Cage advice for rats

[petluvr]

I have decided it has become necessary for me to start keeping rats to feed to my boa as the mice just aren't satisfying him. What I need is help with a cage type. I have been looking at this. I will be keeping a male in one by himself as well as a female and any pups in another. Will this be adequate space?

 

[NorthcoastGirl]

What size are both the cages? Rats need more room then what people think. Even if they are just feeders. Will you be growing the pups to full size before you use them?

 

[petluvr]

The cages are 30"L x 18"W x 16"H, no I will be not being growing them out. I am thinking that since thee are actually cages meant for ferrets they should be large enough.

 

[missmeliss]

The ones made for ferrets should be fine, are you thinking of the ones that have a plastic bottom and the sides/top are metal bars? If so, that should be alright for them. Just make sure that the spacing in between the bars is less than 1/2 the width of your rats head, or they could get out (lesson learned the hard way heh...). Even though they are feeders, you want to make sure that there isn't much metal (kind of like little squares of chicken wire) inside the cage (metal ramps, metal flooring etc) or they can get a condition called Bubble Feet which is painful and unhealthy.

Hope this helps!

 

[petluvr]

I hyperlinked this in the first post but here is the exact one I am looking at
http://www.petsolutions.com/My-First-Home---Large+I45160220+C40001929.aspx

 

[cam191919]

a large tupperware tub would work great

 

[petluvr]

a large tupperware tub would work great

I had considered that however how would you then cover it?

 

[Taysius]

Cut a hole in lid leaving the rim and attach coated wire?

These were some that I had once looked at when I was thinking of getting rats for pets. The wire is small enough that babies shouldn't escape. http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/