Rat cages: characteristics, selection, equipment, care

Before you purchase any pet, you need to carefully choose a house for him, rats are no exception. Since these animals will spend all their time in the cage (eating, playing, sleeping), it should be spacious and equipped with various accessories. Such designs can be purchased both ready-made and made independently, the most important thing is that they meet all safety standards and facilitate the care of animals.

The cage for the rat is the main housing of the pet, so it should be comfortable and allow it to move freely. As a rule, structures containing several floors, each of which has a height of at least 20 cm, are acquired for the maintenance of a decorative rat.

Do not buy too high houses, the best option is a 3-story cage. It will be enough so that the rodent can arrange a place for sleep and active entertainment. Since rats like to climb to the height, it is desirable that hammocks are provided in the cage, acting as safety elements.

The distance between the rods is also important in the design of the cage; it is selected depending on the size of the animal. The minimum indicator for babies is no more than 1 cm, for adults - 2.5 cm. In order for the rodent house to be conveniently cleaned, it is recommended to choose a cage with a sliding tray. Aquariums are not suitable for keeping rats; they do not provide good ventilation and the animal in such a dwelling will not live long.

An important detail in rat cages is the presence of shelves. They are wooden, trellised and plastic.

Keep rodents moving best in spacious houses. It should be borne in mind that at least 0.04 m3 of space should be allocated for each individual. If you plan to place a couple of animals in the cage, then this figure is 0.06 m3.

For kids and adolescents, you can purchase two- or three-story structures, for adult animals a large cage with a size of 60 by 40 cm is ideal. Also found on sale are houses with sizes of 430 * 280 * 540 mm, 385 * 275 * 435 mm, for keeping a couple of rodents they will be small, but for a single rat, they will become ideal housing.

Cages with a minimum volume are allowed to be bought only if it is planned from time to time to walk the animals at large. For the constant maintenance of a pet in a cage, experts recommend acquiring designs twice as large as standard sizes.

Designs of square and rectangular shapes are well suited for breeding decorative rats at home, and they should not be too long and tall. Many pet owners acquire unusual shape cages (oval, triangular) to decorate the interior, but rats will not be comfortable living in such structures.

Today, rat cages are presented on the market in a chic assortment, and each of their models differs not only in size, design, but also in the material of manufacture. Typically, the structures of such cells consist of rods and a plastic tray. In that case, if when choosing a product an unpleasant smell of paint is noticed, then you should refuse such a purchase. This indicates that the cell is made of low-quality material and toxic.

Lattice instructions are usually represented by galvanized or painted rods. They do not pose a danger to the life of the animal, but experts recommend giving preference to cells with rods painted in black. They are almost invisible and allow you to conveniently watch your pets.

Now you can also find on sale and cells in which the rods are replaced by plastic. Such models are unsuitable for keeping rats, as pets are hard to run through.

For many, the choice of cage for domestic rats may seem difficult, especially if you need to buy a comfortable house for two pets at the same time. In fact, this is not so. The most important thing is to take into account the size of pets and design features. To keep a pair of rodents, a simple cage with trellised walls is perfect, in it animals can move freely and gain access to air.

It is also necessary to pay special attention to the dimensions of the structure. For boys, it is recommended to buy more spacious cages, and for keeping a female and a male, the minimum space is calculated separately for each individual.

A common option for housing rats is the terrarium (aquarium). Such a house is easy to clean, the smell of animals does not spread throughout the room, the animal is reliably protected from drafts and the filler is not scattered on the floor.

But in such housing, the animal will not receive the necessary level of ventilation and the rat behind the glass will completely lose communication with the owner, and she is a very social animal. Therefore, these models can only be used temporarily and try to replace them with permanent cells with rods. The showcase is also ideal for keeping rodents.

An important role in choosing a cell is also played by the format of the structure (the ratio of width, height and length). Regardless of the sex of the animal, the cage should choose standard forms, it should not be too “flat” (have a small height and a large base), too narrow with a large length and height. It is also not allowed to use the design of the "tower", they have a small base and high height. This design is unstable and inconvenient for animals to live. Therefore, with a structure height of 80 cm, the size of its base should be at least 50 * 70 cm.

In addition, when going to buy a cell, you should take into account other parameters.

• The distance between the rods. The maximum value of this indicator is no more than 1.7 cm. If a female and a male live at the same time, the distance can be increased to 2 cm. When the couple have babies, they can "leak out" through a metal barrier. Therefore, it is important for them to foresee another cell.
• Processing of metal rods. Recently on sale there are designs with galvanized and painted rods. At the same time, the latter have a number of drawbacks - they quickly oxidize, absorb odors and look unaesthetic, since their surface is covered with white spots over time.
• The presence of false. The best cell models are equipped with a special compartment, which avoids problems with cleaning and scattering of filler from the house. At the same time, this structural element can be traumatic for pets. To protect the paws of rodents from fracture, the middle part of the cells with false need to be covered with PVC mats, cardboard or linoleum.

The health and behavior of rats kept at home largely depends on the conditions in which they are kept. Therefore, the arrangement of the cell is considered one of the important tasks before acquiring a rodent. First of all, you need to pay attention to the choice of filler. As litter, wood chips, pressed corn filler and pieces of paper are usually used.

The list of important accessories that you need to equip rat housing is complemented by the following items.

• Drinking bowl. For animals of this species, ball drinkers with a metal tip are ideal. They are easily attached to the walls of the structure (on the back) and their spout conveniently extends through the mesh into the interior.
• Feeder. Rodents are very fond of dragging, nibbling and turning over their bowls, so it is advisable to pour the food into suspended products made of metal or ceramic.
• Hammock. It will be used by rats as a sleeping place, therefore it should be made of soft material.
• House. It is a secluded place for animals, where they can relax and hide. Despite the fact that many rodents prefer not to sleep in the house, it is nevertheless necessary to put it, this will give the animals a sense of security.
• Restroom. For its arrangement, as a rule, ceramic or plastic containers are used that would be conveniently placed in one of the corners of the pallet.
• Shelves. They are an essential component of any cell and are installed on different tiers. The distance between the shelves should not be less than 20 cm. To diversify the life of rats, experts recommend fixing several plastic or trellised shelves on each floor.

When equipping cages, attention should also be paid to the selection of toys.Since this type of rodent is considered the most mobile and loves to constantly jump and climb, housing for them should turn into a real "gym" and allow the animals to make up for the lack of movement. For an active lifestyle, pets should additionally purchase such accessories.

• Hanging ladder. This element will not only allow you to play sports, but also make life easier for older individuals, acting as a means of transportation. A small ladder will be insured by a suspended ladder against falling from a height.
• Plastic and wooden pipe pieces. They will serve as an original transition between zones.
• Swing. They can be both rope and wooden.
• Metal springs. They are hung instead of stairs on the floors.
• The cords. It is advisable to buy products woven from a thick rope with a huge knot at the end.

We must not forget about toys made of wood, which are designed for biting. In their holes you need to put your favorite treats of animals, previously wrapped in paper. As for the running wheel, it is not necessary for rats, as animals are uncomfortable to run on it because of the long tail. Walking balls are also not suitable for rats, because rodents are very curious, they love to sniff and examine everything.

The housing of rats must be kept in a constant order and cleanliness, this will avoid frequent diseases of the animal and the appearance of an unpleasant odor in the room. Therefore, daily the cage needs to be washed with soap and changed the filler. In this case, only part of the sawdust that has been contaminated can be removed. Feeding troughs and drinking bowls should also be thoroughly wiped and pour fresh water.

At least once a week, it is necessary to carry out a general cleaning in the house, which provides for a complete replacement of the filler and wiping of all toys, simulators and washing the tray.

Recently, various rat cages can be found on sale, therefore, giving preference to one or another model, it is important to consider not only personal preferences, but also how comfortable the animal will feel in the new house. In this case, the cell should harmoniously fit into the overall interior of the room. The following interesting cell options are very popular with pet owners.

• Black aviary cage with extendable pallet and vertical rods. It has a standard rectangular shape, its design consists of plastic and metal parts. The original look of such a house will be given by bright shelves made of colored plastic.

• A multi-tiered cage in the form of a castle. Such a fabulous design will fit well into any style of the room and will serve as convenient housing for rodents. The design can contain both 3 and 4 floors, each of which should be decorated with interesting and useful elements for rat life. If desired, the outer sides of the "castle" can be decorated with LED strip, which will help create an unusual atmosphere in the room.

You will learn more about rat cages in the next video.