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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Nov 23, 2008 21:07:08 GMT -5
I'm looking for a rat cage that can house 1, 2, 3, or 4 adult rats, plus babies. At this point I have 6 (3 male/ 3 female) and I am not sure how many I will be keeping, or when if I will be breeding (most likely). They came with a 25-30 gallon tank with a built in wood level and a handmade wood lid, but I don't think they are getting enough ventilation! When we had pet rats last year, we had this cage: www.superpetusa.com/catalog/viewone.asp?itemNumber=60319 It was a nightmare to clean and not very easy to grab the rats out of. The bars were too far apart and we had to cover the cage with wires. Can anyone suggest a cage that is half decent? Preferably easy to clean, easy to access rats (multiple or large doors), good ventilation, and something where little babies can't escape? Any size suggestion would be appreciated, the bigger the better, but given that I don't know how many to keep, any suggestion would be nice. EDIT: I also need it to be inexpensive, but I might be able to find something on craigslist.com
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Post by bullet on Nov 23, 2008 21:53:59 GMT -5
Well you may think I've lost my mind but umm....an FN might do the trick...
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Nov 23, 2008 21:57:57 GMT -5
No, you aren't crazy! We had our last pet rats when we got our ferret nation, and yes, I did consider getting them one! The problems: space in our apartment (it must fit in our closet), bar spacing (most rats can fit through, especially babies), and money.
Any other ideas?
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Post by bullet on Nov 23, 2008 22:24:02 GMT -5
There are a few, let me find links to the one I have, got mine on ebay.
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Nov 24, 2008 12:19:09 GMT -5
Thanks Bullet. I am also willing to MAKE a cage, as long as it is easy to make, clean, and keep sanitary.
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Post by luxuriousferret on Nov 24, 2008 13:06:19 GMT -5
Hello, I we built one, it is 2 feet square, 3 feet tall. it has 1/2 inck mesh wire, wood base and tile floor. aks any qustions you may have!
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Nov 24, 2008 13:25:28 GMT -5
Thanks Luxuriousferret. Do you have any photos of your cage? Did you build a wood frame, then put the mesh around it? How did you make doors to get in?
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trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
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Post by trippyferret on Nov 24, 2008 15:42:29 GMT -5
I use a Super Pet My First Home for my pet rats. It was actually my very first ferret cage when I got Salem nearly 5 years ago. For the problem with the bar spacing, you just need to cover the cage in mesh. You can get this at Lowe's or Home Depot for pretty cheap(got mine for around $12). Here's my cage: It's called the Deluxe My First Home(http://www.superpetusa.com/index.html). It measures 30"L x 18"W x 29"H. Right now I only have two male rats in it, but it could comfortably fit probably 6 or 7 full-grown ratties. Plenty of space for a wheel and several tubes.
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Nov 24, 2008 15:55:47 GMT -5
We covered our last cage with mesh to keep the rat in, but the mesh was sharp. You couldn't bump into it or open the doors without getting nicked. Do you have the same problem or were you able to do it differently?
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Nov 25, 2008 0:39:44 GMT -5
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trippyferret
Gnawing on bones
The Weasels of Warcraft be goin' natural!
Posts: 78
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Post by trippyferret on Nov 25, 2008 2:53:58 GMT -5
That's a nice cage. I wish I had something like that. The only thing I'd worry about is the bottom trays rusting, since they're metal. But if you clean it frequently enough, that shouldn't be a problem. Instead of cutting off all the pointy bits of the mesh, you fold them in towards the cage with a pair of plyers. I had the same issue. You could maybe build a wooden frame to avoid the nicks. Or cover it somehow. I'd say electrical or duct tape, but the rats might chew it.
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Nov 25, 2008 12:37:16 GMT -5
I tried duct tape with my last rats and they ate it off! I have see people who can use it with no issues though. We are picking up the cage pictured above tonight at 7pm. I'm pretty sure each cage could fit 2 rats max, without the "apartment dividers". I will probably be putting 2 female rats in one cage, and 1-2 male rats in another. The third will be either used to weaned rat babies (when the time comes) or breeding mice. Either way, I will have more than enough tanks/aquariums for breeding rodents! I'll have: 2 30 x16 x14 inch cages that can each be cut into 2 15x 16 x14 cages 1 solid 30 x 15 x 14 cage 1 20 gallon long tank with screen lid 1 ten gallon tank with screen lid 1 25-20 gallon tall tank with homemade wood lid (not great ventilation with rats) 2 large plastic Kritter Keepers for separating rodents I think I'm set for now!
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