A bit anxious/excited about getting my first rattie...

[Christie]

:doh: I'm so stupid!! I forgot about Martins cages. Yes, martins are awesome. But make sure you get the coated ones, not the galvanized. But they have wire floors so you would need to cover the floors with fleece for more comfort.

 

[lindsay hannah]

Yay, a new rat owner! Welcome to the club.

Both of the cages you're considering are on my personal no-no list. Urine can accumulate in the shelves, plastic is extremely shreddable, the barspacing is too big [especially with females/babies, half inch barspacing is ideal.], and one of them doesn't have a very deep pan, which keeps bedding inside the cage.

If you're able to order online, http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/ has FANTASTIC cages. Superpet cages are hard to clean and not worth the money, in my opinion. One that I see being purchased often is the Rat Manor from Petco http://www.petco.com/product/106171/PET ... bitat.aspx and it looks pretty good. Proper barspacing, deep pan, powder coated [to prevent rusting], all around wire [nothing beats a wire cage!], and plenty of room to hang hammocks. I don't like my kids running around on the wire shelves so I bobby-pin towels down and always hang hammocks - problem solved!

The very best way to judge if the size of a cage is appopriate for your number is rats is to use a handy dandy cage calculator. I love these things.
http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml
http://www.huskyrat.co.uk/aboutrats/cagecalc.html
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information ... alculator/
http://kristinewickstrom.homestead.com/ ... pplet.html

Do you freeze your Carefresh for 24 hours before using it? I didn't and brought mites home to my kids.. it's a very frustrating thing to deal with. ): Now I use towels to eliminate the possibility alltogether.

I think it's great that you've already had a vet jar set up for your gerbils in the past.

I have a dust mite allergy so I've always frozen it before hand. It's just easier to not have to deal with excess mites.
Oh my, I think I may actually be able to fit the Rat manor on my table!
My main problem is finding a big enough cage without spending an arm and a leg and being able to fit it in my room.

 

[Christie]

Thats always the case

 

[twitch]

with the CN161 you don't need to have the table. if you can take the table out and put the cage there that would be better. it is probably the only cage you will ever need. it is easy to adjust for geriatics that have difficulty moving, the bar spacing is perfect for all ages and if you had the CN162, a portion can be blocked off if ever you needed to separate for health reasons. its easy to assemble and disassemble so if ever you no longer needed the cage you could store it under the bed.

there are other cages that would be suitable, the martins being among the best of them, but the CN will be the best and most versatile cage you will ever need.

 

[lindsay hannah]

[s:3ls893yv]How wide are the CN's? I don't really have room for much over 24". I doubt I could afford one anyway.[/s:3ls893yv]
My only local retailer is a Petsmart. The dimensions are 36"L x 24"W and it's about $240.00. I really don't have the money to spend on it (or the space).

 

[SQ]

Actually the one section critter nation is $160.
You might see if it is sold at your local store and how much it costs because they are for sale at stores in the USA.

Anyway, whatever cage you decide to get, make sure it is powder coated (paint is backed onto the wires) because galvanished wire will absorb dirt and urine and smell.

 

[lindsay hannah]

Actually the one section critter nation is $160.
You might see if it is sold at your local store and how much it costs because they are for sale at stores in the USA.

Anyway, whatever cage you decide to get, make sure it is powder coated (paint is backed onto the wires) because galvanished wire will absorb dirt and urine and smell.

I called and $240 was the price of the single level.
I've never used galvanized metal.

BTW;; are plastic bird toys safe for rats?

 

[ryelle]

Id suggest wooden bird toys more than plastic ones. They can chew the wooden ones and play with them at the same time. Strings and bells and different textures of bird toys are also good.

You've got quite a lot of good info off everyone

Good luck with your girly!

 

[SQ]

wow!
Good luck with your new cage and new ratties.
We will look forward to pics :thumbup:

 

[lindsay hannah]

Id suggest wooden bird toys more than plastic ones. They can chew the wooden ones and play with them at the same time. Strings and bells and different textures of bird toys are also good.

You've got quite a lot of good info off everyone

Good luck with your girly!

Alright. I'm making sure to have plenty of wood toys.

 

[lindsay hannah]

wow!
Good luck with your new cage and new ratties.
We will look forward to pics :thumbup:

Pics are a definite must!

 

[Christie]

Wow, 240$ for a single? Go on ferret.com and there will be a better price there...unless u already picked out your cage lol

 

[lindsay hannah]

Wow, 240$ for a single? Go on ferret.com and there will be a better price there...unless u already picked out your cage lol

I've basically already decided on the Rat Manor from Petco. Besides, my parent's are getting mad that I'm having to get a larger cage than the one I purchased earlier in the week. lol.

 

[Moon]

The Petco Rat Manor sounds like a pretty good choice I don't know anyone who's had it but it sounds good in writing! You'll have to give us a full rundown on what you think of the cage when you get it.

 

[donnamaz]

It might be cheaper for you to build one from scratch hun... We have made atleast 3 of these and you can customize these easily...

Wow, 240$ for a single? Go on ferret.com and there will be a better price there...unless u already picked out your cage lol

I've basically already decided on the Rat Manor from Petco. Besides, my parent's are getting mad that I'm having to get a larger cage than the one I purchased earlier in the week. lol.

 

[lindsay hannah]

Well, my babies are here! They are actually littermates, approx 8 1/2 weeks old. Both are blue, Tilly is a self with white toes and Emmy is a berkshire. Both are absolutely precious, and I'll be sure to have pictures up once I find the time.

BTW, I love the Rat Manor, it's perfect for my blue babies (and leaves enough room for a possibly 3rd in the future).

 

[Godmother]

Looking forward to photos! You've had a long wait, and I bet that you are enjoying your sweeties.

 

[Dahlas]

I can't wait to see pictures of your blue girls.....I have two blue girls...Tilly and Tabitha

 

[Arkeld]

Tilly and Tabitha

Scanning the post, I somehow read that as Taliban. :mrgreen:

 

[lindsay hannah]

Pictures
There's Tilly & Emmy.