The new guy is pretty big, should I make some changes?

2100 Views 8 Replies 7 Participants Last post by portkeytonowhere, Dec 21, 2014

zieo92

Discussion Starter · Dec 19, 2014

We very recently decided to adopt a new rat, and I'm nervous about how he's going to fit in (socially and physically). I'll deal with the social part later when it's time for introductions, but he's a pretty big guy and I'm not sure about him in the cage I have. We travel every couple of months, so it's not the right time to get a bigger cage, so I'll have to make this one work. It was great when we had 2 girls but now we will have 1 girl and a pretty big boy (neutered).

Cage Animal shelter Pet supply Parakeet Degu

Width: 27.25" Depth:17.5" Height:24"

Orbit (the girl) is probably around 300 grams (I haven't weighed her recently) and is very happy in this cage. Roddy (the boy) is about 690 grams and 8-9 inches long. Should I make some adjustments before he moves in?

P.S. I am thinking longterm, we won't be adopting him for another month and he will be quarantined for 2-3 weeks after that.

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spysquid

· #2 · Dec 19, 2014

I think that looks like a big enough cage for 3 rats, especially if two of them are neutered boys

Ooh you should get some cheap plastic baskets and zip-tie them to the sides so they have more room to climb + great sleeping areas

tube hammocks are great, you can use them like ramps to each platform if you want

I've put a flat hammock in the corner of the cage pulled tight, and used it as an "added platform" to give more walking/roaming space, my younger boys loved to roll around on it and tussle ^_^
Good luck with your new addition!

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Phantom

· #3 · Dec 19, 2014

I know how you feel. I have three neutered boys and one non-neutered one at the moment. They are much bigger compared to my girls, but my Toast is giant. He weighs about as much as your guy does. The cage my ratties were in before I aquired the double ferret nation was a rat manor. Looking at the rat manor now Toast looks so big in it. >.<

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artgecko

· #4 · Dec 19, 2014

Maybe replace the space pod with something better suited to a big ratty... Like a honeycomb hammock (multi level). I know my girls LOVE their pod, but there's no way male rats would fit. You could still use the pod (stand it up and put it on the bottom of the cage) but hang something that he can use in the top.

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Malarz

· #5 · Dec 19, 2014

I'm in exactly the same situation. I have a Petco rat manor (which seems to about the size of your cage). The two pettite girls are just fine in it. But when we adopted a big 650 gram boy and he moved in with them, he had trouble moving from up to down level of the cage. He still has problems, and his big butt often overwighs him, and he just drop down onto the lower level bedding.

Fortunately the drop is at most 4 inches, and he has lots of padding under his skin!
I did buy a DCN druing a cyber Monday sale. It is not assembled yet, and will not be for a couple of weeks. But if my trio had to stay in the small cage, I think they would manage just fine. So I think your guys should be ok too.

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Roonel

· #6 · Dec 20, 2014

Even though he's big I'm sure he'd fit in the space pod. We have adult male rats, and two - even three - at a time often squash in, and love it there. But another few hammocks couldn't hurt.

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Phantom

· #7 · Dec 20, 2014

My Toast fits in the space pod as long as it is the large space pod. =P

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zieo92

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 20, 2014

Thank you everyone for your responses! I'm feeling a lot better about adding the new guy to the cage. I'm definitely going to take your suggestions into account. I also really hope he can get into the space pod (it looks big enough anyway) because that is Orbit's main sleeping spot.

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portkeytonowhere

· #9 · Dec 21, 2014

I have 4 big boys all full grown now and they manage to get 3 of them in the large space pod. Heck all 5 of my girls can fit in one space pod lol. They're pretty roomy

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