# Traveling With a Rat Cage



## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Hello everyone! I have a small problem regarding traveling with rat cages. I have talked to my mom and my dad, and both have suggested getting two cages, one for each house, since my parents are divorced. I am against this idea, because it seems very pricy and time consuming. My mom in concerned that it would be too hectic trying to transport the cage from house to house every weekend. I do not think this, but what do you guys suggest? Can you give me the pros and cons of having two cages ( keep in mind, I only go to my dad's house for the weekends )?


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## Rattielover965 (Apr 26, 2016)

The change would probably be stressful for the rats,can you leave them at your mom's house on weekends?Could you convince her to take care of them on weekends?


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

*Re: Travelong With a Rat Cage*

I have looked around on google to see if rats can travel, and apparently it is fine. Some other people bring them on trips and to weekend homes, so I think it would be okay. Also, my mom works over the weekends, and she claims "Rats are gross" so I do not think she would have playtime with them, which is the reason I waned to bring them to my dad's house, because I know they need playtime everyday.


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## Rattielover965 (Apr 26, 2016)

Yes they can travel,but traveling every weekend would probably be stressful to them.You could make a bin cage for a travel/weekend cage if you are not willing to get another cage.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Do you think it would be better to buy two cages? I am unsure, because I am still in school, and school loves to shove last minute projects on us over the weekends. I am concerned it would be 1) really expensive 2) time consuming, because I would have to spend a lot more time cleaning, and 3) because it just seems a little strange. I don't know still, so can someone please give me the pros and cons of having two cages, and of traveling back and forth with one cage?


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## Rattielover965 (Apr 26, 2016)

Bin cages are cheap do it yourself cages,can be travel cages,and are good to have as a extra cage if you need to separate them temporarily,but are only okay as temporary cages.A bin cage might be good for your situation because you don't need to move a huge and heavy cage twice a week and they don't cost much.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Thank you, but I do not want to use a bin cage. I only want to know the pros and cons of having two cages. If I decide on having two cages, I will figure out what they are later. I was thinking of having one Rat Skyscraper from martinscages.com, because it is a nice size and apparently it is fairly easy to transport. However, nothing is certain yet so I would still like to know whether or not I should purchase two seperate cages, and what the pros and cons of doing so would be. I would also appreciate the pros and cons of transporting one cage back and forth.Thank you though.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

I do not think it would be stressful at all. I've traveled with my rats and they handled it perfectly and they will adjust to a routine.

But taking a proper cage back and forth? No way. It would be a major pain in the butt. I can not imagine doing so at all. 
IMO you would still need a transport cage as any good cage would not be safe to keep them in during the trip. You would need to deep clean the cage at the end of every week and weekend before the trip because IDK about your parents but no way is a dirty cage going in the car eww lol The one week you are sick or tired and don't wanna do it.... A good cage is also big and bulky and just going to be a pain to get in the car.

Two cages is definitely the best plan. 

If you are only staying at one house for the weekend (2 days?) Then I would just get a good sized normal cage for the week and then a smaller cage for travel/the weekend. A cage not too small but easy to transport and have at your other parents house. A bin cage would actually be ideal. Bin cages are honestly awesome lol but any smaller cage would be fine.


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## Okeedoke22 (Dec 31, 2016)

What cage do you have now? How many rats do you have? Another question is what type of car will you be transporting in? Big truck or small Prius. lol. I have a Critter Nation so I would hate to think about traveling with that but some cages seem a lot easier to transport. Even the bigger Martins seem like I would be able to travel with. 

I think having a bigger cage in your Mom's house and then maybe a smaller cage just for weekends at Dad's. Though if you get the Skyscraper I think you can transport that cage just fine. Its tough because I'm going off pictures. I'm no expert but having the 1 cage might make them feel more comfortable.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Okeedoke22 said:


> I think having a bigger cage in your Mom's house and then maybe a smaller cage just for weekends at Dad's. Though if you get the Skyscraper I think you can transport that cage just fine. Its tough because I'm going off pictures. I'm no expert but having the 1 cage might make them feel more comfortable.


That's what I thought. I think it would be nice to have two cages, because traveling would be easier, but I am worried about the price for the two cages along with fleece liners and accessories. I would like to only have one cage, because I am worried that switching from two different cages every week would stress them out. Also, I still have school so it would be time consuming to clean two cages every week. Although one would be cleaned over the weekend, school loves to shove last minute projects on everyone over the weekends.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I house-sat for a friend once and I broke down my DCN and brought one unit to set up at his house for two weeks. It was such an amazing pain to take apart, clean, transport, lug up and down several flights of stairs, then put back together. The very next week I started scouring Craigslist for a good deal on a smaller sized travel cage. I ended up finding a great deal on a used guinea pig cage for $20. It's not nearly as big as their primary cage but it's just fine for them for short periods of time.









If it's only for the weekends, I think it's okay if the cage at your dad's house isn't as big. If I were you, I'd see if I could find a used cage in good condition as a permanent cage for your dad's place and pick up a used cat carrier to transport your bubs back and forth. You can leave the cage set up at your dad's house and, because your rats will only be using it a couple days a week, it probably wouldn't even need to be cleaned every week.

Martin's cages are really nice and they're much lighter weight than cages like the Critter Nation but they're still really bulky and awkward to transport. In the below pics, you can see how big the Rat Skyscraper actually is. Even the Rat Lodge is really big (compare with a SCN).















Personally, I wouldn't want to break down, clean, transport, and set-up either of these cages every weekend. It just seems like so much work.


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## MRM (Dec 26, 2016)

Just chiming in to say that I agree with having two cages. A nice sized "smaller" cage for your dad's place and a regular cage for your mom's. Then, either make a bin cage or buy a small cat carrier (that's what I have and it works wonderfully) for transport.

I had a Skyscraper and I am pretty sure it is too tall to stand up in the backseat of an SUV. The one time I transported it, I laid down in the bed of my full size pickup. It's very large and awkward to carry (even with the nice carrying handles they give you). 

The thought of moving that size cage back and forth every weekend makes me cringe. lol It would be a major pain.

One thing you could do, if you are worried about them stressing out in a different cage at your dad's house, is bring their favorite hammock and hidey-hut back and forth until they get used to the routine. I don't think it will take long for them to get used to having two cages in two different homes.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Okay, thank you everyone! What smaller cage do you suggest? I want to go for something that can hold at least three rats, because although I will only have two rats, I like to have more space so they're not cramped.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

What small cages can you suggest?


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## MRM (Dec 26, 2016)

Definitely try searching on CL or FB marketplace for cages. You'll want to make sure you get small enough bar spacing though, 1/2" is ideal, especially if you are getting young ratties. A guinea pig cage like Corbin posted would work well if you are getting adult male rats, some smaller females may still be able to escape though.

I'll let the others weigh in on a good size for the "weekend only" cage. I was looking at Martin's website and wonder if the the Rat Cabin (R-670) at 24 x 14 x 24 large enough?

Also, on your intro post I remember you saying you were getting rats in about a year, right? If that's the case, is it unreasonable to think that you may be able to purchase two single critter nations? I'm not sure how old you are and what kind of money kids make these days... LOL, but just a thought.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

MRM said:


> Also, on your intro post I remember you saying you were getting rats in about a year, right? If that's the case, is it unreasonable to think that you may be able to purchase two single critter nations? I'm not sure how old you are and what kind of money kids make these days... LOL, but just a thought.


This is a great idea! Thank you MRM. Also, I might have a DCN for my moms house, and a single FN for my dads house (my mom said that she will split the cost for the second cage with my dad, and FNs tend to be sold at a cheaper price).


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## MRM (Dec 26, 2016)

That sounds like a great way to go: DCN at mom's and SCN at dad's. You won't regret it and your ratties will love you for it! I just recently switched the CN and couldn't be happier.

Here's the best price I have seen on both SCN and DCN: https://www.petsupplies.com/item/critter-nation-small-animal-cage-single-unit/650231/

They always have a 30% off coupon available, and free shipping on $89 or more (but I did have a $25 fee on my DCN because of weight). When/if you buy from them, be sure the 30% coupon is applied to your cart, if not you can go grab a code at Retailmenot or other coupon site.


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## Rattielover965 (Apr 26, 2016)

SuperJesterPaw said:


> This is a great idea! Thank you MRM. Also, I might have a DCN for my moms house, and a single FN for my dads house (my mom said that she will split the cost for the second cage with my dad, and FNs tend to be sold at a cheaper price).


ferret nations have a larger bar space than a critternation so some rats can escape.critter nations also have horizontal bars,making climbing easier.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

I am so indesecive right now. I want to get the single CN, because it is the highest rated cage in the rat community. At the same time, I want to get the rat skyscraper, because it is taller than the single CN, and because it would be much easier to transport, need I go on vacation with my ratties. Ugh! Should I stick with the single CN, and then get the Rat Lodge for vacations? Or should I get the Rat Skyscraper?


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## Rattielover965 (Apr 26, 2016)

I'd go with the cn,but you have almost a year to decide,there's no rush.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Thank you. Second opinion?


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Does anyone have a second opinion?


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Would it be okay to leave them over the weekends? I know I already got an answer, but I'm starting to doubt my judgement. Since I'll have a DCN, would it be fine to leave them over the weekend? Or would it be smarter to bring them with me over the weekends?


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## HobieFinchArthur (Jun 18, 2016)

I'd say if it's just for a couple of days you'll probably be okay, as long as they're fed and have someone poking their head in every once in a while. 

I travel back and forth with mine from uni - they've got 2 cages which I find easier because I'll often take them on the train with me, but if it's for less than a week and someone can look after them I'll usually leave them where they are. I think they'll adapt to whatever you decide to do but personally I'd say as long as they've got someone to feed and check on them they'd be better off in one place if it's just for a weekend









ETA: just read through the start of the thread, I'd say that playtime is very important but as long as they've got a nice cage layout etc a couple of days a week not coming out won't hurt, I've never noticed any problems in mine after leaving them with people who won't get them out.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Okay, just wanted to make sure! Thanks!;D


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

I definitely agree with leaving them on weekends. I did a school-home commute with my first two girls and their DCN for 6 months, bringing them to school every Monday and back home every Friday. Let me tell you, assembling and resembling that thing was a HUGE pain. In fact, within just weeks of commuting, I had broken 3 of the wheels from constantly moving it, making assembling it even worse.

I've left my girls alone for a weekend many times, and they're always just fine. I also take a month long trip in December, and my pet sitter only feeds and refills water bottles. But even after a month without free-range, my girls are still okay.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Thanks!


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## charlypie (May 15, 2017)

You'd totally be fine leaving them for the weekends, load them up with food and extra water bottles so you don't have to worry if your parents are going to take care of them. I just left my boys with a roommate for 4 days because i had to travel for a wedding and they were fine and still had plenty to eat and drink when i got back. Another idea that i didn't see suggested here, if your dad has a spare bathroom (or likes rats and doesn't mind them in the main bathroom) or other area that can be made rat safe you could set them up to free range in the bathroom or whatever for the weekends with their carrier/travel cage open for them to go back to if they want. You need a small carrier/cage for travel and in case you need to separate or use a hospital cage anyway. Doing that would be less time/financial commitment than a proper cage for each house, and you could decided to take them some weekends and leave them other weekends depending on what else is going on.


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## SuperJesterPaw (Apr 7, 2017)

Thank you, everyone!


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