# Is the rat calculator right?



## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

I'm thinking about buying a cage from ferret nation http://www.ferret.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=630503&Category=Ferret Cages&subCategory=See All Ferret Cages and I put the mesurement in the rat calculator and it said it could hold 14 rats! Do you think thats true? I've never seen one in person but it must be big!! But I might be crazy i don't know...lol...but I'm wanting it to put my 3 girls in and my 3 boys. It says that the ladder folds up so it could have 2 different levels... so just to be clear THE BOYS AND GIRLS WILL NOT BE TOGETHER!.....I might even be putting the mesurments in wrong... I have never got good grades in math...lol...because i just did it again and it said 16 rats... so im confused


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

The FN 142 can hold 12 rats, 6 in each level. The problem you're running into is the shelving under the levels is included in the dimensions they give you. 

I actually own that cage, and many people on here do. There's pictures all about of them.  This is a big cage. It's tall, and wide, and deep. The shelves and wheels are very useful. It's easy to clean and fun to decorate. However, you'd have to use fabric bedding or deal with some mess, as the shelves aren't deep and the bedding is easily kicked out. The bar spacing is large. Young rats (like your babes) or small females may slip through, so you may have to cover the cage in hardware cloth (there's numerous threads about this). If you're keeping opposite, intact genders in the two levels, you'll probably want to make sure the levels are more sealed than just raising the ladder, either by requesting another full pan from Midwest or cutting one yourself out of something, and make sure no one can escape.

Yeah. :lol:


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

oh... i never thought about the space at the bottom...lol... what kind of fabric would you choose for bedding? And where would you get it?


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

oh yea and does anyone know how much shipping would be? because I was just reading a link about someone buying a cage on ebay and it was $42 in shipping!!! And the cage wasn't even that big!! How much was it on shipping when you got your forensic? Or did you just buy yours at the store or something? I had no idea shipping was that much...


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

Buy it at ferret.com  I'm thinking about getting one myself, and it's definitely the cheapest you'll find. Shipping is a flat $6.99.


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

at first I found it at midwest (or something like that) then I got looking around and saw the same one on ferret.com and it was WAY cheaper.... But I was really worried that the shipping would be overwelming..


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Ferret.com is the way to go. The 142 is BIG and HEAVY (That's why the wheels are important. :lol: ) but with the flat shipping it's not so bad. Any other place shipping is from 25 bucks to 60 bucks.

I've used cheap, dollar store towels in my FN and have recently switched to fleece.

The fleece is prettier, anyway. 

All my boys were litter-box trained in the FN... makes it even easier to clean.


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

can i get fleece anywear?


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

ambernd said:


> can i get fleece anywear?


Pretty much. But you'll have to cut it to fit (not that difficult.  ) And you can pick pretty patterns.


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

is it expensive? I think it's sold by the yard right? And how many yards do you think I would need to cover all the floors (and ladders) of the FN 142?


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

ambernd said:


> is it expensive? I think it's sold by the yard right? And how many yards do you think I would need to cover all the floors of the FN 142?


Three or four yards at most, I'd think, to make one cover set. But it's best to make three or so to have while one set is in the wash.


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

how much does one yard go for (money)? And is there any specific colors that would be better for them?


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

The cost usually depends on the pattern and type of fleece.

At walmart, there was an LSU patterned fleece that was sooooo soft. I wanted to get some(dad graduated at LSU and I fell in love with MikeV at 8), but it was about $8 a yard. My mom found large, red fleece blankets for $3 each. The two blankets made two FN141 floor cover sets and many, many hammocks. 

So, I rally suggest looking for blankets marked down that are fleece.


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

well for right now i need to find the money to buy the cage first lol.... I need money really quick... hopefully within the next 4 weeks... Anyone have ideas on extra cash?


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

http://www.ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=1179.html


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## ambernd (Apr 17, 2007)

I was thinking I could do babysitting. But how would I even start. I don't even know anyone that needs a baby sitter. Well my sisters always need one but they won't pay me anything :-(


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Make a post on the thread I showed you and we will help you there.


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