Reddit reviews MidWest Homes for Pets Deluxe Critter Nation Single Unit Small Animal Cage (Model 161)

My rats have learned if they jump at their cage door hard enough it will open (we have this cage too so not a cheap one, but one of the doors refuses to lock completely). One of them never leaves the cage when this happens. The other two will go underneath it to knock over the bag of crackers we feed them as treats occasionally and take turns running out from under the cage to steal one to eat. After a bit of that one goes and buries himself in the pillows on the couch and the other goes and finds a nice shoe to sleep in.

It never fails. They do the same things every time.

We do have another that is in his own cage as we couldn't put him with the others. He would get into nasty fights with them and hurt one of the others so badly we had to take it to the vet. He seems perfectly happy in that one alone. We can't play with him like the others. He's very aggressive and will bite quickly if we get close enough to him. He was a "rescue" of sorts in that he was the last one at PetsMart and had been there a while. No one wanted him. He was sweet at the store but we've been unable to get through to him at home. Not sure what to do with him.

I've had a total of three.

They're cord chewers. Best advice I could give there is just to keep the cords out of the way or run them through plastic flexible tubing. http://www.cableorganizer.com/wire-loom-tubing/

You don't have to have them out of their cage too much if your cage is big enough. You can just play with them on a couch or bed every day. You can let them free roam around but yeah you'd have to 'rat proof' things you don't want chewed.

My recommended cage is the CritterNation. Lots of room for a pair of rats and a really high quality cage. On that note you'd want to have at least two because they can get lonely by themselves. It's easier adopting two brothers or sisters who are already bonded otherwise you'll have to very slowly introduce them to prevent fighting.

They will sometimes leave trails of urine when about. It's very small dribbles though usually, like a few drops. I think it may be possible to train them not to but I didn't put much effort there since it occurred pretty rarely for me. For the most part they self-litter-trained for me and when they actually went it was in a particular part of their cage.

For tricks I had one who was an awesome shoulder percher. You could just sit your hand down and tap and he'd come running up your arm and shoulder and just sit there. When perched he'd usually just kind of sit there and balance, maybe play with hair. I could drive with him perched and he'd get excited when going near a car.

He'd also stand up on command.

Cage basics: Wire cage for good air circulation. 1/2" bar spacing to prevent escapes of young rats and smaller adult females. 7 to 8 cubic feet + for a pair, bigger is always better. Chew proof. Good size doors make cleaning a lot easier.

Single unit or double unit Critter Nation (**$150 - $240**): 11-22 cubic feet. These are huge cages that take up a lot of floor space. Very sturdy. Full doors make access super easy. Shallow pans can be chewed and aren't deep enough to hold a loose substrate bedding like wood shavings (modifications possible, though). The single unit cage is a good size for 2 to 5 rats if the space is well used, the double unit is good for 2 to 10 rats if the space is well used. Dollar for dollar, Critter Nation cages give you the most footage.

Martin's Cages (**$121 - $160 + shipping): 7.5-11.25 cubic feet. This small company has several models available but the only ones that are really suitable for permanent housing are the R-680 and larger. These lightweight cages are easy to transport or to carry to the bathroom or the backyard on cleaning day. Nice chew-proof tray that's deep enough to keep a good layer of bedding. Very large doors. Martin's cages need to be purchased with powder coating to prevent them from absorbing urine/odors. Shipping is very expensive and adds a lot to the overall cost of the cage. The R-680 or R-685 are good for a pair of rats, the R-695 is good for up to 4 or 5 rats.

[Rat Starter Kit](https://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/starter-kits/all-living-things-rat-starter-kit-5201419.html) / [Kaytee Exotics](https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-First-Multi-Level-Habitat-Exotics/dp/B00CETSHN2/) cage ($100): 9 cubic feet. These cages are essentially identical. Not bad cages for 2 to 3 rats. Some rats figure out that they can chew through the plastic base so they don't work for everyone.

[Large MCage](https://www.amazon.com/Levels-Ferret-Chinchilla-Glider-HeightBlack/dp/B07DKQZLHX/) ($55):** 7.5 cubic feet. This cage comes in a couple sizes but the larger one is only $7 more so it's a no brainer. The wire grated floor should be removed and the pull-out tray may need to be locked into place somehow. This is a budget cage but not bad for the money.

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There are lots of other good cages on the market and you can sometimes find good deals on used cages. Watch out for size (7+ cubic feet) and bar spacing (1/2" or less) and be careful of condition if you're purchasing used. If you find a cage that you're interested but you want opinions, make a post on this sub and I'm sure you'll get some good advice.

The critter nation single unit is pretty cheap on amazon, and free shipping if you have prime. Only a little more than your budget, but worth it I'd say! Great quality and lasts forever.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001NJ0DAE?pc_redir=1413116983&robot_redir=1#

Sometimes ferret.com has it for around 100, the price goes up and down randomly.

Here is amazon.com's price history: https://camelcamelcamel.com/MidWest-Critter-Nation-Animal-Habitat/product/B001NJ0DAE

Common cages you’ll see recommended are the Critter Nation and Martin’s cages. For a good quality, new cage you can probably expect to pay around $110 to $250. Most people on this forum are huge CN fans - it’s a HUGE cage, with wide/accessible doors, and is basically a sturdy free-standing piece of furniture. You can get a single unit now, and if you end up getting more rats (which you very well might!) you can get an add-on unit! Potential downsides to the CN are the lack of deep pans (you basically have to use fleece, or create/buy deep pans). It’s extremely heavy, and takes up a lot of floor space. Even though the wide doors make it easy to reach inside, it is filled with hollow parts that trap water and easily rust. In order to deep clean it, you’ll have to take it apart, clean, and dry each component - you shouldn’t just hose it down.

I currently have a Martin’s Cage, and I do love it. You should get an R-680 or larger and get the powder coated version. I love the deep pan for bedding, how light/transportable it is, the fact it doesn’t take up my limited floor space, and especially that I easily rinse it in my shower and don’t worry about rust. I don’t have a washing machine so using fleece would end up being pretty pricey.

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If you are thinking of using fleece, don't really need to frequently transport the cage, or will likely get many rats, then CN might be the best way to go for you! For my situation the Martin's Cage is working wonderfully :)

Is this the one you're referring to?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DAE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ND7YAb9Z8579Z

It's a bit pricey, but I recommend a Critter Nation cage. Virtually unescapable. Many people go for the double but I have a single for 3 boys and it's perfect.

Other suggestions would be a LARGE, WELL-VENTILATED aquarium until they're older, you could re-wrap the cage with smaller chicken wire and zip-tie that shit on VERY tight. Go nuts with the zip ties, in every loose possible place they could lift the wire from the cage. Make sure there are no sharp parts, though.

Perhaps not the best idea, but if you're very desperate you could plug the drain in your bathtub, put a bunch of towels/blankets in it and let them chill there for the night so you can sleep.

Personally, I wouldn't get a rat from a pet store. As others mentioned, they tend to have more health/behavioral problems. They live in glass tanks, after all. I've gotten all but 1 of my rats from craigslist, usually somebody has an "oops" litter and sells the babies. (yes, they "sell" them because people looking for snake food can often find feeder rats for free). I got Hercules from a pet store because he was like, returned to them and they were trying to adopt him out. I couldn't stand seeing him in a 10-gallon tank, watching everyone walk by him and dealing with kids banging on the glass. He was very young and adorable so I had to have him. :3

As for products, I recommend a plastic igloo or 2 because you can wash and re-use them. My rats don't chew on them but I can't speak for every one. I make most of their toys and hammocks, though. You can go to stores like Jo-Ann Fabrics and they have a "remnants" section with rolls of fleece for 50% off!!

I also buy their food from pet stores. I use Kaytee Healthy Support Diet (nutritional lab blocks) and pick the green things out because it gives them diarrhea. I wouldn't recommend the seed mixes you see at pet stores, they're very fattening and don't have a lot of nutrition. Wood chews and stuff are fine but my rats never touch them. They prefer toilet paper tubes, etc.

Right off the bat, I would say SPLURGE ON A BIG CAGE. You will thank me later. I bought a shitty $30 cage on craigslist for my first rats and it was a living hell to clean. Best choice is a Critter Nation cage. Huge doors that open the whole cage are amazing.

Most people cover the shelves in fleece and potty train their rats to use a little litter box in the corner. I never had the patience, so I replaced the bottom shelf with a concrete mixing bin and fill it with paper bedding, and the top shelf is wrapped in fleece.

This was way longer than I expected but good luck! Make sure if you get more than one that they're all boys or all girls. (duh :p)

These cages are kind of an investment, but I really like them. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DAE/ref=twister_B001NJ0DBI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

If you are going to use a multi level cage please make sure every ledge he could walk off of (including edges of stairs) has a small wall, their eyesight isn’t the best and they often fall and I’m sure nobody would like him to get hurt.

Depending on what you want, CritterNations has a nice two level wire cage, I’ve seen this used by many people, here’s an Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critter-161-Leak-Proof-Measures/dp/B001NJ0DAE/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?keywords=cage+for+guinea+pigs&qid=1573865387&sprefix=cage+for+&sr=8-8

Get a critter nation! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DAE/ref=twister_B001NJ0DBI?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 I cannot wait until I have the money for one! They are also expandable so you can get the add on units and what not :D

Is this the one you mean?
http://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critter-Nation-Animal-Habitat/dp/B001NJ0DAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462292942&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=critter+nation&psc=1

I posted asking the same thing not long ago. If you're willing to spend 100+ (the first two are both over that) then you might as well get a Critter Nation cage, they look really well put together. Here's the one I was interested in

If you want to save money, someone told me the last one works well too (It's what I've decided to get in the near future) But you have to cover the wire flooring with fleece or something to protect their feet, cause walking on bars hurts rats' feet. Just be aware that quite a few people have complained about it being hard to put together/coming bent.

Also, make sure you get at least two rats, they're pretty social and need a buddy to interact with when you're not around/sleeping.

I really like Critter Nations. They're huge and the doors open all the way allowing you to clean it easily. https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critter-161-Leak-Proof-Measures/dp/B001NJ0DAE?th=1&psc=1