# Getting my babies in a couple weeks!



## ALLOisaSAURUS (May 2, 2014)

After weeks of convincing, both of my roommates have agreed to let me get rats, on the condition that I have their setup ready before actually getting them. Their cage should be here today or tomorrow, I have their food dish, water bottle, food, treats, some toys, a litter box, a bag of litter, and I'm in the middle of making a couple of bedding sets.
Am I missing anything important?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Not for the actual cage, but I'd look into prepping the area they come out in. 


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

What cage are you getting and what food do you have? Also do you have a house for them? A milk jug can make a good hideout just cut a hole in the side and tie it to the cage by the handle.


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## ALLOisaSAURUS (May 2, 2014)

I bought this one http://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Habitat-Multi-Level-Exotics-18-Inch/dp/B00CETSHN2/ref=dp_ob_title_pet
it should be home when I get off work, so expect more pictures later.
I bought a bag of Oxbow mouse and young rat food, as I've heard good things about it.

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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

If the measurements are correct the cage is not big enough for rats long term it is tall enough but it is either not wide or deep enough im not sure which measurement is which. You can use this website to find a correctly sized cage http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml

The cage should be ok for a few months but once they get bigger it will end up being to small. If you have time I would see if you could send that one back and get a slightly larger one. This one is only slightly more and is big enough for at least three rats. http://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/c...6-5201419/cat-36-catid-600011?_t=pfm=category


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## ALLOisaSAURUS (May 2, 2014)

The cage is 30" x 30" x 18". I've run it through the calculator and it says its big enough for 3-4 rats

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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

There is also this cage it is a little less and is big enough for 2 or 3 rats http://www.petco.com/product/106171...t=MM_SmallAnimalSupplies_CagesHabitatsHutches


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## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

ALLOisaSAURUS said:


> The cage is 30" x 30" x 18". I've run it through the calculator and it says its big enough for 3-4 rats
> 
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The website says 30.5 x 8.5 x 18.5 inches and another website says 77.5 cm x 21.6 cm x 47 cm. They must be wrong then. I didn't look at the picture of the box just what amazon said the dimensions were.


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## ALLOisaSAURUS (May 2, 2014)

The 8.5 inches is the depth of the plastic bottom.

Yeah, amazon definitely screwed up on that one.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

My advise is to take the ramps and possibly one of those lower levels out to allow for more burrows, an to force more climbing. I'm sure you've done it already but peruse through the cage pic thread in rat homes. Sticks make great perches and shoe boxes hold up really long as burrows. Some rope and bird toys also are nice, and most fun things (sponges, finger traps, loofahs) can be nabbed cheaply at the dollar store. 

Once you get it all set up you can always post a pic an we can give advise. 


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## LeStan82 (Dec 31, 2013)

Love the beddings set you made...very nice. I like the owl fabric


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## ALLOisaSAURUS (May 2, 2014)

Nanashi7: I'll definitely be buying ropes, branches, etc. next time I get paid, and was planning on not using the ramps.

Lestan82: Thank you! The owls are my favorite.

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## CleverRat (Mar 9, 2014)

I was just at a local pet store, and they had that cage. I noticed that it had plastic bars. I am guessing this would be a problem because the rats could chew out. Idk maybe some have metal bars?


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## ALLOisaSAURUS (May 2, 2014)

The bars are definitely metal, though they're a bit weak. 
Here are some pictures so far.


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## CleverRat (Mar 9, 2014)

Ooo it looks super fun! I'm sure your rats will be super happy! Don't know why the one I saw had plastic bars though.


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

I just wanted to say I love the owl fabric last time I was at joanns I picked up the same fabric and got a yard of it 

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## Lare (Jan 18, 2014)

Is it possible for you to put fabric on those levels? My first cage was a different brand but the levels were similar, with the little grooves on the ends... Trust me, you'll hate them the first time you clean. Pee, poop, food left overs, bedding, _everything _winds up in those little grooves and it's a huge, stinky pain to clean. 

With summer coming up, you might be able to find some terracotta pots for cheap. They're nice to sleep in because they stay pretty cool on hot days. My boys have a flower pot with a side cut off so it lays flat, but unfortunately it's a bit too small for them to lay in - need to buy some bigger ones soon. My boys absolute favorite thing (even above the hammocks!) is a little box with another smaller box inside it. The smaller box has it's sides chewed out and they'll lay under that like's a little make-shift house, and inside the bigger box it's filled with chewed up cardboard, toilet paper, paper towels, fleece, anything they can use as bedding they do. Baskets (which you can probably get for cheap now that Easter is over) are also cute little beds. 

Your cage looks very nice so far, I'm sure your future babies will love it!


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