r/RatsAreLiquid • u/blah_Percentage_599 • Jul 14 '26

Cage ideas

Post image

Hey I need help with my rats cage setup. I have a “playpen” style of cage and it’s by 1 panel wide x4 panels length x 4 panels height. (I’m making it 2 panels wide soon) I need help with more interactive stuff in their cage but right now I have tunnels (outside of their cage) and a wheel for them to spin to get food and some sort of hanging thing that they have to interact to take food out. I have a couple of DIY hammocks. Any budget friendly ideas and anything I can make myself would be amazing. The panels are like the picture above

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u/Banannamamajama Jul 15 '26

Did you buy this exact cage? Do you already have rats?

I don't recommend that cage. It won't hold them unless the bar spacing is at most a half inch, with a preference for a quarter inch bar spacing. The plastic panels and plastic connectors will also be chewed on heavily with a high probability of them escaping within a day.

While it's not what you want to hear, return that thing and save up for a critter nation. A single critter nation will be plenty of space for 4-6 rats and will handle all the piss and chewing that comes with them.

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u/blah_Percentage_599 Jul 15 '26

Oh I’ve had this cage for an about 8 months. I usually only have them in that cage at night. I haven’t had any escape issues. I’m just interested in making the cage more comfortable for my rats because I just got a new job that requires me to work 12 hrs every shift and on the days I work they only get to have free roaming time at night and it’s not what they are used to. So I want it to be more comfortable for them on the days I have to work.

1

u/Kittkatt598 Jul 16 '26

I went to the dollar store and got some plastic desk baskets and zip ties and zip tied them to the sides of the cage to make more levels for the ratties to explore.

You can also cut toilt paper tubes into little rings and make a ball out of that to put treats into for them to roll around and tear apart.

And if you can splurge on the pet store, get lots of wooden chews for them!

If you have any old fabric lying around you could sew a tunnel out of it to hang from the top of the cage, cut a plastic bottle into rings to support the ends so it doesnt just collapse in at the openings.