# Coated, powder coated, galzanised rat cages?



## sonicboom (Sep 3, 2011)

I'm hoping someone will be able to give me some advice on this, as I've googled and googled and there's not a lot of information about the differences with coated, powder coated and galvanised cages. What is best to avoid urine damage, what is healthier for the rats? and what cage has what? A lot of the sites that review or sell cages do not go into details about this.

I have bought a Critter cage, and I've read that is it powder coated, and likely to rust over time due to urine.

What's the difference between them all?

Is "coated" plastic coated, meaning that the cage is coated in a plastic? Or is "coated" a paint coating? I imagine that either of these will not rust as the metal would not ever get urine on it while the plastic/paint is intact. Do rats chew of plastic/paint?

I believe that "powder coating" is done by using a dry powder paint and with a special technique, that you can't do at home, the paint covers the wire. Is this paint thinner than "coated", and therefore not as protective, and likely to allow the cage to rust? I'm not so sure if I understand this properly as I know that bicycle and car parts are sometimes powder coated, and they don't rust that easily.

Galvanised cages have no paint on at all.

What are your experiences with the three different types, and what do you recommend?

I seem to remember my hamster cage was either powder coated or had no coating and did rust over time.


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

You don't want to get a galvanized cage, it will soak urine, and will never come clean.

You got the powder coating right.

By coated im guessing you mean PVC coated? 

PVC and powder coated are acceptable, powdercoating is better though because PVC coated can be chewed. The only PVC coated cages I know of are martins ferret cages.

Coated cages aren't bare metal, you can tell by looking at them if they are black, white, etc and not silver bare metal.

What do you mean by critter cage? All I can find is the critter cages that are just aquariums with a screen on the top. If that is what you have, you need to buy a wire cage, as tanks don't provide proper ventilation.


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## sonicboom (Sep 3, 2011)

http://rct-rats.co.uk/Info/Available_Cages/Suitable_Cages.htm


This site shows both the Critter 2 and the Critter 3 cages, available in the UK.


I believe that the Critter cages are powder coated. I chose it as it is not that expensive (£60+), and because I don't have a lot of room, and if I'd got a normal sized cage (£80 - £140) I'd have had to remove my wardrobe from my room. The Critter 3 measures around 70 cm wide x 42 cm deep x 105 cm high, so has a smaller footprint than most other similar volume cages, such as 80 cm high x 50 cm deep x 70 cm high. Although the overall volume is similar to other cages - it makes up in height and extra levels what it lakes in width and depth.


My concerns were that the floor space, although with the Critter 3 having three levels and an extra smaller level, would not provide as much floor space for male rats as other cages, especially if they did not go up and down the levels often when they were older and lazier. I decided on female rats then decided that the Critter 3 would be fine.


However, it has a shallow base, so bedding will get kicked out. I don't see this as a problem as I'll put something extra round that area to increase the height of the base. I've also been told that, although powder coated, it will rust. The base is all metal too, and although powder coated, may rust too, though I've not read another about the base rusting.


The Critter series isn't the prettiest looking of cages either, though it seems to me that it will serve it's purpose, even if it may rust and smell according to what others have said. The cage seems to be a smaller in all dimensions version of the Martin's Cage The Ruud Cage (R-699), without the deep plastic tray in the bottom, although it is not meant to be as sturdy. It is bigger than The Rat Tower (R-690).


Now I know what galvanised and powder coated are, I'm still lost if "coated" is paint or plastic (PVC like you said).


I've not set up my cage yet, (or got my rats), so don't know how my Critter 3 is going to turn out yet


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## sonicboom (Sep 3, 2011)

Another thought. I wonder if, although the Critter cages are powder coated, as are other popular cages, that the powder coating is cheaper/less efficient compared to other cages? I've not read about other powder coated cages rusting like the Critter is meant to...


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## smesyna (Nov 22, 2010)

Powder coating is the best you can do actually. Powder coating can eventually come off and so the cage can rust but there's not much you can do about that.

No need to feel bad about your cage choice, it is large enough even in footprint, it has a larger footprint than the 690.

It does appear to be powdercoated.


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## sonicboom (Sep 3, 2011)

Thanks. Once I've set it up I'll take photos and post any more info about it.


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