# Deciding Between Two Cages



## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

YES, FINALLY.
I've been given a generous gift this year. Moneyyyy xD and, I feel it's time to step up from my ******* home-made cage.
My boys, while getting up there, are still fairly active, especially Cassius. I feel they deserve a good cage.
I have about $75.00 to spend with some wiggle room but I do plan on shopping around for places that do lower prices, but these are the links to the two cages I'm deciding between.
I have two adult male rats. I'm not only taking them into account when purchasing but also thinking about rats I may have after my boys have crossed the bridge. 
I've looked at several Martins cages but I just don't like them, and I'd rather not pay money for something that I'm looking at, knowing I'm probably not gonna like.

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Fir...5BRI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1324108427&sr=8-3
I've heard some good things about this cage. I've had experience with these types of shelves and ramps, so I know how they work. 
What I like about this cage is the space, it appears to be sturdy, I like the color and the ease of cleaning. 
I plan to remove the wheel from this cage as my boys don't like wheels and it seems to take up a lot of space.
My main concern is chewing. While my boys don't often chew, Cassius has a bad habit of grabbing whatever thin plastic he can get his tiny rat hands on and gnawing the lord outta it. How likely is it that he would be able to gnaw through the bottom? If he were to, would lining it with aluminum or fleece/adding deeper bedding, deter him from chewing? Even though I am home all day, every day, and only sleep for a few hours per day (while he's sleeping, usually) I do have a very active cat and I don't want to risk him for the sake of looks.

ORRRR

http://www.amazon.com/Petco-PETCO-R...PE/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1324108427&sr=8-10
I had this cage suggested to me. I was told that the shelves are adjustable, like the ones on the Super Pet. Zooming in, I think this is true but I'd like to be sure. I would like to lower them so that the ramps aren't so steep.
What I like about this cage is that it's metal, so no chewing out, yo! I especially like that middle shelf. It looks like it has a lot of room for noming and houses and toys. I reealllyyy like that it's closer to my actual budget, which would leave me extra money for toys and such.
I plan to line the ramps and shelves with fleece as soon as I can.
I dislike how... closed it looks. It also looks sorta flimsy to me, like it would tip over 


So what do you guys think? Out of these two, which one would I be better off with for the long haul, which would give me my money's worth, which would make my boys the happiest.


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

Err... I can't seem to edit my post D:
But to add, I'm really leaning towards the Rat Manor despite it's lack of aesthetic appeal. I read some customer reviews and it seems to be good overall.
Plus, again, it's cheaper and shipping is free.

Anyone has experiences with the Rat Manor? Is it as good as others are making it out to be? Worth the money?


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## BigBen (Nov 22, 2011)

I would go with the Super Pet, but only because it is a little larger. But I am a first-time rat owner and have very little experience. My Martin's R-685 has been very satisfactory, so far.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Go with the Super Pet cage. Nicer size (same footprint as the Martins R-680), and better quality, even though the pan is plastic. Super Pet offers full replacement parts for the whole cage which is nice. The Rat Manor is a good starting cage but the shelves are annoying to rearrange, the doors are really small, and I have even heard that the paint peels and flakes off the bars after a while.

ETA: This review confirms the paint flaking issue:



> The cage is advertised as being powder-coated, and it's not. Powder-coated wire is kind of textured and resistant to chipping. The wires on this cage are spray-coated with some kind of vinyl-ish paint. It chips and comes off in big flakes. After 3 weeks, I already have rust spots where the cage sits in the pan and rubs against the hooks that attach it there. The paint on the door latches flaked off after about 10 days.


The shelving on both cages is kinda poor, the SP ones collect urine in the ridges and can be chewed, while the RM ones are hard to rearrange, flimsy, and the small grid doesn't let feces fall through. I would probably remove them from either cage and use bird ladders and flat hammocks as shelves instead.


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

Thanks for the input.

I believe I will go with the Super Pet rather than the RM. 
Aside from the flaking issue (which I was seriously concerned about, as well as rusting) I browsed Goosemoose today through a cage pics thread and every RM I saw, while nicely decorated, seemed to be... meh, like I said, flimsy. I saw one shelf that was tilted, other shelves that were bowing in the middle just because of bowls. 

I don't feel like chewing will be too big of an issue, but if it does occur I will probably end up lining it with something to prevent the chewing. 

Again, thanks for the advice. Looking forward to decorating ;D


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

I have the Rat Manor for my degus, who are champion chewers and must have all metal (I zip-tied grass mats to the shelves.) It works great for them, but it's a real pain to clean. It is stable, not tippy at all - but I wouldn't want to house rats in it. 

I also have an All Living Things, which is a lot like the Super Pet and love, love, love it. It's a breeze to clean, has lots more floor space than the Rat Manor, and I love that it has a door in the top. The wheel is ginormous - I have put it in my CN now, since this is the boy's dorm and they aren't interested. Other than that, the only thing I had to do was modify the hammock, which isn't soft or cozy at all.


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

I originally wanted the ALT because I liked the look of it, and the fact that it come with that bottle and bowl.
In the end it was the price that killed me on it. I also had someone that told me the bars on her began to pop loose and she had to glue them back together, which didn't appeal to me at all for a cage that price.

Imma try to get the SP ordered today annnddddd perhaps sniff around looking at some ratty goodies :3


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

Wow, I haven't had that problem with the bars - hope I don't! They're pretty similar cages, I'm sure the SP will work great for you. Be sure to post pics when you get it set up. I got a lot of my cage goodies from Petco on line - they have pretty decent prices.


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## RatMama13 (Aug 20, 2011)

My friend has a rat manor and I just recently purchased one and the ONLY compaint she's had is cleaning all the mesh. Mine is well used and still VERY sturdy. I like that the shelves are adjustable and while not the easiest it also means they are very sturdy and won't fall when my girls get to runnin around. I have access to a power washer and that works wonders! A hose with a high pressure nozzle works well too. I like the extra latches on the doors because my girls can be naughty  It also has more floor space because it has two full levels


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## A.ngelF.eathers (Jul 6, 2011)

So, my SP should be here soon (the thingy said tomorrow but I don't trust it xD Here's hoping, though) and today I did a little poking around for hammocks and such. 
The hammocks were a bit too rich for my blood, so I decided I'd just hold out and make some myself. 
I found this though  Figured the little bald body would enjoy it. 
He does!


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

That is SUCH a cute picture. <33


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## RatMama13 (Aug 20, 2011)

New cages are always exciting! I can't wait to get mine back to school and to put my girls in it when they get back from the sitter!


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

A.ngelF.eathers said:


> So, my SP should be here soon (the thingy said tomorrow but I don't trust it xD Here's hoping, though) and today I did a little poking around for hammocks and such.
> The hammocks were a bit too rich for my blood, so I decided I'd just hold out and make some myself.
> I found this though  Figured the little bald body would enjoy it.
> He does!
> ...


Everyone at my house loves those cuddle cups, too - I should buy stock in the company!


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## Ruairidh (Aug 29, 2011)

I've got a Rat Manor, and my girls love it. It's a bit of a pain to rearange the levels, but my girls are chewers, so the all-metal thing is good. As for cleaning it, I found that if I take the top shelf out of my dishwasher and fold up the actual cage part, it fits in nicely and is not really much fuss, plus the pan rinses out pretty easily if I just stick it in the bathtub and attack it with a scrub brush.. For me, the only problem is that in the corner where my girls like to piddle, the pan is starting to flake and rust a little. Also, the doors are big enough to put my head through. 

Of course, the best cage I've ever had cost me about $20 and an afternoon of carpentry and wirework. A chicken farm in my area went bust, and I got one of the old row cages, tipped it up on its end, and made a four-story rat cage with a wooden base. :\


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