[Pomperella]

i was thinking of getting this cage for my girls, its a Ferplast Furet Tower, equivalent to two "jenny's" stacked on top of each other, with a proper floor on each level.

i don't know too much about cages...what do you guys think?

http://www.petcentreonline.co.uk/ecommerce/ProdImages/TOWERNEW.jpg

it doesn't look like it but it is wide...

 

[twitch]

it looks pretty cool. how many rats are going to go in there? have you run it through a cage calculator (though from you saying that its eqivalent to two jennie's i would assume you have). the only concern i would have with something marketed towards ferrets is the bar spacing.

if you do get it though it would be really nice to see pictures of your set up and the girls chilling out in it.

 

[Pomperella]

Hi Twitch!

i will go and put it through the cage calculator now, i only read that it is the size of two jennys in a catalogue at my pet store and as i have never seen a jenny in real life i can't be sure!!! it's about 5 foot tall i think...maybe a bit less...as i saw it in the shop it was nearly as tall as me!

also, cage bar sizes are ok, that is what drew me to it...i will definitely post piccies when they are in it. i have 5 girls that are currently in two cages sort of placed together, as each cage holds 5 to 6 rats and i know from what i have read here that we mustn't only give them "just enough room" so to speak.

thanks very much for the imput....it's a pricey cage and i just wanna give them the best house!

i see a lot of people have FN cages on this website...are these much better than all the others? if so i am tempted to get one of them???!

many thanks x

 

[Pomperella]

ok i put it in the cage calculator and it said 17 rats! er...i musta done that wrong but i used the exact same measurement....guess my 5 are gonna have a lot of room!

 

[IceLore]

I know a lot of people who have that cage. They say it's awesome to spot clean because of the HUGE doors, but hard to take apart for a full clean because it's so big and heavy. If you have help to lift the top part of I wouldn't see a problem.

Also, some people ahve said that it is too wide to fit through their doorways, so they have to put it together in the room they want it in. lol So, just a heads up.

As far as I know the bar spacing is fine for rats, but it does need a TON of hammock and level and such to utilize all the space.

 

[Pomperella]

IceLore: hi there, thanks so much for all that good advice. i hadn't thought about lifting it apart to clean, that's a good tip. i will be living wtih 3 boys so i hope they can help me. also, you say about the doors...i wasn't sure if it will be hard to keep everyone under control with the doors, and whether it gives good access? sorry i only ask as you know people who have it

hammocks! i love them...i have a few already but they all cram into one they are so funny. i always think hammocks add a lot to the cage so that's good to know that they work well in it.

and the doorway thing? didn't even think of that, if i do get it i'll be sure to set it up in the very room i want it in!

again thanks for all your advice

 

[IceLore]

Hee, no problem.

Since you are living with people, you shouldn't have a problem lifting it apart on those occasions you want to do a super clean. Put those boys to work! lol

With the doors, the access is great (I have seen people go in past the shoulders!), but of course, with any cage, bigger doors could possibly mean the rats try to outsmart you and climb away. ****, I have a cage with small doors and I have one rat that *always* makes a bee-line for the top of the cage given a chance. So I guess it just depends on the rats.

 

[aqualaureena]

Where do u live Pomperella? Cause I live in England and I've had no luck trying to find anywhere here that sells ferret nations. If you are blessed with a lot of money u can get one shipped from ebay but it cost $315 plus the cost of the cage and taxes too. If you do live in England and if u find one then please let me know where u got it!

 

[lina]

Hi aqualaureena, I know what you mean about the FN. I live in England and looked all over for one but never found one in my price range. It's hard to find good cages over here and the ones I do find cost a lot.


Hi Pomperella, I do like the look of that cage. Do the tunnels come out or are they fixed coz they look like they could be hard to clean. Other than that it looks like a great cage. If you do get it I hope you and your rats love it.

 

[twitch]

looking at the picture: does the top half come off the bottom half? there seems to be clips on the side is all. normally i see them if the cage detaches there from the tray and there are two trays....

 

[Spider]

I'm against solid balconies for this reason: when the Rat urinates in his sleep, it puddles underneath his body. One night is equal to 30 nights in our life( we average 30 times longer life) its like lying in a pool of urine all month. Also wire ledges serve a purpose, they allow air to circulate underneath the Rat, moves away ammonia air, helps breathing. Some people don't like wire ledges as it could hurt the feet, but I just clip a piece of towel on it and it works fine.
Spider

 

[Star]

I'm against solid balconies for this reason: when the Rat urinates in his sleep, it puddles underneath his body. One night is equal to 30 nights in our life( we average 30 times longer life) its like lying in a pool of urine all month. Also wire ledges serve a purpose, they allow air to circulate underneath the Rat, moves away ammonia air, helps breathing. Some people don't like wire ledges as it could hurt the feet, but I just clip a piece of towel on it and it works fine.
Spider

So your rats sleep on a shelf? (a wire one at that?)
My girls don't pee in their sleep and have a litter box on both levels, as well as just sleeping in hammies that are changed 2 times a week.

 

[tattered_teddy_bear]

Star i think they sleep on the towel on wire floors, thats what i do, i have boxes and ripped up jean pieces in my cages, they pull them where they want them and sleep on them. I think that cage is sweet looking, ROOMY! lots of floor space too.

 

[IceLore]

I wasn't aware that rats pee in their sleep... o.0

All mine are litter trained and only *rarely* widdle on a shelf, and then it's usually away from their sleeping area.

A lot of people are proponents of the thought that non-solid shelves perpetuate bumblefoot. I am of that train of thought as well. There is lots of information available on how wire in general is bad for animals' feet. It puts unnatural pressure on them. :/

Given the choice, I would never house my rats on grated flooring, and always urge others to covers theirs with fabric, linoleum, or something else.

 

[Spider]

If your Rat doesn't Pee when she sleeps then it is remarkable. I've had alot of Rats and they're litterbox trained but only use it to poop.
The reason why the most respected Rat cages have wire floors is for ventilation. I lay a piece of cotton over it and pin it down, so they won't get bumblefoot, but it allows fresh air to circulate from under the Rat.
Spider

 

[Pomperella]

thanks so much for all the information and opinions, i really appreciate them and took them on board. i have decided to get this cage...i am concerned it is heavy and hard to clean but i have weighed that up against how fun it will be for them and yes, it is a positive result!

i am moving house and actually moving in with my local pet store guy, so we have a house full of animals for my rats to live in harmony with (!?)

thanks again!

i'll let you know how it is when i get it in a month or so!

 

[mopydream44]

glad you made a choice! Looking for the right cage has been almost as stressful and drawn out as looking for the right car!

 

[Sparker]

The only time that I have ever noticed urine outside of the litter box is when I have a new one who dribbles on me, unfortunately. I have always taken it as a compliment - plus, they grow out of it...

I live in Fresno, California, where it is HOTTER THAN **** for about 5 months of the year. They generally sleep on the solid levels to stay cool (and I have special "summer hammocks" made of light, cool fabrics that I store in the deep freeze in the garage... and a great AC unit) and I have never noticed urine.

I have had both types of cages and definately prefer solid levels. Just a preference.

 

[Pomperella]

i like the idea of summer hammocks, my girls would love those!