(Part 3) Top products from r/RATS

I exceeded the character limit so here's the continuation haha.


Since Im in Europe, I use the european equivalent which is this cage. The only downside is that not all the bars are horizontal, but its enough for the ratties. I just struggle a teensy bit more hanging some decorations but its not a big deal since I at least have some horizontal bars! If youre in europe, this is a wonderful cage to have.


Here's some other cages if youre looking to keep 2-3 ratties:


3 rats max in my opinion, even though the calculator says up to 4 with 2.5 cubic feet per rat

This cage is good for around 3 ratties


3 ratties too


This is a giant cage and looks really awesome, I would get this one if only it had the fully opening double doors! This cage cant fit around 10-12 rats


2-3 ratties


2 ratties but the triple version can keep around 4


Those are just some examples and rough guides to go by. Another important thing is you want the floor of the cage to be solid, not wire. If your cage has a wire floor, cover it with tiles, linoleum or cardboard.


You want to include hammocks and hiding places in the cage - rats prefer to sleep and chill out in cozy dark hidey holes. Lots of people here love Savic Sputniks, and I have to agree that they are fantastic. All my ratties love them so much that I had to get one separate Savic for each or else they'd be fighting over them! You can buy them on amazon or here. If you cant find any good results on amazon, try searching for Space Pod instead. It's the same thing.


Ratties also need to chew, so try to get them some pet-safe, untreated wooden toys for them. These are also great, they're like perches made of pumice stone that the ratties can climb on and chew to file down their nails and teeth (this is important as rat teeth continue to grow constantly, so the ratties NEED to chew on stuff to file them down). Because rats chew so much, they will chew through plastic and wood on cages. This is why you ideally want to pick out an all metal cage, although this is a bit hard since most cages are plastic with metal bars. I dont have this issue as my rats dont chew anything in their cage besides their chew toys. People usually buy metal trays to fit into their cages instead of the plastic platforms provided. You can look into this, but I'd say just observe your ratties and if they're not chewing too much on the plastic shelves, I wouldnt worry about it until you have to replace the shelves (if it even comes to that). That's why you wanna provide them with plenty of chewing toys, so they dont feel the need to chew on anything else but at the end of the day, ratties are ratties lol


If you search for "boredom breakers" on amazon or any online pet shop, you'll get a good selection of toys and things to hang around the cage to keep the ratties occupied. DONT get your rats wheels though, as wheels tend to be bad for rats' backs since they're designed for smaller animals like hamsters, mice etc. If you find a huge wheel designed for degus, you can get that for your rats. Just make sure it's solid, not wire and big enough that the rat can run in it without bending its back.


As for bedding, here's a good site explaining different types of bedding, what is and isn't safe etc. If you buy a cage with deep pans, you can choose a loose bedding, like shredded paper or hemp. Most people dont though since the loose bedding tends to fly out and your floor gets very messy. This is why a lot of people opt to use fleece. You can buy cheap fleece and cut it to size to line your cage platforms and floor. You want to put an absorbent material under the fleece though, as the fleece lets any liquids though and the cage will get smelly very quickly. If you put something absorbent underneath, the smell wont build up so much. I use puppy pads and layer paper towels on top, then line with fleece. I dont notice any smells for around 5-7 days. You wanna clean the cage around once or twice a week, it depends on your ratties. Just change all the bedding out, put any hammocks and fabrics in the wash, wipe the shelves and platforms down etc. I use vinegar mixed with water to clean everything out since it gets rid of the smell of urine really well. Then I wipe it down with some water, dry everything and line with puppy pads, paper towels and fleece. I use binder clips to hold the fleece in place. You wanna give the cage a big wash around once a month (spray it down with water, do 10 parts water to 1 part bleach and soak platforms and any solid components for a few minutes in hot water etc.) Spot cleaning should be done every day - this means picking up any loose poops or pieces of food and throwing that out. Just small cleaning like that, it takes like 1 minute.


Paper towels, cardboard, shredded paper etc. is also great to put in their cage in general since they love to tear it and carry it to their favorite sleeping spot to make it all cozy! It's really cute and fun to watch.


Lastly, vet funds. Make sure you have an exotic vet, or at least one familiar with rats. Always keep a vet fund since illnesses in rats can just flare up out of nowhere sometimes.


Rats are born with these bacteria called mycoplasma pulmonis. Some rats can live their whole lives with zero flare ups, but most get sick at least once or twice in their lifetime. You know that theyre sick if they start sneezing a lot more than normal, their breathing is audible or even loud, they get porphyrin discharge around their eyes and nose (this is red colored so dont worry, its not blood if you ever see it. Porphyrin discharge is normal first thing after a rat wakes up though, so dont worry if you see it. Its only if its there a lot more, or in bigger amounts than normal that you should be concerned). Some rats are sick with it all their lives and are constantly on and off antibiotics. That's the case with one of my boys. He's got it so bad that unfortunately we can only keep it in control and prevent it from getting worse, but he's sick all the time. Poor baby is only 4 months old.


Ratties generally have very delicate respiratory systems, so its important not to have them around any harsh smells, dusty bedding/places, wind droughts etc.


Rats also can get mites easily, so make sure whenever you buy any pet safe untreated wood, that you still put it in your freezer for 24-48 hours just to be safe and kill off anything that could be there. Same goes for any fleece bedding or other fabrics, especially if they weren't packaged in airtight plastic packaging.



I know this is A LOT of info but Im still sure I missed something! Others on here will definitely fill in any blanks that I missed though lol


Enjoy your babies, cherish every moment with them, love them and spoil them! They'll bring you so much joy and happiness. Theyre wonderful pets and I hope you have an amazing time and many wonderful experiences with them. Good luck and update us when you get them! This sub is generally very supportive and positive, so if you have any other questions then always feel free to come here and ask! Have fun :)

Your list looks pretty good so far!

EcoBedding has a couple of advantages over other beddings. It's very low dust and it won't really get kicked out of the cage. Its drawbacks are that it doesn't provide a good floor covering because it just kinda sits on top of the floor (I had to use sheets of paper under it) and it's not very absorbent so it doesn't do much to control odors. Its also very expensive for just being crinkle kraft paper. You can purchase gigantic boxes of crinkle-cut kraft paper from Staples for $20 (they don't keep it in stock, you have to pre-order it). I tried this as a primary bedding once but did not like it very much. I've been much happier with aspen shavings. They can be messier and would require a deep pan but they're better for controlling odors/ammonia.

I prefer water bottles to water bowls because bowls can get dirty with loose bedding, food bits, and even poop. Bottles are a sure-fire way to provide a constant supply of clean water. It can be a good idea to have two water bottles so if one malfunctions or stops releasing water, there's still a backup.

You can use a food bowl if you want but it's not necessary. You can also just scatter their food around the cage so they'll have to forage for it. Scatter feeding works best when mixed into a loose substrate like shavings or paper based beddings.

Hammocks are really easy to make yourself from old clothes or really any scraps of fabric. You'll want multiples because they need to be washed very often. When I used a Critter Nation, I used several hammocks and I had a few sets so I could quickly swap them out. I swap hammocks out every few days because they get stinky quickly. They can also get destroyed quickly so spending money on fancy store-bought hammocks might not be the best idea.

Some other items to consider;

Small Animal Carrier: I use a small hard-sided cat carrier for my boys. It's great for vet visits or general travel. The one I use has a door on the top and it makes it a lot easier to get timid rats out. Fabric/mesh carriers should be avoided because they may be chewed through.

Travel Cage: If you ever need to bring your rats with you on a trip or if you need someone to look after them for you, you may want a more portable cage for them. Something lightweight and/or collapsible is handy. You can sometimes find good deals on used cages on apps/sites like craigslist, marketplace, kijiji, etc. A bin cage would also work for this purpose and it can double as storage when not in use.

Various Cage Accessories: The cage is really the main expense to get started. After that, cage accessories can be dirt-cheap or free. For the most part, there's no reason to buy stuff besides bedding/litter from a pet store. The recycle bin, your basement/garage, thrift stores, and dollar stores are great sources for cage accessories. There are a few official pet items that I like, though. Space pods, lava ledges, and bendy rope perches are fantastic cage items.

Litter Box / Litter: Rats can be trained to poop in a litter box to some degree (they'll still pee all over). If you can train your rats somewhat, you can change the litter box every couple days and you wont need to clean the whole cage as much. A litter box should be big enough for your rats to fully step into. I use inexpensive corner ferret/rabbit litter trays with fragrance-free paper pellet cat litter.

You'll also want to consider how you're going to cover the shelf in the cage. The shallow pan doesn't hold bedding but it still should be covered with something. I made "mats" out of fleece with an inner layer of an absorbent material and it worked well on the cage shelves.

Kaytee Clean and Cozy is my favorite soft paper bedding. It's kind of simlar to CareFresh, but I've found it to be superior in every way. It expands more, it's generally cheaper for the volume, and it's definitely less dusy in my experience. It won't be quite as good as fleece, because I think basically nothing other than maybe large shredded cardboard bedding would be the same.

I use fleece now for my rats cage, and in their litter boxes I've been using a mixture of Clean&Cozy and Yesterday's News, which is a pretty popular paper pellet litter. It's not soft though- literally it looks identical to my rabbits food; both my rats and my rabbits tried nibbling it when I first switched over haha. I don't think it would work well for a whole cage though; if you wanted to litter train, the two litters are different textures enough that the contrast might be helpful for box training.

Most of the Ferplast cages are a good option [just look on Amazon.uk]. This cage is about as small as you want to go. Bigger is always better. The Ferplast Furet Tower is very awesome, though it is a bit large for just 2 females. Also look on Ebay, sometimes they've got good deals on brand cages. Look for cages around 30" x 24", but remember they need vertical space just as much as they need horizontal space. Levels are good but you don't want a grid in the base. It doesn't help anything and gets really gross. Make sure the wire is powder coated. Most cages are, but plain silver wire is not, and galvanized metal just absorbs urine and there is no getting that smell out. You need the bar spacing to be around 1/2", females can get out of 1" bar spacing. They will grow out of that hamster cage within two weeks, tops, so go ahead and order your new cage now.

The main differences are what you've already stated. Rats are also much cleaner, in my opinion. They're a lot sweeter than hamsters, and they'll learn fast. They also need a better, more balanced diet with a premium rat food and fresh veg/fruit. Seed mixes are not good. This is a good list of what you can and can't feed a rat.

They just need to time to adjust. Keep giving them healthy treats so they associate you with the good stuff. Talk to them often, softly like you would talk to a kid or scared puppy. How long it takes varies from rat to rat and situation to situation. Most of my rats start to come out of their shells within a couple of weeks, but I deal with rescues who have been neglected or abused. It can take a pet store rats months to become trusting, while others only take a few days. Read their cues and follow their lead. Don't force them into anything if you don't have to. If you have an old tote/bag that you can pop them in, it makes moving them around much easier and they won't get as frightened at being handled.

They do like to spend as much time as possible out their cage, but you can also provide toys and enrichment in their cage to keep them stimulated. Your idea of bowls with bedding is a good one - most rats love to dig. They enjoy actual soil even more. You can fill planters with sterile soil and bury treats or seeds or cat grass (not catnip!). You can fill containers with shredded paper or pom poms and bury treats in that too. Simple dog or rabbit toys are good for rats, and you can keep them entertained with treats wrapped up in paper or inside toilet roll tubes. These can all be used in a play pen or in their cage.

For the actual play pen, you could try this one. It folds up for storage or travel and I've found it very compact and user-friendly when I travel with my rats. The bathroom or bathtub is also a good idea, but remember to put down towels/blankets and things for them to hide under - otherwise you're going to have them pooping and peeing from fright.

He should be fine. He might be a little skittish after this ordeal, but you are a first-time rat owner, and you guys are just getting acquainted. The occasional setback is a pretty normal occurrence. Just go slowly, and move at his pace, rather than yours.

Is there a way you could relax a bit while interacting with him? Something that would allow you to sit down, while also giving him a little bit of room to retreat from you? Bathtubs and tabletops are good, and some people find that bathroom floors work well, too. Give him a box or tunnel within this small space, so that he can hide, but encourage him to interact with you.

Another option would be to use a playpen with walls tall enough that he can't jump out, and steep enough that he can't climb them. And it should be big enough for you to sit in there with him. Something like this.

Don't push it. She'll come around. Spend some time standing by the cage and talking to them so they get used to your smell and the sound of your voice. After a while, open the cage and put your hands on and just rest it there. Let them come to you and check you out. You can then move to putting some baby food or yogurt on your hand so they have to touch you to lick it off. Just be patient.

Also you definitely need more hideouts and fun stuff in the cage. I have the same cage and I took out all the ramps and replaced them with rope dog chew toys and my rats like that much better than a boring ramp. Looks like you've done a great job with the fleece. Do you have an absorbent layer under there? Definitely get some hammocks or make some out of leftover fleece. Give them lots of places to hide and cuddle. Empty boxes work great! I attach everything in the cage with these shower hooks: Shower Curtain Rings Hooks 100 Metal Shower Ring https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MJWLI8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_o-jFDbRBR0C52

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004HXMI10/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have this cage right now for my two new girls (3 month old & 6 weeks old). I've had them in it for a while and none of them have managed to escape. It's all wire floors but if you can just find like old blankets/ fleece/ vinyl to cover the wire it's a pretty good cage. I'm gonna get them a bigger one in the long run but for now for the price I think it works really great. I think it's a decent starter cage for the price.

Great, thanks for that info on the aspen, it sounds like it won’t be the best option for litter boxes. For paper pellet litter, you’re talking about something like this,

https://www.amazon.com/Purina-Yesterdays-News-Unscented-Litter/dp/B0002AQ0BQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=39IH0VULM46G9&keywords=paper+pellet+bedding&qid=1554233702&s=gateway&sprefix=paper+pellet+bedd&sr=8-1

?

Thanks again!!

Edit: JUST KIDDING, I just saw your post from 2 years ago that said yesterday’s news contains 40% sawdust.
😮

I use this for play time with my rats. I can't deal with trying to make sure they don't destroy my room.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002Y1OZE/

Or if not I will setup on the bed and just let them run on the bed.

I understand your feelings and maybe pet ownership is not something for you right now. If you do decide you don't want them anymore make sure to take them to a shelter or rescue so they can be re-homed, sometimes giving them up is the kindest thing you can do if that's just where you are at.

Sometimes I have to look at my pet ownership as service to the animal, and I wont' always get what I want out of it but I if I can ensure my rats have a happy life that's something to feel good about.

I use this litterbox with the white tray removed, and Yesterdays News litter. I stuck it in the poop corner and they trained themselves.

I used the water botle that came with the All Living Things Starter cage, but my boys are in my bedroom and the nighttime drinking noise was intolerable. I got them a locking dish and I like it, they like it. But I started to worry they weren't drinking enough water, so I got a Lixit valve bottle and I love it. My boys love it too, they picked it up very quickly.

Just out of curiosity, how did they chew through the plastic bottle? Was it mounted inside the cage?

We were told to use Eco-Earth or other pet friendly soils. I hoping that was good information because, fun fact: rats like to eat dirt lol

My rats love the octoplay, although I primarily let them play with it outside of the cage and rarely leave it inside. When they play with it outside, they don't chew it up like their hammocks and I get more life out of each one that way.

You can see it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-FT-300-Octo-Play/dp/B000EFV9YM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372632748&sr=8-1&keywords=octoplay

spiral bird rope

bendy bird rope

wooden bridge

Sputnik/space pod

foraging toy

wooden climbing platforms

2-pack lava ledges

foraging wheel

Also a good idea might be to look up some rat safe treat recipes and make a little ratty goodie bag for them (banana chips, oats, dried pasta, certain seeds, etc.)

We made an enclosure out of foamcore boards and duct tape...they get chewed eventually, sure...but it worked better than this:

http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Small-Pet-Deluxe-Play/dp/B0013TT2SS/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1322368051&sr=1-1

Also, I got wire covers for everything like this:
http://www.amazon.com/American-Terminal-SL500-100-2-Inch-Tubing/dp/B0017686ZC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1322368115&sr=8-6

For EVERYTHING...keeps the chewing down and keeps them from getting peed on. Also, every rat loves a buddy....

I got this beast http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007E7RY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

It's my best purchase. No rat smell and keeps all the dust to an incredible minimum so my rats don't get sneezy either do I. It also blows enough cool air that on the highest setting acts like a mini fan/air conditioner. 100% worth the price

We use this honeywell purifier, with the charcoal pre-filter as well, but it worked fine before that too. It also does a really good job getting rid of odors

I'd recommend using something like this instead of those puppy pads. It'll adsorb the ammonia better and give your buddies something to dig around in. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002MKZW4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

14 Rats is a tall order. I'd guess the smallest possible size for that many would be a Critter Nation triple; essentially a Critter Nation Double with another add-on floor on top of it, creating 3 floors in total. That would be pretty cramped for that many rats, so for a comfortable living space, I'd just recommend two Double Critter Nations.

Use this cage calculator if you're in doubt!

I do like your setup. I would suggest getting baby teething rings to hang across the cage and possible a bird rope that they can walk on. Though I have to warn you about that edible hut. If it's one of those snack shack things. They have alfalfa in it, which some people say rats cannot digest. Usually the rats won't actually eat it, but the honey in it can encourage them to ingest it and cannot digest the alfalfa. Plus, depending on what one you got, it might have pine shavings as an ingredient. This is all things that I have heard or read and have never experienced myself because I erred on the side of caution. You make your own decision based on your little ones, I just wanted to give you the information.

It's called Eco Bedding, and it's my favorite. They have unscented, or another with a very light scent that seems to control other odors a bit longer. It's zigzag-folded strips of paper, so it expands as they burrow in it. And there's no dust at all. It's great. We get it at one of the major chains (Petsmart or Petco, I can't keep them straight).

At least get them something like this. A wire cage that is a bit too small is much better than an aquarium. You say it's not in your budget. But if you can't spend 30 dollars on a new cage to better the life of an animal that depends on you, then you probably shouldn't have them. Being in the aquarium might be making the rat sick and therefore he is not cleaning himself.

Ware Manufacturing Chew Proof Critter Cage, 25-Inch by Ware http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00266RHK2/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_fz2ptb0XCNQQ8

I ordered it off Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HXMI10/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Its a pretty decent sized cage. I've got two adolescent rats in there right now.

I don't think this is the original manufacturer but you can try calling them and asking these guys --> little pet warehouse they might be able to give you them.

Also found it from the original manufacturer here on amazon but I'm not sure how to contact them from there

Well I would say this is a good starter cage for up to 4 rats https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ferplast-Jenny-Cage-79-5-Grey/dp/B001MZYINC

I went with girls first but they tend to get mamory tumors when older. But the same can be said for boys of testicals. So it's not much in it.

As for where to get them, in the UK at least pet stores are terrible for rats, they're always cramped into tiny glass boxes with like 4 other rats and seem to always have bad temperaments, so I always go to breeders. Most breeders aren't in it for money here and do it for the love of rats and for show rats. So they tends to not be too much more then store bought rats (store rats £7, breeder I got my 4 girls and 3 boys were £9 each roughly. Some different breeds/coats/colours were a few extra quid more)

With regards to vets I would say the average trip to actually get a procedure done was about £60-120 including meds and a check up after. But saying that I literally just had my 3, 4month boys neutered yesterday and that cost £120. So £40 each isn't bad.

Anything else gimme a shout

They sell them at my local Petco. It was between this and the hammock shaped like an ape!

Here's the item on Amazon.

It's me again. I was able to find what I need at Home Depot and it was about $40, but I am still debating. What do you think about putting an Mcage on the top? (This one.) It is quite a bit taller than I wanted, and might be kind of ridiculous. But it says it folds down, so maybe I have the option of using the top part only? It is $60.

Anyway, still debating. Putting the cage on top would mean it has shelves and a door as well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VJ56Z8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's what I'm feeding him. Does that look okay?

This one i think

http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-Pop-N-Play-Ball/dp/B007ZN5TN8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367468432&sr=8-1&keywords=ferret+ball+pit

ZooMed coconut fiber substrate
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00167VVP4/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_U9P4CbFK61SSA

The company is named Rosewood Pet. The first link are the chews I I referred to in the post, but there are two other things she bought too. The chews did not look like the ones in the picture, they looked almost artificial now that I think about it...I don't know why I didn't speak up, I should have said something.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002RB6N9M/ref=oh_aui_i_d_rec_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007PO39I4/ref=oh_aui_i_d_rec_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008EU53KA/ref=oh_aui_i_d_rec_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That is a ball pit! You can get one from Marshall (https://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Pet-Products-Pop-N-Play-Ball/dp/B007ZN5TN8)

They didn't like it as much until they realized they could destroy the balls, lol.

> Just don't buy their food!!

Oh my god I bought Kaytee food. :( What brand of food should I get? It was the only one I saw in the petstore.

Edit: I bought this brand because it was all I could find - I looked at the Nutrition Information and I think the protien is a bit high for rats?