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Although currently not building cages, this is something that I am looking to do in the summer months, so if you are interested then please feel free to get in touch and ask.
When you are not around, which is probably the majority of the day and night, rats live their lives in a prison. This is mainly for their own good and the good of the furniture.
As rat owners it is important to make sure that the time a rat has whilst we are away is still stimulating and enjoyable for them.
Primarily, the cage is the home of the rat and the bigger that home the better. A rat that may weigh 500 grams and fits in two hands will not have the most energetic life it kept in the standard 'rat cage' that is about 18 inches by 12 inches by 9 inches (you will get used to me chopping and changing between imperial and metric).
As rat breeders we rely on three cages - a boys cage, a girls cage and a baby cage. We also have other cages that are used for other rats, but for simplicity we will say this is the basic requirement.
I build all our cages and can build them for you on request, either like the ones seen on this page or to your own specifications - its up to you! All cages are reasonably price and cheaper than the pet shops! E-mail me for details (see Contacts Page).
Below is a little device for calculating roughly the number of rats that will be able to live comfortably in a cage of a specified size. Click to work out how many rats could live in your cage.
Cage Calculator Page
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Cage 1 - The Girls Cage
The girls cage is the most basic of all the cages. It is made of 3/4 inch mesh wire and stands almost 3 feet tall, is 3 feet long and 18 inches wide. The base of the cage is strenthened by 3 by 1 inch wood and the base tray is made from a large galvanised tray.
There is one mesh shelf, plenty of ropes and a plant pot (where they all sleep). They also have plenty of other toys to munch on at their hearts content.
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Cage 2 - The Boys Cage
Possibly the most interesting of the three cages. This cage is built to the same dimensions as the girls cage (maybe a bit taller).
It has two shelves, one which forms part of the mating or introduction section of the cage. This is an area in the cage that can be closed off from the rest of the cage. A new male may be introduced to the rest of the cage without the usual scuffles or a male and female can be housed in this compartment for mating, without fear that the male will be rejected after being reintroduced. This section has its own external door and a removable sliding partition that acts as an internal door.
There are a number of suspended tubes in this cage, a plant pot and ropes.
Altogether there are three large external doors and it is a cage that will easily house a good number of rats.
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Cage 3 - The Baby Cage
This is the smallest of the three cages. It is two feet high and again about 18 inches wide (squared).
This is made from finer 1/4 inch wire mesh, so that babies don't slip through any bars, and so that they don't squeeze through them when they are exploring (I have seen the little ones get through 1/2 inch).
This has a lot of levels a relatively short distance from each other, so there is less chance of an injury occuring due to a fall. Also, all levels are edged with a 1/2 an inch worth of the square mesh - this is just to make it extra safe.
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