RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

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!

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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.

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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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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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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

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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.

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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.

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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

Thu Mar 03, 2005 4:28 am

guess what! i did when i first made it.

AND i got a reply too...

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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.

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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

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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

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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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