Rat Cages - Canada - Where do I find an appropriate cage?

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Morrigan

New Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2018
Messages
2
Location
Ontario, Canada
I'm looking for a cage about 100-150 CAD, and no matter where I look there's cages being sold hundreds of dollars past what they're being sold in America (the same cages). Where can I find a decent cage that meets the requirements for say, about 4 rats but that isn't selling for 400+?

I've felt really frustrated by continuously finding great cages online but then finding out they don't ship to me.
 
My girls are all in Vision bird cages and I love it. There’s a bottom grate you can easily take out and use without if you prefer (I just line it so it’s soft but waste can still fall through), there’s little side doors next to the food bowls or to just give them a step outside, and the vertical height is much more fun for climbing and I can put more levels in than a low bunny cage.
Walmart sells the smaller cages, which have cm-width bars good for babies, and online I think they have the larger cages (1” bars). They’re sold elsewhere too. I got both of mine on Kijiji for very cheap

another thing I love is that the cages are quite modular, so if piece ever breaks I could order it: whether it’s replacing a whole wall grill or just a door catch!
 
A rat cage needs to be at least 4 cubic feet in size (add 2 cubic feet for each rat more then 2 rats) with a base at least 30 inches by 18 inches and height with large levels - but larger then this is better
1 inch bar spacing is too large for smaller rats, plus small predators (such as ermines) can enter homes, get into rat cages, and kill rats - cages with large bar spacing need to have the outside of the cage covered with hardware cloth purchased from a hardware store - it must be attached to the outside of the cage, not the inside as edges may be sharp.
Any wire floors in rat cages need to be covered by a solid flooring - a thick piece of linoleum cut to fit, a large piece of coroplast, and dollar store dish drain trays cut to fit and attached with cable ties are examples of things people can do.
You should be aware that starter cages sold by pet stores are a waste of money because they are starter cages, are too small, and will need to soon be replaced.

The Midwest critter nation cage is the recommended cage for rats.
Other cages may not be large enough, may not have a large enough base, may not have small enough bar spacing.
I know many people who purchased other cages and eventually spent the money to buy a critter nation.
You can try to find a midwest critter nation cage second hand on Kijiji etc - Otherwise see amazon.ca and Flower Town Chinchillas - One-Stop Shopping for all your Small Pet Supplies

The martins R695, powder coated with flip top lid is a great cage if you cover the floor and balconies so that they are solid BUT it is made in the USA and if shipped to Canada there are huge brokerage fees …… in the past I have had this cage mailed to store in the USA and then driven across the border to pick cages up …. but that is not a possibility now.

Cages and all the supplies required (as well as outfitting a safe play area for rats) are very expensive but actually are nothing compared to the vet bills and medication costs. Rats are prey animals and hide illness so when you notice there is a problem you are in a medical emergency and need vet care immediately. Girls should be spayed for health reasons if you have access to a good vet with the knowledge and experience to do it safely.

Please see our reference thread REFERENCE Thread - Read Only and Thinking of getting a rat? Things to consider
 
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My girls are all in Vision bird cages and I love it. There’s a bottom grate you can easily take out and use without if you prefer (I just line it so it’s soft but waste can still fall through), there’s little side doors next to the food bowls or to just give them a step outside, and the vertical height is much more fun for climbing and I can put more levels in than a low bunny cage.
Walmart sells the smaller cages, which have cm-width bars good for babies, and online I think they have the larger cages (1” bars). They’re sold elsewhere too. I got both of mine on Kijiji for very cheap

another thing I love is that the cages are quite modular, so if piece ever breaks I could order it: whether it’s replacing a whole wall grill or just a door catch!
I have a bottom grate on my current cage that I got for a deal, how do you line yours? I've been putting mats on mine, but this results in a lot of litter I have to vaccuum up.

il_570xN.1955644506_f2x4.jpg


I got this on a deal for 99 dollars (sweet deal I think), but my issue is the bottom tray is plastic (and chewable) if I don't put in the wire tray. If I put in the wire tray though I've been using mats so their feet are okay. What's my better option here, since you're more experienced with grates?

Also the vision cages seem like good future reference, thank you. Flower town chinchillas is a good resource as well.
 
Not much you can do with that cage …… the wire floor needs to be covered with a thick solid surface and it looks like it would be impossible to easily put in and take out a floor pan.
I have no idea what the dimensions of that cage are. Hopefully the bottom of the cage is at least 30 inches by 18 inches because a lot of floor space is essential for rats

Personally I would suggest a solid floor such as a thick piece of linoleum cut to fit that can be easily wiped off (but will eventually need to be replaced), use fleece on the bottom level like people do with critter nation cages …. use large corner litter boxes on the main level and one on each of the tiny balconies. Most people use an unscented paper based kitty litter (such as yesterdays news) in the litter boxes. Several large hammocks hung above each balcony will help to use the cage space better as will large tubes attached to the sides of the cage and a large space pod or two. Hopefully you can fit a solid 12 inch diameter wheel through the small door.

I hope you will post pictures once you have it set up. Good luck
 
It's 31 × 20 × 39. It's size is part of why it seems like such a good deal. I was looking for something because my previous cage had a quite plastic bottom that was finally seeing some issues.

Linoleum and litter boxes are a good idea. I'll post a picture of the cage soon. I've been using bath mats and kitty litter mats while looking for a more permanent solution.

Thank you, some of those are great suggestions. I have two hammocks for them but what kind of tubes would you rec?

I have a wheel but my current rats don't show much interest in it so I took it out for space
 
I have a bottom grate on my current cage that I got for a deal, how do you line yours? I've been putting mats on mine, but this results in a lot of litter I have to vaccuum up.

il_570xN.1955644506_f2x4.jpg


I got this on a deal for 99 dollars (sweet deal I think), but my issue is the bottom tray is plastic (and chewable) if I don't put in the wire tray. If I put in the wire tray though I've been using mats so their feet are okay. What's my better option here, since you're more experienced with grates?

Also the vision cages seem like good future reference, thank you. Flower town chinchillas is a good resource as well.

Sorry for the late reply.
I line the bottom grates with a flexible vinyl sheet (I initially used thin vinyl placements), as my girls nibble but don’t chew. Because it’s flexible, they sometimes pull up a corner an me snuggle underneath it, so they really don’t mind the grating, the cover is just to give a bit of cushion (and noise dampening) when they race around, as well as stop any legs slipping through and bruising during wrestling matches.

There’s a centimetre-ish gap at the short ends of the mat, so I (and even the girls) can sweep any mess below

I hate shavings for the feel and smell, and fleece just seems like a wasteful, musty option, so the vinyl is very easy to remove and wipe down to reduce the smell. I also like that it retains a tiny bit of the smell (because its a soft plastic and porous) so it smells familiar to them when they’re returned to a clean cage

I think the cage you have looks very nice, likely a ferret cage, and I’m sure you’ll have fun and find great ways to retrofit it and make it better and better for your rats.
It gets a little tiring hearing people push certain cage brands, as though just anyone can afford them, when many sturdy cages can be very good housing for rats. Sometimes it just needs some extra work and brainstorming from you!
 
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I'm looking for a cage about 100-150 CAD, and no matter where I look there's cages being sold hundreds of dollars past what they're being sold in America (the same cages). Where can I find a decent cage that meets the requirements for say, about 4 rats but that isn't selling for 400+?

I've felt really frustrated by continuously finding great cages online but then finding out they don't ship to me.


I got mine under 175$. Huge cage, huge wheel, water feeder, two ramps to make for three floors and a basic hammock. I have three hairy boys in there and they always have their own space and climb and jump and run and play and cuddle and make noise and seem very content and not confined. May I ask what country you're in?
 
I'm looking for a cage about 100-150 CAD, and no matter where I look there's cages being sold hundreds of dollars past what they're being sold in America (the same cages). Where can I find a decent cage that meets the requirements for say, about 4 rats but that isn't selling for 400+?

I've felt really frustrated by continuously finding great cages online but then finding out they don't ship to me.

Duh! My mistake, ur subject title says Canada. Or as I call it, Cana-duh! I'm Canadian too lol


https://www.petsmart.ca/small-pet/starter-kits/all-living-things-rat-starter-kit-5201419.html
 

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Amazon has a Critter Nation for $150, and the Double CN is 250 (USD). If you search Critter Nation in Amazon, you'll get hundreds of good cages. Just don't buy anything at PetCo or PetSmart. It's all cheap junk.
 
Amazon has a Critter Nation for $150, and the Double CN is 250 (USD). If you search Critter Nation in Amazon, you'll get hundreds of good cages. Just don't buy anything at PetCo or PetSmart. It's all cheap junk.

They are much more expensive here in Canada
but you are right in that amazon.ca is one place where people can purchase them
 
@SQ Sorry to bother you again, but you mentioned tubes and space pods before. What kind/where do you recommend getting those? When I look online I'm having trouble finding something appropriate for rats
 
No bother :)

here is a large space pod, the right size for rats …. I hang them in the cage using dollar store shower curtain hooks Critter Space Pod - Large - Lixit for Pet Rats, Guinea Pigs & Other Small Animals

here is a cardboard tube, the medium size is good for ratties - I punch 2 pairs of holes in them and attach them to the side of the cage with zip ties - I throw out the fluff in the tubes or donate it to an spca that has mice Chewbular Play Tube, Medium (Super Pet) for Chinchillas, Guinea Pigs & Pet Rats

You can also buy a 10 foot long, 3 inch diameter, drainage tube at a hardware store, get the hardware store to cut it into 18 inch lengths and hang them on the side of the cage (zip ties and shower curtain hooks) and use them with T and elbow 3 inch diameter (plumbing) connectors to make tubes in the cage or play area for them to run through or climb on. 18 inch lengths are good as long enough for the ratties and short enough to be easy to clean … the double row of holes lets in air flow as well as light …. this will give you six 18 in lengths plus one 12 in length - sand them after being cut so no sharp edges or small pieces
Here is an old picture of two of my critter nation cages attached ... you can not see the hanging tubes as the hammocks are in the way, but under the cage you can see one of the tubes with a T connector

.... the cage has some chew logs which I no longer use (as they contain honey so rats mistake them for food and eat them - which can kill rats by causing an intestinal blockage)

My cage 2015.jpg
 
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No bother :)

here is a large space pod, the right size for rats …. I hang them in the cage using dollar store shower curtain hooks Critter Space Pod - Large - Lixit for Pet Rats, Guinea Pigs & Other Small Animals

here is a cardboard tube, the medium size is good for ratties - I punch 2 pairs of holes in them and attach them to the side of the cage with zip ties - I throw out the fluff in the tubes or donate it to an spca that has mice Chewbular Play Tube, Medium (Super Pet) for Chinchillas, Guinea Pigs & Pet Rats

You can also buy a 10 foot long, 3 inch diameter, drainage tube at a hardware store, get the hardware store to cut it into 18 inch lengths and hang them on the side of the cage (zip ties and shower curtain hooks) and use them with T and elbow 3 inch diameter (plumbing) connectors to make tubes in the cage or play area for them to run through or climb on. 18 inch lengths are good as long enough for the ratties and short enough to be easy to clean … the double row of holes lets in air flow as well as light …. this will give you six 18 in lengths plus one 12 in length - sand them after being cut so no sharp edges or small pieces
Here is an old picture of two of my critter nation cages attached ... you can not see the hanging tubes as the hammocks are in the way, but under the cage you can see one of the tubes with a T connector .... the cage has some chew logs which I no longer use (as they contain honey so rats mistake them for food and eat them - which can kill rats by causing an intestinal blockage)

View attachment 13872
Lol, a Double Double! I have a Triple!
 
No bother :)

here is a large space pod, the right size for rats …. I hang them in the cage using dollar store shower curtain hooks Critter Space Pod - Large - Lixit for Pet Rats, Guinea Pigs & Other Small Animals

here is a cardboard tube, the medium size is good for ratties - I punch 2 pairs of holes in them and attach them to the side of the cage with zip ties - I throw out the fluff in the tubes or donate it to an spca that has mice Chewbular Play Tube, Medium (Super Pet) for Chinchillas, Guinea Pigs & Pet Rats

You can also buy a 10 foot long, 3 inch diameter, drainage tube at a hardware store, get the hardware store to cut it into 18 inch lengths and hang them on the side of the cage (zip ties and shower curtain hooks) and use them with T and elbow 3 inch diameter (plumbing) connectors to make tubes in the cage or play area for them to run through or climb on. 18 inch lengths are good as long enough for the ratties and short enough to be easy to clean … the double row of holes lets in air flow as well as light …. this will give you six 18 in lengths plus one 12 in length - sand them after being cut so no sharp edges or small pieces
Here is an old picture of two of my critter nation cages attached ... you can not see the hanging tubes as the hammocks are in the way, but under the cage you can see one of the tubes with a T connector .... the cage has some chew logs which I no longer use (as they contain honey so rats mistake them for food and eat them - which can kill rats by causing an intestinal blockage)

View attachment 13872
My rats love chewing and eating their chew logs, and never once have I had an intestinal blockage with my rats. They're RATS after all, they eat anything!
 
My rats love chewing and eating their chew logs, and never once have I had an intestinal blockage with my rats. They're RATS after all, they eat anything!

Many people have not had a problem with those logs, however, other's have had rats that died because of the logs.
One of my boys who loved chewing the logs had to be put to sleep because of an intestinal blockage several years ago.
Then I heard about rats dying from intestinal blockages because they ate the logs.
I threw out several logs I owned including some that had never been used.

If you think it is worth risking their lives, that is up to you
But do not dismiss the lives of the rats who died as a result of eating those logs
 
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Lol, a Double Double! I have a Triple!

Yes like a couple of other long time forum members, I have had FNs and then CNs attached to one another back when FNs were created and long before the CN was made. I too have had three cages attached and also triple CNs but no longer require that much space.
 
No bother :)

here is a large space pod, the right size for rats …. I hang them in the cage using dollar store shower curtain hooks Critter Space Pod - Large - Lixit for Pet Rats, Guinea Pigs & Other Small Animals

here is a cardboard tube, the medium size is good for ratties - I punch 2 pairs of holes in them and attach them to the side of the cage with zip ties - I throw out the fluff in the tubes or donate it to an spca that has mice Chewbular Play Tube, Medium (Super Pet) for Chinchillas, Guinea Pigs & Pet Rats

You can also buy a 10 foot long, 3 inch diameter, drainage tube at a hardware store, get the hardware store to cut it into 18 inch lengths and hang them on the side of the cage (zip ties and shower curtain hooks) and use them with T and elbow 3 inch diameter (plumbing) connectors to make tubes in the cage or play area for them to run through or climb on. 18 inch lengths are good as long enough for the ratties and short enough to be easy to clean … the double row of holes lets in air flow as well as light …. this will give you six 18 in lengths plus one 12 in length - sand them after being cut so no sharp edges or small pieces
Here is an old picture of two of my critter nation cages attached ... you can not see the hanging tubes as the hammocks are in the way, but under the cage you can see one of the tubes with a T connector .... the cage has some chew logs which I no longer use (as they contain honey so rats mistake them for food and eat them - which can kill rats by causing an intestinal blockage)

View attachment 13872
I'm curious about how you built this cage. Are the Critter Nation cages able to be taken apart and then reattached to each other, or did this involve cutting and reattaching them somehow? It's hard to tell from the pictures, but they seem pretty solidly built. I'd love to eventually have a cage like this!
 
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