# Best Cage for a Home Full of Cats?



## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi, guys! Quick question: just got my first rat a couple days ago, and I've got her in a 40 gallon aquarium, with a birdcage add-on. It's not the most secure; I don't have a mesh top for the half of the aquarium not interfaced with the birdcage, so I've got a piece of plywood over that bit. I know that ventilation is very important, and the birdcage isn't a perfect fit, so I'm concerned that she might be able to squeeze out around the edges. I need to get a bigger, better cage ASAP. The Ferret/Critter Nations of which I've seen pictures look epic, but they seem pretty pricey. I've got feelers out on craigslist for other options. However, I share my house with four cats-- even though the cage is in my bedroom, so I can lock the cats out, I'm concerned that they could stick their paws through and hurt my rattie. Has anyone had a problem with this, or are the bars secure enough? There is carpet in my room, as well... Does a lot of litter spray out between the bars? I'm using Aspen shavings, right now. 

Thank you!


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## meekosan (Dec 23, 2011)

Try looking on the market/sales section on ratforum and over on anohter site (PM if you would like) and try craigslist in your area to see if you can find a used one. I'm trying to get the money for a used double ferret nation in my area that the girl is selling for only $100 with a little wear and tear.

DO NOT get the All Living Things cage. That is what I have now. Two of my girls got hurt badly, one died today while at the vet getting treated for her injury (too stressed and too small for the anesthesia).


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## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

Oh, my gosh! I am so, so sorry to hear about your little girl. :'( That is absolutely horrible. Many hugs your way. I hope you are going to bring some kind of repercussions against the company that made that cage!


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## meekosan (Dec 23, 2011)

EleashaC said:


> Oh, my gosh! I am so, so sorry to hear about your little girl. :'( That is absolutely horrible. Many hugs your way. I hope you are going to bring some kind of repercussions against the company that made that cage!


I'm not going to do anything but recommend _against_ them. It's all I can do. I bought the cage last year for my one boy I had who sadly passed this previous December but it is not good for multiple rats. I had Rodney out of the cage more than he was in, so he wasn't able to really find much trouble for himself in it.


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## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

I'm sorry to push for details, please don't answer if it's too upsetting, but would you mind if I asked what the dangerous areas are? Was that particular cage defective, or is it a fault that could be duplicated in other name brands?


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## meekosan (Dec 23, 2011)

EleashaC said:


> I'm sorry to push for details, please don't answer if it's too upsetting, but would you mind if I asked what the dangerous areas are? Was that particular cage defective, or is it a fault that could be duplicated in other name brands?


That's what I'm still trying to figure out unfortunately. I know that the level trays slide a little bit and enough that the babies were able to climb up between the landing and the wall...so it's possible their tails got caught between the wire walls and the tray if they were playing on the ramp/landing. Also while inspecting the cage, I found one of the horizontal wires bent where I had nothing there previously (ie, waterbottles were on bottom pan area and a smaller one up near the top) that would have caused a bend. 

I would have considered them fighting for the injuries however, Ziva hurt her tail twice in the cage and she was by herself while Abby was in the tank with the babies downstairs.


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## Lioness (Nov 11, 2011)

I would say that a kitty paw might fit through ferret nation bars, but not critter nation bars, though if tails stick out then that's a given. If you can find a cheap FN on craigslist them you can cover it with hardware cloth to keep rats in and cats out.


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

Lioness said:


> I would say that a kitty paw might fit through ferret nation bars,


Change 'might' to 'will'. My friend keeps her ferret in one, and she obtained a rather... insane cat who constantly tortured Squiggles. Paws definitely to get through the bars.


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## GhostMouse (Sep 6, 2011)

If I were you, I'd probably even cover the CN with hardware cloth. I have a CN and my boys drape their tails out of it all the time. Unless your cats have absolutely zero prey drive, I wouldn't take that risk.

The other option would be to keep the cats out of the bedroom at all times. 

Also, if you get a CN, you'll need to get a deeper base if you intend to keep yours living on shavings. The base it comes with might as well not have any lip on it at all. If you don't want to get a deep base, what I (and many others) do is to line the base and the shelf pan with liners (you can buy ones fit to the cage, but I just wrap mine in towels and fleece blankets) and then have a litter box or two with the bedding in it.

Also, are you planning to get your rat a friend? A single CN will have tooooooons of room for a buddy!



Meekosan, I'm so sorry for your loss.


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## Heathcliffe&Darcy (Feb 2, 2012)

We also have a cat, who wouldn't hesitate to kill a smaller animal in a heartbeat. We currently have the Rat Manor (brand new), we love it, but it isn't cat proof. No proper cage will be cat proof. Our cage is on a table, we monitor our cat when she's out, and when we're gone, she's put up in a kennel. It works for us.


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## sewbama (Oct 1, 2011)

I have three rats, but I've had my three cats longer. I originally had a superpets my first home for exotics, which stayed in a room the cats weren't allowed in and was pretty good. Half-inch bars, all plastic ramps and shelves. The shelves, however, have a little moat around the edge, and pee constantly collects there. And stinks. But it is safe for ratties. My girls, however, decided to redecorate and chewed a hole the size of a golf ball in the base overnight (my fault - I removed their wheel to clean and hadn't gotten it back in for a few days... They were bored). 

So now, I have a double critter nation, which stays in the living room where the cats are. So far, all injuries (minor, of course) have been to the cats, not the rats. The rats have never been afraid of the cats, and are happy to sniff them through the bars when they get close. One curious cat nose got too close and got a little nip. Another ear got in the bars and met a similar fate. I got a spray bottle to train the kitties, which has worked very well, probably because none of them have ever met one before. They are welcome to sit by the cage and sniff, but not raise a paw or climb the side. Things are going well for me. I've had my rats for about six months and have had no injuries or incidents. 

One thing you want to make sure is that the cats can't knock the cage off whatever it's sitting on. when I had the smaller cage, I used bungee cords to attach it to the desk I had it sitting on. Make sure it's secure. Other than that, the half inch bars recommended for rats is enough to keep cats out.


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## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

You guys are a wealth of information! I've moved the cage to my spare bedroom, which has become the designated rat room.  I spent a couple hours rat-proofing, covering up cords, cardboarding over holes and hidey areas, etc, so they can run around in there for a couple hours a day. No cat feet can fit under the doors, and no other animals are allowed in. I've still got the tank/birdcage setup, but that will hopefully be changing on Tuesday, depending on whether or not this craigslist seller ever sends me pictures of the cage she's trying to sell me.


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## xoniac (Dec 2, 2011)

Martin's Cages are awesome! I have one for my boys. Keeps the cats and dogs out, and keeps the rats in. They seem a little pricey when you look at them but... they're really not all that bad, all things considered. You'd just have to line the shelves, and make sure to buy a powder coated cage.
http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/
I have the R-680 and my two boys LOVE it. They are MUCH larger than the look, easy to clean, and as far as my experience goes, escape and predator proof. I've heard nothing but good things about them too and the shipping is amazingly fast.


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## Fugitivus (Jan 29, 2012)

I would personally say your best option would be to just keep those kitty's out at all times. We have one of those "My first home's" for ferrets to keep our girls in. We love it for them personally, though the bar spacing isn't great for smaller rats. We've had to reinforce a few area's with wire. 
Our male is in a large rabbit cage, has the same bar spacing as our females cage. 

Personally, my cat doesn't bother my rats. But they were here first and he's still a kitten. He's much more worried about the dogs. ^_^;


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