# HELP! idk what to get :(



## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

so i have 5 rats and i need 2 seperate cages but im constantly broke (work at McDonalds...yay...) what are some of the best cages for someone on a budget ive found some stuff but it seems too small and i want my babies to have lots of room to be the little troublemakers they are xD


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

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Fir...5BRI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335763024&sr=8-2 This is my cage, and it seems they've actually even lowered the price. Cage calculator says 4 rats comfortably. For a cage that size, decently built, can't beat the price. Free S&H too. I actually saw the same cage for sale in one of my local petshops today, $160 >_>


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## mkeith501 (Apr 26, 2012)

I would look at bird cages you could outfit for rats, I'm in college so I'm broke all the time and I got my little girl a fantastic cage for $33, now it wouldn't be big enough for more than two rats, but they have bigger ones for not that much more.


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## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

and to think i was looking at the petco rat manor xD this cage looks sooo much better and actually has a little more room plus cheaper on top of all that! thanks a ton!!


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## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

i actually havent thought to look at bird cages xD ill check that out too thanks !


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Im just wondering... you said you have 5 rats, are they all living in one cage now? even the two boys  ?

anyway back on topic. you should check out Craigslist, ive seen alot of people find a cheap, and good cage from there.
You could buy a dog cage aswell, they seem to go "cheap" in the usa aswell, and then cover it with some wire


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## British (Apr 2, 2012)

Scythix16 said:


> and to think i was looking at the petco rat manor xD this cage looks sooo much better and actually has a little more room plus cheaper on top of all that! thanks a ton!!


The upside of the Rat Manor is that it's completely unchewable, as it has no plastic parts. The biggest reason that I bought the Rat Manor was that it has a full second floor, so there is never very far to fall, if the rat fell out of a hammock, etc.

Good luck


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## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

The boys are babies so they are too young to get any ideas xD but that wont last too long besides my girls are pretty clear about no xD


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Male rats are sexually mature at the age of 5 weeks  So I really do hope that they are not in the same cage as your females, otherwise you are going to get alot of rats


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## Maltey (Jun 26, 2011)

And even if your girlies are pretty clear, it's not going to stop these males once they get going.
You really need to separate them. 
I know eventually you want to get them a massive cage and give them as much as they want, but right now you just need a cage that meets basic living requirements to keep them apart.
Try checking craigslist- you can find awesome second hand cages really cheap.


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## Afwife83 (Mar 28, 2012)

You need to seperate them, like, now. It only takes 3 seconds (literally) for the mating process to complete. And like everyone else said, sexual maturity is at 5 weeks of age.


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## Keelyrawr (Mar 7, 2012)

I would check on craigslist. I bought the cage A.ngelF.eathers was showing for 20 bucks on there.
Just have to thoroughly clean it. A lot better than spending 100 bucks on one.
You can also make a rat cage out of a bird cage, just add shelves, liners, toys, ect.
Good luck


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## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

Well that's why I needed another cage xD I got one today  plus I rescued 4 little dumbo rats that someone left on the doorstep to the pet store


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## Snippet (Dec 30, 2010)

I just had a very quick look on ebay and saw this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-5-Level...523?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item256f3e8253

For the time being you could use wire to hold the grille that's supposed to be in the bottom in the middle of the cage so you've got 2 cages. If you get the boys neutered you could then remove it or cut a hole in it to turn it into one large cage.


I also saw these which you could do the same sort of thing with:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-Wroug...460?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4164da2244

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Bird-Pa...361?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ca6a1e069

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Large-B...570?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58889e675a

I haven't checked how many rats they will fit according to the cage calculator.


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## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

see being a guy.... i couldnt neuter my boys xD id feel soooooo bad you have no idea xD ill just seperate them besides i wanna breed them and sell the babies alot of my friends would love pet rats xD


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## British (Apr 2, 2012)

Scythix16 said:


> see being a guy.... i couldnt neuter my boys xD id feel soooooo bad you have no idea xD ill just seperate them besides i wanna breed them and sell the babies alot of my friends would love pet rats xD


WHOA. Hold up a second there, bud.

Someone needs to do a whole bunch more research about this whole "rat thing" before they go making more indiscriminately bred rat babies. There is absolutely zero need to breed more rats, unless said rats are titled show rats. And why can your friends not go to a rescue and adopt pets like the rest of us?

Also, be careful talking about that bad "B" word around here - the mods will not be happy.

In a side note - why would you feel bad about neutering them? They have no idea what those are, or what they're for. And they don't have sex for fun, either. They're rats, not dolphins...


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## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

i wanna have atleast 1 litter.... babies are cute! but after 1 i couldnt do anymore i couldnt find enough homes


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## British (Apr 2, 2012)

Scythix16 said:


> i wanna have atleast 1 litter.... babies are cute! but after 1 i couldnt do anymore i couldnt find enough homes


Please give this a read, my dear: http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?25941-Why-not-to-breed... It's a sticky from one of the subforums. And, be sure you don't do anything without having first researched it to death, because if you don't, it will be to the detriment of your ratlets. I know you don't want that.


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## British (Apr 2, 2012)

Oh, and this one! http://www.ratforum.com/showthread....eding...-What-you-should-know-before-breeding


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## Scythix16 (Apr 30, 2012)

my rats arent pet store rats the store i got them from is a local store... very small only 2 people work there and these rats are bred with utmost care and research i wouldnt do anything like that without knowing genetic history ( i have a major in biology with a minor in zoology) ive seen what happens when "breeders" dont take into consideration genetic factors yall have nothing to worry about from my end


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Scythix16 said:


> so i have 5 rats and i need 2 seperate cages but im constantly broke (work at McDonalds...yay...)


If you are out of money all the time you shouldnt even think about breeding rats. They take ALOT of money, care, time, and other resources.
What if you get 20pups? 
What if they get sick? 
what if nobody wants them?
do you have money for separate cages for them if they dont get along with each other? 
Money for food? 
Money for high protein food for the mum rat? 
What if your female rat dies in birth?
What about genetic disorders? 
what about disease breaking out in your room where the rats are?
Money for litter?

Rat babies are really cute, and alot of people wonder what would the combination of their rat look like, but there are so many homeless rats that you should just ask your friends to adopt them from a shelter. 

I had an accidental litter of 3 couple years back. Got the 3 females from an irresponsible person who didnt care about anything, and due to that 2 sweet girls passed away while giving birth, leaving the pups to die alone in the cold. It really is not as fun as it might seem. So be responsible and dont breed.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

If you want to experience babies, contact a rescue or shelter and ask to foster a pregnant mother. Then you can get the full experience and save lives, not just add unnecessarily to the population. I concur 100% that if you are short on finances and can barely afford suitable living space you should NOT be considering breeding rats at this time. You are NOT going to make a profit off those babies. Breeders pay from their own pockets, not through donations or adoption fees.

Please read the site rules - we do not allow discussion of intentional breeding. Further discussion of the subject and I will delete the posts... please stick to the topic.


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