Housing
Here you can find information on our recommended cages and enclosures.
Please note that this page is a work in progress! We’ll be adding to and updating it continually.
The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing your cage, bedding, food, vet, etc is: will this choice keep my animals safe, healthy, and happy? If yes, then it’s a good choice! If no, then it may be time to reconsider. There are many ways to practice good husbandry, and it might look different from person to person and home to home. If you’re meeting the safe, healthy, and happy benchmarks for your rats, then you’re doing it right.
Meli Rats Husbandry Guide: Housing
What is the role of a cage?
Your rats’ cage will be their home base. Below is a bit about what it is and what it should provide.
Your rats' cage is their home. It keeps them safe and gives them the primary environment.
The cage should be large enough for the rats to move around comfortably. Lab standards are quite a bit different than breeding or pet standards, with the last two being more generous. We recommend 1.5-2 cubic feet per rat.
Your cage will need to be escape proof. This means bar spacing 0.5'' or below, and no plastic for chewers.
Your cage will need good ventilation. Ammonia build up is harmful to rats, and enclosed cages contribute to that build up. Most suitable cages feature mesh or wire sides. Aquariums and other enclosures with solid sides are not sufficient housing.
Rats need places within the cage to hide. They love a cluttered space, so the more items you can fill the cage with, generally the better! Hammocks, ropes, ladders, boxes, and other "fillers" give your rats places to hide, rest, climb, and nest. Burrowing is an important behavior for rats, so a cage that will hold either a dig box or deep layer of substrate is also recommended.
Cages we recommend
Critter Nation: The CN is a much loved cage in the pet rat community. A single will comfortably hold 2-5 adults, a double 2-10. The doors open for easy cleaning and decorating, and the cage itself is STURDY. Its downsides include that the original pans are very shallow, it has a large footprint, and is a task to take apart for deep cleaning. Deeper pans are available through Bass Pans (or you can buy a $10 cement mixing tub from Home Depot and slide it into the base).
Kaytee My First Home: This plastic-base cage can be floor or table top. It has space for 2-3 rats. The shelves are adjustable/removeable, and the base is deep enough to hold a thick level of substrate. Cleaning the pan is easy, but taking the cage apart for a deep clean is a little more of a pain. The smaller doors make decorating more difficult than the CN. If you have chewers, this cage its plastic bottom may not be for you. It has a bit less floor space that I would prefer, but with some slight modifications can be a nice cage!
Prevue Rat/Chinchilla Cage: This cage has a deeper base than the CN, and 3/8'' bar spacing. The door is smaller than the wide swing of the CN doors. The base is plastic, so again a liability if you have nibblers! For my money I'd go for the CN, but for 2-3 rats this can be a good option, too.
Bin Cages: Are you handy? A bin cage might be up your alley! Large (110 qt) plastic bins can be altered to make a good home for your rats. Necessary modifications include cut outs for mesh wire and ties to secure those windows/closures. Better instructions than I can provide here can be found on several online sources. Upsides are that they can be relatively inexpensive, house as many rats as your bin is large, are very customizable, and easy to clean. Downsides are that they are chewable and you probably need a dremel (or friend with a dremel) to make one.
Cages we’re lukewarm on
Feisty Ferret/Ferret Nation: The main drawback for these cages is that the bar spacing, at 1'', is too wide for rats. If you purchase this cage you will need to modify it so that the bar spacing keeps your rats in their cage and not out on adventures. Aside from that, they are less sturdy versions of the CN.
Petco My First Rat Home: This metal cage has good ventilation but offers mostly vertical space and cage floors/shelves of mesh wire, which can be difficult to keep clean/safe. The cage can be modified to help these issues, but for the time and money that would be needed for those modifications, purchasing a different cage would be more expedient.
Beddings that are dangerous for rats
Aquariums: Aquariums and other solid-sided enclosures are not suitable housing for rats. They contribute to the build up of ammonia in their space, which can cause short and long term respiratory issues, serious illness, and death.
Wood Enclosures: Cages made from wood (converted furniture, etc) are not recommended, as the wood will absorb their urine and begin to degrade/rot. Sealants likewise can be dangerous.