# the $150-$200 huge cage



## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

*If you had $150 to $200 to spend on a cage, what would you get? Optimally it would house 4-7 rats very comfortably. Specifically, what are pros and cons of each cage? Observations that you've made in your experiences? Other very large cages you like?*
*
The most popular choices I've seen appear to be:*
Martin's RUUD R-695 - Powder-Coated $195









Ferret Nation 2-story 421 - ~$160-200 online









*Additionally, I noticed some alternatives on eBay, some for only $100:*
A *gigantic* J&M exotics cage 31.5 x 19.5 x 52", powder coated - $180









Another very large J&M exotics cage 30 x 18 x 55", powder coated - $100










5-level, 30"x18"x55" cage, powder-coated, looks similar to previous - $100


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Hands down, the FN.


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Ditto.
Best cage I've ever owned.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Makes grabby hands for ferret Nation >_> <_< I want two two stories, one for my rats and another for my ferrets. **** if money were no option, a whole room for my ferrets to free range at all times and a ferretnation for my rats with another rat proofed room for them to freerange with supervision XD


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

The FN. I'll never buy another cage again. But I WILL buy more FN's.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

What's so great about the FN, though? And what about rats that aren't litter trained?


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Everything. It's huge, tons of floor space, the ability to make a two level into two separate cages if needed, it's on wheels, there's the storage shelf under it, the doors open fully and can be removed for easy cleaning, et cetera. When it comes to cleaning, it's the absolute easiest.


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## Wench (Apr 5, 2007)

I'd go for the ferret nation as well.

Just looking at it, you can see why it's the best option. It's made of quality metal, the bars are thick and the frame is sturdy. Like Night said, it has storage space and wheels.

Some of the other cages are bigger and cheaper, but just look how they are made. Thin, small spaced bars, flimsy plastic pans for a base, and not too attractive. The Ferret Nation is really good-looking, and just glancing at it you can see how sturdy it is.

If I had the money to spend, and if it was available, I would go with the Ferret Nation.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

But what about non-litter trained rats? And what happens if you have an especially chewy rat who will eat a 2" hole in plastic in a single night? I've googled to find replacement trays, but haven't found any.

It seems like FN cages - while extremely nice - are only for well-behaved, well-trained rats. 

Also, are the ladders long enough to use them as shelves? It's really hard to tell from the photos. (My rats could care less about ladders.)


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## Wench (Apr 5, 2007)

I'm not sure what you mean about non-litter trained rats and chewers.

What would be the problem with a rat that is not litter trained? I don't see the difference between a Ferret Nation and other cages for that problem. What's the difference?

I don't understand why the plastic chewing would be a worse problem in a Ferret Nation either.

I don't own one so I don't know, I'm probably missing something.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Ur... it's flat. Have you ever tried biting a flat surface? That's really hard to do as your teeth slide off of it XD


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Well, like poppyseed said, the surface is flat. So if your rats aren't litter-trained, you're limited to fabric bedding?

And even though the surface is flat, there are still edges. For a monster chewer & escape artist extraordinare, an edge in a cage corner is an irresistible chew-magnet. I give the bottom pan about 1 week of life before it has massive portions missing around the edges. I'm hoping someone knows where to buy replacements? (My current cage has a metal pan, and the one time they hung out in a plastic-bottomed cage it was destroyed very quickly. Replacements are important.)

On a sidenote, someone made a very nice post on Goosemoose about how to pricematch @ Petsmart to get a FN for under $140. What a deal! (expires 4/17/07, so hurry if you're interested) http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat/topic,4020244.0

Despite my reservations, I think I'm going to go ahead and get one. My rats will just have to learn to be litter-trained, and some tabasco in the corners under towels will hopefully deter the monster from destruction.


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

You can get replacement parts direct from Midwest, who makes the cages. You can get extra pans, shelves, ladders and any part that might be defective.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

It has enough edge for bedding, I was saying it was flat and therefor you can't bite it. I suppose they could bite the edge but my rats have never been interested in chewing plastic. Bert likes the gnaw on the occasional pen on my desk but I think it's just cause he sees mommy do that all the time >_>


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Woah, there's actually enough edge for a bedding like Carefresh or wood pellets? That's awesome! I've had a really hard time telling from the photos.

You're lucky your rats don't like plastic - some of mine seem to think that their life depends on the immediate destruction of all plastic they come in contact with. But then the one monster is balanced out with another girl who has no interest in chewing, except paper for elaborate nests. And the monster has never had any interest in making a nest, ever. Rats sure are quirky little animals!


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## Wench (Apr 5, 2007)

You can see the edge of the pan in the photographs. I imagine that is enough for a chip bedding, but you will probably get some kicked all over your floor. Why not simply go with a fabric bedding? It's easier to spot-clean and it's a sure-fire way to ensure your rat's health. 

I switched to fabric just this week and I've never been happier with a decision. It's so easy to clean and there's no more chips kicked all over my floor from ratties wanting out.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Poppy, there really isn't enough edge at all for bedding. Some people DO try to use bedding on the floors, but quickly switch to fabric bedding once they realize there's more bedding being flung outside of the cage than being kept in. 

My rats aren't litter trained by any means. I just spot clean daily. Not a big issue at all.

But, if you have incessant chewers, maybe the FN isn't such a good choice. I have seen FN pans completely demolished by rats, so keep that in mind when deciding which to purchase. Here's what happened to Lilspaz68's FN pan with her Horde:


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## reachthestars (Feb 27, 2007)

Enough to break any FN lover's heart, right there *tear*.


But I say (if you don't have persistant chewers) FN is the BEST option for your money. I LOVE mine, and my girl Willow who chews *anything* (we're talking litter pans) has left the bottom alone. I think she's satisfied with being able to pull the liners everywhere. If you have tiny girls you can do what I did, and cover it with aluminum screen.


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Very nicely done by the way! I would think black zip ties would be less of an eyesore but the cutting and grommeting are awesomely utilised!

I want one so bad, have I mentioned that as of yet?


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Get one!


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Have to save my pennies


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## fallinstar (Nov 26, 2006)

night dont u have the cage in the 2nd picture?


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

2manyrats said:


> Also, are the ladders long enough to use them as shelves? It's really hard to tell from the photos. (My rats could care less about ladders.)


Yes, they are long enough to slip over a horizonatal support bar on the side of the cage. I'm not sure of exactly _how_ secure that is, but it's held up for months of my two fat boys laying and jumping on it and hanging from it.










You can see below one edge is kinda hanging off, so you may want to use zip-ties just to be safe.









Also, if you have rats that will pull up the base cloth you're using over the tray, binder clips are cheap and very strong. PLus, the bigger they are, the stronger they are. My boys can't pull it up when it's clipped on with them. I have two on each corner and two spaced out on each side. Here you can see my boys(Jake on left, Ed on right) and the clips:


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

fallinstar said:


> night dont u have the cage in the 2nd picture?


Yep! I have two now that I connected to make one massive habitat for the ratties


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Wow, these are some fabulously informative replies. 

I got my FN last night, $138! Woot! It'll be here late in the week.

I'm very excited to see that the ladders work as mini shelves, and the idea with binder clips and mesh is awesome. I have a few that are a) tiny and b) *love* to pull up the edges.

I think that I can prevent chewing by coating the edges of the pans with tabasco. In the past, the monster-chewer has been dissuaded by a mouthful of hot sauce. (It doesn't leave any damage, just hurts temporarily; not cool, but horrid, incessant chewing has to be fought with big guns and lots of diversions)

And I'm heading to the thrift store today to get old blankets to make bedding with... that'll be *so* much cheaper than mounds of Carefresh every few days. 

Also, time to read up on litter-training, and find/make a litter box, hammocks, and other fun toys! Oh, the joy of having all this space to decorate...


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

haha, tabasco. had a puppy when i was little that ate carpet and door frames. we coated the frames with tabasco and came home 3 hours later to find her lying on her side in the doorway, licking tabasco off it, one lick at a time, every couple of minutes or so. she clearly didn't like it, but something about that doorframe was absolutely irrestistable. lol. and that ADD moment was brought to you by the letter Q! sorry, haha.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

hehe, that's cute. at least she wasn't chewing... just licking.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

My FN arrived today, and it's awesome. However, it doesn't fit in the space I thought it would (I must have measured incorrectly), so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. It kills me to see it sitting there, in its box, while my rats hang out in their inferior galvanized cage. Ack!

Dorm rooms are just so darn little.


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## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

When I got my new cage the same thing happened to me. It didn't fit in the spot I had planned for it in my office/spare room, and there was no where else in the house I could put it. So, I bought a new desk and TV stand, painted the walls, put in a new carpet, and completely redid the room (I had been wanting to for a while but was procrastinating). Now it fits, and I have a new, fabulous, and matching room. Here's the cage:


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## LizLovesRats5 (Mar 28, 2007)

Oh poop, the pic didn't work. Well if you want to see it, it's under my pics section of my myspace page: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=43836186


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## reachthestars (Feb 27, 2007)

Yay, you got your FN! You got it for a really good price too, close to what I payed for it . Is there any way you shift some furniture around? I was lucky to have JUST enough space where I wanted it to go. 

You have to post pictures once you get it all set up .


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

My Horde became addicted to plastic chewing this summer, no idea why. Plastic waterbottles, my waterbottles while I was drinking out of them at the time, etc. From the reaction I got, FN pan chewers are not that common.

The remaining pan I have stuck male velcro to the back and my fleece sticks nicely to it, keeps it stuck down pretty well. You might to replace it the odd time, but I prefer the velcro to the binder clips since a ratty could catch a foot if its not completely flat.

towels tuck and fold well if they are wide enough, but since I do all my rat laundry in the tub they are harder to wash/dry for me.

The ladders I have I have on a steep slant to make them work and get a bit more exercise...they love it.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Well, it's not a matter of moving furniture -> the furniture in my dorm room is built in, and the design of my building (built in 60s) must have been done by someone on a LOT of LSD. It has no right angles. It's an impossible space, and makes me wonder about the sanity of the people who actually okay'd the construction.

Th FN's going to have to stay in storage until I graduate (less than 2 months) and move into my new apartment, which will be definitely be larger than a closet, and will not look like it's been built by a drunk kindergardner.

Anyways, lilspaz, I've been meaning to ask why your FN looks green. I saw that photo on goosemoose, and it's been making me unbelieveably... green. Please tell me that it's just the photograph, and yours is actually grey like the rest of ours?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

2manyrats said:


> Anyways, lilspaz, I've been meaning to ask why your FN looks green. I saw that photo on goosemoose, and it's been making me unbelieveably... green. Please tell me that it's just the photograph, and yours is actually grey like the rest of ours?


FN's are grey? Ohh. Mine's greyish green. Here's a closer pic with sweet Kamali posing. This is my cage colour. Mine's only a few months old, so maybe they had a different oolour previously? I love the green.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Oooh, pretty rats... pretty cage... so pretty... aaahhhh...

*mesmerized*

Now I must google like a madwoman to figure out how to find a green one.


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## Night (Feb 23, 2007)

Mine's the same color as Lilspaz68's  I got my first FN in February, and my second one last month - both are the same greyish/green color.

I wish they came in pink


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Hmm, yours don't look greenish in the photos, Night. And when I opened my box yesterday, it didn't look greenish either.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Okay, for someone who won't have their FN setup for a while, I sure have figured out most of the decorations!

I've got 1 igloo, 1 ferret ball, several hammocks, 1 pvc pipe w/ four entry ways, 1 undershelf basket, a wheel, 5 sets of bedding... now all I need are litter pans.

Plus, I adopted out two rats yesterday, and the woman was kind enough to give me some apple & pear branches, and some little colored blocks (pet safe dyes).

Also, it currently looks like there will only be 3 rats in the FN, because my oldest girl has recently become free range.


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

Hmm. Mine is grey/greenish, too. Though in some light, it almost looks like a blue/grey. Hmm! The color changing cage?

I love seeing FN's. I totally have a FN fetish.


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

Kimmiekins said:


> I totally have a FN fetish.


HAHA. i think i have a thing for sexy eyebrows.  but hey, that's just me. if it's a FN for you, well then good for you.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Yep, I think I'm working on a FN fetish, too. I've been obsessively looking at all the photos I can find... even on the ferret forums. 

Although I think it might be more of an obsession for me. I tend to do that.


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

Me too. Fetish just makes me giggle, ha. But yeah, I can't get enough of the cage. I have plans for another FN. Oh noes! 

Seriously though. I sometimes just look at the FN for awhile. Not just because my cuties are in there, but just because I love the cage.


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Another! Make sure you do the pricematching trick so you can get it for a good price. 

Are you going to connect them like Night did?


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## JennieLove (Jan 2, 2007)

OnlyOno said:


> HAHA. i think i have a thing for sexy eyebrows.


I love my eyebrows! LMAO


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## Kimmiekins (Apr 14, 2007)

2manyrats said:


> Another! Make sure you do the pricematching trick so you can get it for a good price.
> 
> Are you going to connect them like Night did?


I hope to! Though I'm not sure when I'll be getting the second. But hey, even if the free shipping offer isn't there, I'll see if it'll be cheaper to still pricematch at Petsmart. 

I'm pondering it! I want to see how my groups do with intro's first... If they do well, I might take the plunge!


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

Yeah, you could definitely PM @ the store. I'm about to go PM some Total Comfort bedding I bought recently - it was $13, and I found it at Fleet Farm for $6.


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## papricka (Apr 2, 2007)

2manyrats said:


> Wow, these are some fabulously informative replies.
> 
> I got my FN last night, $138! Woot! It'll be here late in the week.
> 
> ...


Where did you get a FN for $138???? I am considering getting one!


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## 2manyrats (Apr 10, 2007)

2manyrats said:


> On a sidenote, someone made a very nice post on Goosemoose about how to pricematch @ Petsmart to get a FN for under $140. What a deal! (expires 4/17/07, so hurry if you're interested) http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat/topic,4020244.0


People said the deal is still good on Goosemoose, even though it's after 4/17. Also, if that original coupon code doesn't work, try NEXTTEN.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

2manyrats. I realized later on that my cage really is that bluish grey. I have a wild mushroom colour on my walls and it confuses the eye.


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## keiralaw (Apr 11, 2007)

omg this topic just has too many replies!


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