Bigger Martin's setup vs. a Critter nation?

[Casey]

I was wondering if I could get some advice from you more experienced cage (rat) owners

Now that I have 4 baby boys I am definitely going to need a bigger cage.
Alas I am torn.

I currently have a Martin's Rat Lodge (R-680) and I do love it. But once the boys are grown, it will be too small, so I was originally
planning on attaching another R-680 on top of it and already spoke with Martin's about the modifications I would need,
which they said is no problem at all and if I do not get the drop in tray with the second R-680, it will not cost anything extra for the mods.

But now the critter nation is out and it does look amazing! Those big double doors and all that space. The stand with rollers and storage.
My boys are on fleece and use a litter pan (most of the time :wink2 , so shavings are not an issue.
I have never seen a critter nation (or ferret nation) in person, so maybe this is making it harder for me to decide.

I know not many of you actually have the critter nation yet, but thought it would compare to the ferret nation enough for those of you that do have one of those and may have some input.

The critter nation is about $240 with shipping right now, I can get another Martin's R-680 for about $108 with shipping.
But if I sell my current Martin's (which is only a couple of months old) for say $60, the critter nation would then cost me $180.
So I do not feel like the price difference is a big deal. I am just having trouble deciding which one I want...

I was just hoping to hear some of the pros and cons, if there are any.

 

[SQ]

I have several martins cages and I love them, esp. with extra large doors and a puill out tray.
I also have several FNs which I like as well.

I find the FNs are easier to clean then the martins cages but not happy with things such as the flimsy pans and the way the bolts have rusted. I believe that the critter nation assembles without tools so there will not be any bolts to rust.

 

[mercurydust]

Martins cages are nice, but I would personally go with the Critter Nation. The Cn is basically the same size as the FN, and in person they look great! I actually saw my first FN in the flesh yesterday at a small pet supply store here in my town. The lady was keeping kittens in a 2 story FN and they had lots of room to play and lounge. The cage was almost as tall as I am and it was quite wide. I have seen many in pictures of FN's but it is hard to judge the size unless you really see it. I am definately saving up for the CN....I am even more excited now that I have seen how big the midwest cages are....c'mer :cheeky: money money money!

 

[jorats]

I do love my FN, and I think I will love the CN... It's hard to say really. I loved my martins but when I switched to the FNs, there was no turning back.

 

[Godmother]

it's a tough choice. You may be able to get a second-hand FN cheaply now that the CN is out, giving you another choice. The downside to the FN, though, is that the bar spacing is not good for climbing. A Martins or a CN would be good for climbing ratties.

Some advantages of each:

CN:
The CN's big doors make cleaning and taking wheels in & out very easy.
Everyone will envy you, giving you great status in the rattie community!

Martins:
Easy to fold up small if you have to move the rats to another location (e.g. holidays)
The best bet if you ever end up with babies

Hmmm, not an easy choice. But boys need a lot of space (active boys like SQ's sons of Leah even think that the FN is too small!), so you will probably go for the CN.

Either way, you will have a good excuse for some colourful cage decorating!

 

[Quinnchilla]

Hmmm well, when I first started out I had 2 Martins, the 695 and 690 I believe. They were GREAT cages, and I loved them, but when the FN came out I thought it looked AMAZING and I HAD to have it. So I bought it and honestly I am SO happy I did!
Martins are great cages, they are well made and wonderful for ratties. But they were a pain to clean. Especially the 695, which wouldn't fit in my tub. Stuff would get stuck in the wire and it was hard to reach because of the door size. The FN though is a dream. The double full doors make cleaning SO easy and its also easier to access the rats and such. The CN is essentially the same thing with smaller bars. I personally LIKE the wide bars, because I have porky boys, and I can scritch them through the bars, but its not good for babies obviously.
Anyways point being, if I can help it I really only want to own cages similar to the FN from now on, because it makes life easier. If you move around a lot though, or need an easy to travel with cage the FN is NOT it.

As Jo said, once I switched there was no turning back.

 

[NezumiNeko]

I think CN looks like the dream cage, especially is $$$ is not an issue.

 

[PiedPiper]

What Quinnchilla said. I've got both cages too and I'd go for the FN/CN all the way! (Although I won't give up my Martin's either :wink2

 

[Christie]

I would go with the CN!

 

[Sami]

Well, I don't have an FN but I've been wanting one for a while now.
I have a Martin's R-695 cage and also an R-680. The R-695 is a great cage for girlies because of the bar spacing. It also has a great design and lots of space. However, it's a pain to clean. It takes us 2 people to move it each week. It doesn't fit in the tub so we have to take it outside and hose it off (even in the freezing winter ) and it's just a pain to clean. Also, because of the small bar spacing it makes it hard to hang hammocks and stuff in there with certain kinds of hooks. Another bad thing about it is that it's all wire...so there is a lot of fleece/carpet that needs to be put on the floors. I guess if you got this cage with XLarge doors cleaning would be easier since you can reach in easier...but eh.

I personally would go with the FN/CN if the cost is not an issue. I saw my first FN yesterday in person (I had only seen in online before). The pet shop was housing cats in it and they had so much room! Imagine how much room a little ratty would have in there. I'm 5'7" and it was almost as tall as me. Also, it is very wide.

FN/CN all the way is my vote.

 

[Casey]

I wanted to thank everyone for all the advice.

I have decided to get the critter nation.

I think what finally sold me the most is how easy it looks to clean.
Even my single martin's can be a pain to move around inside.
So those big double doors sold me! :nod:
Not to mention all the extra space for my babies.

I should be ordering it in a couple of weeks. :happydance: