Housing Pet Rats - Rat Cage
84Housing Rats
Housing a pet rat can be simple, but you will need to consider the type of cage that you want to invest in. Your options range from aquariums, wire cages, and plastic cages. Once, you've decided upon a cage, you will need to find houses, toys, bowls, and bedding.
But, housing is not just a cage and toys. You must, also, consider where you will be putting the cage. Rats like your attention, so you may consider putting the cage in a room with high movement.
You want to keep the cage away from direct lighting and drafts.
Ratty Cage Options
Cages
Whichever type of cage you choose, it needs to have at least two square feet of surface area. Now, as for the dimensions of the cage, for one to two rats I would go no smaller than a 24"L x 12"W x 24"T. NEVER house rats in a small hamster habitat, solid plastic cage, 10 gallon aquariums, or ventilated storage bins.
Top Pros and Cons:
Aquariums:
Pros: Litter cannot be kicked out onto the floor.
Cons: No ventilation calling for more frequent cleanings. Spend more money in order to get the same space as a wire cage. Build up heat. Hold in stale air.
Wire:
Pros: Ventilation. Toys can be attached to walls and tend to have multiple levels, providing ample entertainment
Cons: Litter can be kicked onto the floor.
Plastic:
Pros: Wire walls with plastic levels are easier on ratty feets.
Cons: Litter can be kicked onto the floor. Rats can and will chew the plastic.
NEVER house a rat in a cage that has a wire bottom. Having wire levels and walls are great, but there needs to be some solid surfaces in the cage to prevent bumblefoot.
Bedding
Bedding can be an important part of a rat's housing. The wrong bedding can cause respiratory illnesses, as some beddings have excess oils and aromas, that rat's, and all other small animals, cannot be exposed to for long periods of time (being more than one or two cleanings).
Safe:
- Aspen wood shavings
- Carefresh
- Lifemate- Hemp bedding
- Kaytee- Soft Sorbent
- Aspen pellets
Harmful:
- Pine wood shavings
- Cedar wood shavings
- Kaytee- Total Comfort (too dusty)
Stay away from beddings that are dusty, oily, and have aromas.
Clean the cage at least once a week. This will keep down any ratty smells that have accumulated. It will, also, rid the cage of ammonia, which if allowed to build up can become very harmful to your rats.
 | Amazon Price: $3.34 List Price: $7.99 |
 | Amazon Price: $3.69 List Price: $8.49 |
 | Amazon Price: $1.75 List Price: $2.49 |
 | Amazon Price: $4.58 List Price: $10.98 |
Toys
Rats are very intelligent creatures that do get bored easily. They need toys and ledges in the cage to keep them busy until you are able to spend time with them. Because a rat's favorite experience is playing with you!
But, anyway...
Inside the cage you can add various toys such as:
- Ropes
- Ladders
- Hammocks
- Hanging wood toys
- Tunnels
- Cardboard tubes (toilet paper and paper towel rolls work great)
- Cardboard boxes
- Silent wheels
- Ferret toys
- Cat toys (NO cat nip!)
- Ledges (attach to the walls of wire cages)
Get creative when thinking of toys you can make or toys you can buy for your rats. They'll appreciate it, and you'll have fun watching them play with their new toys.
Try to switch out the toys every other week or so. This will keep your rats entertained as they got a "new" toy. But, it's a recycled old one.
I prefer Martin's Cages. They are easy to put together, and easy to clean. There are a variety of cages to choose from, ranging from chinchilla cages, ferret cages, and rat cages. All are acceptable for housing rats, as long as you can guarantee that your rats cannot slip through the outer wires.
My three female rats are housed in the chinchilla highrise (FC-430HR).
It includes:
- 30" x 18" x 48"
- Four levels
- Full middle floor
- Three ramps
- Two balconies
- Your choice of a drop-in 3½" plastic pan
Rat Information
- Rat Munchies
Proper treats for your pet rat(s). - Games and Toys for Rats
Find fun games for you and your pet rat(s). - Signs of Illness in Pet Rats
Make sure that you are aware of the signs of illness in your pet rat(s). - Rats Vs Mice
When deciding upon a pet rodent, make the proper decision between rats and mice. Make sure to know the true differences. - Homemade Rat Diets
Make a healthy, homemade rat diet for your favorit pet. Find out about proper nutrition. What you can and can't feed your rats. - Homemade Rat Recipes
Find out more fun and yummy recipes that you can make for your pet rat(s). - Homemade Rat Treats
Make yummy homemade treats for your beloved pet rat(s). - How to Train Pet Rats
Tips to training pet rats.
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (5)
- Funny (1)
- Awesome (2)
- Beautiful
- Interesting (2)
CommentsLoading...
rats need company I would suggest trying to get your rat a same gender cage mate .... I would look on amazon for ferret and guinea pig cages :)
and dont forget baby toys rats love them
and you CAN but this is really not the best environment for your rats alex
What cage should I get for my one hairless rat? I'm trying not to go too far over 50$ and I really need some help. Any suggestions??
i dont understand why one cant just use a lab cage or a converted plastic tub l ike i do?
Great information. Thanks for sharing.
im getting two rats and i wanted to know if a 23.75" H x 18" W x 23.75" D cage is good for them?
p.s
this is my first invest on rats!
So I bought a rat. It breaths heavily and shivers uncontrollably. should I be worried?
so you'd recommend martinscages.com cause I'm in need of a need cage and yes it will be for one rat but I'm going big so I wont have to worry about a cage for a very long time. also questioon about rats thats been alone for I'm not sure how long but I'd like to get her a friend but I don't want to do so if it isn't in her best interest. thank you
I would recommend it.
I have a 1 story wired cage and i wanted to know if i should get a bigger one because i have 2 rats
koko(kolby) spaying costs about 150$ at my vet for rats. Get a price quote, if it's not in your budget I suggest same sex couples.
I love rats....my rats have a hammok made of cloth and string because they like to chew it and this makes it easier and cheaper to replace...They often eat sunflower seads and lettuce makes them fall asleep
Males are more laid back, and females are more active (in general). It's up to you as to which you would prefer. I've never heard of any major spraying concerns with males, but yes it is possible. You can get them neutered, but I would be cautious as to what vet you choose as neutering a rat just isn't as common as a dog.
You don't want to get a male and female unless you want babies. They will breed. Getting two males OR two females is the better option.
should i get 2 girls or 2 boys cause i heard boys mark the territory but i also heard that if you get them nueterd they wont do that anymore, or should i just get a boy and a girl you know kinda like a couple
I'm not sure, but it's a ferret cage.
what is that plastic cage called?
If you have two female rats, there's no reason to spay them. Spaying rats can be complicated as they're so small, which is why if you opted for the procedure, you'd need someone knowledgeable in small animals.
If you breed at or before 6 months, the babies wouldn't be much younger than the initial rats, which would mean the lifespans would be about the same.
thanks for the advice also, is it a good idea to get 2 female rats and fix 1 then when the unfixed 1 gets a little before six months 2 breed them so that when they die ill still have the baby rats that i didnt give away?
The cages have chinchillas in them, but they are exceptible for rats. I actually housed my rats in a cage just like the wire one on the top.
It is a little small for three rats. It'd be fine for one or two.
Rats can smell. Males will have a stronger odor than females will. You'll want to clean the cage at least weekly.
i also am 11 so i dont know much about rats (lol) also being that iv never had one before,so i wanted to know if they stink.cause iv had a rabbit,guinea pig,ect.and they DID NOT have a very nice smell!
hey i found the cutest purple cage but the store commented that its great for hamsters!before i had a chance to tell him i a cage for a rat,the cage is 25"h 11.3"w 14.3"d i just wanted to know,is it too small to house 3 rats
hi my rattie has a home made cage made from wooden bath pannels from b&q and a mesh frount and a plastic base . it cost around £ 20
so dont allways just look to buy a ready made cage .
another way to cut costs is to look at second hand cages . yes sometines they need a bit of TLC but its worth it .
my 2 degu's are in a huge 6 foot high cage that i bought second hand for £40 . allthough i ended up spending £20 on ledges ect and they have home made hammocks .
You should never keep rats in an aquarium. The amonia build up causes serious respitory issues. Rats enjoy climbing and a tank does not offer that. A cage with about 2 cubic feet of space per rat works well.
There's not much under $100 that will be really really good, unless you get a single layer cage or a small ferret cage that has one or two balconies. If you're willing to spend a little more and have the cage shipped, I'd recommend martinscages.com
I an looking for a rat cage that is preferably under $100. Can you help me
As long as the bottom of the cage is not wired, the wired ramps should be fine. Just try to offer as many solid surfaces as you can.
Hi I was wondering if the the wired ramps and balconies will be ok for my girls feet?
That's going to be WAY too small for an adult rat. You need to get a proper cage.
ok so i have a blue rat(1) and i just bought him and i had bought this thing where you put it ontop of the 10 gallon tank its wire and has two tiers and ladders is that good or do i need to go bigger it stands about 22 in high and the area of a 10 gal tank all together
Just to mention... you don't need to 'buy' hammocks and tunnels. Just take an old shirt and cut it up. From one shirt I get 4 hammocks (I cut the front and back panels in half) and 2 tunnels (the sleeves). You can use either paperclips bent open a bit, or safety pins to clip them up. Twist ties work too if you've rained them not to chew the twists.
Cheap and a great way to reuse instead of throwing out. (and it ensures you've lots to swap with so you can just do one laundry trip!)
I wouldn't paint a pet cage or the bottom. Rats chew, and if they ingest the paint, it could be toxic. Just a heads up.
Thanks ill try all that.. its a wire cage but not wire at the bottom... i painted it cause of the smell.
What kind of cage is it? Wooden, plastic, or wire?
I would try cleaning with vinegar and peroxide. The mixture is GREAT to remove smells. Although, your room may smell like vinegar for a little bit, it's always worked great for my full cage cleanings. I'm not sure what kind of cage it is or why you painted it, but try the vinegar and peroxide mix to clean the cage top to bottom. Use a sponge and just scrub basically.
If that doesn't work, you may want to try a pet odor and ammonia eliminator. You can find them in the dog house training isle usually.
And, maybe consider bleach, but make sure to thoroughly rinse the cage before putting your girls back in it.
And, if that doesn't work, I'd suggest a new cage. Try Martin's Cages, as they have GREAT rat cages that leave the decoration up to you. Just make sure to purchase one that does NOT have a wire bottom with slide out tray.
Can anyone helpHi there i bought a use cage for my 2 female rats....It was very dirty with urine i mean it was bad the guy that sold it to me had 6 male rats in it..its a big 3story cage... So i cleaned it with my hose and javex i got all the urine out... But about 3weeks after my babys were in the cage it started to really stink...So i painted it... Now heres whats happening i clean the cage top to bottom every 2days.....My rats are liter trained and they only poo at the bottom...But they pee on the bars.... As soon as they pee even if i just cleaned it the smell is so bad...And i know its not just their pee cause my one female pees on my arm when she is excited and it doesnt smell the same... Could the male pee smell be coming from the bars when my females pee?And what do i do to get rid of the smell?Do i need to get a new cage?
I love Martin's Cages! I have 2 of them, only 1 set up currently. If I had the room, I'd set up the other and add a few more ratties. They're nothing but a bundle of joy.
This is kinda weird, I think Martin's Cages are one of the' best! lol well, what do ya know?! lol again great hub!
Oh okay! :)Oh dear, Ihope they like them. =/
Once they get used to eat other, they will share. So you should be fine with just one.
Also, yes, i think that ropes with notes are great. they can chew them and climb them.
I think Razzle is a cute name. You may want to wait for a decision once you've met the rat's personality.
Oh and as for the pet-looney cat toys, some rats love them. They'll carry them around and throw them. But, some rats don't really care for them.
Sorry, one more thing do you have any ideas for the new rat? She is a girl. I'm thinking about Razzle .
I just sent away for the ferret play tunnel! I went to Amazon . Do you think they will like the Petmate looney loops cat toy?
Okay should I buy two hammocks or do you think they would share it ?What about a rope with knots way they could climb? I've heard rats love to climb.
You could try a regular hammock and a cloth tunnel, since there are to full floors. My girls loved them both. I bought ferret ones. I tend to buy a lot of ferret things for my rats.
There are 3 rats in the cage, and they love it! Larger than the R-685 that I initially bought for 2.
Aww! That's a nice one ! does she like it ?
Yup , now I'm broke! ;-) Okay I'll thry that ! Should I put 2 hammocks in there?
Wow you really went all out! My girls are in the FC-430HR, it's in the Chinchilla section. You have plenty of room to add hammock, ropes, ladders, and tons of toys! They'll love it. Just make sure to swap out the toys every now and then, otherwise they'll get bored. Don't throw them out because you can swap back, and they'll think they're new toys (add at least 1 new one though). ;-) Money saving trick, well not really a trick, but maybe it'll help, as toys and such are sometimes pricey.
I hpoe she likes it!
I got THE RUUD CAGE (R-699) it's under rats.It cost me 167.00plus 10.00 extra!
Did I go a little crazy?
I love Martin's Cages! Congrats on the purchase. Which one did you get?
Thankyou Whitney,
I just got a "Martin's cage" for the new rat on Sunday.
I have a cage with plastic levels . And have 2 hammocks and a rope with knots that way she gets exercise when she goes to get water ! And she also has a little buddy named Peckit a dove ! I let them out together and they walk around every where ! Peckit has a hurt wing so she cant fly right now ! :-(
Lexie Engdahl 5 weeks ago
i have two ratties currently ( females taz and lily) i had a hammock in their cage but took it out because they would not stop pooping and peeing in it, it was a gigantic mess so i took it out. it smelled terribly! i also had toys such as a hanging wooden blocks and a bell on it. they showed NO sign of using it so again, i took it out. this morning i found that the towel they have under the cage was completely ripped up and chewed. that ment that they were very bored. i am going to the pet store tmmrw and planning to get bedding ( mine for them is like gross litter) a toy, hut , and cleaning supplies. any cheap sugguestions for anything like toys? i also had a rope that they never chewed on. i tried to litter box train them but they would just untie and chew the string attached to the side to keep it attached.