# What is YOUR cage calculator?



## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

I couldn't think of a good name for this thread, but here is the question I pose...

Yes, we have cage calculators out the wazoo and the rule of two cubic feet per rat, but when looking at a cage how do YOU decide how many rats can fit comfortably? Are there factors other than just size for you?

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I personally judge by levels + size of levels and say (in general) a rat per level. If a cage has three levels (two shelves and the floor), I generally say a rat per level, making it three rats as long as the shelves are not too small. If the shelves are smaller than average... Well, I wouldn't even consider that a good cage then... and if they are larger than average, say a Critter Nation size, I add about .5 to 1 rat. For that reason, I've decided that, for me, about three rats per Critter Nation unit is ideal at most. Four if I have to, but it seems cramped when I do that. Therefore, in my now quad critter nation, I've decided 12 is the most I would ever keep in it, though I don't like the idea of having more than 6 to 8 rats in one cage ever, lol. Too many rats scrambling for my attention! XD

Bonus picture of my new cage: http://i.imgur.com/5ByQPe3.jpg


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## Rhonwen (Dec 29, 2014)

Oh the joys of viewing a nice tidy cage before the little demon spaw...uh... I mean... little loves rearrange it to _their _liking! 


Since I'm still relatively new to owning ratties I stick by what the calculators tell me, but I have a tendency to also go 2.5 cubic feet per rattie, that way I'm KNOW I'm not overcrowding them.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

Yeah the cage doesn't look like that now lol. Silly demons.

The reason I came up with my system is that 2 to 2.5 per rat still feels overcrowded to me. I had three rats in a cage all calculators said was fine for three but it was a tight fit for those rats, in my opinion. Different people see different things though. I'm definitely not bashing anyone who goes by that, just saying it never worked for me. Cage calculators are saying my quad critter nation can hold 24... Yeah, no. Way too many, lol.


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## Rhonwen (Dec 29, 2014)

Good lord... 24 would be a lot of rats in there... I have a Feisty Ferret for my four guys and I could probably get away with one or two more males. But my oldest boy is full grown, and weighs in at 1.1lb... From what I've experienced so far, he seems like a BIG boy... if the other three get that big then I doubt I'd add any more males.

Definitely interested in seeing what others say!!


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## Jesuy (Jun 3, 2015)

As a basic rule, I usually split whatever number cage calculators gives in half. But bigger the better. 

I don't have big area for free ranging so I like to give my ratties quite a lot room to live. My two boys live in Savic Suite Royal 95 (it's pretty much same size and style as Critter Nation double unit) now and they looove to have room to play and climb and run and exsplore. They used to have bird cage (cage calculator said it's good for 4 ratties) with 4 shelves but I honestly think it was too small for even two rats even tho I had shelves and all. They were just lying around doing nothing and look really depressed when they were in the cage. So I kinda recently understood how much better option it is to have big cage. It wasn't even too expensive cause I bought it used.
I will probably get one or two ratties in the future to join my rattie gang so it's also nice to have a big cage because if you wanna get more rats, you already have enough space for all of them. 

But yeah, that is just my personal preference and I don't judge people who do things differently  as long as ratties are happy and healthy.


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

Two boys for one ferret nation is my preference! I'll do four at maximum. Four girls for one critter nation, I'd say 5 at max. I go by looks. Too many rats looks like too many rats.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

Jesuy said:


> As a basic rule, I usually split whatever number cage calculators gives in half. But bigger the better.


That is typically what my calculation ends up being. Some times mine ends up being smaller, though.

After having had rats for over two years now, I can tell pretty well how much space they need... but since I got mice recently, I'd had to start from scratch in learning cage sizes, lol. I think for mice, I've decided about ten gallons (tank) per mouse. I have two in a 40 gallon right now and they use every inch of space. I can't imagine keeping mice in anything smaller and I'd love to have bigger if I could...


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## 2ratshack (Sep 13, 2014)

I factor in free range time/free range area size to decide. I wouldn't want more that 8 rats in a DCN, but I have a very large free range area that my boys have access to about 4-6 hours a day. If they were getting less than 3 hours of free range time per day though, I wouldn't do more than 4 in a DCN.


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

I have 2 in a SCN but the most I would do is three. But the cage calculator says you can fit five. Anyways you can tell sometimes. If you have lazy rats that just sleep then you can put more in. If you have way too hyperactive balls of adorable furness then you put in less. I just eyeball it.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I like to factor in age, gender, personality/activity level. With all but two or three of my rats settling down, a TCN could fit probably 15+ of them. That's because they all cram together and sleep through free range nearing their second birthday. Old males can have smaller cages, then young males, then old females, then young females in the largest (based on stereotypes).

You should also factor in how you decorate your cage. Really pretty cages tend to also be really sparse, so I would subtract rats. I use a lot of aerial space, so I can add some. It's worth noting a cage calculator basically factors every inch as "usable". If you have a bunch of empty space, though, then you should subtract rats.

Finally, like FallDeere I factor in the cage's basic anatomy. I do it for different reasons than walking space; I have a rule of 2-3 rats per water bottle/bowl (find thats how many actually fit). So if I have a giant cage but only one good place for a water bottle, I won't put in more than 3.

For the record, for some time I kept 11 in a DCN (not because I wanted to) then upgraded 12 into a TCN (comfortable). As my rats have passed, I have 6 in a DCN and 1 in a SCN waiting to be introd. I'm considering when three more rats cross, to downgrade to a SCN at 4 rats.


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