[LizLovesRats5]

So last night, my youngest rat, Peanut, escaped from the cage. She is about 3 months old, and when I first got her I had to keep her in a different cage until I thought she was too big to fit through the 7/8" bars. But, I guess I was wrong, because last night i was walking through the garage door and she shot past me. I chased her around the garage for three hours last night before I gave up and went to bed... she is still in there, i heard her moving around this morning, but am having problems catching her because it's so full of stuff. I'm hoping she'll find her way back to the cage by this evening, or I'm going to have to take every last thing out of thing out of the garage (the garage is attached to the room where her cage is, so i'm leaving the door open and hoping... she has gone hiding before and always goes back to the cage). So this morning I've been looking at new cages, and my options are limited because most of the big nice ones, including the FN, has 1" bar spacing... So my question is, if I cover the cage with wire for a while, will she get too big to get through the normal bars? If so, I will do that for the interim, but I don't really want a cage covered w/ mesh for the next several years, I would rather buy a new one than live with that for more than a couple months. Has anyone else had this problem? I've read that rats will continue to fill out until they're about 6-8 mos old....

Here is the cage I'm looking at:

http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/f-477.jpg

 

[Forensic]

Some females never get big enough to be in the bigger cages... Have you considered leaving out a food bowl or treats or somesuch for her? It might lure her out into the open.

 

[LizLovesRats5]

Yeah, I did leave a food bowl out last night. It doesn't appear to have been touched....

So I guess I should just get a new cage then? That totally stinks... GRRR

 

[Forensic]

You could wait to see if she gets big enough... supposedly there's supposed to be a 'Rat Nation' coming out later this year or sometime around then with half inch spacing... Could you wait until then to decide?

 

[Poppyseed]

I hope you catch her. Sometimes just sitting out there calling her name and doing things she would think was fun would attract her. Chasing usually makes them hide in my experiance.

 

[LizLovesRats5]

I'm a little worried about her, but for the most part I'm sure she'll come back on her own if I can't find her. I've had critters go missing for almost a week at a time, and they always come back...

The cage I was looking at, it was actually this one: http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/fne-480.jpg

 

[ladylady]

Wow I love that cage, it looks a cool design
Sorry cant be of any help

 

[LizLovesRats5]

Okay, I just ordered the cage. I do like the trendy design, and I like that the top comes off for a travel cage, and can be seperated from the bottom parts in case you need to keep your rats apart for a while. It was very pricey though...

 

[LizLovesRats5]

Well, I caught her. She had chewed her way into the wall between the garage and the room where her cage was, and we lured her out with water. The other rats are grooming her now. The new cage should be here by wednesday...

 

[Poppyseed]

Aww, so glad you caught her.

 

[Stephanie]

so glad it is a happy ending for her and you. I would be so worried if any of my kids got out (i have three cats though)

 

[tattered_teddy_bear]

I was looking at that cage as well! my louie boys last cage when he was with bullies was escapable but he loved being in his cage so he'd wander for a bit and go back in when he pleased... but he's probably about 3 or 4 months older then him..... i'm not sure if its a security thing or not, but don't rats usually go back to their cage when they're hungry/thirsty.... if it happens again you could get a have-a-heart trap. they dont hurt the animals so its a good way of catching escapies.
<3

 

[fallinstar]

glad u found her

 

[LizLovesRats5]

Holy Crap, this cage I just got is FREAKIN HUGE.

 

[mnic001]

Congratulations on finding her. For future reference, I've heard that leaving her cage open in her room with the lights off (and maybe some extra snacks to entice) as well as turning on all the lights in the rest of the house really helps. Their nocturnal instincts as well as their nesting instincts should send them back to their cage eventually.

 

[LizLovesRats5]

That works with most of my rats, but Peanut would like to be a wild rat, running through the woods all night long. Seriously, she would rather sleep in the couch than in her cage.