# Super Pet Exotics vs Martin’s R680/5 vs Rat Manor, for 2-3 M rats



## LauraG (Nov 24, 2012)

Hello all! I’ll be visiting a rescue soon and I’m thinking of adopting a pair of male rats, but might be open to a trio if the personalities are a much better fit. As an aside, how much more work do 3 rats take vs 2 rats?

My main question is which cage to buy. I would LOVE to have a single critter nation, but I will be doing an externship rotation ~3 hours from where I live all next summer. I will be driving back and forth every couple of weekends to see my hubby, which means I want a permanent cage that can easily be transported in the car, while still giving the ratties a good amount of space and giving me a cage that’s (hopefully!) NOT a nightmare to clean. So, I sort of narrowed it down to the Super Pet My First Home for Exotics, Petco Rat Manor, and Martin’s R-680 or R-685. (If anyone has other suggestions, please share!)

My thoughts were this:

SPE- spacious (18” x 30” x 29”) enough to hold a trio if I get one, but is it too large for a small car? How worried would I need to be about rats chewing their way out? (I own a cat too.) I like that the shelves are solid and I wouldn’t have to try to cover them with liners, for example (I don’t own a washer and dryer, but have to pay to use the apartment’s facilities). $68 on Amazon with 2-day shipping!

Petco Rat Manor- 16.5 x 22.5 x 32 inches which according to http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml could hold a trio (comfortably?). $65-80. All metal which is nice, but there seem to be mixed reviews about its quality.

Martin’s R-680/685- 30" x 18" x 24" which according to http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml could hold a trio (comfortably?). Of all the options, this seems to be the best quality. My concerns are with the price ($115 to buy and ship the coated R-680, eek!), wire flooring (again, I can’t feasibly do laundry often so what to do with the wire shelves?), size (too cramped for 3 males?), and I have no idea how long it takes to get the cage once it’s ordered. Any thoughts between the R-680 and R-685? Can’t figure out if the extra floorspace with the R-685 is worth the extra price; plus, it seems it would limit your ability to hang stuff all over the cage.

Thank you so much for any insights!! I will definitely post pics once I get a cage and ratties.


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## JBlas (Oct 21, 2012)

I would forego the Petco Manor. I just ordered one and received it. It was a total piece of junk so I returned it. I know some on here think it is fine, but if you are looking for good quality--I'd certainly advise against that one I have two Luxury Rat Pet Home by All Living Things (Purchased at Petsmart for $88). 28.5 x 17.5 x 31.5. I have 3 girls in one and 2 boys in another...about to purchase the 3rd cage this week and will have my 3 baby boys in it. I like the quality and it's not terrible to clean--except the ramps get in the way for me, so I took 2 of them out. It has 3 large doors (2 on front/1 on top), and wheels to roll around. 

I know Martin cages are supposed to be good. I just have no experience with them so cannot comment


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## Pixxie (Jun 3, 2012)

If you don't have easy access to a laundry machine, forget the Martin's and Rat Manor. Liners get disgusting, and you'll probably not want to wait more than a week to wash them, if that. And you probably won't want to throw them in with your own clothes (hammocks tend not to get as trashed). Long story short: more, separate laundry = $$$. You can use them without the wire covered, but most people don't want to. Get either the SPE or the ALT Petsmart cage. All you need are baby wipes to keep the shelves clean between deep cleanings.


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## LauraG (Nov 24, 2012)

JBlas: Thanks for the suggestion! Do you know what the bar spacing is on that cage?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

The good thing about martin cages is that you can custom order them with pull out pans, so it's like having a lighter critter nation.


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## LauraG (Nov 24, 2012)

Pixxie: Thanks for your honest, helpful thoughts on the liners and pricey laundry situation!


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## JBlas (Oct 21, 2012)

@Laura--they are half inch...even good for my baby rats Plastic shelves which I spot-clean with baby wipes. I will put the entire cage in the shower and wash it down once a month. I like the quality of it, especially for the price. Here's a picture of one of my boxes.


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## JBlas (Oct 21, 2012)

OH--the only thing I didn't like was the wheel that comes with it. The wire was cheap and one of the wheels had sharp wire sticking out of it. I just left it out. Personally--it reminds me exactly of the wire in the Petco Manor cage that I hated


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## LauraG (Nov 24, 2012)

Yay for half inch bar spacing! And yeah, I wouldn't actually use any of the wire wheels that come with certain cages. Thanks for the reminder!

Do plastic bottoms tend to be relatively safe then? It's not too often or too many rats that chew their way out? I wasn't sure how much of a concern this would be.


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## JBlas (Oct 21, 2012)

I have chewers in both my girls and boys. They have never so much as nibbled at the plastic bottom or shelves. I do try to let them out each day for a bit. Today I have been sick and I have not let them out at all--but that is more rare. 


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## Pixxie (Jun 3, 2012)

Trust me...you don't want to smell my liners 

Boys are seemingly much less likely to chew it seems. My boys are only interested in what they can easily shred, but not the harder stuff. I would just keep an eye on them. You probably will be fine. If they do chew the base, I'd imagine you could find a metal replacement pan. Bass makes a metal pan that would work, but it is only 1.5 inches tall (but it's cheap! Only $13).

If you're worried about it fitting in your car, I know the ALT cage just unfolds and hooks together so it could be unhooked to get it inside the car and then reassembled pretty easily. Kind of annoying, but it works. I am assuming the SPE cage works the same way.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I'd go with the Martin's hands down. Best quality and bang for your buck.


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## Drowsy (Oct 23, 2012)

I have the SPE cage. It's a breeze to clean and rearrange. I hear the rat manor is a pain in the behind to clean, plus you can't rearrange the shelves at all so what you see is what you get.

And trust me, in that kind of cage, it's fun to rearrange the shelves. c:
I really love my cage, and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking. It's easy to move and unassemble/reassemble. But I also hear Martins is great.

So really, just don't go for the rat manor, stick with the SPE or Martins.


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