# Base for Critter Nation - Does it come off?



## bostongirl1983 (May 21, 2015)

Hi, I currently have a Petsmart rat home but I'm going to be adopting 1 or 2 more ratties so I'm looking into bigger cages. The problem is that I have one dog that is WAY too interested in the rat, and now I have the cage on top of a table. I really like the Critter Nation cages, but is the wheeley base able to come off if I wanted to put that on top of a table? Do you think it would be enormous if it was able to go on top of a table?

Or, is there another cage that anyone else likes for 2-3 rats where I would be able to keep it higher up? Thanks!


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

We'll I'm 99.9% sure the base can come off. For putting it on a table you have to make sure the table is very sturdy. Especially if you have a cat and dog like I do and they like to try and push the cage down. But mine isn't on a table. And also you have to check the height on the table and on the critter nation. You have to make sure that you can reach the top of it. I would recommend getting a tape measure and measure that height of the cage on the table to see. Hope this helps.


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## Amph (Apr 14, 2015)

The base comes off but its also the part that holds the cage together so this wont really work sorry.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

It won't sit too well on a table and like Amph said, the base holds it together, but zipties could fix that part. Not sure how the bottom will sit on a flat surface, though. I've seen people put it directly on carpet, but it may be awkward on a table.

Maybe look into Martin's cages? They can be rather large and sit nicely on a table.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

My husband says it is possible to remove the base and it doesn't affect the structural integrity of the cage. But, the cage is quite large and heavy. A single level is 2 ft high 3 ft wide and 2 ft deep and weighs in the neighborhood of 50 pounds, so finding a table to support it could be a problem.

On the other hand, it is a large, sturdy, safe cage for your rats. Your dog can't break into it, and you will be amazed how quickly rats can teach nosy neighbors their manners. Mine have taught cats and dogs to keep their distance.


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## Kuildeous (Dec 26, 2014)

The concern I could see is when a rat has a tail just sticking out. I look up at my DCN and often see a tail sticking out. The rat is just enjoying her time on the ledge, and her tail is comfortably dangling in the breeze. 

A friend of mine with 2 rats, 3 cats, and 3 dogs has a different kind of cage. It's a wire mesh with small squares. He said that if a tail was sticking out, one of the cats would probably claim it. That just sounds painful. 

Not really sure how a dog would react to a dangling tail. I imagine that the dog would go to investigate, which lets the rat pull it in as it moves to the middle of the cage. That's better than a cat being sneaky and possibly pouncing on it.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

I never had that happen. Cats or dogs come sniffing around, rats nip, cat or dog turns tail and keeps a good distance from then on has been my experience. I don't really recall seeing dangling tails. I'll have to watch for that. I do tell curious cats and dogs "NO" when they approach the cage, but dogs are better listeners than cats.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

Another thing you could do is cover a portion of the bottom of the cage with corrugated plastic, or hardware cloth to prevent accidents.


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## bostongirl1983 (May 21, 2015)

Hmm thank you all, this is good advice. One thing I really like about the CN cage is the doors that open for cleaning. The dog in question is little but would readily snatch a tail or terrorize the rat if given a chance. It seems like it would not work to put the CN cage on a table, but I like the idea of covering the bottom!


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