There are a few speckles of rust on Gracie's cage bars. I didn't notice them until I was scrubbing the whole thing down outside, so they're really quite little, but rust is bad regardless. I couldn't get it off with white vinegar, though and I'm wondering how to clean it off. I know painting over it is an option, but then it's not quite -- I've read you have to wait five days after painting to put the resident back in and she could hardly stand being in her little cage for just the few hours of cleaning. She paces back and forth, screams, and refuses to eat a bite.
So, what can we do? I'm not sure what to do with her for the time being. It's on the outside bars and she doesn't tend to climb that wall in particular so I reckon she could probably use it for a while (well, she has been until I noticed, anyways) but I'm a little stuck. Is replacing the cage the only option? I'm sure she won't mind an upgrade, but even then it may take a while for it to get here.