RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:11 pm

I attached my Grotto style cage to a ferret cage. I used PVC though. It was pretty complicted, but turned out nice. Now, my cage is a mansion.

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-=Stanza=- [Riding shoulder is:]
Sugar [Magnolias], Peanut, Willow, and Scarlet [Begonias].
This stanza is my lament. This world is my imprisonment. I know I can never be...
I know I'll never be free.
The cut that never heals...

Sat Jun 07, 2003 8:09 am

Cable ties are great!! Get them in Home Depot or someplace like that. They come in assorted colors, or black, or white. And get the small, thinones, not the large, stiff ones. The large ones are too hard to manipulate. Cable ties will hold a cage permanently, and all you need are small nipping pliers to cut them off for fast remodeling.

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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 Jun 28, 2003 4:39 am

For those of you who have older rats in a one-story cage...do you have any specific cage recommendations?

I am afraid it's about time for Bob to move from his three-story cage to the seniors condo...he is really dragging his back legs, and a couple of times he has lost his balance (or just missed the ramp) and tumbled from the balcony to the floor. Sad

I hope that as long as he has his hat he'll be happy in any cage, and I don't think he'll miss having Curly to steal his food.

Curly is the second part of the puzzle...he is still fit and active and I hate to restrict him to a boring flat cage. I may try to move him in with the girls...they get along great during free range time, and I think Curly would love it.

A few weeks ago Curly even tried it...he was on my shoulder when I opened the girls' cage door to fix something, and he jumped right on in, uninvited. The girls commenced to kick his butt then, but I'm hoping that with a clean, neutral cage it might go smoother.

I knoew when I got Bob and Curly in March that they weren't youngsters, and I expected signs of aging, but now that Bob is really acting old it is breaking my heart...

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~Abita and the Rat in a Box rats

In loving memory of Krycek, Rizzo, Curly, Bob, Witter, Kono, Rat, Pinky, Olie, Metro, Calle, Cinnamon Schwartz, Mr. Ratburn, Arwen, Leather, Ohana, Zoe, and Mr. Mistoffelees

Sat Jun 28, 2003 7:04 am

Abita, I'm sorry Bob is starting to slow down Sad

What if you got one of the small SuperPet cages? That would be comfortably big enough, and you could put a couple of shelves very, very low so that Bob couldn't hurt himself but could still have an interesting place to live. Curly might even enjoy it, if you put nifty things up there. I hope you and Victor come up with a great solution for that wonderful little old man.

rq

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Sat Jun 28, 2003 11:49 pm

Thanks!
We made the cage switch--a SuperPet cage--and put in Bob's hat, the igloo, and Curly's wheel. Tight fit, and the boys were following each other around hissing.
So, I took the "extra" Martins 695 (purchased originally for Victor's boys, but they never moved in since Witter still isn't quite socialized), filled it with all the new stuff we had, put Curly in with the girls and held my breath.
Whew. All four ran around exploring for several minutes (the girls checking out the cage, Curly sniffing the girls), then they calmed down, had a snack and now everybody is asleep...Curly and Leather curled up together, even.

Somehow Bob doesn't look like a rat who minds having his own space:

And here is the new highrise:

_________________
~Abita and the Rat in a Box rats

In loving memory of Krycek, Rizzo, Curly, Bob, Witter, Kono, Rat, Pinky, Olie, Metro, Calle, Cinnamon Schwartz, Mr. Ratburn, Arwen, Leather, Ohana, Zoe, and Mr. Mistoffelees

Mon Jun 30, 2003 9:30 pm

If Bob is dragging his back legs, you might also switch to using towels or fleece for bedding. I had to stop using Carefresh because it was too hard for Toby to move around on it using just his front legs. They seem to flounder like it's quicksand. Also, small cardboard boxes make great caves for vertically challenged elderly guys and are sometimes preferred to the igloos (smaller, darker,lined with tasty kleenex!).
Scritches to Bob, and happy retirement in the senior condo!

And, err, Curly is neutered, right? Or he'll be having a bit too much fun with his harem.....

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Amy G., Random, Tully, Flint, Robin, Basil, Finnegan, and Strawberry

...and the rattie angels...Blue Bear, Justin, Fletcher, Duncan, Toby, and Bela

Tue Jul 01, 2003 5:23 am

	Quote:
	And, err, Curly is neutered, right? Or he'll be having a bit too much fun with his harem.....

Actually, Curly is intact...but not to worry, the girls are all spayed.

And thanks for the bedding ideas, too.

Bob is getting around so much more in the new cage...at first, Saturday evening, he kept going back and forth between his hat and igloo, and sometimes to the door to see me...I was concerned that he missed Curly and was looking for him or something.

So, I brought Curly back for a visit. Bob's reaction: a big hiss and he chased Curly til Curly jumped on top of the igloo for refuge.

Now we think he's just more active because he can be. He is certainly eating and drinking, and we think he comes to the door so much because he's hoping we have Toasties.

Still, it's hard to know for sure what is going on in those heads of theirs...

_________________
~Abita and the Rat in a Box rats

In loving memory of Krycek, Rizzo, Curly, Bob, Witter, Kono, Rat, Pinky, Olie, Metro, Calle, Cinnamon Schwartz, Mr. Ratburn, Arwen, Leather, Ohana, Zoe, and Mr. Mistoffelees

Thu Jul 10, 2003 12:53 pm

http://www.ratfanclub.org/cagepln2.html
I'm just wondering if anyone has tried this.
It looks interesting to me, and I'm wondering how easy it is to manage.

_________________
-=Stanza=- [Riding shoulder is:]
Sugar [Magnolias], Peanut, Willow, and Scarlet [Begonias].
This stanza is my lament. This world is my imprisonment. I know I can never be...
I know I'll never be free.
The cut that never heals...

Thu Jul 10, 2003 3:57 pm

Thats a good idea but looks a bit awkward to clean out. I've got 2 seperate cages, one long rectangle and a large 2 story cage. They are side by side with a hole cut out the middle and a piece of underground piping connecting them both, allowing for free access into either cage. I suppose with a bit of imagination and the space to put it in, you can build whatever you like. Unfortunately I can't seem to find rat tubing here in Liverpool so I have to get mine from the plumbing and garden store instead.

Thu Jul 10, 2003 8:21 pm

Ick the piping has "vents" that catch ratties toes. No thanks, I'm happy with PVC pipes. I already have two cages (grotto styles), a few play pins, but I though this may be a good addition to my already expanding rat room.

_________________
-=Stanza=- [Riding shoulder is:]
Sugar [Magnolias], Peanut, Willow, and Scarlet [Begonias].
This stanza is my lament. This world is my imprisonment. I know I can never be...
I know I'll never be free.
The cut that never heals...

Fri Jul 11, 2003 5:46 pm

Well, I'd make mine smaller than the one pictured, as it is far too large to tote outside for cleaning. I am using a plant plate-thingy that I found at Walmart. It's still pretty big, but I can just take it outside and hose it down.

_________________
-=Stanza=- [Riding shoulder is:]
Sugar [Magnolias], Peanut, Willow, and Scarlet [Begonias].
This stanza is my lament. This world is my imprisonment. I know I can never be...
I know I'll never be free.
The cut that never heals...

Tue Nov 11, 2003 8:28 pm

If you'd like, I've got directions on my site for building cages (there are also links to other homemade cages people have made). All of mine have been large, but the directions can be easily converted to a smaller cage by changing the dimensions listed. The Rat Mansion has the most detailed directions, and is identical to the Martin's Ruud cage.

My only suggestions with building a cage are... Make sure you get coated wire. I found mine at Home Depot in 3'x5' and 2'x5' rolls, with 1/2"x1/2" spacing. Use zip ties first, to make sure every piece is where you want it (if you planned on using c rings after - I just keep it with zip ties since the boys don't chew them). AND, have LOTS of patience! Also, if you wind up actually having enough money to purchase a 'real' cage, I'd definetly say go for it! I've got a Martin's R-695, as well as my homemade Ruud, and although the 'Ruud' stands up well enough (so far anyway), the Martin's has thicker, sturdier wire, and the coating is more chip/wear resistant.

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We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature.
~Rachel Carson

Tue Nov 11, 2003 8:53 pm

The cement-mixing tub cage plan at Rat Fan Club is excellent. It's very big, it could house up to 4 rats. I think it's worth building your cage rather than buying it. I built a cage from these plans for about $40 and it probably would have cost me over twice that much.

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"Hello, friends. I am a perfectly normal human worm-baby." - ZIM

Wed Nov 12, 2003 8:43 pm

Here:

http://www.ratfanclub.org/cagepln.html

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"Hello, friends. I am a perfectly normal human worm-baby." - ZIM

Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:54 pm

Just a quick note, the cement tray cage can actually hold more than 4 rats comfortably. The overall dimensions (I think) are 24"x30"x30", which could easily hold 6 rats, more depending on activity level, size, etc.

_________________

We cannot have peace among men whose hearts find delight in killing any living creature.
~Rachel Carson

Tue Nov 25, 2003 6:46 am

That's what I did years ago. I connected a large cage on a lower level of the shelf to another cage at the top using some wire type fencing from homedepot. It was excellent exercize for them and they could zip up and down it at sprinting speed. Just make sure after you roll it up that there's no sharp edges exposed where you clip it.

Tue Nov 25, 2003 7:13 am

I just came across this and it seems like a better idea...

Quote:

Now, if you look at some more hardware stores (not Orchard, or at least not the local one) you can find a wonderful invention -- VINYL COATED WIRE MESH! No zinc poisoning, no corrosion, cleans up real easy like, and my rats have never shown any urge to gnaw upon it. I found two sizes, 3/4" square and 2" by 3". The 3/4" square stuff does not have the structural integrity to stand on its own (except maybe as small tubes) so I joined it to the thicker 2" by 3" stuff, and made a roughly 22" x 22" x 24" cage. This, along with a 10 gal. aquarium, supplies plenty of room for my two rats. (If you want to make something bigger, you'll have to use some sort of frame, which I might recommend anyway unless you can find sturdier wire mesh than I did -- this cage dented easily.) The floor is a 22" square pan from the first cage, covered with plexiglass, with no wire mesh over it. (The plexiglass had a problem of trapping stuff underneath, so I eventually painted the pan with a waterproof, non-toxic paint designed for children's toys. It wasn't very sturdy paint, though.)

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bclee/ratcage.html

Wed Nov 26, 2003 9:30 pm

I have two bird cages joined together. Mine have those sliding doors on the side, I think designed for putting food into the cage. Anyway, all I do is clip the doors open and then clip the cages together. My furries can pass from one to the other without problem. It makes it easier to clean out as you can shift all your ratties into one side and take the other cage for cleaning.

Thought it might help.

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Kirsty

(Angel, Harmony, Druscilla, Buffy & Willlow at the Bridge. Now it's me, Rich, Dooob & Bebe)

Mon Dec 22, 2003 3:45 am

My pensioners, Spook, Dart, Gambit and Dandy, are starting to find the ramps and ladders in their big cage a bit much. None of them have actually lost the use of their back legs or anything, but even though the ramps aren't steep I've seen the oldies start to make their way up and then slide back down. Yesterday I watched Dart make her way slowly up a ramp, using the bars of the cage to cling on to, like an unsteady elderly person clinging on to a stair bannister. So I think the time has come for them to move into single level accommodation. I could just take all the levels out of the big cage, but that might confuse them and it seems a bit of a waste, since the younger rats could move into it and have more room to play. On the other hand, the pensioners are all 27 months old, and I wonder if a move to a new cage would really unsettle them - I don't want to do that. Does anyone have any experience or advice to offer?

Labrat, I think you moved Casper to a big rabbit cage, didn't you? I thought something like that would be ideal. But I wonder if anyone makes one that I could fold up for storage at a later (hopefully much later) date.

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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.

Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:43 am

Linda, when I moved my sr citizens into a new, one level cage, they immediately took to it! I think they really enjoyed not having to climb up and down. I have a plastic pan that's 2 ft x 3 ft. I used hardware cloth for the sides, and since the boys weren't climbing any more, I hardly needed a top. But just in case, I just put a piece of plexiglass on top that I had laying around. I think the boys would like a new place.

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Scout of Manitou Mischief Rattery

Mon Dec 22, 2003 7:05 am

Linda, I've heard of some folks making temporary cages with large storage bins--the plastic under-the-bed types. Might that work?

For ventilation, they cut most of the lid out and put in screening or something similar. These 'cages' require an inside the cage water bottle, too.

You might also consider a smaller cube and coroplast cage. In the UK, coroplast has a different name. You've probably seen it: It looks like corrugated cardboard only it's made from plastic. You can find more information at www.cavycages.com .

We moved Bob into a store-bought guinea pig cage when he started having trouble with the ramps. Abita asked me to point out when he was in the big cage with Curly, he didn't seem to take to the igloo, nor to boxes (just his hat

). Now that he's by himself, he does most of his sleeping in the igloo (and he continues to lounge about in his hat).

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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.

Mon Dec 22, 2003 12:24 pm

What I had done with Abby & Xena was to close off the top two levels. I removed the ladder and blocked the stairway opening, and then had a single level cage. They looked a bit puzzled at first but quickly got used to it. If you can do something like that, you could also move (some of?) the youngsters into the upper level(s) if you could find a tray to fit the inside dimensions.

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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 Dec 22, 2003 1:18 pm

	Victor wrote:
	Linda, I've heard of some folks making temporary cages with large storage bins--the plastic under-the-bed types. Might that work? For ventilation, they cut most of the lid out and put in screening or something similar. These 'cages' require an inside the cage water bottle, too.

I've made a couple of cages using the plastic storage boxes - they make great carriers and hospital cages temporarily, but i've found that the plastic is too soft for leaving healthy rats in as they chew their way out pretty quickly!

My older rats are in hutch type cages with tubes and nothing they can fall off. I can't think of any cages offhand that are single level and collapsable for storage.

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Estelle
Alpha Centauri Stud, Somerset, UK
http://www.alphacentauri-rats.co.uk
http://www.ratz.co.uk

Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:05 pm

Thanks the advice, folks. I'm going to start looking for something I can buy or build for them - I have really started to worry about the possibility of them falling.
Collapsing for storage isn't an essential requirement, it would just have been handy.
Kate, I like your suggestion, but my big aviary cage isn't really designed so that I could add a tray to the upper levels. Or rather, I could probably find a way to add a tray, but not so that it could be removed/accessed for cleaning. I will just block off the upper levels if I can't find anything suitable as a single level cage, though, because it really is getting too much for the oldies, even though they insist on climbing to the top.

_________________
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.

Mon Dec 22, 2003 8:11 pm

I use an indoor rabbit/guinea pig cage made by Ferplast. Pets At Home sell them, they cost around £40-£50 and the base of the cage sort of sits in the wire top, so it's semi-collapsible for storage.

This is the one I have:

http://www.petcentreonline.co.uk/ecommerce/productdisplays/shop.asp?cat=Rabbit%2FGuinea+Pig+Cages

It's the Ferplast Rabbit 100 coloured I use. But they have other similar ones. I think you may be able to get it cheaper, but can't find other sites that do it at the moment.
I've even cut vetbed up to line the base for when Casper had bumblefoot and that worked really well, he was getting much better.
I've got the one with the blue base, it's prettier.

The shelf bit is removeable. I keep it in there until, like Merlin is doing at the moment, the old ones go to sleep under there and don't come out no matter how much nosie you make and shake yogies at them. So, to save me taking the cage apart every morning to check on her, I now have swapped this for an igloo. It's a fab cage, it's very easy to clean in the shower, and my old ones love it.