Housing
Girls hanging out in the wire mesh Ferret Nation.
All of our rescues live in cages made of either galvanized, or powder coated mesh wire. Each cage has a plastic pan on the bottom and at least two levels. Since the cage is exposed, we keep our rats away from any drafty areas.
When housing your rats, the general rule is to allow 2 cubic feet of space per rat. If you are not sure if your cage is large enough, you can use this site to get approximate calculations:
http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml
If you are debating whether to get an aquarium or a wire cage, here are some pros and cons to consider:
An aquarium will keep the surrounding area clean, but there will be more ammonia build up within the glass walls. A large tank topper should be attached if you decide to use an aquarium base. There will be less ventilation in an aquarium, and it will need to be cleaned every few days to help avoid any respiratory illnesses.
If you are considering a wire cage, it might get messier in the surrounding area, but it will allow more fresh air to reach your rats. Just make sure to keep your little Rockstars out of direct sunlight, or harsh drafts. Using a cage that has 1⁄2" bar spacing or is made of ½” by ½” wire mesh is ideal. If the spacing on the mesh is larger, your rats could get their feet caught and break something.
With any cage that has wire floors, you run the risk of having your rats develop bumblefoot, which is a painful condition on their feet. To avoid this, it is a good idea to cover the floor and levels of the cage with smooth plastic panels, or needlepoint canvas.
If you are using a cage with large spacing, such as a ferret cage, attaching 1⁄2" by 1⁄2" galvanized or powder coated wire mesh wire on the inside or outside of the cage will prevent your rats from escaping, and will make the spacing smaller.
If you have any cage questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
