Now that Mushroom is bonded with me, I can’t leave him behind when I travel. He likes travelling with me everywhere I go. I have to get a bag for both rat-boys to travel in. I can’t use a normal carrier because of the transport I use. I have to make it look like it is a normal bag. A bit cheeky, but true.
I’ve been thinking about getting a lunch bag, removing the insulation and adding a mesh layer for air. I’ll keep the lid and zip, but manipulate it a bit so that they get air.
The original exterior size of the bag before any changes is:
17 (H) x 27 (W) x 18.5 (D)
I will ignore the inner dimensions because I’m going to remove the insulation layers and the empty bag size will be very similar to the exterior size.
The fabric is polyester, and the insulation has polyethylene (PE) filling and the lining is polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA).
For the mesh, I have two choices. The first is costume mesh, the second is fly screen.
| Pros | Cons | |
| Mesh | Lightweight, easy to sew | Rats can bite through it |
| Fly screen | medium weight, bendable | Rats can’t bite through it |
I think it would be better to go with the fly screen option because it is made from fibreglass. Hopefully the holes in it aren’t too big.
I then found Pet mesh, it is so much more expensive, but it is possibly a better option, if it can be cut with scissors or a knife. It is three times the price. It will most likely be overkill.
Then there is this one, a cheaper fibreglass mesh. I think I will try this one, but it is out of stock.
Next I have to figure out how I’m going to attach the fly screen. My initial thought was to take the top part of the zip off, sew it onto the fly screen and attach the fly screen to the top of the bag, leaving the top flap unattached. I can then use sticky hook and loop dots to keep the lid down. I can always lift the lid to let more air in.
I ended up getting the larger lunch bag because the green one was too small.
This pet mesh barrier was perfect and it was a brilliant price. Luckily, someone had opened a box to check it, and left it there for me to find.
It would be easy to cut into shape, and it’s big enough to cut a few if I make a mistake.
I tried my sticky dot idea. It was dumb.
I ended up hand-stitching it together. I will sew it properly with a machine at a later stage.