Ratropolis Rats Update: Lilly, Gandolf, and a Second DCN in the Rat Room

Lilly discovers the joy of the hammock in her new top half of a DCN.



Lilly

Lilly is officially and definitively Not Pregnant! It has been 23 days since I took her in. Given the normal gestational period is 21 - 23 days, we should be in the clear. Thus, I have scheduled her for a pre-spay appointment on Thursday, and hopefully a spay the following week if she checks out okay and there are any openings on the vet's surgical calendar.

Gandolf

Gandolf had what I thought was an abscess on his side/thigh area. When I got him to the vet, the lump had become less prominent, being only visible when he stretched. Turned out, the lump was a hernia and not an abscess at all. The good news is that the vet said that it is correcting itself, and that seems to be the case. I can no longer see the lump at all. But introductions between the new rats and the existing rats won't be taking place until I am sure he is completely healed, as I do not wish for him to reinjure himself during a scuffle. Should the lump get worse, he may have needed surgical intervention, but it looks like that is not going to be necessary.

New DCN

The new cage on the left (Lilly on top and her boys on the bottom);
The old cage on the right, with Burt, Ruby, Hammie, and Jeremy.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I wanted a second DCN for Lilly and her boys. Unfortunately, I missed out on the good deal currently at Petsmart, but hopefully others were able to take advantage of it. I really prefer this cage to any other and I am happy to have all the rats in DCNs in the rat room. Lilly is on the top half, with the ramp zip-tied in the up position and the full tray moved from the lower level to the upper level so there is no window/access to the cage below with the boys.

The existing rats aren't too pleased about their new neighbors. All four have been known to pace the adjacent wall all puffed up and indignant looking. They are not quite ready for introductions yet, but that is okay, as Gandolf needs to heal completely and I want to have Lilly spayed and moved back in with her boys before getting to that. In the mean time, they can adjust to being neighbors and watching the new rats play in the rat room during their turn at out time.

If/when the two groups are introduced, I would like to convert the two DCNs to a quad. It might be a little more complicated because the latest DCN design has added a bolt to the side leg of the stand and that bolt may prevent the two cages from standing completely flush against each other. However, any gap should not be large enough for rats to escape through. So I believe it will still be possible. Not looking forward to taking the cages apart and putting them back together, though! That is always an ordeal.

Critter Nation vs Ferret Nation

Midwest Dual Critter Nation

Midwest Dual Ferret Nation

I frequently see posts asking which is a better cage for rats: the Midwest Critter Nation or the Midwest Ferret Nation.

In most circumstances, my answer to this question would be the Critter Nation. There are only three differences between the cages:

1. Bar Spacing

The Critter Nation bar spacing is 1/2" vs the 1" bar spacing of the Ferret Nation. This means that the Critter Nation is safe for young rats and both female and male rats. The wider Ferret Nation bar spacing can allow young rats to escape, along with many female rats and some smaller male rats. Thus, the Critter Nation will be safe for all your present and future rat needs. If you only have large male rats, the Ferret Nation may meet your needs today, but in the future, when you get new rats, it may no longer be appropriate.

Of course, you can always modify the Ferret Nation with some hardware cloth, but this can be a pain and an eyesore. Still, if you are finding one cheap for sale second-hand, it may be worth it to buy it and modify it as needed.

One benefit of the wider bar spacing is that it is easy to pet your rats between the bars without opening the door to the cage. The 1/2" bar spacing of the Critter Nation is just too narrow to comfortably slip a finger into the cage.

2. Bar Direction

The Critter Nation bars are horizontal. This is an ideal setup for rats, as it makes climbing the cage walls easier. The Ferret Nation bars are vertical and so a little more difficult to climb.

3. Price

The Ferret Nation is often cheaper than the Critter Nation. However, especially when on sale, I have been noticing more and more that the price difference between the two is shrinking. For example, today, Ferret.com has the Ferret Nation on sale for $195.49 and the Critter Nation on sale for $203.99. That is less than a $10 difference. Of course, prices on these cages fluxuates greatly from moment to moment. If there is a big price difference between the two, rather than going with the cheaper Ferret Nation cage, I recommend waiting and monitoring prices. There is a good chance the Critter Nation price will come down to something closer to the Ferret Nation with time. Even if it does not, the Critter Nation is worth the price difference just for the fact that it will meet all of your needs today and in the future.

There is actually one other potential difference between the two - but only if buying used. The older Ferret Nation cage used to have a flat shelf/level rather than the ridged pan that they come with today. Some people really love the old style, whereas others like the lip on the new style for keeping raisins and debris inside the cage. Liners designed for the new style may not work on the old style levels and shelves. All Critter Nation cages have always been made in the new style.

Despite my affection for the Critter Nation, the Ferret Nation is still a really good cage. If you have the option to get one or the other, I recommend the Critter Nation. However, if you have the opportunity to get a good deal on the Ferret Nation and are aware of its limitations, it is still a really nice cage and your rats will love it, as long as you make sure they cannot escape from it.

The Fiesty Ferret

There is another cage that many often confuse with the Ferret Nation. It is the Preview Hendryx Feisty Ferret, pictured to the left.

The Feisty Ferret is similar to the Dual Ferret Nation in that it has two main levels and two shelves. It also has vertical bar spacing that is 7/8" (a little smaller than the Ferret Nation, but significantly wider than the Critter Nation).

The Feisty Ferret looks like it has fully opening doors, like the Ferret Nation and Critter Nation. However, in actuality, only the right hand door opens. The left side is not a door and is permanently closed. This means that cleaning will be a little more difficult.

The Feisty Ferret is also a little smaller than the Ferret Nation. It's shelves are not full 1/2 cage width shelves, like the Ferret Nation, but instead are slimmer and they have a hole cut out. This means that it will not have as much space for accessorizing. The shelf ramps are solid plastic instead of a metal ramp with bar rungs, which I believe are easier for rattie feet to grab on to. Finally, the middle level is not solid, but wire, and will need to be covered for safety reasons.The bottom tray actually slides out (not my favorite setup for rats, but nice for bird cages), which means there is another metal grid above the bottom tray that will need to be covered for safety. Finally, the construction on the Feisty Ferret seems to be weaker than the durable Ferret Nation cage.

Of course, the Feisty Ferret is quite a bit cheaper than the Ferret Nation, but I always recommend saving for the cage you really want, rather than saving a few bucks and then being frustrated by the limitations later. When buying used, be sure to know the difference between the Feisty Ferret and the Ferret Nation. I have heard of people passing off Feisty Ferrets for Ferret Nations on Craigslist (either intentionally or out of ignorance), and the Feisty Ferret is just not worth as much as the Ferret Nation - so make sure you know what you are getting when you buy used.

Christmas Cages

We had to make all new Christmas hammocks this year because our old sets were shredded and unsalvageable. This year, we went with all flannel prints. We needed three sets of hammocks - one for the CN, one for the Martin's, and one for when another set was in the wash.

I decided on three different prints - one for each set. The first, a basic red, white, and green pattern that was bright and modern. The second, a red and white candy cane design. The third, a more traditional old-fashioned gingerbread design.

I was worried that I wouldn't get them done on time, but yesterday, I finished off the last of the three sets, and today, both cages are decked out in holiday style.

Red, Green, and White Christmas

(this set was the first finished and was up last week):

 

The Gingerbread Cage

 

The Candy Cane Cage

(and Loki, looking out the door, wondering when Santa will be here)

 

 

The only thing special that I made this year was a new stocking for the ratties. I still have not mastered the art of making stockings, but this will do for this year.

I didn't do any special cage decorating this year - I just didn't have time to come up with ideas. I was too focused on getting the hammocks made. Hopefully, next year, we can think about some original decorating ideas.

Halloween Cages



Halloween is almost here and the rat cages are all decked out in spooky style. This week the pattern is full of Jack-o'-lanterns in the cemetery, combined with the new U-Haul furniture pad/fleece liners in shades of orange and black. The new liners are really nice so I am hoping they will do well controlling odor. So far, no chewing, but it is way too early to tell.

 

 

 

This is the alternate design: a Halloween town pattern with some bats, ghosts, pumpkins, and candy corn for variety. This design is a lot more colorful, pulling in the oranges, purples, greens, and a fluorescent yellow. The picture below was taken a few weeks ago when Pirate was still with us. Seeing him here doing well, it is hard to believe he will go downhill so quickly after this.

 

 

Loki gets Halloween hammocks as well. I've taken out his Zilla liners and put in fleece ones because I previously noticed a little blood coming from his penis area and I want to be able to easily see if he spots any more blood. I suspect he has a urinary tract infection (UTI) in addition to the respiratory infection we are treating him for. Perhaps the UTI is the immune stressor that triggered the respiratory infection. It is possible the UTI was caused by bacteria from his skin infection getting into the urethra. If so, that infection responded to Baytril and he is currently on Baytril for the respiratory infection, so it is possible both infections can be treated with one drug. Since a couple days after starting the Baytril, I haven't seen any more blood and I am hopeful that it is working. He has a recheck with the vet tomorrow, so we will know more at that time.

 

Loki is the only rat who really likes the cuddle cups. In this pic, he is in a cuddle cup from an old hammock set because I didn't finish the new cuddle cup by cage cleaning day. When I went to change out the old cuddle cup with the new one, he quickly snatched the old cup and dragged it into his litter box where he thinks I can't find it. So I let him keep it. Now he has two cuddle cups. I wonder how long it will be before one of them is moved into his cube. He seems to think his house should come complete with a sofa. He is a very particular rat and he doesn't like me messing with his stuff.

 

Tutorials for making the cuddle cup along with all the other hammocks shown in these pics can be found in the Hammock Tutorial section of the Ratropolis website.

Using the Martin's Rat Play Pen with Pan as a Quarantine Cage

We recently purchased a Martin's Rat Play Pen with Pan from Martin's Cages in Columbia, Pennsylvania. We hadn't considered buying one in the past because we always have had designated rat-safe areas of our home where the rats could come out and play. These areas work better for us, because we can be there with them and interact better. While the Martin's play pens allow you to sit inside when you raise the flip-top lid, the space is cramped and the rats can climb up the walls and out if the lid is raised.

So what changed our minds? We needed to get a new cage for quarantining new rat additions to our family. Loki, living alone, currently resides in the cage we otherwise have used for quarantine. A new cage is expensive - even the pet store cages suitable for rats are pricey. And if we were going to spend that much money, we would rather spend it on a quality cage. Midwest Critter Nation cages were out of the question, as that is simply too much for a cage that currently would only be used for a few weeks during quarantine. Se we looked at getting another Martin's cage.

But one problem with getting another Martin's cage just for quarantine is that it can't be easily assembled then disassembled - even if you put it together with zip-ties. Since we would be storing this cage after quarantine, having something collapsible for storage was ideal. That was when I really took note of the Martin's Rat Play Pen with Pan (some of the play pens do not come with a pan and simply sit on the ground - those would not have met our needs).

The play pen was actually a little cheaper than the smallest cage suitable for a pair of rats. It includes a pan similar to the pan their cages come with, and the pen is latched to the pan with spring hooks. It also includes a flip-top lid for putting the rats in and out. The entire pen collapses for easy storage.



Martins Rat Play Pen with Pan -
modified for use as a quarantine cage

It is not ideal for use as a cage, because it does not have levels and it does not have a cage door. However, Martin's accepts custom orders, and we found we could add a door for just $10 more. So we ordered one and attached a large shallow storage bin to on side as a second level. Not an ideal cage for every day, as there are some areas that are hard to reach through the door, but for a few weeks, it is just fine - and plenty spaceous as well. It is also nice that both sides of the top flip open, making it easy to pet a rattie through the top.

But what made ordering a play pen for quarantine really worth it?: when quarantine is over, we can use it for its intended purpose. A cage would just be stored away, but a play pen has future use.

Why would we want a play pen when our rats get out time in larger areas?

1. It can be set up outside. Sometimes we like to enjoy some nice weather out on the deck. Now we can bring the rats out with us, but keep them safe from predators and parasites and just getting lost, by using the play pen. The rats always seem to enjoy the smell of the fresh air, and the play pen makes it safer for us to let them come out every now and then.
2. It can be set up in any room of the house, carpeted or not, rat-safe or not. We can put them in the play pen for some play time while we are watching TV in the family room or having company in the living room. We can have them out in the play pen even when the dogs are around without having to be extra vigilant.
3. It can be used as neutral territory for introductions. Of course, this assumes it is has not been used for quarantine, or it is no longer neutral.

Jo in quarantine

It certainly doesn't replace true out-time with us, but it gives us more opportunities to take the rats out during times when we can't focus solely on them. It gives them a second environment to explore with toys that won't fit in their cage. And when we get more rats, we won't have to worry about investing in another quarantine cage if all of our traditional cages are in use.

Tips & Tricks - Use Zip Ties to Assemble a Martin's Cage

Martin's cages are quality cages, but once assembled, cannot be easily broken down and stored. They use metal C-rings to attach the panels, and these rings are not only somewhat tricky to install, they are difficult to remove.

We highly recommend storing the C-rings away, and assembling the cage using zip-ties instead. That way, if you put a panel on upside down or facing the wrong way, it is easy to fix. And when you no longer need the cage, you can simply cut the zipties, break down the cage, and store it away.

The zip ties are attractive and they are sturdy. Our Martin's R695 has been assembled this way for over a year and none of the 5 rats we have had have ever chewed through any of them.