# Elderly rat cage layout



## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Hiya guys 

I need some ideas laying out my cage for an elderly girl. She's housed with 3 active girls and 1 lazy girl thats the same age as her.

I just need some ideas how to set up my cage so that she can get around easily without falling and tumbling too much :')


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Unless she is having mobility issues, I would keep the set up as normal to keep her active for as long as possible. You can add in safety nets like hammocks to "catch" her if she could tumble some distance, but I would otherwise keep it the same. 

I lowered hammocks when Iris got arthritic so she could just walk into them; I didn't put ramps in my cage until her lump made her back legs functionally useless.


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

She has become more wobbly and unstable, this is why i was asking.

In the cage at the moment, i have hammocks and they are about... Maybe 5 cm apart? She tried to jump from one onto the other, and she didn't make it. She was clinging to it with her two front paws, hanging on for dear life. I caught her literally just in time. She would have fallen onto a wooden bird perch if i didnt scoop her up :/

She struggles when walking along a thick rope bridge. The others trot along it, no issues at all, while she'll scramble up it, feet everywhere. She's just no where near as agile as she used to be.

She can't clean herself properly because she falls over when she goes to clean her hind end or hips.

Her balance is not as good as it was. I just don't want her hurting herself in the cage, thats all.


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

So i moved Roxi and her sister Rosie to another cage. Roxi was falling-a lot and it was horrible hearing her thud at the bottom of the cage...

So they are in a 120cm indoor guinea pig cage now. 
Its lower down so there isn't much of a drop, and it has lots of floor space.

I have included:
3 hammocks
1 bird toy
1 cardboard box thing
1 paper bag
1 wooden arched bridge 
1 tube/tunnel
and 
A treat ball

Here is a picture of their setup. 
I do feel mean downgrading Rosie when she is absolutely fine-but Roxi and her have always been together and i can't possibly have Roxi alone in a cage!


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