Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Guys,
I need your experience and opinion on something,

I am moving into a new place in September and it's not quite as big as my current place (kinda small actually). I plan on taking my 8x3x2 monitor cage and 70 gal Salmon Boa cage with me. I don't plan on having an issue with the boa cage, but the monitor cage is a beast. I have measure the whole house and there are really only 2-3 valid places for it that wont wind up making it furniture. See below for the apartment layout. I have placed the cage in places it will fit without being in the way. I can put it in the family room, but I would also like to fit a couch on one wall and TV/entertainment setup on the other. I thought about a flat screen above the cage, but I am also thinking of building the cage to 6-8 feet high.

My landlord is also a good friend (and the one who built the cage), so we were thinking of taking out a 8x8 section of the wall between the family room and bedroom and putting it in the wall, with glass on both sides. This is the coolest idea and also lets me get to the sliding glass door for cleaning the water bowl and such. This way i can fit everything in the family room and kitchen with the cage only protruding a foot or so.

My last option is to take it outdoors. I have a large yard. I live in Southern California, so it doenst rain much but I will need to weather proof the cage and/or build a shed or covering for it, as well as insulate in the winter time. The new place is 3 blocks from the beach, so i would need to treat the wood. Not sure what the salt water in the air does to monitors.

I would appreciate any suggestions anyone has based on creativity, things they've done in the past, or otherwise. Just looking for some ideas

Thanks again

House Layout

Current Cage (8'x3'x2')

Future Cage Design (with top glass section [8'x3'x4'] [8'x3'x2'8 TOTAL]) Not using materials shown or 1 ft top section

Sometimes keeping these animals means having to make sacrifices, and sometimes this specifically means sacrificing some of your living space. If you can have part of the wall knocked down to make room for the cage, that is not a bad idea (especially if the landlord is ready and willing). However you may find it just as cumbersome.

It is not wise to put an indoor enclosure outdoors, as heat will build up inside of them. An outdoor enclosure is a whole different beast, and when you're working with monitors you have to be very careful to make sure that you have every single escape route covered. I would not recommend that route for that and other reasons.

Overall, you're going to have to decide for yourself if keeping the animal is worth a lack of space in your new place, but you do have the responsibility to the animal to provide for it.

I would agree that moving an indoor cage outdoors involves alot of environment variable changes. Living in a Souther California low humidity environment, I couldnt make the cage open-air. And if I close it in, it could get extrememly warm frmo the sun hitting it and no ventilation.

Has anyone else built an outdoor cage in low humidity environments. I would think an 'outer layer' structure would be necessary to act as the temperature regulator, then you can have the cage handle the humidity/temps