Good Rat Cages

[smoot]

I'm sure this has been covered in Rat chat but for the life of me I can't find it! I just found out my little brother has aquired a rat and it's living in a 10 gallon aquarium. I'd like to give him a better cage for Christmas, but I don't know where to start! From my online research so far, aquariums are okay, but that goes against everything I know about pet care. There is conflicting info about whether a mesh floor is good or bad. Help!

I need a cage that is easy to clean (so that he'll clean it regularly) and inexpensive (for obvious reasons). I thought about building him a C&C cage with my extra grids slightly overlapping but it would be too heavy and cumbersome. I know about grids with small openings but I can't buy them in Hawaii (and freight from mail order is really expensive). All recommendations are welcome.

Smoot

[dagwellismypigy]

http://www.cavycages.com/photos/show...cat=all&page=1 THis might be a little expensive, but it would last forever and it looks easy enough to clean.

http://www.cavycages.com/photos/show...cat=all&page=1 I've seen this on a lot of rat cage websites. Its comparable to a c&c for a rat.

Keep searching the net, I'm sure something will show up.

[kimberly78]

www.martinscages.com are great and not too bad in price

[2pigs4rats]

Wire floor is not suitable for rats, and aquariums aren't particularly good since rats love to climb. Also try and wangle a friend for the rat since rats are social animals and will be much happier living in pairs or small groups.
Rats make great pets, they are clever, cute and friendly, well excpet for my sootie, my toher three boys are angles!

[smoot]

Thanks for the info, folks. Now I have to find out if the rat's a chewer. I'm inclined to ask him for the rat because he's not taking very good care of it. It doesn't have any toys, and like I said, it lives in a glass aquarium. Can anyone recommend good rat books?

[2pigs4rats]

Training your pet rat - is a great book, it helps you understand your rats, tells you about the care they need and their learning capabilities and how to make home-made toys and stuff.

[stitsy&codyPig]

I have a pet rat, so maybe I can help you.
Aquariums are okay but they really don't have enough room. Plus in the summer they get really hot and the rat can overheat.
I have my baby in a Marchioro cage, in is 3' by 2 1/2'.
Just make sure when you do buy a cage to get one with no wire on the bottom.
Another thing is the bedding, don't use cedar. Go with aspen, it is cheap and good!
Well I hope some of that helped.
Here is a good rat website: ratballs.com

[dirty hippie]

If you're looking for something cheap, I'd suggest a birdcage for medium-to-large sized birds. (Parrot cages have wire openings that are too big.) You can buy shelves and hammocks to add levels for the rat.

Most cages that you'll find in petshops that are advertised "for rats" are too small. (And definitely stay away from any cages that state "for gerbils, hamsters, and rats!" I've actually seen those enclosed plastic Crittertrail Habits advertised as for rats. Eesh.) Chin and ferret cages work well, if you're willing to dish out $150 for a cage. And they usually come without wire mesh on the floor, which is an added bonus.

Here is a cage calculator that will determine how many rats can fit into a cage if you have the measurements: http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/informat...agecalculator/

[SkinnyPiggys]

Hello,

Thanks for helping out your brother and his rat! Rats are very sociable so hopefully you can adopt a same sex friend for the rat. Here are some good rat web sites for you. Good luck!

~Julie
www.rmca.org

www.afrma.org

www.ratfanclub.org

http://www.teacherwebshelf.com/class...mmals-rats.htm

www.dapper.com.au

[dirty hippie]

^ I don't know who moderates this forum, but perhaps it would be handy to have a sticky with some good rat-site links?

[kimberly78]

if you are worried about wire flooring you can get carpet squares that are left over from jobs at the stores for next to nothing and put that on top of the wire floor. We do this for the rescues we take in

[ThreeLittlePigs]

Wire floors and levels are actually just fine and much more sanitary for rats. Just be sure to offer them hammocks, boxes, and other solid things for them to rest on. If your rats are on solid floors they will be sitting in puddled urine and feces and *that* can actually cause bumblefoot (infection on the bottom of the rear feet). Martins Cages are definitely the favorite amongst rat enthusiasts. A few other links to help you along:

Rats Rule! Forum
http://www.goosemoose.com/component/...,118/forum,rat

RatPalace Forum
http://www.ratpalace.com (click on Discussion Forums)

Rat Health Guide
http://www.ratguide.com

A ton of helpful links:
http://home.interlog.com/~audiotre/rats/

[dirty hippie]

Wire floors and levels are actually just fine and much more sanitary for rats. Just be sure to offer them hammocks, boxes, and other solid things for them to rest on. If your rats are on solid floors they will be sitting in puddled urine and feces and *that* can actually cause bumblefoot (infection on the bottom of the rear feet). Martins Cages are definitely the favorite amongst rat enthusiasts. A few other links to help you along:

I've kept my rats on both wire and plastic over the years. My problems with wire floors are -
1) They're harder to clean because you have to pick out little bits of grime and poop that tends to build up in the between-spaces.
2) I've had rats (especially older rats) rip toenails out by getting their feet caught in the mesh.

The ideal cage environment would be a wire cage with at least a main floor that is not mesh. If you have solid levels that are not covered in bedding, they should be wiped clean once or twice a day.

[SkinnyPiggys]

"Wire floors and levels are actually just fine and much more sanitary for rats. Just be sure to offer them hammocks, boxes, and other solid things for them to rest on. If your rats are on solid floors they will be sitting in puddled urine and feces and *that* can actually cause bumblefoot (infection on the bottom of the rear feet)."

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you about this. Wire floors can actually cause bumblefoot in many animals. Wire floors can be very dangerous! Usually solid floors are recommended for rats and most animals. As long as you use a good layer of bedding and keep the cage clean, the rats will not be sitting in a urine and feces.

[dirty hippie]

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you about this. Wire floors can actually cause bumblefoot in many animals. Wire floors can be very dangerous! Usually solid floors are recommended for rats and most animals. As long as you use a good layer of bedding and keep the cage clean, the rats will not be sitting in a urine and feces.

Er, sorry, I'm really not stalking you or anything. (Just hyper and trying to put off studying, so I'm prowling the forums.)

It really hasn't been proven that wire floors /cause/ bumblefoot. Bumblefoot is really an abscess that is formed by a bacteria that gathers in urine and feces. An unclean cage is the #1 cause. Both wire and solid floor cages can cause it. As does obesity, old age, and a number of other factors that lower the immune system and/or cause a rat to walk differently.

I'm not promoting an all-wire cage for rats. Standing on the wire all day does hurt their feet, and wire flooring can cause a host of other foot-related problems.

[SkinnyPiggys]

"It really hasn't been proven that wire floors /cause/ bumblefoot."

Direct quote from The Guinea Pig Handbook written by Sharon L. Vanderlip, DVM, "Pododermatitis (inflamed, sore feet) is caused by housing cavies on wire mesh floors or sharp, abrasive bedding material Pododermatitis is sometimes incorrectly called "bumblefoot". Bumblefoot is a foot disease of fowls, not cavies!"

If you need more references connecting the correlation between foot problems and wire floors I would be happy to send them to you.

[dirty hippie]

I know. It's not caused by the wire alone, but also by the presence of urine and feces. Like I said, wire flooring can cause discomfort and cuts on rat feet, but you need the addition of something else before the sores become infected.+

[Spirited]

And since wire floors are tricky to clean thoroughly, the rats get bumblefoot.

Better to have wipe clean plastic that can be wiped down daily and disinfected on a big clean than wirefloors that are difficult to clean. Rats do not tend to sit in mess, mine do their toileting on the floor of the cage where there is litter, but occasionally they will choose to toilet on the shelves, but they don't stay there.

I would definately get his buck a friend if possible, rats are extremely easy to introduce. Rats are even more suseptible to respiratory infections than guineas, so keeping them in tanks is out of the question - Given bars and toys to play on, rats are active an will use the whole 3D space you give them. Avairies meant for birds are a good bet, and usually good value, just make sure you halt long drops with comfy hammocks.

Spirited

[l_eris_l]

Here's something you can try, especially as your brother already has a 10 gallon aquarium. I use this myself and love it. I paid $29.99 at a local Petco store.

http://petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R...familyID=10806&

This wire cage sits on top of a 10 gallon aquarium. The ramps allow the rat to climb and explore, the entire top opens for easy access, and the whole thing can be lifted off the aquarium to change the bedding. And because the sides of the aquarium are so tall, NO bedding will be scattered out of the cage.

My rat spends most of her time in the aquarium part (where she built her nest). Her water bottle and food dish are on the top level and she runs down to the bedding to eat or hide the food!

The ramp width and hole opening might be a little small for a male rat if it is on the large size. It depends on the rat.

If you are worried about wire floors, you can easily cover them with linoleum or coroplast. Also, 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch cubes (like in this cage) are fine and feet won't get stuck. But whatever you do, never get 1 inch x 1/2 inch wire. This is the perfect size to get a hind leg stuck! :0

SuperPet makes something similar (link below), but the drop down to the bottom from the top floor looks a little steep and dangerous.

http://www.critterstore.com/sp-60003.html


~Eris~

[l_eris_l]

I also have to chime in on the wire floor debate.

If at all possible, I would recommend covering wire floors with linoleum or something else that is easy to clean. Having said that, I have housed many rats in the past on wire floors. The bottom level (or whichever level the rats tend to spend the most time) I would cover with linoleum and carefresh bedding. But the ramps and some smaller levels I left the wire exposed. As long as feet don't get stuck, the rats won't spend alot of time on these levels. They aren't dumb. If it hurts their feet they will move to the linoleum part. (I have had a few rats that seemed to enjoy sleeping on the wire. I have no idea why! )

The only problems I have ever had with wire were hind legs getting stuck in 1" x 1/2" wire, and overweight rats having difficulty walking on wire.

Regarding bumblefoot, wire may be harder to clean, may rust, scratch feet, etc so that may indirectly cause bumblefoot by weakening or cutting the skin. As dirty hippie mentioned, bumblefoot is an abcess actually caused by bacteria invading the foot.

While wire cages are the most often cited culprit regarding bumblefoot, there are other predisposing factors:

1. The tendency of older rats to walk 'flat-footed' on their hind feet, rather than on their toes. (puts more pressure on foot pads, weakens skin)
2. Obesity (also puts more pressure on foot pads, weakens skin)
3. Solid shelving in cages (urine build up)
4. Diabetes (like in humans, diabetics have reduced blood circulation)
5. Genetic factors (some rats have less ability to fight off the bacteria)

Here is a good site: http://www.warmfuzziesrattery.com/faq.htm#bite


~Eris~