This article is from the WSSF 2013 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

By Karen Robbins

This article is how to make simple water bottle holders and bottle protectors (see the article Making Rat Lab Block Wire Feeders for more on the use of the bottle protectors).

These are simple but effective additions to the wire double feeders or for the single feeder baskets used as water bottle holders. This keeps the edge of the bottle that touches the edge of the wire protected from rat teeth being able to chew and destroy your water bottles.

Various water bottle protectors for one large bottle or two small ones. L–R: short single hole for Lixit bottle’s large sipper tube, double hole for normal sipper tubes, tall single hole for Lixit bottle’s large sipper tube.

• 26 gauge galvanized or stainless steel sheet metal (stainless steel is great as it is easier to clean, but the galvanized is fine)
• Tin snips
• Grinder to grind the cut edges smooth so you nor the critters get cut on the edges
• Sheet metal bending brake to bend the metal
• Drill to make hole(s) for the sipper tube
• Rat tail file to smooth edges of drilled holes

• Short Single Hole protector with large hole for 16 oz Lixit water bottles 3¾–4″Wx2″Dx3″H; hole ⅜–⁷⁄₁₆″Wx¾″H
• Tall Single Hole protector with large hole for 16 oz Lixit water bottles 3″W x 3″D x 5″H; hole ⅜–⁷⁄₁₆″W x ¾″H
• Short Double Hole protector with large holes for 16 oz Lixit water bottles 4¼″W x 2″D x 3″H; holes ⅜″W x ¾″H
• Double Hole protector for normal size 8 oz sipper tubes 4″W x 2″D x 3″H; holes ⅜″W x ½″H

Water bottle protectors are simple pieces of metal bent to 90° and a hole drilled out for the water bottle sipper tube. These are for a tall single hole protector. Plans by Harley E. Hauser.

This plan is for the short double hole protector. Plans by Harley E. Hauser.

This plan is for the tall single hole protector for the 16 oz Lixit bottle with large sipper tube. Plans by Harley E. Hauser.

This plan is for the double hole normal size sipper tube protector. Plans by Harley E. Hauser.

1. Cut out the bottle protector(s)
2. Grind cut edges smooth
3. Bend the metal
4. Drill hole(s)
5. File the holes smooth
6. Place the Bottle Protector in your wire feeder/bottle basket

This plan is for some single hole protectors for lab cage lids that didn’t have the bottle protector on the wire lid. Hole is more in the center. Use your water bottle with sipper tube to determine where to drill the hole. Plans by Harley E. Hauser.

1. Cut out the bottle protector(s) (I made mine 2″W x 2½″T plus you will need an extra ½ inch for the two tabs)
2. Grind cut edges smooth
3. Place the Bottle Protector on your wire cage where you will be using the water bottle, bend the metal tabs back enough to fit through wire then bend forward to attach to wire
4. Place bottle on cage making sure the points that would touch the wire are now protected

A Simple Water Bottle Protector for use on a wire cage. This simple piece of stainless steel with two tabs to attach to the wire, protects water bottles from being chewed on by the rats inside.

A small size water bottle protector for use on a wire cage showing where the two areas that would touch the wire are protected.

A full size water bottle protector for use on a wire cage with a small protector behind it. I found a full size protector is not needed since the bottle only touches the cage at the bottom. Instead of riveting the tabs to the back, you can cut out the tabs as part of the overall size and just fold to bend around the wire.

In using the plastic carriers, we needed holders for the small 4 oz water bottles that would fit inside these cages (if using for longer than a trip to a show, you will need protection for the bottle to keep it from being chewed on such as with a small can to cover the bottle). These are simple wire holders that you use the hook that came with the bottle to hold the bottle in place.

This simple water bottle holder made for small 4 oz bottles is suitable to use in a carrier. It is made from ½ x ½ inch hardware cloth and just needs to be cut to size, edges ground smooth, and bent to hold the bottle and hang from the carrier. You can use either the hook that came with the bottle or a rubber band to hold the bottle in place. A modified version would be to make a wire basket to put the bottle in if you know the animals will chew the bottle in the short time they are in the carrier (see next page for directions). Plans by Harley E. Hauser.

• ½″x½″ hardware cloth or leftover ½″ x 1″ 18 gauge welded or stainless steel wire from making your wire feeder baskets
• Wire Cutters
• Grinder to grind the cut edges smooth so you nor the critters get cut on the edges
• Hard edge such as a table edge to bend the hardware cloth to make the “shelf” the bottle sits on or sheet metal bending brake to bend the wire (must use this to bend the heavier wire)
• Hook from your bottle

• For a small 4 oz. bottle: 1½″W x 1½″D x 8½″H

1. Cut out the wire
2. Grind cut edges smooth
3. Bend the wire to make the “shelf” the bottle sits on
4. Attach the hook and bottle
5. Place the holder up against the top of the carrier just under the lid and bend the top of the wire over the carrier edge

The simple 4 oz water bottle holder that is just a piece of wire bent into shape and the hook from the bottle is used to hold the bottle in place. If the bottle will be used long-term in the carrier, then use a small can to protect the bottle (see the article “Bottle Holder: Soda Can Bottle Guard” for ideas). You could also take a can (e.g. tomato paste can) that would just fit over the bottle (cover completely) and put over the top of the bottle instead of the bottom.

These are a mini version of an enclosed feeder basket but made specifically to hold a small water bottle (I had them made up to hold the 4 oz Transit Drinker bottles from KWC ages). These are simple wire holders made with ¼ inch hardware cloth that could be made to hold other sizes of bottles as well.

Water bottle holder for 4-oz transit bottle with the top hanger that gets folded over the cage edge. These plans have you folding the bottom and 3 sides around to make the basket so there is only one side of prongs to attach along with the prongs to attach the bottom piece. If you need to have the basket totally enclosed with a lid, cut out a piece of wire with a couple prongs to use as the “hinge” to attach to the basket. Plans by Harley E. Hauser.

Water bottle basket holder for 4-oz transit bottle. The one on the left doesn’t have a lid and the top piece is ready to bend over the cage edge. The one on the right has a lid and the top has been folded over to hang on the cage. Since these bottles are able to be filled up from the top cap with the type of spout they have, they were made into the basket otherwise your basket would need to be made much larger to be able to insert/take out the bottle. Since these are only going to be used in carriers as temporary bottles, it’s not that hard to clean the whole thing when needed.

• ¼″ x ¼″ hardware cloth
• Wire Cutters
• Grinder to grind the cut edges smooth so you nor the critters get cut on the edges
• Hard edge such as a table edge or sheet metal bending brake to bend the hardware cloth
• Needle-nose pliers to assemble the basket

• For the small 4 oz. Transit Drinker bottle: 2¼″W x 2¼″D x 3½″H

1. Cut out the wire and cut out hole for sipper tube
2. Grind cut edges smooth
3. Bend the wire to make the basket
4. Insert bottle before folding the wire prongs to finish the basket
5. Fold the wire prongs around to hold the back and bottom in place
6. For lidded baskets, make and attach the lid
7. If not using the wire for the hanger part, make and attach 2 metal straps
8. Place in carrier and fold top/hanger straps down over edge to hang basket in place. For non-lidded baskets, place up against the top of the carrier just under the lid to keep the critters from having access to the bottle.

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