This page is to help you find the best cage possible for your rats! On it I will mention the two cages that I have considered buying and the pros and cons of them.

I feel it is important to mention the significance of the CAGE as part of your shopping list for your new pets as it is where they will be expected to live, so as much space as possible should be given to them and if possible the space should be filled with toys to make it interesting space!. Another reason I feel rats disserve lots of space is because everyone is guilty of missing the odd play time/ handling session and if your rat is in a large cage it will be able to get some of that exercise anyway! 

Although saying this there are some occasion as with elderly rats where large cages with big drops are not as suitable.

Terenziani cages from Italy. 

These cage are from Italy and quite hard to get hold of in the U.K. however I have found a link to a site that has suppliers of these cages in the U.K. I didn't end up buying this cage as I couldn't find where to get one from and I only found the site above when it was too late. These cages cost approx £ 50- 80.

Pros of these cages........

• Comes in a range of different models the ones being suitable for rats are the Cariova, Michelangelo and the Moore.
• Opens from the top and the side.

Cons of these cages ........

• They have wire floors through out, which is bad for rats to continuously stand on so the bottom floor has to either be covered with lino or the wire removed.
• Very hard to get hold off !!!

Links for these cages ......

The Terenziani web site- Offers there cage ranges with colour photos.

Rat planet web site- Has a list of suppliers of the Terenziani cages in the U.K. and more information about them. This page is also a rehoming directory.

The Superpet , Ferretrail, 4 storey.

This cage is from America and again isn't that widely available. I bought this cage as it was available locally and there for can make more of a comment on it. This cage cost from £105 - 160.

Pros of this cage .......

• It comes with a stand.
• Its interesting for the rats as it has a tunnel system.                                           
• Your can move the levels and ladders around.
• Is aesthetically pleasing and comes in a number of colours such as purple, pink and green.                                                                                                             
• Comes with a guarantee !

Cons of this cage .......

• Takes AGES to clean out !!! (just under an hour!)
• Only has one door so not good if your rats are not tame and don't come to the door on there own.
• Bars too wide for baby rats !!!
• Its quite hard to put together as it comes flat packed.
• Plastic will probably get brittle with age.

Links for this cage .......

The Super pet Homepage- Offers the whole range of Supper pet, pet care products and cages.

Home made cages/ custom made cages.

I have never made my own cage however I have been informed that it a cheap (approx £30 -40) and effective way off getting what you want, although it does sound a tad time consuming and obviously isn't an option for someone with no DIY skills.

Another option is to get someone else to make a cage for you! below I have included links to one such person, a site of a supplier of materials and also a website of ideas on how to make cages yourself- Hope this is of use to anyone who fancies a challenge!

Rex Rat- Instructions  on how to make a rat cage.

The Cosmic Squeak cage page- Cages made from around £45 and are made by Simon Dalley.

Paul Spooners Chinchilla and equipment site- go here for materials!

Its seems very hard to buy a perfect rat cage !!! There probably isn't one, bearing in mind that it must be both rat and owner friendly but the above are probably the best I've seen. They only way to get a perfect cage is to  make one which can be just as expensive and would almost certainly have to be made from wood, which has its own disadvantages.

Lastly I would like to say that  if anyone has either of these cages (but espesially the Tereziani) and would like me to add comments or feels I have commented wrongly then please email me and I  will update this page.

I would also like a photo of one of the Tereziani cages, to use on this page. It would be very much appreciated.

Em.

                              Last updated 24th December 2001.

 All photo's and some art work are produced by me, unless stated otherwise. Please do not take any of my art work or photos as allot of work has gone into them. If you do wish to use some of my art/gifs/photos then please email me for permission first.

Copyright Podels 2001-2002.

Disclaimer = I do not claim to be an authority on rodents or rats and any information on this page is just opinions and advice and is by no means a substitute for good books or veterinary advice.  All the toys on the toys page are just ideas and may not have been tried out so it is up to you to implement them and judge there safety.