trying to figure out what caused the fire. “We did send two of our firefighters home to the hospital to ... Pets Rescued From Park Township House FireWHTC all 4 news articles »

Petside

Dental Health for Your Pet KFYR-TV February is National Pet Dental Health Month and veterinarians want to remind pet owners that while its important to brush their teeth. Fido needs to see the dentist too. Marilyn Deeter knows the importance of dental health, her husband and three sons ... Speaking of Pets February is Pet Dental MonthTampa Bay Newspapers February is National Pet Dental Health MonthSacramento Bee A Breath of Fresh Air: How to Keep Your Pet's Mouth Smelling SweetPetside KTUL (blog) all 10 news articles »

BigPond News

Pets a favoured Valentine for some: survey Ninemsn For many pet owners, Toto or Tiger will be the preferred companion this Valentine's Day, a survey suggests. The survey, commissioned by World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), polled 683 pet owners nationwide, asking who they would rather ... Australians would rather spend Valentine's Day with pets, surveyNEWS.com.au all 9 news articles »

Pet oxygen masks can save animals' lives in fires Alton Telegraph 16, 2010 file photo, a pet oxygen mask is placed on a dog, Mocha, during a demonstration by a member of the Portland Fire Department in Portland, Maine. While pet oxygen masks have been used for decades by veterinarians in offices and hospitals, ... and more »

Fracking's Toll on Pets, Livestock Chills Farmers: Commentary San Francisco Chronicle A new study by veterinarian Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald, a professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, chronicles case studies of dozens of farmers and pet owners in six states over the Marcellus Shale. Their findings, published in ... and more »

Proposed Bill Protects Pets of Domestic Abuse Victims Patch.com Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, who's district also falls partly into Clearwater, extends legal protection to pets of an abuse victim and makes beating or abusing the victim's pet grounds for violating a court-ordered domestic violence injunction. and more »

MyFox Detroit

Michigan Humane Society Pets for Patriots Program MyFox Detroit The Michigan Humane Society (MHS), is teaming up with Pets for Patriots to give back to the men and women in uniform who inspire us all. The partnership will give active duty personnel and military veterans the opportunity to save even more lives by ... Pets eat the weirdest things; pet proof your homeDaily Camera ADOPT A PETTri County Leader Bad pet owners might be causing fee hikes for everyone elseKFOX El Paso KIVI-TV all 6 news articles »

Emergency pet care can be hard to reach WCAX By Kyle Midura - bio | email Vermont has more pet owners per capita than any other state in the union. But, those in remote communities can find themselves far from help when crisis strikes. Emergency care centers are operated 24/7 throughout the state ...

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