# Some rat accessory questions - aluminum litter pans, fake plants



## Jenniferinfl (Mar 25, 2016)

So, my husband works in a weld shop and could make me some trays for the critter nation I ordered. He seems to think aluminum would be the best choice. I remember aluminum trays being popular for rabbits and guinea pigs back in the day but haven't seen them recently. Thoughts? The only thing I could find about aluminum and rats was a reference to a study of giving them canned drinks to see how much aluminum they got from water stored in cans. 


The other thing, spouse has it in his head to go for a very natural looking cage decor. Are silk plants okay with rats? I mean, I guess they could chew and destroy them, but, are they harmful or probably fine?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I don't know about silk plants being ok or not, but they won't last long is aluminum a metal that rust? If yes, not a good choice in my opinion. Sure you could paint coat it with non- toxic paint. Could your husband use stainless steel instead?


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## Jenniferinfl (Mar 25, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> I don't know about silk plants being ok or not, but they won't last long is aluminum a metal that rust? If yes, not a good choice in my opinion. Sure you could paint coat it with non- toxic paint. Could your husband use stainless steel instead?


LOL, that's what I thought about the fake plants. Aluminum doesn't rust, but it does corrode. However, the corrosion actually forms a protective layer. It's lighter than stainless, but, not very pretty looking. He's arguing that stainless is unnecessarily heavy. I think it looks nicer. But, I do know the aluminum trays last forever. They used to be the most common cage pan out there. I wonder why they fell out of use?

My spouse thinks he's going to make the cage look like an ewok village.. I think that will be a fantastic nuisance to clean.


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