Choosing a cage can be hard and we have made some mistakes, so this section will cover the basics so you don’t have to make the same mistakes 😊 Rats can squeeze through bars and very small gaps so make sure that any cage you buy has 1cm bar spacing, don’t get a cage that has larger measurements than this or your rat might be able to escape which has happened to us and you don’t want that.  

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Rats are fossorial by nature, which means they prefer floor space over vertical space. Essentially, rats prefer to burrow rather than climb. A fall from a tall cage can result in serious injury as they are not particularly graceful. However, our rats love layers in cages and surfaces to climb on, you just need to make sure there are enough fall breakers in the cage. The bigger and higher the cage the more you will have to clean it, due to the fact you will have to dismantle it, as grime will build up in the bolts, bars and layers and can cause illness if it is left uncleaned. Be prepared to do a full clean at least once a month or every 2 months. For cage cleaning, you want to do a clean every week where you take all the toys, tunnels and layers out and wipe and wash and clean everything. If you’ve decided to litter train then spot clean it by taking the poo out and if not spot clean the layers to help reduce the smell.

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Remember this is just a guidance, but this is how we take care of our rats and make sure their environment is clean. We will leave links to affordable and good cages for rats for you to check out

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This rodent cage made by little friends is amazing value for the size and what comes with the cage. It's reasonably easy to put together and comes with

 

• 1 Plastic corner layer

• 2 Sets of plastic tunnels

• 1 Plastic litter tray

• 1 Plastic food bowl

• 1 Plastic water bottle

 

 It comes in two sizes 80cm or 100cm. We have bought 100cm and it’s a big cage so great for a group of rats! A plus with this product is it came within two days and was a really good price for the size as rat cages can be very expensive and is easy to take apart and clean.

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The Savic Zeno 2 is also a good price for the size and the accessories. It comes in one size 80 x 50 x 70cm, so it is smaller than the little friend rodent cage but it is still a good rat cage. This is also easy to put together. Delivery for this item is between 4-6 working days. This cage is collapsible and easy to clean and comes with

 

1 Plastic platform

1 Plastic ladder

1 Hammock

1 Steel bowl

1 Plastic water bottle

 

I would suggest adding more layers, baskets or hammocks to both these cages as one isn’t enough. Check out easy and cheap tricks for rat cages for more information.