# New owner, Help chosing cage in my price range



## ptl-2010 (Aug 26, 2011)

A little bit about how I ended up with my furry little friend...

I work for a small advertising company, and we were working on a project for a mouse and rat trap. We needed a rat to run around a trash can, and so we went to a pet store and purchased one. We took him/her (not sure of the gender) back to the office and gave him a cage as we had no were else to keep him. I took him home and brought him back the day of the shoot. My boss asked what we should do with him, and I definitely did NOT want to throw him/her out, or even worse kill it, so I kept it. I have had him/her now for a couple days and I will be looking for a partner to keep it company.

Now on to my delema. It's very small at the moment and the cage is actually a hamster cage. He/she is on aspen bedding, has a little house made of a 55-250mm IS canon lens box (I had to keep my rat a Canon fanboy like me) and I feed it a rat block food. I plan on feeding a home made mix in next few weeks.

I really need to find a bigger cage, but I wasn't really planning on getting a new pet so my budget is pretty low. I wanted to spend as little as possible but it seems most cages are at least 50-100. I looked into the tank toppers but they seem unsafe for rats. I will only have 2 at the most in a cage.

I've been looking at these cages listed below

super pet my first home for exotics large - $83
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Super pet my first home multi level with stand - $81
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-First-Deluxe-Multi-Level/dp/B000CMHWZC/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_9

Martins rat lodge - $77

martins rat cabin - $58

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

The most expensive one would probably be the rat lodge because martins shipping isn't that cheap, and I think the rat cabin might end up being just as much as the Super Pet cages.

Any suggestions on which one to chose? Any ideas or alternatives to these would be great. Like I said I have a max budget on cages of about $100, and hopefully I can stay a bit under and pick up an extra furry friend also.


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## emmabooboo (Jul 24, 2011)

I have the All Living Things Luxury Rat Pet Home...it is very similar to the Superpet for exotics that you linked to, but it has a door on the top as well, and was about $80 from Petsmart (or maybe I got it from Petco?). It has narrow bars, so it'll work for a young rat, and there is plenty of room for two. 

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4470997&lmdn=Pet+Type

I looked at the Superpet Deluxe multi-level, and the bars are a little wide for my liking, and I have read that a lot of rats don't particularly care for the little slide/ramp thing (even though *I* thought it was cool...haha!), so I figured it probably wasn't worth the money to me.

I've heard great things about Martins' cages, but if price is a factor, their shipping *IS* high, like you stated.


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## ptl-2010 (Aug 26, 2011)

I was actually going towards the multi level because it comes with a stand, and I was browsing the pictures and saw a few rat setups without the slide (though I too thought it would be great!) Is there any reason the spacing would be a problem? I know they can get out easier but is there a minimum I should look at getting? So far he has done well in his cage now which actually has a pretty big spacing in the bars (I think the same as the multi-level) it was just something cheap my boss got to keep him in for a day or two. I think it was actually like a transportation cage for some kind of small animal. he likes to walk the wires but doesn't try to get through them, I've been watching him a lot since he's new to the house and we have 3 dogs and a cat.

I will have to check on the Luxury rat pet home and see if there are any near by, and if I can't I might go with the multi-level just due to the size and the stand unless the spacing is an issue. Worse case scenario I guess would be that I have to return it! I'd like to get something for him this weekend and try to find him a pal also, and amazon will only ship tomorrow if I order before 4. I hate leaving him in his tiny little cage


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

The rat lodge is big enough for up to three rats, but the rat cabin is not big enough. I honestly would suggest the rat lodge (martins 680). You would have to get it powdercoated and not galvanized though. Shipping for a 680 for me was only $10, really not bad. So the total for a martins 680 powdercoated and shipped should only be about 105-110.

Other than that, the super pet exotics is a good cage. The reason I reccomend the martins though is for a little bit extra, you will get a sturdier cage that will last longer. The martins has no chewable parts and stays good for ages. It also has larger doors for easier cleaning than the SPE.

1 inch bar spacing means escapes, which is dangerous. You should look for 1/2 inch bar spacing, which the martins and SPE have.


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## ptl-2010 (Aug 26, 2011)

Well, after looking I was not able to find a suitable cage in stock in my area, and the pricing on the Martin cages with combined quick shipping was just too high. It might just be my location, I'm not sure. For $90 I will have the Multi level Super Pet cage here tomorrow. I just couldn't leave him in this tiny cage for any longer, i felt like he has it worse than he did in the pet store 

I also found that if the spacing on this cage is a problem you can cover it with a chicken-wire-ish coated material. I will be doing a write-up and review of the cage so that anyone in the future who looks into this cage will know if it's a good or bad idea.

I will definitely look into the martin cages next time I have a bit more time to get set up.

Thank you for all of your help, i greatly appreciate it! I was not planning on becoming a rat owner but after having this little guy in my office and working with him on set I couldn't give him up!


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## ptl-2010 (Aug 26, 2011)

Update: Received the *Super pet my first home multi level with stand* today.

Put it together, fairly easy to do. Nothing super fancy or strong, but I think it will definitely last a while. The spacing on the cage is quite big as stated, but not near big enough for my furry friend to get out of. I also think it would be worth wrapping in a smaller wire if you're worried.

I installed the 3 levels, tube, slide, stairs, and canape just to see what he would do. He doesn't seem to be used to the levels yet, and at first he just climbed on the canape and tried to hang on the bottom, ending in him falling to the next level. After that he decided to use the stairs 

He does walk down the slide and the tube. He doesn't seem to trust the ladder/stairs yet.

He also seems to be a bit scared going down the bars from the higher levels, but after a while he's been doing a bit better.

This thing is seriously 20x bigger than the tiny little cage he was in. Just one of the levels is the size of the other cage.

Here's a picture of the cage in my room, and a picture of my friend. I think we have decided on naming him Fievel, and his partner (when we get one) will be Ralf.













I've had guinea pigs and hamsters in the past, and my little sister has a pair of guinea pigs now. I actually think rats are much better than both. They seem to be nice and playful, yet they do not need the constant attention a dog would need.

I was never able to do a whole lot with my guinea pig as he was scared of everything, and my hamsters always bit me. Now that I'm a bit older (20), not only can I take responsibility in how my little friend lives, I can play with him whenever I want! haha!


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Aww your little guy is very cute. I'm also glad to hear that you will be getting him a friend.

Is it fievel from fievel goes west?

He will get more used to climbing and such with time, in a small cage he hasn't had a chance to build his muscles.

And yes, IMO, rats are the best small pets if you want an affectionate, interactive pet. I still love other small animals, but rats are my favorite.

I'm glad you're trying so hard for this little guy.

You can get the hardware cloth to cover the cage in from home depot, lowes, tractor supply center (this is the cheapest source at least in my area), etc.


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## 3NakedLadies (Jan 27, 2011)

Aww, i love male rats! there soo chilled out once they get out of the 'teenage' months, and although they do not need as much attention as a dog I bet you find your rat getting sick of you! I can't put mine down! and I like the look of that cage I might purchase it myself! or the martins 680 as I need a big door! Good luck in finding the little guy a friend


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## 14clawsspe (May 9, 2011)

I can't wait to see the cage all set up.


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