# Quarantine cage suggestions?



## nriii (Jun 28, 2017)

Hi, all! I've been poking around but can't seem to find anything particularly good regarding what I'm looking for in a quarantine cage. For reference, I am adopting a rat that will be around 5-7 weeks old, and a girl, but I would also like to be able to use this cage in the future for anything medical, etc, or if one of my rats gets sick/needs seperated. Y'all know the drill 

What I'm looking for in a quarantine cage:

-Collapsable. I would really love something that can be broken down and stored, so I'd rather not make a bin cage. I will if I need to, but I live in an apartment and storage ability of things is a must.
-Something available at chain pet stores. I try not to shop at these places, but it's inevitable when I live somewhere I cannot ship anything to. I need a cage I can pick up and carry home with me on the bus, so nothing ridiculously huge or heavy.
-Small enough bars for babies, solid floor, preferably a pan but that's not necessary, etc.
-Levels.
-Under $80

Anything I've been finding is either way too big/heavy, or the reviews say somehow pets get out of them ridiculously easy. What do you guys use for quarantine cages?


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## KittayTomas (Aug 8, 2017)

Bird cages don't generally make perfect housing for rats, but you might be able to find one that meets your requirements. Bird cages tend to have vertical gaps instead of horizontal gaps, which makes it a little more difficult for rats to climb, but it would probably be okay for temporary housing. You may be able to find what you need in a bird cage, as they tend to be collapsible, inexpensive, have a pan, and available at pet stores. You could add levels yourself, or some bird cages come with levels. I don't have an exact recommendation, but it's just something to consider.


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## Coffeebean (Jan 6, 2017)

I have 2 rat manors in storage that I bring out when I have to separate someone. They each cost me only 45$ each (on Amazon) and work well as an emergency cage. However, even though they're under the brand name Petco, they may not be in store. I never saw any decent cages at stores, to be honest. They charge a lot more for a cage that's much smaller than what is available online for much cheaper. You can also make large bin cages pretty easily with hardware cloth if you wanted something functional and inexpensive (moonkissed has an instructional on her website). I've also seen a lot of decent cages in my local craigslist ads so you might consider taking a look there.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

Petco carries the ridiculously-too-small-to-be-a-permanent-cage Kaytee Rat Home. I think this actually looks like it would be an okay travel or quarantine cage, though. It's currently on sale on their website for $45. I wouldn't pay a penny more for it. Maybe you could find one on craigslist for less. Even though it would only be used for short lengths of time, you'd still want to keep your eye on it to make sure your rats aren't chewing through the base. This style of plastic pan can be susceptible to crazy chewers.

Martin's Cages makes a couple sizes of collapsible carriers. The Mini Collapsible Carrier is 18" x 11" x 11" and collapses down to fit into the chew-proof plastic pan. It's $40 (+ shipping) and comes powder coated. If you want one that's a little bigger, you could email them and ask them if they could make the Small Collapsible Carrier (24" x 14" x 14") with the 1/2" wire mesh instead of the 1".

I don't know how fast Martin's would be able to ship out a carrier but if you have the time, they might be a better choice, imo.
'


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## Daisywonk (Aug 18, 2017)

CorbinDallasMyMan said:


> Petco carries the ridiculously-too-small-to-be-a-permanent-cage Kaytee Rat Home.
> '


I was going to use that as a carrying cage, but then I got a (even!!) smaller cheaper one (a medium hamster cage) as the longest they've been in it at a time is a hour, so not a good quarantine cage! I did look into that though and it seems pretty good. The best one for long periods is a Rat Manor though.


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