What kind of cage should i buy for my new 2 rats?

Question

if you could give a website or pictures of good rat cages (that can fit 2 rats) that would be great! thnx

Answer 1

Petco has their own brand of rat mansion that is great for 2-3 rats. The bar spacing is 1/2 inches so you won't have to modify. All ferret cages with bar spacing 7/8 inches or 1 inch are easy for a rat to escape from. You have to go through h**l and back to modify them with sharp painful hardware cloth. I have several modified cages and I'm in the process of switching them out to petco rat mansions. The Ferret Nation company is coming out with a 1/2 inch spacing rat cage hopefully soon also, but probably not soon enough.

Answer 2

I wouldn't get an aquarium if I were you since they don't have enough ventilation.  Depending on their age they may or may not fit through the bars.  Be careful of using any kind of wire floor, however, what I did was buy the wire cage and put down those peel and stick linoleum panels.  It smells a lot less than the shavings plus is cheaper, just give them a litter pan to use.

If you get a single level cage, you can buy a little platform and ladder to put in a corner for very cheap to give them some variety.

It really depends on what kind of space you have to put the cage, if you want one on a frame with wheels or if you need to put it on a table etc.

Check this out for some sources though.

http://exoticpets.about.com/od/careofrat...

Answer 3

Don't bother with an aquarium- you'll be cleaning it every day, and it'll still reek.  Plus, it's really bad for their health, and way too small.

Possible cages:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Double check that one, as I think it is too small for 2 adult rats.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Even a one-level rabbit cage would work assuming it was large enough.

http://www.petco.com/product/106171/PETC...

Just make sure to check with the rat cage calculator, and then get the biggest cage you possibly can. (But don't try to skimp on space and go smaller.)

http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.sht...

ETA:

My rats are all in either Ferret nations (I have 2) or in a Feisty Ferret.  Yes, the smaller girls/young rats can slip through the bars since they have about a 1" spacing.  You can put hardware cloth on the inside and zip tie it to the bars, and they can't get out.  Of course, the FF and FN are both pretty large cages, that cost in the 150-200 dollar range.

Answer 4

I say that a fish aquarium is the best and maybe the 11 gallon on or 13 for two because they get huge when they grow up.

I think that they mighty be able to go through the cage when you first get them so i would be careful if i got the one that you want to.

Answer 5

if i were you i would buy an aquarium instead.  with cages the rats kick the bedding out the bars.  they cant do that with a tank.  also a tank is pretty much escape proof unlike a cage.  

petsmart has a 20 gallon for about 20 dollars.

Answer 6

DONT GET TANKS! get a big wire cage with plastic floors. i have a very big cage! so get a big one the bigger the better!

DONT GET CAGES WITH WIRE FLOORS, rats can get sores and can get there legs cought in them, they can get problems with there feet! and i would say not very nice to walk on!

Answer 7

Buy a 20-gallon aquarium.

Answer 8

If you don't have space for a wide or long cage, simply get a tall cage with two or three levels. Even an old bird cage, provided that the wires aren't too far apart, can satisfy your rat's housing needs.  

Aquariums are generally not a good place to keep rats.  The natural scent of your critter plus the odors from its f***s and urine can hover near the bottom, making it a noxious habitat for your pet.  The ammonia from their urine can be extremely harmful to their sensitive respiratory systems and can cause distress and respiratory infections.  Unless your aquarium was extremely large and you clean it every few days, I would not recommend an aquarium at all as a good habitat for a rat.