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Looking for a rat cage and don’t know where to begin? Then you came to the right place!
Today, we’re offering you a detailed buying guide and reviewing 6 of the best rat cages available on the market to help you find the perfect home for your little pets.
Reviews Of The Top 6 Rat Cages
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What To Look For When Buying A Rat Cage?
Here are the most important factors to consider when buying a rat cage:
- Bar spacing – as naturally curious animals, a cage with large bar spacing can be problematic. You want a cage with a maximum ½-inch space to keep your pets safe inside.
- Spaciousness – rats need plenty of room to move around, play, and be active. A cage that’s too small will make your rats unhappy, so be sure to provide as much room as possible for them to thrive.
- Ease of cleaning – this one’s to make your life easier and their life healthier. A cage that’s easy to clean will save you a lot of time and effort, which will help you maintain your rats’ hygiene.
How To Set Up A Rat Cage?
To set up a rat cage, the first step is to get all the necessary items added inside the cage. These include:
- Bedding – should be warm and cozy. A good option is shredded paper but it requires frequent changing.
- Water bottle
- Food bowl
Additionally, you can provide accessories such as:
- Ramps
- Hammocks
- Rat wheel
- Chewing toys
Different Types Of Rat Cages
There are three common types of rat cages:
Metal Cages
Pros
- Durable
- Offer maximum ventilation
- Often chew proof
- Highly customizable
- Allows rats to peep through
- Allows rats to climb
Cons
- Heavy
- Some models are prone to rust
Plastic Tubs
Pros
- Very easy to clean
- Very affordable
Cons
- Require a lot of modification
- Easy for rats to chew through
- Plastic easily overheats
- Plastic easily gets smelly
- Not spacious enough
Wooden Hutches
Pros
- Good ventilation
- Minimal litter mess
- Easy to access
- Enclosed living area suitable for rats wary of open spaces
Cons
- Rats may chew on wood
- Require modifications with hooks for toys
- Require rat-safe varnish
- High cost
How To Maintain A Rat Cage Properly?
Properly maintaining your rat cage is crucial for the overall well-being of your whiskered pets. The following steps are among the basics that you should learn:
- Remove food bowls and feeders – do this after your rat is done eating to eliminate food residue and keep them healthy.
- Change the bedding regularly – a dirty bed equals a sad rat, so make sure you change it at least once or twice.
- Wash frequently and thoroughly – wash the wires and the base regularly to avoid having a smelly cage.
Best Rat Cages: Reviewed
- Large size
- Versatile design
- Double opening front doors give you easy access
- Large size
- Versatile design
- Double opening front doors give you easy access
- Locking wheels
- Handy storage area
- Quite expensive
- Assembly can be tricky
Kicking off our list with a widely popular candidate, the Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation has thousands of rat owners raving about its excellent quality and handy features.
For starters, this rat cage consists of two levels connected through plastic ramps.
The metal bars are horizontal to encourage climbing, with a narrow bar spacing of ½ inches to keep your rat inside.
Other than the base, shelves, ramps, and trays, the whole cage is made out of powder-coated metal for extended service time.
The ramps are non-slip, designed to safeguard your rat’s feet by offering extra traction.
Measuring at dimensions of 36 inches W × 24 inches D × 48 inches H, the Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation is spacious enough to accommodate up to ten rats.
You can remove the divider in the middle to create a more open setup, or you can even separate the unit and use it as two individual cages.
This rat cage is equipped with some storage space under the living area that you can use for pet supplies. Additionally, the cage comes with removable locking casters to help stabilize the structure while moving.
- Comes with hammock
- Large, hinged doors with locks
- Extra storage space
- Large size
- Versatile design
- Double opening front doors give you easy access
- Locking wheels
- Handy storage area
- Quite expensive
- Assembly can be tricky
A close competitor to the previous Midwest rat cage, the Prevue Hendryx Feisty Rat Cage is a great home for even the most energetic rats.
Thanks to its rather spacious living area, this cage offers plenty of room for your little pet to be active and move around freely.
With a large size measuring at 31 inches L × 20 inches W × 54 inches H, this cage includes four levels with a removable middle separator and bottom tray.
As a result, you can use this cage as advertised or turn it into two units.
The Prevue Hendryx Feisty Rat Cage is built out of sturdy wrought iron with a powder-coated finish, featuring plastic ramps, trays, and platforms.
It also comes with a good-quality hammock, so you don’t have to purchase one individually.
This cage is equipped with two big escape-proof doors, reinforced with rust-resistant stainless steel locks. This allows convenient access for easy cleaning and maintenance.
Moreover, the Prevue Hendryx Feisty Rat Cage has a bottom storage compartment for pet accessories and supplies.
It also has casters to facilitate moving from one place to another.
- Portable
- Easy maintenance
- High base walls
- Large size
- Versatile design
- Double opening front doors give you easy access
- Locking wheels
- Handy storage area
- Quite expensive
- Assembly can be tricky
If you’re in the market for a more simple transportable primary rat cage or a temporary holding cage, then you may want to consider the Kaytee My First Home Multi-Level Habitat for Exotics.
Offering a living area of 30.5 inches W × 18 inches D × 30 inches H, this cage can be a home for 2 or 3 rats as long as you use the provided space correctly.
This means you’ll have to ditch some or all of the ramps and shelves to accommodate extra pets.
This rat cage comes with multiple levels to let your little animals explore, but be sure to place the shelves conveniently so you can reach them easily when cleaning.
This will also stop your rats from hiding in hard-to-reach corners.
One feature that you’ll really appreciate is the open and deep design of the base.
The high walls prevent waste from falling out of the cage, especially when rats take part in roughhousing.
The horizontal bars of the Kaytee My First Home rat cage allow for climbing and they’re spaced at ½ inches so no rats can weasel outside.
However, they’re not powdered coated and fairly thin, which makes them prone to rust and bending.
- Durable with tiny bar spacing
- Wide ramps
- Pull-out grille
- Durable with tiny bar spacing
- Wide ramps
- Pull-out grille
- Bottom storage shelf
- The door should be bigger
Another reliable option from Prevue is their Rat Cage 495 that offers quite a bargain for its price.
This cage is designed with maximum safety and entertainment in mind, which is evident from its impressive features.
For one, this cage has an all-metal construction except only for the plastic tray at the bottom of the grate. This results in a durable build and long-lasting service.
Granted, this model may not be the most heavy-duty cage out there, but it’s pretty sturdy and the powder-coated finish extends its lifetime.
This unit also doesn’t weigh too much, so it’s fairly easy to move from one place to another, especially with the casters included.
The Prevue Rat Cage 495 measures at 24 inches L × 24 inches W × 42.5 inches H, providing a lot of room for multiple rats to roam and play.
It comes with three levels and to explore, as well as wide ramps to support rats with weak feet.
The bottom of this cage features a pull-out grille, secured via a wind-bell lock so it won’t get pushed out by your rats. There’s also an extra shelf that you can use for storage purposes.
- Affordable cost
- All-metal construction
- Paw safe stairs
- Affordable cost
- All-metal construction
- Paw safe stairs
- Foldable design
- Cleaning can be a hassle
If you’re on a budget and looking for a decent cage where your rat can live healthily and comfortably, then the Mcage 3 Levels Small Animal Cage could be exactly what you need.
As you can tell from its name, this cage features three levels connected by ladders or stairs.
Both the shelves and the ladders are paw safe, so you don’t have to worry about the well-being of your little pet.
The Mcage rat cage boasts a chew-proof all-metal construction with no exceptions. It has an epoxy-coated finish to boost longevity and give a sleek look.
Not only is this cage quite durable, but also the small bar spacing of ⅜ inches prevents rats from getting their paws stuck in between.
It measures at 24 inches L × 16 inches W × 24″ H, so it’s big enough to house more than one rat.
The two front doors grant you easy access, and the top handles allow for convenient carrying.
The Mcage rat cage also comes with a raised grate floor, a removable bottom pan, and a folding mechanism for simple storage.
- Anti-rust construction
- Include feeding bowl and water bottle
- Foldable
- Anti-rust construction
- Include feeding bowl and water bottle
- Foldable
- Sliding bottom tray
- Budget-friendly
- The wastes often fall out
Last but not least, the Zeny Small Animal House has a 4-level design with ramps, providing your little pets with ample room to thrive and satisfy their energetic behavior.
Made out of high-quality powder-coated anti-rust steel wires, this rat cage is very durable and it’ll serve you for quite a long time.
It features round corners on all panels to protect both the rats and their owners, as well as to ensure a smooth and glossy surface.
You can easily access the Zeny rat cage through the two oversized front doors on the top and bottom, which are secured with escape-proof locks to keep your rats safe inside.
This cage comes with a variety of thoughtful features including ramps, a feeder bowl made of non-toxic plastic, and a 250 ml water bottle.
This will save you some cash since you don’t have to buy these accessories separately.
Moreover, the Zeny Rat Cage is equipped with four 360-degree rolling casters for easy transport, as well as a folding mechanism to facilitate storage.
The bottom tray is also removable to help you clean the cage with minimal effort.
FAQs
- What do rats need in their cages?
Make sure the following items are available before bringing a rat home:
- A pet food bowl (filled with good quality food)
- A water bottle
- A warm bedding
- Several toys for mental and physical stimulation
- Are wire cages bad for rats?
No, on the contrary. Wire cages are probably the best option for housing pet rats.
Such cages allow rats to climb and peep through the wires. They also offer maximum ventilation and are mostly chew-proof.
- How often must you clean a rat cage?
This answer depends on the number of rats living inside the rat cage.
However, as a rule of thumb, you should thoroughly clean and disinfect a rat cage at least once weekly.
That being said, there also are some cleaning tasks that you should do every day regardless of how many rats you own.
These tasks include:
- Removing solid waste
- Removing soggy floor covers
- Replacing bedding
- Getting rid of spoiled food
- Wiping cage bars with a wet cloth
- How to stop my rat from gnawing on his cage?
There are a few solutions you can try on your chewer to stop them from gnawing on the cage, such as:
- Get them a chewing log
- Hang a roll of toilet paper so they can unroll it
- Spray the rat with water a couple of times upon gnawing
- Engage in more playtime
Wrap Up
Choosing the right cage for your pet rat can be a challenge, especially with so many designs and features to think about.
This is why we included only the best rat cages on the market to make sure you land a great deal no matter what.
That being said, we recommend the Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation as today’s winner thanks to its high-quality durable construction, spacious size, and versatile design.
It also comes with a convenient storage area as well as locking casters for safety.
However if you’re on a budget and looking for something a bit more affordable, check out the Prevue Hendryx Feisty Rat Cage.
