[Ralphthebunny]

Hello! My name is Rabbit, and I'm hoping soon to be a rat mom! I'm looking to get 3 boys and I hope to introduce them to everyone in a little over a month! I've been researching a lot but I joined for advice and to share my future boys with anyone who wants to see them. I'm also building my own cage and would love some advice on that!

 

[Ralphthebunny]

Your name is very cute! I'm exciting for you about getting ratties

Thank you! I'm very excited too, I can hardly wait! I'm already trying to pick out names and they're not even born yet

 

[Ralphthebunny]

Awww... so exciting getting ready for new rats!
About the cage, what were you thinking of making it out of? My only advice would be to not use wood, as they will pee on it and it will absorb the smell. Something non porous and fully wipeable is good.
Keep us posted!

Unfortunately, I started making it out of wood before I realized maybe that was a bad idea. But I sealed the wood with a water-based sealant and the bottom is going to have plexiglass over it. The edges will be sealed with an aquarium sealer as well, so hopefully, pee soaking in won't be a problem. (But if it becomes one I will definitely be getting a critter nation which I realize now I should have just gone with in the first place -.-) Also, all the reachable wood will be covered with wire so chewing through shouldn't be a problem, and the front, back, and sides will be wire so it should have plenty of airflow. I'm hoping it works out for me, I've really been thinking about how to make it all come together into a decent cage.

 

[Ralphthebunny]

There's info on DIY wooden rat cages online if you're still going ahead with that. I'm not sure if wood sealer is safe to use. What kind of wood are you using? Some wood are harmful to rats.

Critter Nations are really popular if you end up getting one I have a double... for one rat 😅 There are other similar cages such as Full Cheeks (a Petsmart only brand) and Exotic Nutrition (pricey) and Prevue. Amazon Basics apparently had a small animal cage that is nearly identical to a double Critter Nation at one point but it's been discontinued. I saw a mention of accessories for it on an Etsy shop. Look around on FB Marketplace, FeeCycle, Buy Nothing, etc for used cages.

Are these your first rats?

I'm using heat-treated pine, but I decided I'm only using it at the top. For the bottom, I'm gonna make an acrylic tub basically. So they shouldn't be able to pee on the wood, I think.

I really want to get a Critter Nation, but my mom is fighting tooth and nail against getting one because I've already spent a bunch on the diy cage. (It's my money but I put her in charge of it because I have problems with keeping up with it.) So I'm going to keep a close eye on this cage and if ANYTHING becomes a problem I'll just get the CN no matter what she says.

This will be my second time with rats, but I'm ashamed to say my first was impulsive and I did no research, so they had cheap food and no free roam time. I'm determined to do it right this time though and give my boys the best I can.

 

[Ralphthebunny]

Don't feel bad 🤗 Almost everyone was once in your shoes: impulse buy or adoption with zero clue on how to actually take care of the critter. But you learn and then apply what you learn to future pets.

Maybe start saving money for a possible future CN / other good rat cage and make it clear to you mom that's what the money is for. It doesn't have to be brand new. As I mentioned above, check for used cages on FB Marketplace, etc. If you don't end up needing a new cage, then the money can go towards something else like unexpected expensive vet bills for the rats (exotic vets are way more expensive than cat / dog vets and many parents don't want to bother).

I wonder if you can use a cement mixing tub as the base and build the cage around it? Lots of people put a cement mixing tub in the bottom of their CN. It allows for digging and keeps bedding in. There are probably things similar to a cement mixing tub but are bigger if your cage is going to be huge.

I think I'll do that. I'll keep an eye on fb and cl for anything good.

We already started building, and I looked but couldn't find any that will fit the base of it, unfortunately. It's 48x24 and I was only finding things like 36x24. I even tried 24x24 and had no luck, so it seems my best bet, for now, is still gonna be making my own with acrylic sheets.