Choosing Cages
Cage Size
It is important that your rats have enough space in their cage. One of the main problems in the past was the tendency for pet shops to sell undersized cages as rat starter kits. Thankfully this is slowly improving but there are still many rats kept in cages only big enough for the smallest of rodents such as hamsters and mice (and in some cases to small even for these). The first rule when checking your cage is the right size is to allow 2 cu ft per rat. 1.5 cu ft per rat is also acceptable but should be used with caution, it is better to use 2 cu ft for fewer rats as they will need more usable space whereas with a bigger cage for 10 plus rats less space per rat (i.e. 1.5 cu ft) is more acceptable if not ideal as there will still be plenty of places to run and hide. At minimum a cage should be big enough to house 4 rats, even if only 2 are being kept in it.
You can use the following calculation to work out how many rats your cage can hold;
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides/cagecalculator/
This calculator is only a guide, it is important to remember how you set up your cage can also massively effect how many rats it can hold comfortably. A well set up but smaller cage may well be better than a larger cage where the space is not usable or is too overcrowded with toys and hammocks for the rats to really move around.
You can use the following calculation to work out how many rats your cage can hold;
http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides/cagecalculator/
This calculator is only a guide, it is important to remember how you set up your cage can also massively effect how many rats it can hold comfortably. A well set up but smaller cage may well be better than a larger cage where the space is not usable or is too overcrowded with toys and hammocks for the rats to really move around.
Cage Height
A cage should technically be at absolute minimum big enough for your rat to stand up on their hind legs without touching the ceiling. In reality there should be enough height for your rats to be able to climb around, at minimum a cage should be 50 cm high though particularly if you have hyper girl rats the taller the better as all rats love to climb and will generally make their home at the highest point they can. For older or disabled rats, particularly bucks, lower single level cages are often a good idea and can be of great benefit to those struggling to get around. These are typically indoor rabbit cages and as long as your rat is sufficiently large for the wide bar spacing they can be great cages.
Cage Floor Profile
The cage floor profile should be big enough to allow your rats the ability to bound around. At minimum it should be at least 60 cm in one direction. In reality the more space the better, especially if you have boys as they will benefit for the extra wrestling space. Besides a bigger floor space means more room for toys. A cage using only the minimum dimensions given here (including the height) would still be too small for 2 rats, the idea is to exceed the minimum in at least on area. And where a short cage is bought it should have a large floor space, and vice versa.
Bar Coating
Cage bars come in many different colours and coatings. Some coatings are better than others and often a beautiful shiny cage can quickly become rusty and horrible if the wrong coatings are used. The best form of coatings is durable enamelled bars. These will occasionally chip but are generally too tough for rat’s teeth to quickly remove. You can normally tell an enamelled finish by how easy it is to scratch and flake off. Tougher cages (for ferrets, parrots and other animals) have enamel coated bars but if unsure contact the supplier.
The next best option is galvanised bars. These can still get messy and are harder to clean than enamelled bars but they should not rust. Poorly chromed and weakly painted bars unfortunately suffer from both rust and other forms of corrosion once the coating has been removed. The speed of this depends on the quality of the coating and on whether your rats regularly urinate on or chew their bars.
You can coat your own bars which can be useful if your cage has insufficient coating or has become rusty. Care must be taken to be sure that the coating used is animal safe. There are spray or paint on none toxic (often advertised as toddler safe) paints available at most large DIY stores or online and these are particularly good in there enamel form. This has the bonus of allowing you to personalise your cage as a wide varierty of colors are available.
The next best option is galvanised bars. These can still get messy and are harder to clean than enamelled bars but they should not rust. Poorly chromed and weakly painted bars unfortunately suffer from both rust and other forms of corrosion once the coating has been removed. The speed of this depends on the quality of the coating and on whether your rats regularly urinate on or chew their bars.
You can coat your own bars which can be useful if your cage has insufficient coating or has become rusty. Care must be taken to be sure that the coating used is animal safe. There are spray or paint on none toxic (often advertised as toddler safe) paints available at most large DIY stores or online and these are particularly good in there enamel form. This has the bonus of allowing you to personalise your cage as a wide varierty of colors are available.
Bar Spacing
Suitable bar spacing varies depending on what age and sex rats you plan to keep in the cage. For a general rule of thumb 1 cm bar spacing will be OK for any rat over the age of 3 weeks (the age at which many breeders move tank born families into a low level cage). Most purpose built rat cages and some aviaries have this bar spacing or the slightly larger, but generally safe 1.5cm but for the others including the often excellent ferret cages the bar spacing is between 2 and 2.5 cm (around 1 inch). Generally these are suitable for boys and most girls over the age of 13 weeks (though some larger 6 week old + kittens will also be ok). Some does and even the rare boy will still be able to fit through the bars after this age and several accidental litters have been caused by a doe on heat managing to squeeze through the bars to find the nearest boy. Some cages also have a mesh of 2.5 x 2.5 cm or smaller, this should stop all rats from 6 weeks upwards from escaping.
In practice if you keep both sexes it is advisable to make sure at minimum the girls are in cages with 1 cm bar spacing (and well locked doors). It is also helpful to keep some wire mesh or a spare small bar spaced cage on hand if you decide to go for one with wider bar spacing as a temporary measure until you fatten your rats up a bit.
In practice if you keep both sexes it is advisable to make sure at minimum the girls are in cages with 1 cm bar spacing (and well locked doors). It is also helpful to keep some wire mesh or a spare small bar spaced cage on hand if you decide to go for one with wider bar spacing as a temporary measure until you fatten your rats up a bit.
Bar Mesh
The bar mesh can come in several different forms. Some cages have square mesh, some horizontal bars with vertical supports; some vertical bars with horizontal supports and some a mixture of both the last two. In general you should aim for a cage with plenty of horizontal bars, either of the mesh type or horizontal bar type. These are the easiest for your rats to climb up (though agile girls are rarely concerned by vertical bars) and also make it easier for you to attach objects to the cage. The horizontal and vertical bars are generally the easiest to clean out of the three as there is less bar joints for muck to get in.
Access
Access is an important consideration when you get a new rat cage. Many a good rat cage is spoilt by the difficulty in getting to the rats inside and the contortions required to attach that shelf or hammock in the far corner. As a general rule of thumb there should be a door on the front large enough for 2 hands plus a wriggling rat to fit through. If the cage is tall or comes in sections there should be a good sized door on each level. There should also be a large top door as this makes rearranging your cage much easier. Ideally this should be as large or only slightly smaller than the whole roof section.
Shelves
There are a variety of multi levelled and shelved cages out there. Your preference should dictate whether you opt for a cage with fixed levels/shelves or those that can be moved around. The most flexibility comes from those with movable shelves as this allows you to alter the layout as often as desired giving extra stimulation for your rats. Some people find enough flexibility in fixed shelf cages by moving around toys, nest and hammocks. Generally speaking we would recommend opting for a cage without shelves or where you can get rid of them and leave a large open space which is better for layouts and litter trays can be used as moveable shelving, with depth to allow substrate / litter to be put in them, and so removing “smelly shelf syndrome” which is common with all types of shelves (though some are worse than others).
If you decide to opt for shelves a consideration is the material the shelves are made from. Most often fixed shelves are made from fine wire mesh. Avoid any shelves with mesh greater than 1 cm x 1 cm as a rats paw could easily become stuck in larger gaps. Wire mesh shelves can have problems associated them. There is a commonly reported myth that rats running on a wire mesh shelf are more prone to bumblefoot (where a painful ulcer forms on the sole of a rats feet). This has been disproven and other rat owners feel that solid shelves are more likely to cause bumble foot (urine can sit on that surface and get into wounds on the feet). Many rat owners cover there wire shelves in lino, laminate or another smooth durable cover to make them more comfortable. This also helps keep the wire mesh from becoming too messy as it is difficult to clean well.
Some shelves, particularly those in chinchilla cages, are made of wood (occasionally with metal edging or chew guarding). These can often become victim to ratty teeth and even if they aren’t chewed they will quickly become smelly as rats tend to urinate exactly where you don’t want them too. Ideally if you have these shelves they should be painted in an animal safe paint such as Japlac or Plasticote.
Loose shelves are generally made of textured plastic. Some shelves can be a bit flimsy for large bucks but generally speaking most commercially available shelves are fine. There are two problems with loose shelves. Often the textured plastic is difficult to clean and a really good scrub or soak every few months is necessary. Also the fastenings to attach the shelf to the bars can be brittle and break or become victim to the ever gnawing rat teeth. Check (where possible) to ensure that all shelf fastenings are attached to the outside of the bars, involve minimum bending of plastic and are easy to use (imagine holding the shelf up inside the cage and attaching the fastening 1 handed outside the cage whilst balancing on one foot and reaching higher than you should whilst twisting to try and catch the rat who has decided to ‘help out’ with the cleaning.
If you decide to opt for shelves a consideration is the material the shelves are made from. Most often fixed shelves are made from fine wire mesh. Avoid any shelves with mesh greater than 1 cm x 1 cm as a rats paw could easily become stuck in larger gaps. Wire mesh shelves can have problems associated them. There is a commonly reported myth that rats running on a wire mesh shelf are more prone to bumblefoot (where a painful ulcer forms on the sole of a rats feet). This has been disproven and other rat owners feel that solid shelves are more likely to cause bumble foot (urine can sit on that surface and get into wounds on the feet). Many rat owners cover there wire shelves in lino, laminate or another smooth durable cover to make them more comfortable. This also helps keep the wire mesh from becoming too messy as it is difficult to clean well.
Some shelves, particularly those in chinchilla cages, are made of wood (occasionally with metal edging or chew guarding). These can often become victim to ratty teeth and even if they aren’t chewed they will quickly become smelly as rats tend to urinate exactly where you don’t want them too. Ideally if you have these shelves they should be painted in an animal safe paint such as Japlac or Plasticote.
Loose shelves are generally made of textured plastic. Some shelves can be a bit flimsy for large bucks but generally speaking most commercially available shelves are fine. There are two problems with loose shelves. Often the textured plastic is difficult to clean and a really good scrub or soak every few months is necessary. Also the fastenings to attach the shelf to the bars can be brittle and break or become victim to the ever gnawing rat teeth. Check (where possible) to ensure that all shelf fastenings are attached to the outside of the bars, involve minimum bending of plastic and are easy to use (imagine holding the shelf up inside the cage and attaching the fastening 1 handed outside the cage whilst balancing on one foot and reaching higher than you should whilst twisting to try and catch the rat who has decided to ‘help out’ with the cleaning.
Accessories
Many cages come with basic accessories such as water bottle, food bowls, tubes and houses. Though these are convenient sometimes there will be better available on the market so should not dictate your choice of cage. Where you have opted for an aviary, ferret, chinchilla or rabbit style cage often the accessories will be unsuitable or poorly suitable for rats.
Base Material
Most cage bases are made of a deep plastic tray. This is generally ok for rats but some rats (mainly girls) take to chewing the base, especially where there is a ledge they can get their teeth into. This being the case be prepared to have to rat proof your base and attempt to choose a cage with as smooth a base as possible with minimum intruding corners where you suspect your rats might be chewers.
The better option for a cage base is a coated metal base, unfortunately as this is heavy and more expensive to manufacture so not all cages have them. The same rules as for the bar coating applies to metal bases so make sure you look around as metal based cages are often more expensive than their plastic based counterparts.
The better option for a cage base is a coated metal base, unfortunately as this is heavy and more expensive to manufacture so not all cages have them. The same rules as for the bar coating applies to metal bases so make sure you look around as metal based cages are often more expensive than their plastic based counterparts.
Building your own cage
Occasionally people choose to build their own cages or adapt a hutch or cupboard to better meet there needs. This can often be very rewarding and provide you with a very good house for your rats however it is hard work and is not a good option for first time rat owners unless you are sticking to designs from someone more experienced or you have really done your research. If you have awkward spaces this can be an excellent option to get the biggest cage possible, though good design is important. If you are using
If you (or someone you know) is comfortable with DIY then below are some of the things to think about before starting on your cage design
If you (or someone you know) is comfortable with DIY then below are some of the things to think about before starting on your cage design