CALCULATORS/SIZES/BARS/WIRE/MARTIN'S INFO!

Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:23 pm

spaceman5061, a 20 gallon is too small for 2 rats. According to this page, 20 US liquid gallons is 2.67 cubic foot. The general consensus is that you need to have 2 cubic foot per rat as a minimum for them to be comfortable.

So, in reality you're going to need to think of something to expand the space you have or you'll need to purchase something bigger. A 30 gallon long tank with some extra shelves would probably be the minimum if you went for straight aquarium for housing, but you'd still have the same problems with moving it to clean. You can, however, purchase cages with deeper pans to help keep litter in the cage.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Last edited by LittleWillow on Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:20 am; edited 1 time in total

Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:26 pm

i do its a 20 gallon long its dimensions are 12" by 12" by 30" thats 2 and 1/2 square feet

Fri Aug 19, 2005 10:37 pm

Aye, that's what I said in my post - that a 20 gallon tank is around 2.5 cubic foot. Are you keeping a lone rat then? If so, any particular reason why you're just keeping one? They really do need to be kept in pairs (at least) as they're very social. Which is why you'd need 4 cubic foot for a pair.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:48 pm

oh i thought you ment 1 cubic foot per rat
(to bad i couldn't use my 55 gal roflmao

. but it has fish in it that require alot of space

Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:50 pm

so does any one have a suggestion for a cage that can hold about 3 rats, they cant chuck beding out of(and the leavins in the beding), is easy to clean, and move from a 3rd floor bed room.

Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:28 am

If you're in the US, the Martins are probably your best bet - some of them have 3.5 inch deep pans. They may still chuck bits out of them, but shouldn't be too much. Also, you can check out Chinchilla and Ferret cages - they often have deeper pans. Check back over the thread for the cage calculators (so you can work out how many rats per cage) but it needs to be 6 cubic foot for three rats. 3' X 2' X 1' (h x l x w) would be a good all round proportion though. But the bigger the better.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:36 am

i used to have a cage with a six inch deep pan and they still got stuff out

oh yeah i now only buy cages from martins

Sat Aug 20, 2005 8:27 pm

i have a book case that 30" by 18" by 48". do you think i could modify it so it'll make a ggod rat cage

Sat Aug 20, 2005 9:13 pm

Take a look at the sticky on cage modifications. Should give you some advice.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:27 pm

I think that book cases end up being more trouble than they're worth to convert, though some love those kinds of cages. Have you considered buying a tank topper? I think with a tall enough topper, you'd end up with happy rats, a big enough cage, and would still have the benefit of a very high *pan*.

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Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:39 pm

Aye - but that bit of the discussion is in the cage cleaning sticky.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:29 pm

I have a sortof solution to the rats kicking the litter on the floor. But let me explain a bit...
I used to have birds, and they would get the seed shells EVERYWHERE, so i bought this kind of net that goes around the bottom of the cage and collects all of the junk thought would have fallen on your newly vacuumed carpet

so...
If you went into the bird section of a pet store and got a big enought net for your ratty's cage, it helps bunches!! ... just a thought i should share my great idea!

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Momma to...

4 rats~ Hoodsie, Lucy, Acadecki, and Linyaari
2 cats~ Tubby Todd and Na'Bisco
2 leopard geckos~ Luka and Jaffa
1 hammy~ Bijou

Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:50 pm

Do you have a link for that, so we can see what you mean, Missy?

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sun Aug 21, 2005 3:53 pm

Interesting thread, took me a while to work it all out though haha.
I followed the U.K cage calculator link and it says just one of my cages is suitable for 3 rats, I was quite suprised I have had two cages both 27inch by 17 inch with 2 shelves in each cage joined together for my 3 rats, and even then I was worried it wasn't big enough haha. The reason I came to check this thread was, on of the cages has a plastic bottom to it, it was donated to me and was going to be a temporary cage till I could afford one big one, but now the girly rats have chewed a big escape hole in the bottom. So untill I can gather some cash together they will all have to live in the other one that has a metal tray. I hope they will be ok they have been used to so much space. Confused

Mon Aug 22, 2005 2:02 am

They should be good - I've been there with the escape hole. Seems to be more a girl thing though. I think the boys are just too lazy - well mine, anyway. wink

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon Aug 22, 2005 2:51 am

Yes I had Alfie for 2 months before I got the girls and he was no trouble used to let him run around room no probs, would put himself back in the cage afterwards as well. The girls were out for half an hour the other evening, chewed through DVD cable, broadband cable, re arranged magazines and I even caught one swinging from my bra I had left on a chair... sorry too much sharing there.
I was told it is because boy rats aren't as intelligent as girl rats. Hehehe. Surely that applies to all species. wink

Mon Aug 22, 2005 3:06 am

	Quote:
	was told it is because boy rats aren't as intelligent as girl rats. Hehehe. Surely that applies to all species.

No, my boys (for all their dumb moments) are far from stupid. I'll stick with just too lazy. wink

In any case, when the girls (or girl - it was all Whendi) chewed out, I'm pretty certain she was just on her way over to see the boys as she was most definitely in heat... and that, of course, led to us having a bit of a nervous few weeks while we made sure she hadn't managed to get friendly through the bars. Shocked

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu Aug 25, 2005 6:26 am

MissyDarling2645 wrote:

I have a sortof solution to the rats kicking the litter on the floor. But let me explain a bit...
I used to have birds, and they would get the seed shells EVERYWHERE, so i bought this kind of net that goes around the bottom of the cage and collects all of the junk thought would have fallen on your newly vacuumed carpet

so...
If you went into the bird section of a pet store and got a big enought net for your ratty's cage, it helps bunches!! ... just a thought i should share my great idea!

I thought about that for awhile, but with the way mine love to pull everything they can reach into the cage I changed my mind. Wouldn't they just pull it in and chewis up?

_________________
33 rats
5 mice
4 hammies
4 Dogs
3 guinea pigs
3 rabbits
1 cat
R.I.P. Sebastian, Brently, & Bethoveen

Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:01 am

well, they wouldnt be able to pull it in because it has an elasctic in it that goes around the whole cage. Here is a link that shows what I am talking about http://www.grannyscybershoppe.com/grannyscybershoppe_038.htm
i hope the link works. Hope this helps... MISSY

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Momma to...

4 rats~ Hoodsie, Lucy, Acadecki, and Linyaari
2 cats~ Tubby Todd and Na'Bisco
2 leopard geckos~ Luka and Jaffa
1 hammy~ Bijou

Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:03 am

I meant pull in a little bit just through one bar spacing. After that, it's toast. Mr. Green

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:25 am

I suspect that mine (at least the girls) would probably have that in the cage somehow...

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:07 pm

Yeah that's the stuff I used to use with my birds and I know all of my little ones would have that messed up in no time. They are pretty good at reaching things

.

_________________
33 rats
5 mice
4 hammies
4 Dogs
3 guinea pigs
3 rabbits
1 cat
R.I.P. Sebastian, Brently, & Bethoveen

Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:17 am

I saw this cage on a local classified ad and I was wondering if anyone knows whether or not it would be suitable for two rats- I'd say around 3 months old. There's no measurement on the wire spacing so I'm a little concerned about that. Thanks

http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPERPET-FERRET-SMALL-ANIMAL-CAGE_W0QQitemZ7710047297QQcategoryZ46307QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

(The only picture I could find was on ebay but it's the same cage)

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Tiana

~~*Polar, Petey, and Kona the Burmese*~~

Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:25 am

Yeah, that'll fit 2 rats. Super Pet cages(like the one I have now), have large spacing, so it wouldn't be appropriate for small females. For large females or males it would be fine(which I learned when I got my cage!)

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Sat Sep 17, 2005 7:06 am

I was cleaning out my grampas basement and found a Huge!!! cage. the spaceing is 1"x 1". I will need to SUPER clean it, and i dont have the room to use it now, but i know these cages are expensive, so i am very reluctant to throw it away. Ill prolly just put it in my closet, or under my bed for later use. But again, wat about the spaceing? What if i get some baby ratties, or females? will it stil be too big?

Missy

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Momma to...

4 rats~ Hoodsie, Lucy, Acadecki, and Linyaari
2 cats~ Tubby Todd and Na'Bisco
2 leopard geckos~ Luka and Jaffa
1 hammy~ Bijou

Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:07 am

Read back through this thread.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Sat Oct 08, 2005 3:59 am

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_4/602-3505285-3370259?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B0002DJ29A

I'm probably getting this cage. It doesn't say how wide the bars are but do they look small enough to contain rats that are around 2 months old?

Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:01 am

Actually, I have the cage one step up from that, and the bars aren't okay for that age. They are 1". Also, where are you getting it? It's on Amazon for 53.00.

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Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:21 am

I didn't see it on Amazon, but I was going to go to my local Target and see if they had it there so I wouldn't have to pay shipping. I'm also traveling to another pet store tomorrow to look for cages.

So, when you say you have the cage one step up from that, are they the same size spacing or what?

Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:24 am

Yeah, they are all the same spacing. Here's the cage on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001RTV3E/qid=1128730659/sr=8-6/ref=pd_bbs_6/002-9638945-3700832?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=507846

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Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:38 am

Thanks. So I'll see if the place I'm going to tomorrow has cages with spacing less than 1 inch. If not, my mom just said to find out if we could attach chicken wire to the outside until they grow bigger. Rat Cookie

Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:51 am

Yes, you can put wire outside, but you probably want to look around for hardware cloth (pvc or powder coated) rather than thin chicken wire. Check the cage modification sticky for more help with that, and a search should bring up other threads on the subject too.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sat Oct 08, 2005 9:35 am

i'm looking into a new cage and it's huge! it was originally advertised as a cat cage so the bar spaceing has me a bit worried and though the price is a dream i don't want to pay it only to find out that i'll have escapo rats, (as it is the boys are already playing houdini to the point i have to wire their doors shut). the bars are 1 and a quater inch wide by 6 inches long. if i remember right 1 inch is the general rule for adultish sized rats and half inch for babies. so would the extra quater inch make any real difference? (the five females are all adult and the teenage boys are already bigger them they are.)

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mommy to:

1 human son: Corvis
1 feline son: Sesshoumaru
1 lost feline daughter: Snowball

Sat Oct 08, 2005 10:28 am

It probaby would. Half an inch is quite a lot, but also - even if they can't squeeze out completely, they might be able to squeeze partially out and get stuck.

It could still be a good deal, if you're up for modifying it to prevent escape attempts.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:26 am

it's not a half inch extra it's only a quarter inch extra. would i still have to modify it or does the quarter inch really matter? it doesn't seem like a lot to me but i've never had my rats in anything over an inch spacing before.

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mommy to:

1 human son: Corvis
1 feline son: Sesshoumaru
1 lost feline daughter: Snowball

Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:40 am

Oh my bad... doh

I'd say yes, but that depends on your rats. If they're Houdini wannabes, if they're slim/small then I'd say yes. If you have squishy/lazy rats, then you may be able to get away with it. But I'd say yes that quarter of an inch could make a difference.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:28 am

Long story short, I had to get my rats a new cage because they're still small and they had been chewing the screening I put up over their 1 inch cage bars. So their new cage has wire floors (it's a tank topper) and I put towels down so they wouldn't get hurt feet but they pull the towels away and seem to be happy walking on wire. Should I keep putting the towels in? They're just small car-waxing type towels.

Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:33 am

They will tend to keep pulling them up unless you fix them down. How wide is the spacing with the wire on the floors?

You might want to consider other alternatives (like plastic needlepoint canvas, velcro to fasten down the towels, lino, etc) if you wish to cover the shelves more effectively.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:51 am

	LittleWillow wrote:
	How wide is the spacing with the wire on the floors?

1/2 inch squares.

Tue Nov 08, 2005 7:21 am

In that case, yes you do want to cover it - it would be too easy for a leg to get caught in that spacing, so it's a safety issue as much as a comfort one.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:26 pm

any1 ever tried S.A.M 's rat cages? that is what i have.

Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:07 am

Hello everyone,

Im a newbie here, and I was just wondering which martins cage would be best for a pair of female ratties. I would like for there to be enough room for a hammock or two, I would also like for there to be enough room for a hideout or two. Ive never shopped at martins cages before and thought that I should give it a try. Ive owned ratties for awhile now and will be getting another pair of females soon, and I think they deserve better than what the dufus petstores have to offer. Rolling Eyes

I asked this question on petshub.com but ive decided that im tired of all the rude people on petshub so I came here. Everyones replies will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Oh and is it a neccesity to have powdercoated bars?

Hannah

Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:13 am

I would say an R- 680 would be good for two girls, though a R-670 is okay too. Yes, it needs to be powdercoated, galvanised wire absorbs urine and retains the smell no matter what you do.

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Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:17 am

Welcome to Rat Palace!

An R-685 would be great for two girls, but I'm sure they would appreciate a 695 (more room to frolic and as an aded bonus to you - room for more rats!).

Powdercoated is the way to go - much easier to remove pee from. Galzanized can also become VERY stinky quickly. Think of powdercoating as a way to protect your investment.

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mother to:
rats: scooter, kermit, lestat + tsume
mouse: bingo [rip sweety. you're with peanut + wizard at the bridge]
horse: phoenix

Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:18 am

Thankyou very much!!!!!!!!! I will most deffinetly go with the powder coated!

_________________
Ratties:
Micah(male)
Tinkerbell(female)
Shadow(male)
Abendago(male)

Doggies:
Gypsy(female)(Golden Retriever)
Savannah(female)(Labrador Retriever)

Guinea Piggies:
Tanner(male)
Bubba(male)

Hammie:
Toby(male)

Tue Jan 17, 2006 1:47 am

If you're only getting a cage for the two girls, a 670 would probably be just fine, but a 680 or 685 would be much more comfortable. If you're going to add the two new girls into the same cage, get a 695. It's so much bigger, and rats love them.

By comparison, I've got three girls in a Martin's FNE-480. Massive overkill? Yes, but because I found it for $75 on Craigslist (instead of the $275 it would have cost inc. shipping from Martin's), I couldn't resist. The rule of thumb is to go as big as you can afford, and if you look on eBay and Craigslist, you'd be surprised at just how big you can afford.

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-Ben
My rats: Squishy, Squee, and Nibbler
My dogs (at my mother's house): Lucy and Ricky
My cats (at my dad's house--in Florida!): Cleo (RIP) and Zima

Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:58 am

I have an R-695 for my two girls and they love all the room.

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:35 pm

Thanks to everyone who replied!!! I think I have talked my mom into getting the R-695. They will be two very spoiled ratties!!!!

_________________
Ratties:
Micah(male)
Tinkerbell(female)
Shadow(male)
Abendago(male)

Doggies:
Gypsy(female)(Golden Retriever)
Savannah(female)(Labrador Retriever)

Guinea Piggies:
Tanner(male)
Bubba(male)

Hammie:
Toby(male)

Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:39 am

I prefer S.A.M. cages . that si what i got now. It is awsome! I think the one i have is awsome. it has an escape proff door solid floor , wide but not to wide of cage bars.and it was good buy.

Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:48 am

Aren't those hamster cages, or do they make them for larger animals as well? And why do you prefer them to Martins, just curious...

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:31 am

S.A.M. cages are designed for hamsters, gerbils, and mice, and are nowhere near big enough (or safe!) for even a single rat.

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-Ben
My rats: Squishy, Squee, and Nibbler
My dogs (at my mother's house): Lucy and Ricky
My cats (at my dad's house--in Florida!): Cleo (RIP) and Zima

Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:36 am

That's what I was thinking...

http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=3664
Wait...these are the S.A.M. Cages?? I wouldn't keep a mouse in one!! Blink

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:38 am

I said "designed for" mice, not "I'd keep a mouse in there." wink

Hillary, if you do have a rat in a S.A.M. cage, please move it as soon as is humanly possible!

_________________
-Ben
My rats: Squishy, Squee, and Nibbler
My dogs (at my mother's house): Lucy and Ricky
My cats (at my dad's house--in Florida!): Cleo (RIP) and Zima

Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:40 am

Don't worry I wasn't talking about you, I know that you wouldn't keep a mouse in one. I was talking about people in general.

And Hilary, as bcorby said, move your rats out of there as soon as possible.

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3