# Critter Nation Rat Cage Review



## Zoreo (Jan 19, 2016)

Hey guys! 
I thought that it would be helpful if I wrote up a review on the Critter Nation, for anyone considering to get this cage for their pets. This has probably been done before on here, but I thought I'd voice my opinions on this cage. So, here we go!

To start off, there are two commercially made sizes:

Single Unit (Model 161)
36"L x 24"W x 39"H 
$127 (on amazon.com)
One Story
Can house up to 6 rats (according to the rat cage calculator)









Double Unit (Model 162)
36"L x 24"W x 63"H
$225 (on amazon.com)
Two Stories
Can house up to 12 rats (according to the rat cage calculator)









I absolutely love this cage! There are many amazing features about this cage that make it so awesome, but my favorite is the fact that you can buy an add on unit ($136 on amazon.com) to add to the single (or double, if you wanted!) unit. I currently just have the single unit for my two boys, but I have the add on unit coming in the mail. I also really love that the doors are basically the whole front part of the cage. This makes it very easy to access your rats and makes cleaning _so_ much easier. If you've owned rats (or even hamsters) you'll know that cage cleaning is a long and time consuming process. But, the worst thing that can happen is if your cage has small, dinky doors. That can make it really difficult to get to some spots in the cage. I used to have a smaller cage and one of the main reasons why I upgraded to an SCN was because the tiny doors on my cage made cleaning a complete nightmare. But now that I have the SCN, cleaning is _much_ more enjoyable and fun. Now that I've given some of my opinions, I'll go through the pros and cons of this cage.

Cons:
- Since it does weigh a lot (the single unit and the add on unit are each about 50 pounds and the double is about 100) so the pans sometimes come damaged. The pan for the second level on my cage came slightly chipped, but there are no sharp parts.
- The pans are very shallow (they have about a 1/2" lip) so you cannot use loose bedding. But, Home Depot sells 5" deep cement mixing tubs that fit in the CN almost perfectly! 
- Because the doors are so big, it can be a challenge to attach things like plastic baskets to the cage, as the doors tend to be in the way.

Pros:
- For it's massive size, the CN is relatively cheap. I've seen some cages in pet stores that are have the size of a DCN, but twice as much!
- Since the pans are so shallow, it makes using fleece liners super easy. All you have to do is cut the fleece to size and clip it onto the pan (I find small binder clips work the best). 
- This thing is HUGE! As I mentioned above, the SCN can house up to 6 rats and the DCN can house up to 12! Not only does it have so much great floorspace for running around and playing with toys, but it also has absolutely amazing height for hanging hammocks, baskets, and other toys.
- It has powder coated bars, so your rats can pee all over the bars and you won't have to worry about the bars rusting over.
- Like I said above, it has huge doors that make cleaning a breeze!
- It comes on wheels, so you don't have to worry about trying to drag or carry it all around your house. 
- It has 1/2" bar spacing, so it is great for female and baby rats too, not just males.
- It has horizontal bars that make it super easy to hang hammocks and makes it a lot easier for your rats to climb.
- It has places to attach hammocks and hanging toys below the small shelf, making it possible for you to have a bunch of hammocks a different heights.
- You can move the smaller shelf around; it's not locked in place. You can put it on either side of the cage and on both sides there are three different height adjustments.

I could go on and on about how amazing this cage is, but I think I've covered the main things. After reading all of this, you might be interested to see what my cage looks like. Well, here you go:










It's pretty jam packed with stuff this week. I somehow managed to cram in 6 hammocks. I usually only use 2-3, not 6! Well, overall I would give this cage a 5/5 stars, as it is truly "The World's Best Small Animal Habitat"! If anyone is looking for an amazing rat cage, look no further than the Critter Nation! If you have any questions, feel free to post them below or PM me!


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## TheRatAttack (Mar 29, 2016)

Do your rats pull up the fleece/how do you keep the fleece secure? I have only ever used loose bedding in my cage, however I am thinking about getting a critter nation for my very active girls when I can find one on sale.


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## Zoreo (Jan 19, 2016)

TheRatAttack said:


> Do your rats pull up the fleece/how do you keep the fleece secure? I have only ever used loose bedding in my cage, however I am thinking about getting a critter nation for my very active girls when I can find one on sale.


I just use binder clips to hold it down and that seems to work very well.  Also, I think ferret.com is having a 25% off sale, if your interested!


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## peace (Jun 26, 2015)

you can pull the doors right off though! thats how i clean it too its easiest


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## TheRatAttack (Mar 29, 2016)

Zoreo said:


> I just use binder clips to hold it down and that seems to work very well.  Also, I think ferret.com is having a 25% off sale, if your interested!


Thanks, I'll definitely look into it.


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## mghemm437 (Nov 19, 2015)

I am about to order a single CN as well. I am getting two baby girls next Tuesday, and the cage I have now from my old boys (who have since passed away) is a pain in the butt to clean. Everyone raves about how great CNs are, so I guess I about to jump on that bandwagon.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

TheRatAttack said:


> Do your rats pull up the fleece/how do you keep the fleece secure?


I use fleece. At first, I did the binder clip thing. But there were still loose sections at the corners. My rats would pull up on those loose pieces, chew it and crawl underneath it! 

I no longer have that problem after putting sticky back Velcro on the bottom side of the shelves. Zero problems since then. 

If you use fleece, it's better if your rats are litter box trained. Also, the fleece needs to be 100% polyester with something absorbent under it. The fleece wicks the urine down to the absorbent material. Many people use towels or some other cotton type fabric.

This is what I do:
I put a layer of unscented puppy training pads on the shelf first. I like the ones with adhesive to keep them from moving around.
Over that, I put a piece of craft fleece but to the shape of the shelf.It's super cheap.
Then I cover it all with polar fleece secured with Velcro.
Even if the rats do pee on the fleece, the only thing that will ever smell is the litter box, which is also lined with puppy training pads. It's really only the raisins that smell. All I have to do is dump out the box and the cage has no detectable odor again.


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

Mine chewed the fleece anyways so I just lay the fleece down in pieces (I cover the whole pan initially) and let them put the fleece where they want it. They sometimes leave it and sometimes pull it all up and make a nest. Depends on their mood. I usually leave the top shelf uncovered so they have a cool surface to lay on if they get too warm. My rats are very well litter trained though. Wouldn't do that with untrained rats. They've figured out that cardboard is absorbant so if they miss the box that's where they pee. I just keep some cardboard in there and when it gets nasty I toss and replace lol. Cardboard is free for me.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

I agree with your pros and cons list... What I find most annoying is hanging things...I can be difficult with the doors and also is impossible to use corner hammocks (triangle shaped) because of how the corners on the CN are. It can be hard to clean, depending on your point of view too.. If you are used to being able to hose a cage off in the shower, you can't do that with a SCN / DCN. 

As to fleece, I tried it and it did not work for my rats / me... Lots of chewing, lots of smell (mine had 2 litterboxes per level and I was using absorbant material below it)...and lots of washing. So I use loose litter now. I bought the stainless steel pans from bass and use loose bedding in those. They make a mess with it, but IMO it is worth it for smell's sake.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

I thought I'd mention this about the fleece.

I _usually_ don't have a problem with my rats pulling it up. But......

I have one rat that doesn't live in the cage. Yesterday, we were bringing a truck of stuff in. I put Anga in the cage so she couldn't get outside. Needless to say, she had a fit! When I came to let her back out, she had pulled up and destroyed all the fleece around the door of the cage. 

My other rats are pretty well behaved though!


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## AmberlynKnight (Apr 11, 2016)

*Totally Agree!!*

I actually bought a knock off version of this cage called the All Living Things Multi-Level Small Animal Cage! I couldn't find a CN 162 online within my price range after shipping, and since I live in Canada that was a big deal. The price I kept finding was almost 100 bucks more in Canada than it was in the states!! When I found the petsmart knock off I was pleasantly surprised it was basically a CN without the decals. Even the instructions for building it said CN a few times which made my friend and I laugh. -- I think the hardest thing about this cage was putting it together O_O It took ages. SoOO worth the effort, but oh my god. I rent a room so getting the cage into the house, into the room and set up was an interesting mission. 

I haven't had a chance to hang my hammocks yet xD I've been using baskets and shower hoops while I wait for my hammocks to come in. I can't wait to actually have my rats home to watch them explore the cage hehe.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

AmberlynKnight said:


> I actually bought a knock off version of this cage called the All Living Things Multi-Level Small Animal Cage!


It's my understanding that the All Living Things Cage is actually made by Midwest, but without the Critter Nation name plate. All Living Things, at least in the US, is a Petsmart store brand.


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