# Overwhelmed by choosing cage, advice?



## PixieRat (Sep 1, 2014)

I need a cage for 2 female rats and I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the options. Can anyone give me advice on what to get? These are my main criteria:

1. must be large enough to comfortably fit a rat-sized wheel.

2. small enough to deep clean in a standard size bathtub and light enough to be lifted by a petite woman. Being able to easily clean it is actually the most important thing to me.

Money is less of an issue. Obviously less expensive is preferable but I am willing to invest some $ for a really awesome cage. I just don't know what to get. What would you get if you were me?


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## Adeliek (Jul 28, 2014)

Two other things to consider is bar spacing and door access, these are the kind of things I'd never considered before reading other reviews of cages but they are actually quite important. Bar spacing especially for females. I've never owned this cage myself but I think the most popular cage if money isn't a massive issue is a critter nation cage (they come in either single or double) these cages have wheels and are easy to move around, the access from the front looks amazing and I think the bar spacing is good too, if I had the money and was aware they existed when I first got rats its probably what I would have gone for. However I have this cage http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-Fe...=UTF8&qid=1409872869&sr=8-3&keywords=Rat+cage (Ferplast ferret plus rat cage - if the link doesn't work) I housed two males in it and it was the PERFECT size for two, especially for slightly smaller females I can imagine it being good. The bar spacing is great, the pan is really deep for a substrate it comes with a shelf and there's plenty of space for toys etc. I'm 5ft 2inches and I can move and clean this cage with ease. I also managed to fit a decent sized wheel in there. I would recommend buying a table/stand for it though otherwise it sits on the floor. If you need to get it into a bathtub the second option is what I would recommend for a decent sized lightweight cage


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## Rattienewby (Aug 31, 2014)

I ended up with a a Critter Nation, which will obviously not fit in a bathtub. However I got it because of the large doors and how easy it will be to clean. Maybe a Petco Rat Manor as an alternative? Slightly smaller, however not sure it's as easy to clean bc from the pictures it seems the doors are rather small.


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

You could try a cage like this it should fit up to three girls fine and fit in your bathtub but I am not sure about comfortably fitting a wheel it does come with one. 
http://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/c...6-5201419/cat-36-catid-600011?_t=pfm=category


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

Rattienewby said:


> I ended up with a a Critter Nation, which will obviously not fit in a bathtub. However I got it because of the large doors and how easy it will be to clean. Maybe a Petco Rat Manor as an alternative? Slightly smaller, however not sure it's as easy to clean bc from the pictures it seems the doors are rather small.


I doubt that would fit a wheel though because it is so narrow.


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## PixieRat (Sep 1, 2014)

thenightgoddess said:


> You could try a cage like this it should fit up to three girls fine and fit in your bathtub but I am not sure about comfortably fitting a wheel it does come with one.
> http://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/cages-habitats-hutches/all-living-things-rat-starter-kit-zid36-5201419/cat-36-catid-600011?_t=pfm%3Dcategory


That looks pretty good. I wonder what size flying saucer that is in the picture. I have the 12" one and it is HUGE so I'm thinking it might be smaller than that.


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## PixieRat (Sep 1, 2014)

I should add that the wheel thing isn't an absolute must. I am home all day so my rats get plenty of time outside the cage. A wheel would just be nice.


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## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

I have a Petco Rat Manor, and I clean it in the bathtub, so that fits! Popping the bottom off makes it really easy to reach in there and clean stuff. I do a weekly light clean by spraying the bottom off in the tub and wiping the floors and shelves with wet wipes. Every three weeks or so I shove the whole thing into the tub and go over it with a sponge and toothbrush.

You have a lot of control over how you place the shelves with the Rat Manor, so fitting a wheel shouldn't be a problem. Though I myself don't have one, I've seen a few pictures on the forums with a wheel in it.

Anyway, I've got two boys comfortably in mine, so I recommend it.


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## deedeeiam (Apr 8, 2014)

I love bird cages for this exact reason - they fit in the tub. Also...less bending. They're traditionally a little more narrow. This is one of my favorite bird cages. It has to large doors, enough room for a wheel and a saucer.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

I used to have a wheel in my rat manor  So yes, you can fit one... no, not through the door, but through the bottom hehe


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

I fit a 12 inch silent spinner wheel in a Petco Rat Manor but I HATED the doors. And it was a pain to clean. Yes, it fit in the bathtub but its just annoying in general. I felt like there was only so much I could do to decorate even with taking the ramps/small shelves out. 

I got a second-hand Martin's ferret cage and its AWESOME. I thought I wanted a Critter/Ferret Nation until I got the Martins. The bar spaces are good enough to keep my 5 small females in. My cage is 4 ft long, 3 ft high, and 2 ft deep and I can move the whole thing easily/by myself. For 2 girls obviously I'd get something smaller haha. 

The doors are big enough that I can fit most of my upper body inside. 

I should ad that in terms of wear and tear, the cage is probably 7+ yrs old... my aunt had ferrets in it for as long as I can remember.

http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

PixieRat said:


> That looks pretty good. I wonder what size flying saucer that is in the picture. I have the 12" one and it is HUGE so I'm thinking it might be smaller than that.


I'm pretty sure the flying saucer that comes with it is a 12 inch. I had this cage (and I hated it!)


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

ksaxton said:


> I'm pretty sure the flying saucer that comes with it is a 12 inch. I had this cage (and I hated it!)


I had this cage except it had one more level for five years with six different males living in it at different times and it held up great and I liked it the only reason I have another cage now is I was given a ferret cage when we got our ferret and it is bigger then that cage(it can fit about two more male rats).


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

thenightgoddess said:


> I had this cage except it had one more level for five years with six different males living in it at different times and it held up great and I liked it the only reason I have another cage now is I was given a ferret cage when we got our ferret and it is bigger then that cage(it can fit about two more male rats).


A lot of people have and like this cage, personally I didn't though. I thought it was too small even for 2 males, and I didn't like the small doors either and the levels slide around


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## Tesumph (Aug 12, 2014)

My setup is pretty crazy right now. I have four babies in 2 super pet exotic cages (combined at the side) and an adult male in a tub (all are moving out tomorrow). The super pet is nice and big (combined, 1.5 ft x 5 ft x 2.5 ft) and at first it was pretty easy to clean. But after a while, gunk builds up in the crooks and gaps, the bars are oily (even after soap and sponge), and it's just generally icky. Don't get me started on rearranging cage accessories. I've finally made the investment on a double critter nation. My bedroom is upstairs, so I won't be able to wheel it outside, but the high quality metal and gigantic doors sold me. I don't really think I'll need to deep clean it, just wipe it down good with a toothbrush every now and then. The super pet was okay (similar build to rat manor and those sorts) but they are just a pain to properly clean, decorate, and generally work with after a few months. But that's my experience. If I were you, I'd go all out on a single critter nation or a similar high quality cage (never tried martins cages, but heard good things). Large brand petstore cages (super pet, petco, all living things) are fine for a while, great even, but they just... get gross, IMHO.


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## LittleBird (Jun 22, 2014)

I think the critter nations are the best and you could get a single for a reasonable price. It's on wheels so it's super easy to maneuver around. It's really too heavy to put the whole thing in the bathtub but you really don't need to. Just remove the pans and wash them down in the bathtub and take a wet rag or those pet safe wipes to the bars. The pans are really the only thing that get dirty anyway. 

The great thing about the single critter nation is that the doors open all the way allowing easy access to the whole cage, the bar spacing is 1/2 inch so nothing to worry about there, and it's very sturdy.


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## ooky (Aug 3, 2014)

I had rats over 10 years ago and cleaned their wire cage (looked kind of like a rat manor shown in this thread) in the bathtub every 2 weeks or so. I now have a DCN and think it is much better. Less of a hassle to clean, honestly. I just sponge/tootbrush the inside and outside every week and spot clean/change fleece or litter in the pans throughout the week as needed, it seems to work just as well, with way less effort. Very easy to pull away from the wall like little bird said.


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## PixieRat (Sep 1, 2014)

Thank you everyone for the replies. I am currently debating between a Martin's cage and a single critter nation. I do like that the CN has the shelf and storage and everything. I found a guinea pig cage on craigslist that I covered with mesh so that will serve temporarily but I still want to order something nicer in the next few weeks here.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

I have the CN now and have previously had the rat manor as well as the super pet exotics cage . 

The CN is great and ridiculously easy to clean. I just slide out the pans , pour their litter in the trash, spray everything, wipe and done.

The rat manor really should be washed once every couple weeks in the tub, and I didn't much like the cage layout . That being said , it is great for the price and is not heavy either (I am a petite woman as well).



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