Q and A about cages:
Q: What sort of cage should I get before I get my new rats?
A: Anything with 1/2 inch bar space or LESS- rat pups can squeeze through anything more than 1/2 inch. I recommend bar spacing of no more than 1/2 inches for new pups and up until they are at least 5 months old for males and 6-7 months old for females as they don't get as big as the males. My large cages have 1/2 inch bars and only one of my smaller cages has 1 inch bars.
Q: Why can't I just get a 10 or 20 gallon fish tank?
A: Because fish tanks are for fish and reptiles, not rats. Rats need ventilation to keep them healthy. Rats can be susceptible to Upper Respiratory Infections (URI) even in spacious wire cages, imagine what they'd have to deal with in a fish tank.
Q: Can you recommend a specific cage for me?
A: Yes, but ultimately where you go to get it is up to you- I stay well away from buying from Petco or Petsmart because of the way *I* have personally seen some of the employees treat their animals, obviously, not every place is as bad as what I saw, some are good and some can be worse. You can take my recommendations or find your own, of course.
Pros and Cons to certain cages:
Martin's Cages-
Martin's Cages are good for the most part but there are a couple reasons I won't use them: 1. I had a young female manage to squeeze through the bottom corner because it wasn't secure enough- human error or not, it shouldn’t have happened. 2. The small mesh, it holds urine and feces easier than the bird cages I have now.
Using wood or other materials like linoleum for flooring or shelving isn't the best idea as it can hold smells and urine very well even if they are scrubbed... Rattie Matties are an awesome alternative and they're washable: http://www.rattieworldocomfort.com/ I've ordered 3 times in about 2 years... they will need to be replaced after they've been chewed through, keep the clips they come with and that will give you a discount on future orders!
***I cannot stress this enough-- MAKE SURE that the cage bars are 1/2 inch or LESS for weanling rats or they can squeeze through the bars! Adults are fine with 1 inch spacing- but never have a cage with more than 1 inch spacing.
Here are some good cage ideas:
http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/SMALL_ANIMAL_CAGES/T1210
http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/Small_Bird_Cages/PA5719
These are PERFECT for 2-3 rats:
http://www.petsbycsn.com/Midwest-Pets-161-MDW1241.html
Great for two rats (again, needs 1/2 inch bars for weanlings and 1 inch bars for adults):
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-First-Home-Rats/dp/B0002DJ28G
This one might be too small for 2 full grown rats later on.. but would be fantastic for 2 newly weaned pups- as long as the bar spacing is 1/2 inch or less:
http://www.petsbycsn.com/Super-Pet-276005-YSP1079.html
If you really want to invest in a cage you'll use- not only for the rats entire life but for the rest of *your* life, and a cage that you'll never want to, or need to, replace; I recommend the following: http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/Space_Saver_Bird_Cages/PA5719
You can always look through the cages on this site and find one that will work for you and your living arrangements, but PLEASE make sure that the bar spacing is 1/2 inch or LESS for rat pups and no more than 1 inch for adults! I cannot stress this enough as I will not replace any rats that you lose because the cage bars are not the correct size.
I do have a stand that holds 3 bird breeding cages. I use the other one to put my rats in while I clean the bigger cages. The nursing cage is one of those My First Pet homes with the plastic pan- those are ok for 2 rats also but need 1/2 inch bar space or less for young rats.
Bird Cages are built to last, more-so then any small critter cage because they are made for Parrots and the like and need to last. They are made from metal and are put together with washers, bolts and screws instead of using twist-ties or metal wire ties (like on Martins cages). My 6 ft large cages needed to be bolted together and are SO nice.. but they can be a pain to get into the tub for a thorough washing.
I recommend this type of running wheel because it's not mesh (which can catch toes and tail tips and cause injury).
Hammocks I suggest should be made from fleece and not material that can cause strings to become wrapped around feet or tail and cause injury. They should be laundered in mild detergent, the clips from them should be removed before washing as to not damage any laundry machine and can be hand rinsed.
CLEANING CAGES:
I do a total "overhaul" cleaning of all my cages about once every week to two weeks, depending on how many rats I have at a time. The more rats I have at one time, the more often I clean obviously.
For 2 rats in a smaller cage (like my breeding cage) I throw out the bedding and rinse the plastic pan out with scalding hot water, I use a stiff bristled brush but don't use soap because the rats could have a reaction to it (not saying they will, it's just my way of doing things), then I get all new bedding, new chew toys, replace their chicken or pork bones if they had any and give them new rawhide chews. I clean their food dishes with soap and hot water because they're ceramic and can get pretty icky.
The large cages need to be taken out of the room and hauled into the bathtub at least 2 times a month and given a thorough rinsing with scalding hot water. They are scrubbed where needed with the brush, but again, I don't use any sort of soap. Once a month I do use a very weak bleach solution on them and a long rinse. The pans that hold the bedding are scrubbed with the brush and rinsed.
All their hammocks are washed in the laundry (by themselves) and dried in the dryer. I use a very mild detergent and no dryer sheets.
I never have a "set" cleaning schedule because of how many rats I may have at one time. I vacuum when needed and when the large cages are taken out of the room.
Bedding is changed as needed for each cage if they aren't being thoroughly cleaned. I go through a 40# bag of bedding in about a month, again-- depending on how many rats I have and how many cleanings are needed.
Q: What sort of cage should I get before I get my new rats?
A: Anything with 1/2 inch bar space or LESS- rat pups can squeeze through anything more than 1/2 inch. I recommend bar spacing of no more than 1/2 inches for new pups and up until they are at least 5 months old for males and 6-7 months old for females as they don't get as big as the males. My large cages have 1/2 inch bars and only one of my smaller cages has 1 inch bars.
Q: Why can't I just get a 10 or 20 gallon fish tank?
A: Because fish tanks are for fish and reptiles, not rats. Rats need ventilation to keep them healthy. Rats can be susceptible to Upper Respiratory Infections (URI) even in spacious wire cages, imagine what they'd have to deal with in a fish tank.
Q: Can you recommend a specific cage for me?
A: Yes, but ultimately where you go to get it is up to you- I stay well away from buying from Petco or Petsmart because of the way *I* have personally seen some of the employees treat their animals, obviously, not every place is as bad as what I saw, some are good and some can be worse. You can take my recommendations or find your own, of course.
Pros and Cons to certain cages:
Martin's Cages-
Martin's Cages are good for the most part but there are a couple reasons I won't use them: 1. I had a young female manage to squeeze through the bottom corner because it wasn't secure enough- human error or not, it shouldn’t have happened. 2. The small mesh, it holds urine and feces easier than the bird cages I have now.
Using wood or other materials like linoleum for flooring or shelving isn't the best idea as it can hold smells and urine very well even if they are scrubbed... Rattie Matties are an awesome alternative and they're washable: http://www.rattieworldocomfort.com/ I've ordered 3 times in about 2 years... they will need to be replaced after they've been chewed through, keep the clips they come with and that will give you a discount on future orders!
***I cannot stress this enough-- MAKE SURE that the cage bars are 1/2 inch or LESS for weanling rats or they can squeeze through the bars! Adults are fine with 1 inch spacing- but never have a cage with more than 1 inch spacing.
Here are some good cage ideas:
http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/SMALL_ANIMAL_CAGES/T1210
http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/Small_Bird_Cages/PA5719
These are PERFECT for 2-3 rats:
http://www.petsbycsn.com/Midwest-Pets-161-MDW1241.html
Great for two rats (again, needs 1/2 inch bars for weanlings and 1 inch bars for adults):
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-First-Home-Rats/dp/B0002DJ28G
This one might be too small for 2 full grown rats later on.. but would be fantastic for 2 newly weaned pups- as long as the bar spacing is 1/2 inch or less:
http://www.petsbycsn.com/Super-Pet-276005-YSP1079.html
If you really want to invest in a cage you'll use- not only for the rats entire life but for the rest of *your* life, and a cage that you'll never want to, or need to, replace; I recommend the following: http://birdcages4less.com/page/B/PROD/Space_Saver_Bird_Cages/PA5719
You can always look through the cages on this site and find one that will work for you and your living arrangements, but PLEASE make sure that the bar spacing is 1/2 inch or LESS for rat pups and no more than 1 inch for adults! I cannot stress this enough as I will not replace any rats that you lose because the cage bars are not the correct size.
I do have a stand that holds 3 bird breeding cages. I use the other one to put my rats in while I clean the bigger cages. The nursing cage is one of those My First Pet homes with the plastic pan- those are ok for 2 rats also but need 1/2 inch bar space or less for young rats.
Bird Cages are built to last, more-so then any small critter cage because they are made for Parrots and the like and need to last. They are made from metal and are put together with washers, bolts and screws instead of using twist-ties or metal wire ties (like on Martins cages). My 6 ft large cages needed to be bolted together and are SO nice.. but they can be a pain to get into the tub for a thorough washing.
I recommend this type of running wheel because it's not mesh (which can catch toes and tail tips and cause injury).
Hammocks I suggest should be made from fleece and not material that can cause strings to become wrapped around feet or tail and cause injury. They should be laundered in mild detergent, the clips from them should be removed before washing as to not damage any laundry machine and can be hand rinsed.
CLEANING CAGES:
I do a total "overhaul" cleaning of all my cages about once every week to two weeks, depending on how many rats I have at a time. The more rats I have at one time, the more often I clean obviously.
For 2 rats in a smaller cage (like my breeding cage) I throw out the bedding and rinse the plastic pan out with scalding hot water, I use a stiff bristled brush but don't use soap because the rats could have a reaction to it (not saying they will, it's just my way of doing things), then I get all new bedding, new chew toys, replace their chicken or pork bones if they had any and give them new rawhide chews. I clean their food dishes with soap and hot water because they're ceramic and can get pretty icky.
The large cages need to be taken out of the room and hauled into the bathtub at least 2 times a month and given a thorough rinsing with scalding hot water. They are scrubbed where needed with the brush, but again, I don't use any sort of soap. Once a month I do use a very weak bleach solution on them and a long rinse. The pans that hold the bedding are scrubbed with the brush and rinsed.
All their hammocks are washed in the laundry (by themselves) and dried in the dryer. I use a very mild detergent and no dryer sheets.
I never have a "set" cleaning schedule because of how many rats I may have at one time. I vacuum when needed and when the large cages are taken out of the room.
Bedding is changed as needed for each cage if they aren't being thoroughly cleaned. I go through a 40# bag of bedding in about a month, again-- depending on how many rats I have and how many cleanings are needed.
