[Owensmom]

Hi all,New rat owner here, we brought home three handsome boys about a month ago, however, we discovered that two of our "boys" are actually girls!!! Now we have an additional 11 babies and pretty sure another litter on the way!We bought an 'All Living Things' rat starter kit. Pretty good size for 3 rats, a pain in the neck to clean, but, oh well. Once we realized we were about to have a whole lot more rats we bought another cage (this one a bit smaller, but all we could afford). Also got very lucky & found a bird cage & a med sized rat cage at a local thrift shop for $10 each. Great deals, but now our living room is full of cages & I'm constantly cleaning them!!We're really hoping to end up with a total of 6 rats - 3 girls & 3 boys. The ALT cage will do for one of the groups, but none of the others are big enough for the other group. I've been reading/researching cages & it seems the best there is, is the Critter Nation. I found the single unit CN on 1800PetSupplies.com for $112.49 which is the best price I've seen online. So here's what I'm thinking: I buy the single unit and keep the ALT on top of it till I can afford to buy the add on/second level. What I'm wondering is, do the units really fit together as well as if I had just purchased the double unit?Also how many rats do you think comfortably fit in a single unit? I've read reviews/comments from people saying they have anywhere from 2-5 rats in each level?Thanks!!

 

[NaughtyFaerie]

I can't answer your question about the add-on unit fitting, but I do want to mention that's it's cheaper to buy a double unit than it is to buy the single unit and an add-on unit later.

Also, I have 5 girls in the top section of my double critter nation and 2 boys in the bottom half waiting to be neutered. My 5 girls all get along really well so I haven't had any issues with them being confined up there. Even before I got the boys and separated the sections, they never went to the bottom one really and always stayed in the top unit.

 

[raindear]

The best price I have seen for the CN is at ferret.com: http://www.ferret.com/item/critter-nation-small-animal-cage-double-unit/650232/. You can also check Craigslist or your local ebay classified.com for good deals. I can't say how well the add on works/fits, I bought the DCN right off the bat and recommend it highly.

 

[RattusMaximus]

I would suggest the ratty corner cage calculator (search up rat cage calculator on Google, its the first thing that comes up). FYI, the basic set up of the calculator is in centimeters, but you can change it to inches.

Be sure to seperate the male babies from their mother. If you haven't already, check out the accidental litter thread to find information on how to take care of the babies.

 

[Owensmom]

Alas, ferret.com won't accept payment from a "non-US" PayPal account & I don't have credit cards. Turns out in USD I won't be ordering from 1800petsupplies.com either!Looks like the best option for DCN is Amazon.ca at $289.99!!! Not sure that's do-able right now. I'm a single mom on disability right now, so it really comes down to what we can afford month to month!

 

[raindear]

I understand. Sorry the best prices don't work for you. That's a pain. Unless you are in a rush, you could keep an eye on Craigslist or any local ads you may have access to. You never know when a great deal will appear.

 

[Owensmom]

Woo-Hoo!! Gotta love the Canadian government sometimes, just found out I'll be getting a retro cheque this month, so we'll be able to get the DCN after all!! YAY!!!

 

[raindear]

That's great. You'll love it.

 

[2ratshack]

You're going to love the cage! Good luck finding homes for all your babies!