# Hopefully!!!!



## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

OK, well, my grandparents sent me a hundred bucks for my birthday, and I am now trying to convince my parents to allow me to get 2 new rats.
I have 2 males already, but now I want two females. 
I saw a really nice cage at Petsmart for only 35 bucks, and with 65 dollars left from that, I'll have plenty of money to buy the girls hammocks, and bedding, toys, food, etc.
I wrote my daddy a letter asking if I could get a rat, and he WILL MELT IN MY HANDS! LOL
Wish me luck!
Any advice with the new girls?


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Keep them FAR FAR away from the boys at ALL times!!


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

lol, I know haha! Absolutley no breeding! I couldn' take 15 or so baby rats running about.
Does anyone have any cute girlie rat stories? I would love to know what I am getting my self into, I only have experience with my boys. Girls are NEW!


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## Brizzle (Mar 26, 2008)

A really nice cage for 35? Do you have a link to it?


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Hmmmm, I can't seem to find it online, but I know I saw it at the pet store.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

are you sure it wasn't 350? i don't even think they sell their hamster cages that cheap


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

For that amount of money, there is no way it could be a big enough cage for rats!
I work at petsmart. I know this for a fact. xD The ONLY cage I would let someone get for rats in Petsmart is like $130


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Nope, I'm sure that it was $35, it must have been a sale. 
It was huge, and defenitely big enough!


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

What was it called? What did it look like?
Brand name?
If petsmart has a sale, it's nationwide. We are having no such sale in my store.


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Ummm, hey.....You are so not stealing my sale, lol.


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

?
Stealing your sale?


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Lol, like you don't know!!! 
Asking questions: brand name, what's it look like, mentioning the nation wide thing.
You want to see if you can get the cage before me!
News flash: aint gonna happen!!!
lol.


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## amandahoney (May 14, 2007)

don't they sometimes mark down the prices on return items after the box has been opened? could that be it? usually if something sounds too good to be true... it is.

i think you're asking for trouble wanting both genders in the same house, unaltered. but that's just my opinion.


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

Dude...what the heck??
I WORK there. I get a discount anyway..
and I'm about to get a RUUD for $25. Why would I want to "steal" your sale???
I'm trying to figure out what stupid cage you're talking about, because there's NO WAY a cage big enough for rats is that low priced. In Petsmart. Where I WORK. And know about all the sales!!!

ETA: Amandahoney: Nope. Not usually.


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

No, the cage doesn't come in a box, it's out on display and you just buy it and take it home. That's how I got my other cages.
Don't worry....I'm gonna be EXTRA cautious. A lot of other people on here seem to have both sexes, and no problems....then again.....lol.
Don't worry, I am going to be extra cautious.
The world is in no need of even more baby rats.


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Deliliah....I'm sorry if you took it that way....I was meaning to sound jokingly, not rudley.


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

>>;
-walks away-


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Are you mad now? I am sorry. I really didn't mean for it to sound that way...


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## amandahoney (May 14, 2007)

have you looked at petsmart's website (petsmart.com) to see if you can find the cage, to show us which one you're talking about?


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Yeah, I looked....I couldn't find it. Grrrr. Hold on, let me see again.


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

It looks kinda almost like this one:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3057119


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

How does it ALMOST look like that one?


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## amandahoney (May 14, 2007)

hmm, you'd be lucky to come across that for as cheap as $35, even if it is a little shallow.


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

I hope no one on here thinks I'm lying....Maybe I am just paranoid.

Anyways!!!! Anyone else have girls, and got any advice or stories?


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

Amandahoney: The cage she sent a link to is a good cage, I have my 4 girls in it and they love it. (though I am getting a bigger one soon)
However, if it was on sale, it would be on sale in my store as well. And it's not. =/


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

OK, forgive my paranoia, but seriously.....I am not lying.
A VERY similar cage is on sale for 35$ at my petsmart.


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## amandahoney (May 14, 2007)

all right. good luck with the cage, then.

i have all girls. i don't have any basis for comparison, but i can say my girls all have different personalities- i have one who's a completely independent explorer, one who's painfully timid, one who's lazy and cuddly, one who's clingy and very interested in being on me at all times, and one who's a little hairless bundle of energy. so... i don't know if you can stereotype along gender lines. but girls are great. yeah, i'm biased.

delilah: were the measurements right on the website? it said it's 15.75" deep. i guess for little girls, though, it wouldn't be too small. did NOT mean to insult your girls' abode in any way...


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

.....


Ok, then, thanks.


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## Buggzter (Feb 13, 2008)

I have one of those plus another part added with hardware cloth on top doubling the size... It works well, but ONLY for smaller girls since it's only 14" deep... And it's only good for 8 at MOST with the addition, and I keep 6 younger girls in there right now.. Gonna replace it soon though since they'll shortly need a bigger setup. 

If you can go and get the dimentions, that would be great.  Also, it's nice to have both genders but makes for more than twice the work.

Remember, they all need play time out of the cage with you. Unless you have them altered sometime soon, you have to give the boys an hour EACH day, and the girls and hour EACH day. Dundundun... I'm a stay at home mom and can manage that but not too well. With you being in school and having homework... It can be serriously hard for you, I'd think.

Just my thoughts, but I'd go for a third boy, maybe a fourth as well if you "need" more rats :wink: - I know how you feel though!!! It will just be much easier, and though it's a sligtly morbid thought you DO have many years ahead of you to get girls in when you 1) have more time and/or 2)have been parted with your boys by that Last Bridge of their life-stories.

BUT, girls are really really funny - all mine rush the doors of their cages to get to me, and forever steal stuff from one another much much more than the boys ever have. They also jump around much more and will come see me in flashes before going to play for another minute, then flashing back for a second again...  They are a joy, but also a chore since I also then have the stinky boys. :lol: 

If I were working or going to school even half-time, I could NOT have both genders in my home... Just too crazy with the double work for play-time. ALTHOUGH I am making plans for a wall to go between the sides of the room I let them play in, which would keep them separate but able to be out at the same time with no access to one another....

One other idea for you for playtime, is look into the enclosed playpens like Martins Cages have available, so as the girls can play in one while the boys are in the other, and you don't have to worry about babies...?

All in all, I personally wish I had thought things through much sooner and just chose either the girls or boys - though I am now so attached I will NOT give either group up!!! :lol: 

Good luck with the decisions.  And check the cage calculator when you can to make sure of the sizes of things you need as well as any suggestions the site might have for that cage...


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

Amandahoney: 
Yeah, the measurements are right.
I suppose it is a bit small for them, but they all still have room to run and play and sleep. -shrugs- They don't seem to mind. They're not tiny, but not huge either.
And, I am getting a RUUD soon, soo...o.o lol


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## Nicotine (Jan 2, 2008)

I have no idea why things are getting so heated in this thread - it seems innocent enough!

As for your girls, congrats and good luck! It's not impossible to keep the two sexes separated in the same household, but like you know, be very very careful. You might consider getting your girls spayed - even if they're not going with the boys in the same cage, it absolutely eliminates any risk of accidents, and it's also an investment towards their health. Just suggesting 
Or, as Buggzter said, maybe consider more boys? I have both sexes right now, and let me tell you, it's a lot of work - separate cages to clean, separate free-ranging time, and their entertainment needs are entirely opposite. It's part of the reason I'm having to rehome the girls.
Not that I don't think you can handle it, and it's not up to me - just take what Buggzter said in consideration? 

I've got too many stories to tell with my Alice :roll: She's a little firecracker. Lately, though, she's been sweet enough to settle down and let me snuggle her, without any complaints! I even chomped her head, today, and she didn't so much as move :lol:


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752673
Is it this cage??

eta: or this? 
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3057124


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## 2boysloose (Jun 27, 2008)

Nope. I am also looking at Petco cages.

My dad....he is slowly considering...
These were his words:
:You'll notice, Katie, that I am not enthused by this idea, but I haven't yet said no."


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Went to petsmart today and no cage there that would be big enough for rats that was under $80 and that was with the one floor model on sale!! If I were you I would go back out to the petsmart, look over that cage (make sure it isn't broken) measure it then punch it into the cage calculator. If it's big enough you had better snatch it up because NO cage I have seen that is big enough is that price!! 

I understand you wanting girls to know what it's like, but having 2 sexes in the house stinks!! Twice the cages, double the time to have to take them out of the cage (and you can't really just slack on this one) and basically while your thinking twice the work.... add up how much time you spend with your current crew, multiply it by 2 and then see how it works for you for a few weeks. Take your boys out for double the time. However much time it takes to clean the boys cage, do nothing for that amount of time again to see how long it takes. If cage cleaning and decorating takes 20 minutes, that's going to be 40 minutes, plus 2 hours of free range for both sexes... that's 3 hours out of that day...


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## Kathleen (Jul 1, 2008)

How come you're set on getting girls? I'm just curious, not trying to attack or anything.  It's just that, like lovinmyworm says, you have to do everything twice - and separately. Or were you planning on getting them spayed as someone else said?

If there really is a $35 cage out there that's big enough to house rats comfortably, all I have to say is: snatch it!


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## junior_j (Jan 24, 2008)

Yeah things did get a bit heated here hehe 8O 

I (From experiance) can tell you what its like with 4 males and 14 yes 14 females in the same house , and on the same floor , we only managed because there are 3 people in the house at ALL or MOST times..

It used to take 3 hours of cleaning every 3 days , and decorating , and then we had to free range Keith seperatly from the other 3 males because he would attack them , so that was 1 hour for kieth 1.5 hours for the girls and 1.5 hours for the boys , so that 4 hours of free ranging a day and 6+ hours a week for cleaning!

I know it wont be that bad for you but thats what it was like for us , we had huge cages for our animals (found a site that had them for sale , so we snapped up 2. and my girls have a jenny and kieth has a large bird like cage , he is to old and fat to climb up the cage lol , thats why nowdays he gets upto 6 hours out of cage time, so he can excersise and explore and get cuddles.

So basically after a while we found a LOVELY couple who wanted the boys and girls , and was going to have them neutrueed extra they were very much experianced with rats and we gave them a little pop quiz to check how much they knew about them , and they had had rats and were very keen for more..

So now we have 3 girls and one boy 

So yeah it can be hetic , with oppisit sexs.
But good luck to u
Jess x


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I don't think that having both sexes in one house is an issue .. as long as you are responsible enough to ensure that those cages are 100% ratproof (aka no huge barspacing a rat could escape into or out of) and take the relative precautions should an escape happen. I keep 13 boys and 13 girls in the same room .. the girls are not allowed to free-range around the boys. The girl's cages are more than secure should the boys be running around this room .. but you do have to be VERY careful.

The only thing I would potentially worry about is the greater chance of vet bills. Do you parents pay for them. If not, $100 won't go so far, especially after you get the rats, cage etc .. just a thought


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## AceYourFace (Jan 4, 2008)

The Ruud Cange is nice but it looks too narrow once you put toys and hammocks and things for them to do they are going to have little room to do anything. Thats why I like the FN. It has width as well as hight but you'll never find one for $35  lol


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## twilight (Apr 20, 2007)

The Martins Ruud has plenty of room.  It's a great beast of a cage for people who have many ratties but cannot fit an FN in their home. I've never had one but I have seen it in person before. Just note the females are prone to tumors, which is why spaying is so recommended. So I would put extra money away in a vet savings.


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## SweetLittleDelilah (May 13, 2008)

That's why I'm getting a RUUD lol....
I don't have room in my bedroom for a fn because it's too wide. xD
And I only have 4 (soon to be 5) girls, so they will have PLENTY of room lol.


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