Rats and C&C?

[Barcklay_Coco]

Can i put four rats in a 4lx3hx2w cage? are the holes too big? Could i attach poultry fence to the side? Thanks

[ThePigAlchemist]

I've never owned rats, but I've been doing some research about them. Their getting through the bars of cages seems to be a very big concern even with storebought cages, so it would probably be necessary to cover the outside of the cage. Instead of chicken wire, the rat forum I frequent recommends securing hardware mesh to the outside of the cage.

The general size recommendation for a rat cage is 2 cubic feet per rat, though more is better. So that cage size would be very spacious for four rats, which is always a good thing.

[TCTrun]

It's really not worth it to build a C&C for rats. Buy a Martin's cage or a Midwest Critter Nation. These cages are well worth the investment because they will last a very long time if cleaned and maintained properly.

[theratwhisperer]

A rat would be able to sqeeze throught the holes, however, if you cover them with hardware cloth you should be okay. Also keep in mind that rats chew more than guinea pigs and will start working on those zip-ties you might use to hold the C&C cage together. I myself have toyed with the idea of building a C&C Cage for my 7 rats but I think when I do build one, I will cover with hardware cloth and use as a playground, not as their primary cage.

[coxbrea151]

Even 2hx2wx2l would work for 4 rats. Rats can squeeze through regular grids, so the mesh grids would work better.