Rat cages??

[Vortex]

i know a few people on here have pet rats, so i was just wondering what are the "Top" kind of cages for houseing two or three rats?
i dont have any rats at the moment but i used to have one little girl, who i miss very VERY much.
and lately iv been doing some more reading and thinking about looking into buying a pair sometime in the future.
soi just thought id ask =]
any help will be greatly appriciated.

oh and also what type of food is Considered a "Good" food for them?

Thanks
~Anna

 

[tunes]

I use ferret nation cages or super pet, depending on the amount of rats. Usually three in a large super pet and 3+ in the ferret nations.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

I agree with tunes on the cages.. I do the same.

As for food, my gang likes Mazuri #5663 ...and it's readily accessible at my local Feed Store. If you can get Harlan Teklad #2014, it's my preference... it's just hard to find, locally ..and shipping costs for large quantity kind of "bitters" (opposite of "sweetens") the deal a bit.

I will say this, though.. 2 rattie kids is always better than 1 ..and 3 is best, in my opinion ....in case something happens to one, the survivors have each other still.

 

[Vortex]

ok cool, thanks.
now i read somewhere (cant remember where, or if its true) that rats have chewed out the bottoms on the super pet homes?.. i know my rattie never tried, but is that something to worry about?
i just want to make sure if i get another one..or two...or three.. LOL that
i know everything i can for them
my mom is also very excited for geting ratties. she loved my little hazel as much as i did. i turned her to the dark side! hehe :neener:

dose anyone know of any good rat sites/forums i could check out?

Thanks again
-Anna

 

[tunes]

Nope. I've been keeping rats in the super pet cages for years no apparent distress years. They have never chewed a hole, or even chewed on the ledges or ramps either. The only things my rats seem determined to destroy are clothes or electrical cords.

http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat

 

[beanjelly]

I've got my rats in a Ferret Nation as well--just realize that if you get female rats (or babies), they will probably be small enough to slip through the bars. Many people "modify" their cages with hardware cloth. Or you can get the newer cage called the Critter Nation that has smaller wire spacing.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

The Rattie kids need stuff to chew on and goof off with, just like our Chin'kids do ..so you can offer them such items to prevent some of the excessive chewing. But.. I've never had one chew on the pans or ramps or whatever ..not excessively, anyway. The little beggin' buggers will do the "Mommy.. lemme OUT!! Iz in da jailhouse... " chewing game, though. LOL

As for destroying any type of fabric ..whether it's my Hanes tee or their comfy hammock, tube, 'nap sack... uhh.. if you find a deterrent for that.. let me know, please! I have some that can "kill" a piece of fabric within minutes!

 

[Vortex]

Thanks everyone! =D
i will have to look into the two cages and see what will work better for me.
im really excited. i hope i will be abil to get a couple ratties some time soon. =D

one more question... where is it recomended that i should buy my rats?
lol sorry for so many questions :clown:
Thanks

 

[mishalaa]

Melina is in your area and she is considered an excellent breeder: http://www.dazzlemerats.com/ If you don't want to go through a breeder, rescues are always a great option as well.

 

[Aneesa's Muse]

Please consider a rescue effort near you ..before you go to a store or a breeder, even. There are soooo many beautiful rattie kids in rescues all over the country.. you can't go wrong. They've seen a Vet ..they've been rehabilitated ..they are SURE to be social (or you will, at least, be informed otherwise) ...and you will be sending a very strong message to animal lovers.. and others ..alike!

 

[Vortex]

awesome. thanks
i will deffinitly look at the local animal recuses around. i was looking at petfinder the other day and was drooling over all the little rattie on there, poor little babys! i want them all!! :laughitup: although it will prolly be a few months before i can get any, money is really tight right now, as im sure all of you know, haha. so i will have to get everything little by little :confused1:
oh well. it gives me more time to do my research! :thumbsup:

Thanks everyone
~Anna

 

[LucksAngel28]

You're so lucky! I want a rattie so bad, but of course my mom is terrified of them and would never come visit me. You will just have to post lots of pics when you get them so I can drool a little bit, hehe! And good for you for doing research and asking questions - your ratties will be very lucky and happy! :dance3:

 

[menagerie]

I use a lot of Martins cages. The rule of thumb for rats is a minimum of 2 cubic feet per rat and bigger is better. If you go with a Martin's don't go any smaller than an R670 for 2 girls. Going up in size from there the R690, R680, R685, R695 and R699 are all great cages and rat appropriate. We have had rats chew their way out of the plastic bottom of the SuperPet and Coast cages. If you're planning on getting babies consider getting the Critter Nation instead of the Ferret Nation. The bar spacing is much smaller.

Melina is an ethical breeder and has really lovely rats. If you are looking for rescues, I'm sure she will know if there are reputable rescues in the area.