Hi everybody,
I don't have any rats yet... but I will as soon as my cage is finished. I've never owned any rats before, and I have some questions on their cage. I am trying to save money here as well. I don't have a lot...
I bought one cage and guessed very wrong at its dimensions... it was only big enough for one rat (13.5x15.5x17). So, I returned it, spent 10 more dollars, and bought an 18x18x24 bird cage (http://www.petmarket.com/clean-life-bird-cage-24h-p-2547.html). And if anyone else is interested, I got it for 49.99 at Petsmart.
I want to add levels to it of course, to utilize the vertical space, to give my rats more room to roam around. I bought some 1/4 inch galvanized steel wire mesh from Home Depot. Is this going to hurt their feet? I am hoping to make ramps and floors with it. I bought a couple stick on linoleum tiles from the dollar store to put over the floors, but do I need to cover the ramps as well?
Also, a friend of mine has some scrap wood he said I could use. I was concerned that it might get chewed up, or need to be replaced if the rats peed on it (which I'm assuming they'd do). What could I do to make the wood good to use? And, unrelated to cages, is that wood good for them to chew on (or would it hurt them somehow) or would it be better if I buy wood chew sticks from the store?
I bought a piece of PVC pipe, but other than that, I really don't have any other toys yet. Do pieces of clothing make good hammock material or do I need to buy certain material? I'm assuming it will eventually get chewed on and probably peed on so I want it to still be safe and easily replaceable and cheap once they've gnawed it up.
Is there an easy way to make ladders? I don't want to buy a bird ladder in the store because I know it'll get chewed up.
Oh, and one last question. The cage is 24 inches tall... is that enough for 3 levels? Or should I maybe only do one plus a balcony or something?
Okay, and one last one. Does having a large number of "proper" chewable items (things you intend for them to chew on) reduce the amount of chewing on things you'd rather they left alone? I'm a little worried about the plastic that secures the cage to the base, ladders, that sort of thing.
When I start with new pets, I like to do it right!! I want my rats to be happy in their cages during the time I'm not playing with them. Any other suggestions you have for me, I'm more than open to! I know it's a lot of questions. Sorry
I don't have any rats yet... but I will as soon as my cage is finished. I've never owned any rats before, and I have some questions on their cage. I am trying to save money here as well. I don't have a lot...
I bought one cage and guessed very wrong at its dimensions... it was only big enough for one rat (13.5x15.5x17). So, I returned it, spent 10 more dollars, and bought an 18x18x24 bird cage (http://www.petmarket.com/clean-life-bird-cage-24h-p-2547.html). And if anyone else is interested, I got it for 49.99 at Petsmart.
I want to add levels to it of course, to utilize the vertical space, to give my rats more room to roam around. I bought some 1/4 inch galvanized steel wire mesh from Home Depot. Is this going to hurt their feet? I am hoping to make ramps and floors with it. I bought a couple stick on linoleum tiles from the dollar store to put over the floors, but do I need to cover the ramps as well?
Also, a friend of mine has some scrap wood he said I could use. I was concerned that it might get chewed up, or need to be replaced if the rats peed on it (which I'm assuming they'd do). What could I do to make the wood good to use? And, unrelated to cages, is that wood good for them to chew on (or would it hurt them somehow) or would it be better if I buy wood chew sticks from the store?
I bought a piece of PVC pipe, but other than that, I really don't have any other toys yet. Do pieces of clothing make good hammock material or do I need to buy certain material? I'm assuming it will eventually get chewed on and probably peed on so I want it to still be safe and easily replaceable and cheap once they've gnawed it up.
Is there an easy way to make ladders? I don't want to buy a bird ladder in the store because I know it'll get chewed up.
Oh, and one last question. The cage is 24 inches tall... is that enough for 3 levels? Or should I maybe only do one plus a balcony or something?
Okay, and one last one. Does having a large number of "proper" chewable items (things you intend for them to chew on) reduce the amount of chewing on things you'd rather they left alone? I'm a little worried about the plastic that secures the cage to the base, ladders, that sort of thing.
When I start with new pets, I like to do it right!! I want my rats to be happy in their cages during the time I'm not playing with them. Any other suggestions you have for me, I'm more than open to! I know it's a lot of questions. Sorry