# Is the Critter Nation tall enough?



## Adam (May 15, 2017)

Hello.
I really like the Critter Nation but my concern is that it is not tall enough with enough internal open vertical space. I read a lot how important having open space for climbing, but the CN is only about what 24" to 30" tall. Is that good enough?

Getting the second level does not help this because it is essentially two separate sections.

Would anyone suggest getting a much taller vertical enclosure or is the Critter Nation just fine for two young boys?

Thx!!


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

Getting a second level will help if you want more height, as the sections connect together vertically (ie. the rats can travel from the bottom cage to the top, as the pan for the extender cage has a hole that the cages ramp goes through, letting the rat climb from the bottom cage to the top). If you want the rat to be able to climb top to bottom, simply remove the ramp that goes through the connecting hole. I used to have a double CN-like cage, and that's what I ended up doing (I actually removed the entire pan at some point, but unfortunately, the wheels eventually broke, rendering the cage useless). In fact, some people even connect 3 or four CN sections together, leading to both a wide and tall cage. But really, a single CN is enough space for 3-4 rats. You can optimize the space by removing the shelf, and adding in baskets, hammocks, bird ladder, bird ropes, lava ledges and more. 

In my case, I have a single, but if you have the funds for a double CN, bigger cages are always better. 

Here's some pictures of my single CN with optimized climbing space:
View attachment 280137
View attachment 280145


Here's a picture of my old, 3 story cage (the wheels broke rather quickly, so I really disliked it)
View attachment 280169


Here's a picture of a double CN (This picture isn't mine, its off google) *Note the ladder leading to the second level*
View attachment 280153



Here's a picture of a triple CN someone put together (again, not mine - I wish!) 
View attachment 280161


As you can see, you can make the cage taller if you wish by buying add-on's.


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

If your dead set on a tall cage, Martin Cages are also pretty popular. For example the The Ruud Cage (R699) is 60" tall.
Here's a link to their website: http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/


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## Adam (May 15, 2017)

Not dead set, but another plus is that a taller than wider cage would fit better in my area I have. In fact a 24" wide cage would be pretty good. But if I'm limited to 24" then another 24" dim would be good by about 36" tall.

Anyway, need to keep looking.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

Adam said:


> I really like the Critter Nation but my concern is that it is not tall enough with enough internal open vertical space. I read a lot how important having open space for climbing, but the CN is only about what 24" to 30" tall. Is that good enough?


The interior height of each unit of the Critter Nation cage is about 24". This is more than enough height. Even with this height, I like to strategically place hammocks and boxes and stuff to make sure that there's always something to break a clumsy rat's fall. Yes, rats like climbing but they're not terribly good at it. Wild rats aren't arboreal  If they lose their footing or are chasing each other around the cage at mach speed, I never want them to fall more than 8-10" or so. 

A single unit Critter Nation is plenty big for several rats. It's definitely a mansion for two. The only drawback to the single unit cage is its height. Because it's rather low, you have to bend over every time you open the doors. The taller double unit is a much better height for standing. Rats seem to prefer to hang out in the upper section of the cage anyway. With a double unit cage, you'll only need to bend down to open the doors on the lower unit when cleaning.

If you get a double unit Critter Nation, you can remove the floor that would normally separate the two units making it super tall and open on the inside. My old cage was like this because it wasn't a proper double. It was actually two singles stacked and I didn't have the components for the mid-level floor. While I liked the cage overall, I hated the fact that I didn't have the floor splitting the two units. It requires so much time and stuff to make up for the loss of the floor. I was hanging tons and tons of hammocks to compensate. Because of this, it took forever to clean. I definitely recommend using the mid-level floor. Not using the mid-level floor would be something to consider for sugar gliders or flying squirrels, notsomuch for rats, imo.

If floor space is limited, you could get a cage that could be set on a table top/desk/dresser. Martin's Cages are fantastic. For two rats, the R-680 is great. You'd definitely want to get the powder coated version because uncoated galvanized wire can absorb urine smells over time.

Another option for a taller cage would be the Ware Living Room Series Small Animal Home. It's footprint is only about 21" x 21" and it stands just under 4' tall. It has 1/2" bar spacing so it's appropriate for rats of all ages without worry of escapes. I'm not a fan of this style of ramps, though. They're more like slides.


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

I agree with above post (and what I stated). A single critter nation is fine for 3-4 (possibly 5 if the rats are small) rats to live comfortably together.


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## Coffeebean (Jan 6, 2017)

Heightwise it's fine, there's a lot more room if you don't use the shelf it comes with. There's enough vertical room for sure but I think the horizontal space actually gives more room to decorate in some ways. P.S. I have the double and it's taller than me, I'm 5'3. So if you had extra funds, the double is something like 40$ more.


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## Adam (May 15, 2017)

Hi.

Thank you all.

I do like this one you pointed me to (Ware Living Room Series Small Animal Home). The size is good. The cost...not so much.

I do have my eye on the Martins and I agree about powder coating. The only drawback is the lack of casters to wheel it around, but I can work with that a different way.

Thanks!!


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## Asiposea (Dec 16, 2016)

I read this quickly so somebody may have mentioned it already. You can take out the middle section if you have a double critter nation. This is what I did with mine. So I just have the floor level and the two shelves that you can arrange wherever you'd like. I like it much more and won't switch back.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

Adam said:


> I do like this one you pointed me to (Ware Living Room Series Small Animal Home). The size is good. The cost...not so much.


Yeah, that's the problem with the larger cages. If you haven't already done so, try checking out the online classifieds in your area (craigslist, kijiji, et al.). Sometimes it can take some diligent hunting but good deals on used cages can be found.

Ferret cages usually have good height but the bars can be spaced a little too far apart for younger rats or smaller females. This can be rectified with some 1/2" hardware cloth and a butt-ton of zip-ties. It may not be pretty but it gets the job done. A bar spacing of up to 1" is often fine for adult males.


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## ray (Nov 4, 2015)

There's plenty of climbing space in the single for two rats. I really like having the double with the middle taken out. My girls love it too, I have three in one DCN.


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