# Can't seem to find THE cage. :(



## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

After losing the last of my girls last year, I held off on getting ratters for while. I tossed my old cage, as 4 rats over 3 years definitely did a number on it. I'm looking for a new cage, but I'm having so much trouble! I want a cage with a decent amount of vertical space for climbing, solid shelves, a deep base (so poop and litter don't end up everywhere...I swear my girls liked chucking poop out of the cage), and for it to be reasonably chew proof. Is this possible without spending $200+? 

I'm in the US, and I prefer to buy online.


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## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

Okay, so I found better pricing looking at 1800 pet meds for cages.  I can get a single CN (or maybe even a double) for a VERY reasonable price. They also have scatter guards. It seems they aren't great, but it's better than nothing! I didn't want to use liners because my girls LOVED chewing fleece. I bought several yards of it and just made rough hammocks and such because I would have gone broke if I kept buying the store bought hammocks they destroyed...

Anyway, I digress. If I use a scatter guard plus a liner (to keep bedding in, not as actual bedding), do you think they will chew it? And do you think it will keep the litter in?


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

you can get pans for them here:
http://www.bassequipment.com/Cage+Pans/Ferret+Nation+Pans/default.aspx


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## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

I saw those. $50 for just a pan seems excessive.


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## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

Go to Home Depot and by a large cement mixing tub for 13 dollars. Fits in snug and you would only need to use fleece on the top shelf.


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

I'm in canada and when I went to Home Depot I had to cut a pan that was the dimentions of the cage down to fit and my rats chewed through it.  maybe they have a better one that I missed though


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## NaughtyFaerie (Jun 15, 2015)

Sidurah said:


> I saw those. $50 for just a pan seems excessive.


I agree to an extent but I bought them anyway and they are worth it...


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I also use the Home Depot large cement mixing tub in the bottom of my DFN. I have the cage entirely open and that's the only spot I use aspen bedding (since my neutered boys actually prefer nesting in the aspen lol). It's so deep that it's pretty much impossible for them to throw things out.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

I highly recommend martins cages! They are absolutely perfect cages. I have no complaints.

http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/

They come in a variety of sizes. You want the 680 or larger. And you MUST get them powdercoated, which is an extra fee. 

They are great for climbing and decorating, have a good base that is chew proof. 

I seriously love my martins.


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

martins are great but they hurt my eyes so thats why i went with a SCN.


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

Love your set up kk. My girls are terrible chewers of plastic however.  It would work with my boys though who seem to only like to chew on wood or those cement type perches, like you have in your cage.


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## MomToRats (Dec 25, 2014)

I have 2 cages one is a Critter Nation and the other is a Living World cage , the Living World to me is much better , looks the same but the Living World is much studier plus I have metal scatter gaurds in both cages


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

mimsy said:


> Love your set up kk. My girls are terrible chewers of plastic however.  It would work with my boys though who seem to only like to chew on wood or those cement type perches, like you have in your cage.


I think that since the "end" of the plastic isn't exposed on the cement tub (in other words it has a rounded lip on it so there's not really any place the can fit their mouth on) it keeps mine from chewing. That's my girls' cage and I definitely have some plastic chewers in there; I've had the cement tub for about a year now and it hasn't been chewed...mostly because I don't think they can lol. The only thing I dislike about it is that it has curved sides so it seems like I'm losing a lot of floor space, but since my cage is entirely open I don't think it matters too much.


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## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

Don't have a Home Depot. Closest one is 6ish hours away. Would they be at any hardware store?

Also, it looks like the Martin's cages have wire shelves? I prefer solid, as it's easier to clean and safer for little ratty toes.


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## Sidurah (Sep 28, 2011)

MomToRats said:


> I have 2 cages one is a Critter Nation and the other is a Living World cage , the Living World to me is much better , looks the same but the Living World is much studier plus I have metal scatter gaurds in both cages


Which Living World cage do you have? There seem to be quite a few. 

I'm concerned about having a plastic base that ratters can chew through. My girls never picked up that habit, but the ones I get might.


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Sidurah said:


> Don't have a Home Depot. Closest one is 6ish hours away. Would they be at any hardware store?
> 
> Also, it looks like the Martin's cages have wire shelves? I prefer solid, as it's easier to clean and safer for little ratty toes.


You could try a local hardware store or order online from home depot. I think their shipping is $5.99 regardless of size/weight, the tub itself is $13.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

I bought the bass pans (the stainless steel) and I think they are worth it.... over 8 months of use and mine still look brand new and they are easy to clean. Flowertown chinchillas (in Canada) sells powder-coated pans for the CN/FN for a little cheaper, but you'd have to see how much the shipping charges are.


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