Choosing The Right Rat Cage

If you have decided to get a pet rat, then you will need to get a cage for them. It's important for the health and comfort of the rat that you put some thought into choosing the right type of cage to house them in. This article will offer you advice on what you should consider in the different features some cages offer.

Choose a large enough cage

While a rat may not need to be homes in a huge cage, they do need one large enough so they can get plenty of exercise. The cage should offer them enough room to build a nest, to keep their food bowl, to house an exercise wheel and to give them plenty of room to move around. If you get a baby rat, you want to keep in mind that they will be much larger as an adult and it won't take them long to reach their mature size.

Choose a cage made of the right material

When it comes to the type of cage you get, you can go with a wire cage or with a glass aquarium. Choosing the right type of cage can be very important to the health and well-being of your rat, so choose wisely.

If you are going to have the rat in a colder and drafty room, then a wire cage may not keep them warm enough. In this case, an aquarium would be best. However, if the rat will be kept in a warm room, then an aquarium may make them too hot.

A wire cage can be hard to keep the shavings in that they will make a nest from. A hairless rat that will depend more on the shavings for warmth may do better in an aquarium. The wire cages are also messier since the rat can kick the shavings right out through the bars.

If you plan on getting a pregnant rat, or allowing your rat to have babies at some point, then an aquarium will be better. The wire cage can lead to the baby rats getting caught between the wires.

Either type of cage can work for more than one rat as long as you make sure it is big enough to give them enough space.

Now that you know what to look for in a cage, you can get one that houses your pet rat safely and comfortably. Contact a company like Petland of Crystal Lake for more information on pet supplies.