# suitable kind of cage?



## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Just as a general idea for me as I'm shopping for a decent cage for my two male rats for Xmas. What do you think of this cage in terms of suitability? Just want to get a good idea. Thanks http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=456&pf_id=63423


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

Great cage for spoiled ratties! Also looks easy to clean, so a plus for you too.


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Looks amazing but I'm trying to find the space to put it somewhere. It massive. Better get saving . The bars are 1.6 cm wide is this ok?


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## Kitterpuss (May 9, 2014)

This is like the Rolls Royce of cges here in the uk. Your ratties will be very happy indeed!


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Exactly Kitterpuss. I had a look in 'pets at home' and a few of my local pet shops. I wouldn't even put my hamster in some of the cages they sell for rats, chinchillas and ferrets. Its quite sad really.


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

I have this cage!!!
Its HUGE.

-Bar spacing is fine. I have females and they are smaller than males. We have had no escapees!

So much space for toys, hammocks and everything you need to keep ratties happy!
You will want to use fleece to line the pans though. I have used both bedding and fleece in this cage and they will kick the bedding out, making a huge mess on the floor! 

Brilliant cage. Worth the money!
(I got it for cheaper on Zooplus. £180 on there!)

This cage is the UK version of the Critter Nation and its brilliant.

Tip: Assemble the cage in the room you plan the cage to 'live' in. It's really really heavy and it bearly fits through doorways.

I'm 5'1 and its just about, taller than me. Thats how tall the cage is! (Including the stand)

But yeah, its a brilliant cage, easy to clean, the doors are great because they open so wide. Urm... The coating on the bars is really good! I've had this cage for about a year now (well.. nearly) and there is no rust on it anywhere! (I wish I could say the same for my old cage...) 

The downside is that the smaller levels don't really fit on the supporting frames, so it can be noisy when the rats jump onto the levels. But its fine, its not like it falls down or anything. Its just not as stable as it could be. And obviously as I said earler, that if you wanted to use a substrate (say, paper pellets for example) then its not really a good idea because they will kick it everywhere.

Worth the money! My girls LOVE this cage!


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Thanks for the reply hrl. Sounds as if its a decent cage and nice to hear from someone who has had it for well over a year. Its just convincing he boyfriend because its soooo big and sooo pricey. If I cant convince him. I will have to look for something smaller and cheaper! We currently use carefresh substrate so that will be every where like the bio catolet that our cat uses in his tray lol. My boyfriend would be thrilled with all the extra mess . How many rats do you have in the cage? and I know you said it washavy, but is it easy enough to wheel round? I wanted a cage I might be able to move if needs be with us living in a flat, we haven't got a massive amount of space and would it be high enough off the ground to stop issues with my cat?


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## mimsy (Jun 8, 2014)

I noticed the link today has it for 44% off the regular price. Thats cheap!


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

If it was full price....what nearly £400. I would not even consider it. £200 is a bit more reasonable, but my partner is still having a heart attack lol


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

ellismera said:


> Thanks for the reply hrl. Sounds as if its a decent cage and nice to hear from someone who has had it for well over a year. Its just convincing he boyfriend because its soooo big and sooo pricey. If I cant convince him. I will have to look for something smaller and cheaper! We currently use carefresh substrate so that will be every where like the bio catolet that our cat uses in his tray lol. My boyfriend would be thrilled with all the extra mess . How many rats do you have in the cage? and I know you said it washavy, but is it easy enough to wheel round? I wanted a cage I might be able to move if needs be with us living in a flat, we haven't got a massive amount of space and would it be high enough off the ground to stop issues with my cat?


I have 3 rats in the cage at the moment, however, I am currently in the process of introducing 3 other girls to the group so soon i'll have 6 in there. According to the cage calculator it can hold 12 rats (if there is enough enrichment in there) but I wouldn't keep anymore than 8 females or 6 males in there. Just to be sure they all have enough space!

Its easy to wheel around on hard floors. Not on carpet! The breaks on the wheels tend to get caught up and scrape along the carpet. It is moveable, but if you care about your carpet (I don't) then you won't want to move it much at all.

As for the cat...
Standing on its hind legs, your cat will be able to see in and possibly irritate/annoy the rats. I don't have a cat and when there was one in our house, she wasn't bothered by rats or any small animal for that matter, so we didn't have a problem with that. Can't really help with this question i'm afraid!


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Thanks, well I only have 2 males. So they would be really spoilt. Or I may have to downsize the cage...like my partner wants. The cat isn't interested in the rats as we have lizards that run everywhere. So he's use to these and he desnt bother wen I have the rats on my knee and watch TV so he would probably be alright if he has to stand.


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

What cage do you have at the moment?


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

hrl20100 said:


> What cage do you have at the moment?


Its a ferplast. top opening cage. But its small 78x48x38. Like I said. small and temporary until I find them a really good one


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

The cage I had before the one I have now is this the *Furet Plus Rat Cage*. 
According to the cage calculator, it can hold 4, _I think..._ I can't really remember. At the moment I have 3 girls in here but its temporary. 
The cage is good as a first cage, but it does rust. Its fine for 2 males, but with the rusting issue, you might find yourself wanting to change cages again.
(I would send a link! But PetsAtHome website is playing up for me so I can't)
£85 on PetsAtHome

*Jenny Rat Cage*
This cage is bigger than the one above and can hold 4-6 rats. They had it at my college (I go to an animal college) and it is certainly larger. 
(again, I would send a link! But the website's playing up)
£100 on PetsAtHome


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

I have looked at both of these and thought. Gosh, they are small for two male rats. I am obviously wanting to spoil them. It ended wrong with our lizards though. Were I brought a viv I thought looked to small ended up, up sizing it anyway. This cost more money and effort in the long run lol. Just want do best by the rats but not annoy the partner!


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Hmmm 
We will find you a cage!!! hahaha


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Indeed. It Is annoying me now. I will have to look at the cupboard dimensions and the floor dimensions and see what space I'm working with. **** me for living in a flat and filling it with nice furniture lol.


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

The best thing you can do is get a tape measure and measure out the dimensions of each cage you are considering. Whichever one fits in your flat best, will be your best option. You don't really want a huge rat cage taking up a whole room! Trust me! I have had this problem when I did have my wardrobe!  I had the cage in the middle of my room (literally!) for about 6 weeks... It got annoying! haha


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Well the savic fits and would be out of the way (between a cupboard and a bookcase). However, it would cut off the radiator and we don't think you will beable to open both doors at the same time because of the sofa. But would be really easy open one then the other . My partner has said yes to the savic as the other cages I wont beable reach to get in them. So at the moment the savic is the only plausible option. Hes just sitting crying in a corner about it!


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Is a brilliant cage! Just... HUGE.
I cant open one of the doors fully due to my sloping walls in my room (god I hate them so much...) but it opens at a 90 degree angle, so thats fine 

But yes, for a rat cage, it is a lot. But its really sturdy and really well put together. Its a very good design, its just wide! (and tall) but it was waaayyy wider than what I was expecting!


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Well, we may both have the same issue. It's on order. I have measured it by the measurements on the website. So lets hope it is accurate because It fits snuggly into the space . Measurements: Overall dimensions: approx. L95 x W63 x H159cm, Height without wheels: approx. 120cm, Mesh holes: Approx. 1.6cm. If its bigger I'm in trouble lol. Partner will definitely not be happy...I don't think he is anyway...


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Woooo its ordered! 
Your ratties will love you so much!

Now you have the hard part of putting it together (I nearly managed to put it together all on my own! (I'm too short to reach the top fully, so I had to have help XD)) and then filling the cage with stuff for them to do! 
My cage looked incredibly empty at first. Then I just ordered hammocks and bought more things and made more things and found more things for them to have


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Yeah, all the reviews said it was hard to put together!! I have some ropes and rope hammocks from pets at home. But want to have a go at making some hammocks for them. Key point though is I'm not very good at sewing . You will have to point me in the right direction of some decent accessories


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Hammocks, I can't make them. I order them off of RappsRats off of tumblr. Really good quality 

Quite a few good things on zooplus! Cheap as well compared to petsathome.
I have ropes from petsathome and its rediculously expensive! I think I paid £14 for a rope? Urghhh >.<

http://www.ratrations.com/
http://www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk/

These are good websites to have a look at!


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Oh you can also make toys. 
A simple toilet roll tube with paper wrapped around it (looks like a christmas cracker!) with some treats thrown in, is an easy toy!
A whole toilet roll! This is fun  (don't unwrap it. They will love tearing it apart)
Cardboard boxes! Cut a few holes in them and watch them play!

If you have spare plastic baskets (like this: http://www.ratrations.com/handy-basket-blue-p-1050.html) you could use cable ties and attach them to the sideof the cage. Fill with some bedding and they have a cute sleeping area!

Bird perches are good too. http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/birds/cage_accessories/perches/14421
Your rats will be able to climb and knaw on them 

If I can think of anything else i'll let you know!


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## Kitterpuss (May 9, 2014)

I get cheap ropes from the pound shop. They're thin but you can double them up and twist them around themselves and secure with cable ties. They're sold in the pet section. Ratrations also sells basic rope for cheap. I also use baskets cable tied to my cage lined with poundshop fleece along with some commercial 'little friends' hammocks I got from Amazon. They're nice and sturdy and wash well. I recommend the furred ones - my rats love how snuggly soft they are.  Another handy poundshop buy is those colourful baby plastic chain links. The individual links are handy for extending the reach of a hammock and securing toys.


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Thanks for the advice. I will visit pound shop when I am next in town, and yes hrl the ropes cost me £14 each and the rope hammock £10.


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Petsathome is rediculously expensive >.<


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Indeed. Though surprisingly they are the cheapest for lizard hoppers


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Aha I never go in the reptile section so I wouldn't know


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Oh forgot to say. Though still no sign of the cage . Ive seen posts on here about the Savic and age of rats because of the bar spacing. How old are your new ones that are now in the cage?


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Yeah my cage took forever to come. Like... 2 weeks. Savic is a german company, so it has to get from germany into the UK. If the weather is bad it will take longer. I ordered mine at the beginning of January last year and the weather (everywhere) was terrible. Many ships had to wait until the weather had cleared (including the ship with my cage on it!)

As for bar spacing, its fine! My young ones are 8 months old (they are still babies to me ) and they are absolutely fine in this cage. I have one incredibly small female (she's really slim and just small in general) and she cant fit through the bars.


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Ah bars are thinner than I thought . It arrived todayyyyy. Nearly broke my back carrying it though. Its really heavy! Rats are now looking terrified in the corner of it. Lol. They will get use to it. Plenty of space ! My boys are about 8 weeks old. I don't think they will fit through after all that worrying. Need more accessories though


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## 2ratshack (Sep 13, 2014)

That is definitely big enough! You might have trouble decorating it, but it looks really easy to clean.


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

ellismera said:


> Ah bars are thinner than I thought . It arrived todayyyyy. Nearly broke my back carrying it though. Its really heavy! Rats are now looking terrified in the corner of it. Lol. They will get use to it. Plenty of space ! My boys are about 8 weeks old. I don't think they will fit through after all that worrying. Need more accessories though


Yep! I said it was heavy! 
Awh bless them! So much space for tiny babies! When I got my cage, my 3 girls at the time were about 10 months old, and were really brave. 

I bet the cage is looking bare at the moment right?  Its huge isn't it hahaha


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Actually as sad as it sounds I've managed to fill it. Just looks bare of rats. I need more babies


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

You filled it?! Wow, you must have a lot of stuff for your two spoilt babies!
And yeah it does seem very bare with just two rats in  More babies!!


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

It depends. I'd want to adopt one that was on its own and with having two boys id be worried about fighting. Its not mega flu, but not on te empty side either. I will have to post a photo on here. Im just a bit lazy


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## hrl20100 (May 1, 2013)

Your boys are young arn't they? Around 8 weeks?
If you wanted to get another, best do it now so its easier to introduce them. They are still babies and they are not at that hormonal teenage stage just yet. Wait a while and then they'll be full of hormones and you may encounter problems. 

If you wanted to wait a while and introduce another rat when the other two are adults, then I have heard that males are more easy to introduce to babies than females are. 

I have only had females and introductions... were hard! Yes, I had a tempermental, hormonal girl, but even so, it was incredibly difficult.

If you are planning to get a new rattie when your two are adults, I would say get two more, if the new ones will be younger. This is because when your boys eventually pass away  the younger one wont be left alone for long periods of time without a friend. If that makes sense?


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## ellismera (Oct 29, 2014)

Yeah. Ive seen two on the RSPCA rescue site. Called Olaf and Sven. They are gorgeous and are around 8 weeks aswell. My partner said no. No more rats, no more smells, no more loss of income on our house lol. He said its him or the rats. He doesn't mind the two, but four is too much. Especially with a cat, two lizards, a giant African land snail and some stick insects at my workplace and some velvet slugs that have to come home during weekends and holidays.


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