# Should i exchange their cage?



## Cassmw996 (Feb 9, 2015)

I bought the All Living Things Critter Cage on january 7th and iv only been using it for about a week.

The cage is a good size and i like it but the bar that the door clips on to seems to have become very weak within the one week it has been used for and the bar is also very flexible. The clip has even pulled the bar down some making a 1 inch space between those bars while the other spaces are only a half an inch. At first it was very hard to open but now i can easily open it with one hand. 

I havent had pets before so this is my first cage and im not sure if this is a problem or not but im worried that the bar well break. This cage is from Petsmart and if they allow used cages to be returned then i well be able to because it is within 60 days since i bought it. So should this be exchanged for a different one?

This is the box for the cage.









This is the clip for one of the doors.









And also if i exchange it would it be okay to leave my 3 female rats(3-4 months old) in an aquarium for a only a few hours while im gone to exchange it?


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

The cage looks too small to house 3 rats.


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## erikablanchettexo (Nov 25, 2014)

This is the cage that I have. I ended up using zip ties to tighten the areas I wanted tightened. I totally see what you mean with the door. Mine looks the same at the hooking part but I haven't had any issues with it opening up on me or not being secure enough. But if you're double thinking it, I'd return it for another.


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## Kuildeous (Dec 26, 2014)

Hedgian said:


> The cage looks too small to house 3 rats.


That cage is 6.6 cubic feet, which technically is enough for three rats according to conventional wisdom, but I do admit that it seems the rats would be happier in a larger space. Also, that would fit three rats if you made use of all of the space, which is possible. I would certainly consider a larger cage, but I've gone and spoiled my rats with the double critter nation cage. If 2 cubic feet per rat is indeed correct, then that should be fine, as long as you can maximize the space.

The clip does bother me. My starter cage has the Z-style lock like that. It worked fine for my 6-week-old rats. When I moved them out, I noticed that one corner of the door is pushed out a little bit. My older rat was very persistent in pushing on that door. The gap never got big enough for her to squeeze through, but I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't moved them to the DCN. 

If Petsmart will take it back, it couldn't hurt. Just research which cage is good. 

It seems like keeping rats in an aquarium for a few hours would be fine. As I understand it, it's a bad idea to keep them in an enclosed space for good because the ammonia can build up, but that'd be a problem with long-term housing.


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## Cassmw996 (Feb 9, 2015)

I was told this cage would be big enough for them. They are female( i think females are smaller then males) and right now theyre about 3-4 months old. But the measurements of cage are at the bottom of the box so you can see them in the picture. Sometimes things in pictures look bigger or smaller than they really are.

My boyfriend suggested using something to tighten it but im still worried that with how weak the bar seems to be within jut one week of use that at some point it might break when i open it. How long have you been using your cage for erika?

Also i would love to get a bigger cage eventually. Right now where i am living i dont have very much space and this cage does fit very good in my room. I can make adjustments to fit a larger cage tho. I would like to go back to Petsmart and see if i could get something better


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## erikablanchettexo (Nov 25, 2014)

Cassmw996 said:


> I was told this cage would be big enough for them. They are female( i think females are smaller then males) and right now theyre about 3-4 months old. But the measurements of cage are at the bottom of the box so you can see them in the picture. Sometimes things in pictures look bigger or smaller than they really are.
> 
> My boyfriend suggested using something to tighten it but im still worried that with how weak the bar seems to be within jut one week of use that at some point it might break when i open it. How long have you been using your cage for erika?
> 
> Also i would love to get a bigger cage eventually. Right now where i am living i dont have very much space and this cage does fit very good in my room. I can make adjustments to fit a larger cage tho. I would like to go back to Petsmart and see if i could get something better


I used zip ties on all the corners and it strengthened the cage so much honestly. I've been using the cage since November 1st and haven't had any issues other than the door but it's still sturdy and doesn't randomly pop opened or anything.


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## Cassmw996 (Feb 9, 2015)

This is how i have it set up right now. I plan to add things once i get my sewing machine and i well move things around if needed. If i do get a new cage i well try to get a bigger one. Definitely not a smaller one.


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## Cassmw996 (Feb 9, 2015)

Im not sure how noticeable it is but there is a second house and a wheel in the bottom on the left side


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## erikablanchettexo (Nov 25, 2014)

Just one major thing I'd be careful about with this cage is the wooden shelving and ladders. I honestly don't know why they'd use wood because it absorbs pee like crazy. So I'd get rid of it once it gets smelly. But it's easy to replace with metal shelving. Or you can make your own shelving out of cheaper items and zip tie them in also, which is what I've done with mine.


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## Cassmw996 (Feb 9, 2015)

The shelf in the middle and on the right side i actually made out of jumbo popsicle sticks and hot glue. I havent notice any chew marks any of the shelfs but the glue isnt anywhere they can chew and if they do get to it i well take it out asap even tho the glue is non toxic. I noticed that you live in dartmouth. Im from there and live very close to there still. Do you know where i could buy different shelfs?? (incase i dont get a different cage)


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## erikablanchettexo (Nov 25, 2014)

Cassmw996 said:


> The shelf in the middle and on the right side i actually made out of jumbo popsicle sticks and hot glue. I havent notice any chew marks any of the shelfs but the glue isnt anywhere they can chew and if they do get to it i well take it out asap even tho the glue is non toxic. I noticed that you live in dartmouth. Im from there and live very close to there still. Do you know where i could buy different shelfs?? (incase i dont get a different cage)


PetSmart may or may not have them. Same with Jungle pets. But I honestly just went to the dollarama and got some metal cookie sheets (but they have little squares all over like a #) and zip tied it to their cage and clipped fleece on top and they work really good! I've been using them since December and haven't had an issue yet.


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## Cassmw996 (Feb 9, 2015)

I quickly checked through petsmart in Bayers lake because i live closer to that store and i never seen any there. Could you send me a picture of the shelfs that you made?


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## erikablanchettexo (Nov 25, 2014)

Cassmw996 said:


> I quickly checked through petsmart in Bayers lake because i live closer to that store and i never seen any there. Could you send me a picture of the shelfs that you made?


I don't have a current picture of their cage right now and they're sound asleep so I don't want to disrupt them, but I did find a picture online of the exact same cookie sheet that I used to make their shelving. They sell them at the Dollarama near the Dartmouth Sportsplex I know for sure (unless they got rid of them after Valentines) for 3$. They're the Betty Crocker sugar cookie sheets. I'll attempt to send a picture to your inbox. If you don't get it, please send me a message and I'll resend.


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