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

Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:30 am

The cage I have has got wire for platforms, they currently have lino on them but it is getting on my nerves because they now pee only in one spot and I trickles down and runs down the wall Rant

My question is,

How wide is too wide? I don't want them to hurt their feet with that bumble foot thing ( whatever that is, I'm not sure)

The wire platforms have wire square that measure half an inch accross

Can I take the lino out?

By the way, I do mop up their puddles regularly and wash the lino with enzyme every couple of days. So it doesn't smell too bad

Tue Nov 04, 2003 6:44 am

Our rats are all in Martins (except for Bob's single-level) and Martins says the spacing on the ramps & balconies is one-half inch by one-half inch, so you should be OK if you remove the linolium.

BTW, there is a school of thought that, while wire ramps haven't been completly ruled out for rats, other factors may contribute to bumblefoot: diabetes is one thought, and cleanliness of the cage another, and genetic disposition is yet another thought.

All of our rats have been on ramps and balconies at one time or another, and we haven't had any problems (as I continue to knock on/ touch wood).

Abita just reminded me: If you have older rats who drag their feet, or really small young rats, you might want to keep the lino in place so they won't get their feet caught in the wire spacing.

_________________
Victor, Bandit, and Sparrow's Sweeties: Neiko & Roo. Sparrow's Boys: Oliver, Arthur, and Rabskuttle. The fRAT Boys: Jim, Jack, and George.
Good night, Witter, Kono, Rat, Olie, Metro, Calle, Mr. Ratburn, Arwen, Leather, Ohana, Zoe, Misto, and Kanga.

Wed Nov 05, 2003 12:30 am

How small is small? They are eight months old and about fifteen weeks or more, They weigh around 300 grams ish. Are by no means fat but not boney As we are running our house as an extention to my boyfriends parents animal rescue centre we clean their cages out probably more than most.( about three times a week partially plus a deep clean every five days.) Otherwise, between the dogs, cats, house rabbits, hares, parrets and squirrels it would begin to stick!!!!

(by the way, I didn't list all the animals, there is WAY more than that!!!!!)

Thu Nov 06, 2003 9:02 pm

Martin cages have (for the most part) the right space between the wires but it depends on the size of the rats. For big rats, about any size will do but for the little guys, now THAT'S a different story Rolling Eyes

Little trouble makers. Martin's cages are highly recomended and the size of the bars generally tend to be in the right range for rats! Welcome and good luck with your new girls!

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Emily, Pyro (the rat who thinks he's a dog), and Liberty (the dog who thinks he'd like to eat the rat)

Fri Nov 07, 2003 2:53 am

I also would go with 1/2 inch spacing. 1" is too much for rats under 3 or 4 months old, particularly females. Good luck with your cage building...and welcome aboard!

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:04 am

The Rat grotto is on hold. I do want to say that I talked to my boss and I got my raise!

Based on my hours, I will have more than enough dough to pony up for a nice Martin's.........A Rat Grotto is still in the works but it is too damn cold to make one now.......I will build one next spring and attach the martins to it!!

Does this look good in powder coated for 3 Ratties???

http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/r-690.jpg

I am also starting a Rattie health fund in my safe, for those unexpected Vet bills......

Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:55 pm

IMO that will be fine for three rats, especially if you plan to attach it to your future project! I'd like to offer two pieces of advice about Martin's:

First, pony up the extra 50 cents or a buck for an extra handle. It will come with one removeable handle; with two, you can move the cage around easier for cleaning (stick one on each side and you can pick up the cage a lot easier). Abita and I also use the handles to hold the doors open.

Second, put it together with zip ties. The c-rings and pliers they give you are a pain to use; also, they're almost impossible to remove should you ever need to disassemble the cage. Zip ties can be cut off and they're easier to install.

I'm sure your rats will *love* their new cage!

_________________
Victor, Bandit, and Sparrow's Sweeties: Neiko & Roo. Sparrow's Boys: Oliver, Arthur, and Rabskuttle. The fRAT Boys: Jim, Jack, and George.
Good night, Witter, Kono, Rat, Olie, Metro, Calle, Mr. Ratburn, Arwen, Leather, Ohana, Zoe, Misto, and Kanga.

Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:40 pm

It costs $10.00 extra to get a flip top lid, but its very handy.

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-Cori-

Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:27 am

Would this chinchilla cage work for 2 rats (with shelf expasions and ramp modifications, of course). I'm not sure about the bar spacing with females, but from pics you foks have shared it looks like many of you have larger than 1/2" spacing. Thanks.

- White epoxy painted wire
- 25" L x 16" W x 27" H
- Spacing between wires: 0.700" (17.78 mm)
- Wire Size: 0.104" (2.64 mm)

Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:03 pm

I have two of those cages! The cage calculator says it would be suitable for three rats, so it chould be big enough for two. I have some bigger cages now, so I use these as hospital cages or as cages for rats to live in until they are introduced to the "pack". But I have kept two boys in one and they were quite happy. I was a bit worried about the spacing for baby rats, so I covered one of them with wire mesh until the babies got a bit bigger.

_________________
Linda and the RMDs

Many have forgotten this truth but you must not forget it. We remain responsible forever, for what we have tamed.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Fri Nov 28, 2003 2:49 am

well the girls "grotto" cage is starting get full of pee and it wont stop smelling so we've given into a martins cage. we're gonna be getting a 695 powder coated and i have a couple of questions
1. how many rats can fit in there
2. is the wire spacing ok for little ones so they can't get through
3. is the spacing ok for ratty feet
4. can the powder coated come off
5. can it rust

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Brittany

~the~girls~
Cocoa~Baby~Daisy~Oreo
"People who dont like rats......limit their happiness"

Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:28 am

1) Cage calculators say about 5 and a half rats.

2) Yes.
3) Yes.
4) Yes, it can. I suppose it all depends, though. The coating is coming off on my boy's cage in the places that they pee the most. They poop in the litter pan, but they're too lazy to pee in it. Rolling Eyes

As for the girls cage, as far as I can tell, the only places it's coming off is the places that Ruby chews the most.
5) I have no idea. I suppose maybe it could in places that coating came off of it? I used a galvanized cage for my old guinea pig for about 4 years, and it was already about 5 years old, and it never rusted. So, dunno.

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Winter and the ratties: Argos, Prometheus, Apollo, Orion, Napoleon, Montecore, Cornelius, Magnus, Dozer, Jesus, Ferdinand, Harlequin, Cambria, Ambellina, Raven, Hedwig, Momo, and Suzie.

Last edited by Maypah on Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:29 am; edited 1 time in total

Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:42 am

I've had up to 8 females in mine and 7 males in another with no problems. I think a lot of that depends on how well the ratties living together get along. Some groups I wouldn't put more than 3 in just because of one spiteful rat!

Bar spacing will be fine for wee ones and for feet - you can cover the floors if you wish but I don't and have no problems.

I've had my cages for going on 3 years now and the only place the coating is coming off is where the doors latch. No rust yet. They really are great cages.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:44 am

	Christy wrote:
	I've had up to 8 females in mine and 7 males in another with no problems. I think a lot of that depends on how well the ratties living together get along. Some groups I wouldn't put more than 3 in just because of one spiteful rat!

True. I also feel it might depend on the size of the rats.

I've had up to 7 males in the boy cage, and 6 females in the girl cage. However, all of my females are tiny, so I could probably fit 8 comfortably. The only reason I don't is because Siggy's a brat.

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Winter and the ratties: Argos, Prometheus, Apollo, Orion, Napoleon, Montecore, Cornelius, Magnus, Dozer, Jesus, Ferdinand, Harlequin, Cambria, Ambellina, Raven, Hedwig, Momo, and Suzie.

Thu Jan 15, 2004 3:18 am

I was looking at Winter's R-685 and wondering how well it would be for my Twoie. She's not quite ready to go back to ramps in the big cage yet, but I do wonder if this cage ramps would be easier for her to handle. I could move Minnie in with her. Though she may be fine to go in the big cage in a few weeks. We're still taking baby steps at this point. But I just wanted some feedback on that cage for Toots.

As an update, she is doing well. She gets to go off her baytril and naxcel injections on Friday so she'll be very happy! (Although she quite likes the baytril since it gets mixed in cool whip and she thinks it's a treat). She is learning how to get around with her head tilt, though when she gets too excited she does about 500 circles first. Once she calms down she can almost go where she wants to on her first try. :*) She's become a snuggly little lap rat and still tires very easily. She's currently living in a 10 gallon aquarium and I'm hoping to get her moved out of the cage soon.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Thu Jan 15, 2004 3:20 pm

i, too, have the 685 and love it. (of course you can have a flip top added to any cage for 10 bucks more, but i love this cage all the same) my squishy mocha now has a little hind leg paralysis and sometimes rolls of the ramp but i redesigned the cage when i first got it and now i am so glad because she doesn't roll very far. this is an outline of my modifications, and i have since added a rat nest ball and some more hammocks, plus a wheel for the ever active gemma.

now i don't know why i waited so long to get this cage.

this is what i had before.

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Visit ACE, MELANIE, BONBON, and the rest of my crew in Rat Tails

Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:37 pm

Christy, I'm going to echo the others and say it's absolutely wonderful.

The ramps are wider, and not steep at all. I'm sure Twoie would probably be able to make it safely to the top, and even not, it's very large. She would have a ton of space even if she wanted to just stay on the bottom.

I love it, my boys loves it more!

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Winter and the ratties: Argos, Prometheus, Apollo, Orion, Napoleon, Montecore, Cornelius, Magnus, Dozer, Jesus, Ferdinand, Harlequin, Cambria, Ambellina, Raven, Hedwig, Momo, and Suzie.

Tue Mar 09, 2004 1:44 am

Well I'm thinking of bidding on a cage that's on ebay (it's HUGE). The measurements of the bars are 7/8" by 4 7/8" . The cage I have now for my 3 girls is 7/8" by 3 7/8". Will the extra inch horizontally matter? I wouldn't think so, but I just wanted to check before I start bidding.

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In memory of Riley, the bestest, most squishiest ratty anyone could ever hope for

Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:51 am

As long as the difference is in length and not height I don't think it will make that huge of a difference. Though I guess you won't truely know until you try it. Confused

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:22 pm

I need opinions! I made the decision tonight that I'm getting rid of all the small hamster size cages I have about that I've used in the past for quarantining little ones. They're not that well made, they have no room for hammocks...blech. I have one semi-large one that will be staying (it's good for transporting pairs of adult boys), as well as the bigger superpet cages some of the boys live in, but I'm going to replace these smaller cages with Martins. I want them large enough that I can use them for adult rescues (VITAL for the lab rat rescue in April/May), but I also want them big enough that say, a group of 4 little boys or girls could live in until intros are all done.
I know I'm getting 2 (as I need one for boys and one for girls with the rescues that are coming Friday), but I don't know what the best choice would be. Right now, the decision is between the R680, the R685, and the R690. The 680 and 690 are about the same price/size and are well within my price range, however I like the pan style and layout of the 685 a lot more. I currently have a Ruud (with another on the way) and LOVE it, so if the 685 is worth it, I don't mind paying the slightly higher price. I just want to know...what experiences have you guys had with these 3 cage styles? Do you have any preference?
The 685s would be easy to stack as well, as the new kids will be quarantined together (they're siblings from the same rescue). The 4 little boys who are to live in the Ruud will be moving in with to the girlies' old Marchiro, as they aren't under quarantine, just LITTLE

I'm going to be ordering these tomorrow night or Thursday (I do have temp. accomodations for them...just not good for 2-3 weeks!), so any help would be appreciated

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Rats~Janine, Madeleine, Cooper, Basil, Dolly, Kitty, Ilori, Theo, Elliot, Vladimir, Freya, Devi, Yoshimi, Nigel, Rosshalde, Faust, Tolkien, Caleb, Mira, Ivy, Nemo, Willow, Nikolas, Lucian & Linus
Mice~Molly, James & Will
Beardie~Cleo

Wed Mar 17, 2004 10:08 pm

Jess may I make a suggestion? The R-685 is by far the best cage I've ever bought. You can also have them customize it with anything else you feel you need. The reason I love this cage so much is it is great for babies but even better for aging, elderly rats. The gentle sloped ramps and small landing have saved so many of my old folks from crashing to the bottom. I also hang two hammocks under the level so they can grab on if they topple, or climb in with a very close landing to step off to when they want to get out. It is versatile, yes a little more expensive, but it is not something you will ever regret buying. Just the look in the old rats eyes when they hit that middle landing instead of sliding down when their legs don't work, is payment enough. I ate Ramen noodles for about three months straight so I could get two of them. It was worth it(just put tabasco on the noodles for a variety!) LOL

The flip top lid is the best for cleaning, saying goodmorning, giving and receiving free kisses, and it just rocks all the way around. I think the R-690 is too tall and skinny for the elderly rats(I plan for the future) and the fatties have a hard time moving around in it. I like the weight of them though. The R-685 is really easy to lift as well...and I clean 14 cages a day. Mr. Green

_________________
~~Wiley's(& Simon's ) Mom & The Lil Rattie Crew
Don't count how many breaths you take
But what takes your breath away~
~Sir Wiley William Templeton
2/29/00-3/5/03 My light, my love forever~
Gentleman Jack 1/1/01-4/22/03
Quiet courage, my heart~

Thu Mar 18, 2004 6:50 am

I also like the 685. When I decided to convert the boys 695 into a RUDD I ordered the 85 instead of the 80 and I am glad I did!

Ace really likes to hang out on the small ledge thing that is inbetween the two ladders. I really like the flip top(comes in really handy when adding hammocks and cleaning) I also like that there is a full top level.

If I were you, I would choose the 685. wink

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Nemo, my best rattie buddie ever.. I miss you and will never, ever forget you my big squishy boy. I love you!

Thu Mar 18, 2004 6:57 am

I too am going to have to suggest an R-685. I absolutely ADORE mine.

The flip top lid makes access for... everything so easy. Of course you can customize any cage, and for a few extra bucks, add on a flip top, but it's just easier, I suppose, to not have to deal with the contacting to customize. In addition, they're big enough for what you want to do with them. And, like WM said, the ramps are much less steep then even the 695's, which aren't really that steep.

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Winter and the ratties: Argos, Prometheus, Apollo, Orion, Napoleon, Montecore, Cornelius, Magnus, Dozer, Jesus, Ferdinand, Harlequin, Cambria, Ambellina, Raven, Hedwig, Momo, and Suzie.

Thu Mar 18, 2004 8:18 am

A Perspective of Cage Size from RMCA (Everyone needs to read this article!)

Fancy Rats UK Cage Calculator

Rats R Us UK Cage Calculator

Both the Rats UK and the Rats R Us calculators will give measurements in inches or centimeters, but the Rats R Us site takes both floor and shelf space into account and so may be a better calculator. The Perspective article in the first link will also give you a greater understanding of what cage size is really about.

Please remember that cage calculators often give the minimum amount of cage space needed for happy, healthy critters, and that one can never go wrong in choosing a larger over a smaller cage.

These were the only actively working cage calculators I was able to find that offer good advice on cage sizing and future planning. If anyone finds other such sites that aren't just minimum cage sizes from lab specs, please post them here. Thanks!

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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

Last edited by Kate on Thu May 12, 2005 11:13 pm; edited 2 times in total

Fri Mar 19, 2004 1:50 am

Hi everybody. I figured I'll continue in this post since it's on the same topic. I'm getting two ratties soon (I hope) and I was thinking about getting either R-685 or R-695.
My concern with R-695 is that I'll have harder time dragging it to the bathroom and cleaning it. My concern with R-685 is that I might get three ratties instead of two (boys). Will three ratty boys be comfy in R-685? I plan to have big Wodent wheel in there for them too (the biggest one).
So please give opinions and advice!!

Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:13 am

I have two R695's and love them. Though I've never had the 685 so have nothing to compare it with.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Sun Sep 05, 2004 10:08 am

I've got this fantastic cage that would be great for the two rats I want to get, but I'm unsure about the bar spacing. All the cage calculators I've found have said that the cage would be roomy enough for four rats, and that's not including the shelf modifications I'm planning, so it'll be a mansion for two rats, which is great! The bigger the better.

The trouble is that the bars are about 3/4 of an inch in spacing. I've heard that rats can escape through as small as 1/2 inch. Is the bar spacing just too wide? I'm not sure, because I kept my hamster Pepper (who was a full grown Syrian by then) in that cage for months and months without incident. However, I know rats are more outgoing and mischevious than hammies, so should I worry about my ratties pulling a Houdini on me?

Another option I have is to use a double level hamster cage I have for the first few weeks or couple months until the rats get large enough that I can trust them in the big cage. I know I shouldn't keep them in a hamster cage, but it is roomy, and it'd only be until they got a bit bigger.

Is this doable, or do I need to look for a new cage? Thanks for any help, guys!

_________________
Willing slave to:
Phoebe the Phabulous Basset Hound!
Tigger, Maggie, Sam, and Willow the girlcats!
Pipkin the wünderbun!
Ginny and Luna the Rodents of Unusual Size!

Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:05 pm

Hi Everyone,
I have two cages that I would like to connect because I am getting two new rats. I had two before and the cage was big enough but now that I'm going to have 3 I wanted a larger cage. Anyway the bar spacing on the second cage is kinda big although it is a rat cage. I think the spacing is actually close to an inch. I wanted to have it all ready by the time I got them but do you think the spacing is too big? If it is I'll just wait until they are older. Thank you

Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:52 am

Yes, baby rats can squeeze thru 1-inch wide spacing. I'd wait a bit.

_________________
Victor, Bandit, and Sparrow's Sweeties: Neiko & Roo. Sparrow's Boys: Oliver, Arthur, and Rabskuttle. The fRAT Boys: Jim, Jack, and George.
Good night, Witter, Kono, Rat, Olie, Metro, Calle, Mr. Ratburn, Arwen, Leather, Ohana, Zoe, Misto, and Kanga.

Fri Oct 29, 2004 5:45 am

Question: does the R-685 come with the flip-top or do you have to add it? and if you do have to add it, how do you go about doing that? I read the description for the 685 and thought it sounded perfect for me, and it listed a flip-top...but I wasn't sure if that came with it or if that was just something you could add on. Thanks!

Fri Oct 29, 2004 5:55 am

There is a comment section on the order form when you order. Just specify that you want the flip top lid and you should be good to go.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:22 pm

Oh I definitely agree with getting powder coated. I Unknowningly got a regular galvanted one (sp?) but the pee and hair just soaks into it and becomes gunk that just does NOT COME OFF! I will be getting them a new cage within the next few months.. the one they are in.. yuck.

Thu Dec 30, 2004 2:17 am

I have a Super Pet ferret cage and the bars are widely spaced. My full grown males can poke their heads out up to their eyes. Sometimes their tails hang out too. I definitely couldn't put any babies in there, they would walk right out. LOL

Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:03 am

After all this hype about the Martin's cages, I think I need to try one out myself.

I only have two girls, but I would like to add a third... Don't know if that's possible now, but which cage would you reccommend for two girls? Also, what's the max. # of girls I could keep in an 685? I'm getting the powder-coated, but it's still a little bit down the road ($$$).

I know I could try out the cage calulator.. but the balcony/shelf sizes aren't listed so it won't be that accurate.

Oh, do you put your cage up on a table, or leave it on the floor? My current cage is actually on the highest part of my computer desk, but both cages I'm looking at are too tall to be up there with me being able to comfortably get them out.

Thanks for any repsonses,
Lindsay, Bunny, and Bambi

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Lindsay, Bunny Rat yawn

and new edition Bambi Belly Kiss

Tue Jan 04, 2005 7:07 am

I highly recommend the 695. It's not overpowering for 2 rats but can hold more if need be. The more space the better.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Sat Jan 08, 2005 12:23 am

I scrolled through these pages and didn't see much about the R-670, so I thought I'd add a comment. I ordered the R-670 for the hamster this week and I would definitely feel comfortable housing 3 female rats or 2 adult male rats in this cage.

I apologize for the poor quality pics. It's a great cage, though. It currently lacks a bit of decoration.

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Brittany
Bear, November, Citadel, Stella, Amor, and Bella

Mon Jan 31, 2005 7:55 am

but it doesn't take in the HEIGHT of the actual cage, just it's length and width!

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The Boys:
Enigma
Neptune
Zion
The Hamster: Mischief

And Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will!

Mon Jan 31, 2005 5:25 pm

	sapphire_rats wrote:
	but it doesn't take in the HEIGHT of the actual cage, just it's length and width!

The second link takes in height.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:34 am

does anyone have a The Rat Highrise (H-600HR)?
what do you think of it?
how many rats do you keep in it?

Sun Feb 13, 2005 3:07 am

According to the cage calulator at www.fancyrats.co.uk The Rat Highrise will only house one rat. So I wouldn't recommend it.

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Love From,
Cassie
Lilly, Sadie, and Sophie (Dogs)

Sat Feb 19, 2005 7:14 pm

angelratgirl has made a wonderful chart to show sizes of Martin's Cages. The lines are set at one foot intervals and the rat is a full grown female for reference. Cage dementions and recommended number of rats per cage are noted under each diagram.

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Wed Mar 02, 2005 4:41 pm

CLICK HERE to see a refernce map of THE ENTIRE LINE OF MARTINS CAGES
(if it appears small, hover your mouse over the image until a box appears and click it to see the full size image)

( REMEMBER: martins will gladly make any cage with the appropriate sized wire for rats (1"x 1/2") if you ask them to. )

the lines are set at one foot intervals

a closeup of the 685 and the 695 empty and full

*********

feel free to post reference pictures of your cage next to something that can be easily referenced like a tv (and say what size the tv is), a person, a rat on top, a computer, or something that lets people know how big the cage actually looks in person.

_________________

Visit ACE, MELANIE, BONBON, and the rest of my crew in Rat Tails

Last edited by angelratgirl on Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:40 am; edited 1 time in total

Thu Mar 03, 2005 12:28 am

That's very cool. Why not talk to Martin's about putting that on their site somewhere? I bet they'd love that.

_________________
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

Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:28 am

guess what! i did when i first made it.

AND i got a reply too...

**************

Thank you very much for sharing your comments on including a chart to help recognize the sizes of our rat cages. I LOVE the idea! And I truly enjoyed your chart. That must have taken some time to make!

Quite some time back ( years ) I had e-mailed our webpage designer about adding some type of cage calculator after so many of our customers had e-mailed me about the cage calculator. Unfortunately, our webpage designer had told me we wouldn't be able to use something like that on our site. ( rights? or some reason, so long ago I don't remember ). But a chart would work just as nicely.

Will have to e-mail her and throw a chart by her.

Thanks so much!!!!

Diana Martin
Martin's Cages, Inc.

**************************8

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Visit ACE, MELANIE, BONBON, and the rest of my crew in Rat Tails

Thu Mar 03, 2005 10:18 am

Ah, she meant they couldn't use or link to the cage calculator(s) already online, I guess? But what you've made is a Martin's-only chart, and with an e-mail stating that you give them the right to use it on their site, there should be no problem.

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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

Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:21 am

I have a cage with a solid bittom and 5 wire levels. The wire on the levels is 1/2 inch by 5 inches. The wire is coated with something that makes it smooth and more comfortable, ad is thick, but can rats get there feet stuck in wire that is 1/2 by 5 inches?
wtf

Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:31 am

I wouldn't say they'd get them "stuck" but I can't imagine that would be comfy. They'll constantly be tight rope walking, really. I'd cover the balconies with cloth/fleece/carpet/plastic pet covering stuff... anything so that they have a more solid surface to walk on.

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Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:31 pm

OK, but wont cloth get wet and uncomfortable?

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:19 am

Not if you change it daily.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:13 am

I have a cage a friend is letting me have because she no longer needs it seeing as her rabbit has passed away. The spacing on it, though, is about 3/4-1 inch. I am not exactly sure but that's what it looks like. I am probably getting babies, so I am planning on getting a 10 gallon aquarium until they are bigger, but even when they are bigger will they still be able to escape? They are going to be males.

Thanks.

~Emily

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A rat is like a book...once ya pick it up...ya never wanna put it down...

A rat is also like a lays potato chip... with lays u cant just eat one...with rats u cant just have one... theyre so0o0o0o addictive!!!!!!!!!!!

Belly Kiss

Tue Apr 12, 2005 8:21 am

The spacing on the bars of my cage are 1 in x 1/2 inch. Had they been 1 x 1, the babies could've slipped right through. I'd say you're looking for close to 1/2 inch spacing.

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Sat Apr 16, 2005 8:33 am

i got the 685 which has the fliptop already and i love it to pieces. the 695 is a little tall for a fliptop but it really depends on where you intend to put it (ground vs on a table). the 685 is a bit tight for four but my girls really do fine in it with regular out time, and the most i ever have is four. it is easier to handle than the 695 and i also have these interlocking mats covering the full level which makes it much easier to clean and keep clean. (i got the mats because one of my girls has no fingers and it makes it much easier for her to stand on). when a grid gets too dirty i just pop it out and wash it off in the sink.

plus i also have a pressure steamer for cleaning and this makes short work of getting the gunk off the bars. i empty the pan, put it back in the pan, and steam away letting the yucky water drip into the pan, then i just clean the pan out and wipe down the cage.

one final word on the flip top. i have had some rats who would escape from that no problem if i didn't latch it down, but my current rats remain blissfully unaware that they just have to push up to open it, so i can leave it unlatched. now whenever i want a quick snuggle i just pop the top and scoop them up.

_________________

Visit ACE, MELANIE, BONBON, and the rest of my crew in Rat Tails

Sat May 07, 2005 4:47 pm

But I have alot of hanging nestboxes, and hammocks, and stuff, which I dont know how big or long it is. How can cage calculators calculate stuff like that?

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Sat May 07, 2005 7:25 pm

Cage calculators work on the surface area and volume of the cage, while empty. So unless you're using hammocks and nest boxes instead of shelves, then it's probably nothing to be concerned about.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu May 12, 2005 11:16 pm

angelratgirl has made a wonderful chart to show sizes of Martin's Cages. The lines are set at one-foot intervals and the rat is a full-grown female for reference. Cage dimensions and recommended number of rats per cage are noted under each diagram.

_________________
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

Mon May 30, 2005 6:19 am

	Sparrow wrote:
	Well I'm thinking of bidding on a cage that's on ebay (it's HUGE). The measurements of the bars are 7/8" by 4 7/8" . The cage I have now for my 3 girls is 7/8" by 3 7/8". Will the extra inch horizontally matter? I wouldn't think so, but I just wanted to check before I start bidding.

What ever happened with this cage, our family is adopting 2 males they will be about 5 weeks old when they come home to us, we currently have a cage that has bars 3/4" apart that we had a guinea in. Can my boys do a dissapearing act with that spacing as teen/adults... Confused

I know when they first come home they will have large (I know not the best) hampster house for a few weeks.

Mon May 30, 2005 6:25 am

5 week old boys will be quite small. I would guess that they could definitely get out of 7/8" spacing, and could probably get out of 3/4". However, even a "large" hamster cage isn't appropriate for ratties, in my opinion. You would be better off wrapping the cage with larger bar spacing with coated wire until the boys are too big to get through the bars.

_________________

Mon May 30, 2005 6:29 am

Hi Trin, I agree with Jill. I got my boys a ferret cage with similar measurements and they can definitely get out. I went to Lowes, got some 19-gauge hardware cloth and used twist ties to cover the bars. All safe and easy to undo when they're squishy enough. LOL

_________________
"You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f------g khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." ~ Tyler Durden

Last edited by SillyRat on Mon May 30, 2005 6:52 am; edited 1 time in total

Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 am

So a guinea cage with modifications will work well for this new Mom. Wrap bars, add ladders with long inclines, place in some cotton ropes add lots of love and were good?

Mon May 30, 2005 8:09 am

Re: twist ties... at any large hardware store you can get cable ties (also called zip ties) that are far easier to use than twist ties, and contain no inner wire.

Trin, what you just said sounds good, yes.

You may want to read through the building/remodeling sticky topic here when you get time, tons of great ideas for all sorts of cage mods. But then you risk becoming addicted to cage mods... Mr. Green

_________________
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 Jun 03, 2005 7:37 pm

What about the (R-690)? is that any good? does anyone have any of those? and if some1 does can u show me a pic of theirs in real life.

_________________
My rAts: BoYs- SqUeCkY, oReO! mY gIrLs- SaDiE, cUtIe PiE!
Angel rat

Buddy, Penut, Pinky, and Flower We will miss you! Angel rat

Michelle and the little ratties

Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:33 pm

I had the 690 for my two rescue girls last year and it was a nice cage. My only complaint is that the ramps are steeper than they are on the 695, and I think oldies may struggle with it. Otherwise, it was very easy to clean and the girls enjoyed it.

_________________
Brittany
Bear, November, Citadel, Stella, Amor, and Bella

Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:37 pm

Did your girls struggle when you first put them in there?and how old are they?

_________________
My rAts: BoYs- SqUeCkY, oReO! mY gIrLs- SaDiE, cUtIe PiE!
Angel rat

Buddy, Penut, Pinky, and Flower We will miss you! Angel rat

Michelle and the little ratties

Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:47 pm

No, they didn't struggle at all. The girls were put to sleep earlier this year.

_________________
Brittany
Bear, November, Citadel, Stella, Amor, and Bella

Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:48 pm

Oh thanks!

_________________
My rAts: BoYs- SqUeCkY, oReO! mY gIrLs- SaDiE, cUtIe PiE!
Angel rat

Buddy, Penut, Pinky, and Flower We will miss you! Angel rat

Michelle and the little ratties

Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:38 am

I was planning on building a cage but now I'm leaning towards a martin's cage. I have two girl ratties and I wanted to get an R-695. Do you think this would be overpowering for my two rattie girls?

*Edit* I just noticed I asked the same question that someone already had answered earlier in this Sticky. Embarassed

Last edited by littlerattie on Sat Aug 06, 2005 10:46 pm; edited 2 times in total

Thu Jun 16, 2005 9:41 pm

No, If you're talking about how big it is, that doesn't really matter. The more space the better! If you talking about the ramps, their ramps are very easy to climb for oldies, and for the youth. That cage fits all rats! And you could get more rats than jst 2.

_________________
My rAts: BoYs- SqUeCkY, oReO! mY gIrLs- SaDiE, cUtIe PiE!
Angel rat

Buddy, Penut, Pinky, and Flower We will miss you! Angel rat

Michelle and the little ratties

Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:33 am

Just wondering, those who own or have owned a Martin's Cage, which is your favorite cage made by them?

_________________
EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:01 am

I've only had the R695 and the R699 and I adore them both.

_________________
Christy
RP Admin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Thu Jun 30, 2005 1:19 am

Yes, the R695 is great, and holds alot of ratties! Also the R685 is great too! There are alot to choose from, and they are all high quality! Those cage calculators really help. Look for something big enough for 2 rattties or more!

_________________
My rAts: BoYs- SqUeCkY, oReO! mY gIrLs- SaDiE, cUtIe PiE!
Angel rat

Buddy, Penut, Pinky, and Flower We will miss you! Angel rat

Michelle and the little ratties

Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:29 am

Cool! I was just wondering because last week I ordered a R-695 for my 2 female ratties and it hasn't come yet.

_________________
EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:41 pm

So I had originally posted this in the wrong sticky, but it's right now

------------
I was wondering if wire floor spacing can be too big? I know the general floor spacing is 1" by 1/2" but since I'm building a cube cage the wire is 7/8" by 1.5". I've set my girls on the wire to see how they walk on it and only the first time did one miss a step but since then they seem to be okay on it. I don't want to cover the floors but I could add another grid underneath. Is it necessary? Thanks.

_________________
--;[Dannie/]
Ratties: Kina, Cessi, Nerissa and Dare

Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:57 pm

How about covering it with something like plastic needlepoint canvas? That would let urine drain away, be easy to wipe clean and prevent any risks of trapped tootsies?

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sat Jul 02, 2005 11:21 pm

I don't think they could get a foot caught as it's wide but I'll look into the needlepoint canvas, Andy.

_________________
--;[Dannie/]
Ratties: Kina, Cessi, Nerissa and Dare

Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:27 am

I have a question about cage topper... would you recomed it? tell me the pros and cons of cage toppers... i think im leaning toward them, but i have heard mixed reviews

*MiSsY*

_________________
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 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.

_________________
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.

_________________
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.

_________________
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.

_________________
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*.

_________________

Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:39 pm

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

_________________
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!

_________________
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?

_________________
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

_________________
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

_________________
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

_________________
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

_________________
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...

_________________
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)

_________________
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!)

_________________

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

_________________
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.

_________________
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.

_________________

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

_________________

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.

_________________
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.)

_________________
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.

_________________
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.

_________________
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.

_________________
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.

_________________

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.

_________________

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.

_________________
-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!!!!

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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