What is the Best Rat Cage? Top Cages for Pet Rats Review for 2020
Inventive, sociable, and full of cute oddities for you to adore, rats can be fun to keep as your pets. Yet, as any other type of pets, rats depend on us for their well-being and happiness to a significant extent.
Buying the best rat cage is perhaps the single most important thing you can ever do for your pet rat. But despite how simple this task may appear, navigating through the variety of rat cages available today can be frustrating.
Since rats are meticulous about their habitat, the cage you pick for your critter has to be comfortable and secure. Furthermore, it must also lend itself to easy cleaning, be spacious, have good ventilation, and meet many other important criteria.
Sadly, many of the rat cages that you can find on the market today do not meet the above criteria. As a result, there is no shortage of rat cages that can turn your pet rat’s existence into a nightmare.
With the help of the guide below, you can learn more about the top rat cages on the market today. And find out which one of them can attend to the needs of your little friend the best and why.
Top 5 Pet Rat Cages
| ① MidWest Critter Nation Deluxe Rat Cage **TOP PICK** |  |
| ② Prevue Pet Products Rat Cage |  |
| ③ Kaytee Deluxe Multi-Level Home |  |
| ④ Kaytee My First Home Rat Habitat |  |
| ⑤ Ware Chew Proof Rat Cage |  |
① MidWest Critter Nation Deluxe Rat Cage
Made of coated metal and providing maximum play area for your pet’s entertainment, this cage is rather a rat castle. Finished in a gray quartz hammertone, this rat cage has a sharp-looking design that rests on a solid square-tubed frame.
The half-inch spacing in the cage’s sturdy metal wire keeps your little friend secure inside but allows for easy exploration. Inside the cage, there’s a full-width plastic pan floor connected to an elevated wide-expense comfort shelf by a ramp ladder.
Pros
- Plenty of room for toys, exercise wheels, and anything else for your pet’s entertainment.
- As your pet stays safe and cozy, you have ample access for feeding and cleaning.
- Effortless assembly, ease of use, and special space for food and accessories.
Cons
- The rat cage’s dimensions may seem bulky to some pet owners.
- Since this rat cage is top-quality, it is also rather high-priced.
② Prevue Pet Products Rat Cage
Suitable for pet rats, chinchillas, and other small animals, this cage has plenty of room for your pet to move. As the cage’s sturdy ramps and platforms keep your pet secure, its hammertone finish helps it blend in with décor.
The cage’s debris tray with a pull-out bottom grille with 3/4 inch wire spacing allow for quick and easy cleaning. And the special bottom shelf this rat cage has provides ample storage for your pet’s food, treats, and other supplies.
Pros
- Metal ramps and platforms along with small wire spacing keep your pet secure.
- The cage’s design allows for a quick and easy access to your pet, cleaning, and feeding.
- Thanks to its practical design, the cage has special space for pet accessories.
Cons
- Because of its wired ground base, the cage is uncomfortable for your pet.
- This rat cage is a relatively high-priced option.
③ Kaytee Deluxe Multi-Level Home
This multi-level rat cage can boast of having three shelves for your pet rat to explore. It also includes such special features as an extreme spiral slide, fluorescent ferretrail fun-nel, and crazy critter hammock.
Besides being portable, the cage features chew-proof latches along with its wire-base locking system, that help to secure your pet. The cage also includes a deep base that lends itself to quick and easy cleaning.
Pros
- The cage’s three levels along with its special features keep the pet entertained.
- Sturdy wire and plastic used in the design of this cage keep the pet secure inside it.
- Thanks to its design, the cage is both comfortable for your pet and easy for you to maintain.
Cons
- The cage’s 1 inch wire spacing doesn’t make it secure for smaller pet rats.
- The wiring used in this rat cage’s design can be rather frail.
④ Kaytee My First Home Rat Habitat
Being suitable for pet rats, hamsters, sugar gliders, gerbils, and other small pets, this cage features multiple levels. As the cage’s spacious comfort shelves keep your pet cozy, the cage’s chew-proof latches keep your pet secure.
The deeper base that the cage includes prevents bedding and litter from spilling and allows for easy cleaning. At the same time, the cage features a wide front door that makes it easy to access your little friend.
Pros
- The cage’s multi-level design makes it comfortable for the pet and keeps the pet entertained.
- The base is deep and easy to access, which makes cleaning and maintaining the cage rather simple.
- Including chew-proof latches and wire-base locking system, the cage provides relatively good level of security for your pet.
Cons
- The cage’s plastic components are thin and compromise your pet’s security.
- This cage is not spacious enough for toys.
⑤ Ware Chew Proof Rat Cage
Thanks to its rather straightforward design, the cage is simple to assemble and disassemble when needed. The wire cage is easy to attach to and detach from the drop pan.
The sturdy all-metal design helps to keep small pets relatively secure inside the cage. And the two large doors that the cage also features allow for easy access to your pet at any time.
Pros
- The cage’s simple straightforward design lends itself easy to cleaning and maintenance.
- Absence of any plastic components in the cage’s all-metal design make it durable enough to keep the pet secure.
- Thanks to its multi-level design, with multiple shelves and ramps, the pet can stay active.
Cons
- The wiring that makes up the wire cage is quite flimsy, which makes it fragile for chewers.
- The cage is not as spacious as its alternatives and doesn’t fit many toys at once.
What Rat Cage Can Be the Best Choice for Your Small Pet?
Among the best cages for rats above, the Critter Nation Deluxe cage by MidWest seems to stand out the most. Despite being a relatively high-priced option, it seems to encompass all the key features that make the best rat cage.
First and foremost, this cage has a thoughtful design that gives top priority to the needs of your small pet. Providing your critter with plenty of space for playing, climbing, and exploring, it ensures your pet stays active and healthy.
Furthermore, this cage gives your pet a sense of home, having a comfortable plastic ground base and room for hide-aways. It also keeps your mind at ease, since it has a sturdy built and is easy to clean and maintain.
But you don’t have to take anyone’s word for why Critter Nation Deluxe by MidWest is this guide’s recommended choice. You can see this cage’s merits for yourself at:
https://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/product/critter-nation-single-unit
Rat Cages Abound, But What Features Make the Best Ones?
The truth is, small pets spend most of their lives in cages, depending on them for comfort, security, and happiness. As a result, the rat cages we choose for our little friends determine their well-being to a significant extent.
What key features does a rat cage need to have in order to make your small pet feel content? At the very minimum, its design must take the following considerations into account, to satisfy both you and your pet:
- Size The more spacious a rat cage is, the more room it has for the pet to stay active and explore. Since rats and other small pets are very active creatures, compelling them to smaller cages takes away from their happiness.
- Ventilation Rats and other small pets have sensitive respiratory organs that can become easily irritated by excessive ammonia and air pollutants. As a result, the cages that have poor ventilation have a significant impact on the pet’s respiratory health and well-being.
- Accessibility A good rat cage must be easy to clean and maintain and provide you with ample access to your pet. To facilitate this, the cage’s door must be full-width, and the cage itself must be easy to assemble and disassemble.
- Design The rat cage must have a full-width plastic base, because wire grating can significantly damage the small pet’s tiny feet. For the same reason, the rat cage’s shelves and ramps must have a non-slippery surface with good traction as well.
- Built Opt for the cages with 1/4 inch wire spacing for small rats and 1/2 inch wire spacing for adult rats. Sturdy materials used for the cage’s wire and latches don’t hurt either, since rodents are universally known for their ingenuity.
- Portability Give priority to rat cages that have wheels and that you can easily move around the house whenever you need. Besides this, rat cages with dedicated space for all your pet’s food, toys, and accessories have more usability as well.
Rat cages that encompass the above-mentioned features can be hard to find and almost always come at a high price. Because of this, many owners of small pets are not willing to walk an extra mile for their little friends.
Yet, choosing to invest your effort, time, and money into finding and buying the right rat cage has its merits. And as a matter of fact, some of them benefit the small pets owners as much as their little friends.
Why Bother Choosing the Right Rat Cage for Your Small Pet?
Investing into a well-designed top-quality rat cage, such as Critter Nation Deluxe by MidWest Homes for Pets, means:
- Your pet stays active and has fun A spacious rat cage can fit in a variety of toys at once: from a tunnel to a digging box. With space for play area not being a limitation, your little friend can enjoy playing with many toys non-stop. The more joy your pet gets, the happier he or she is.
- You get your peace of mind Rat cages made of sturdy materials and with a thought-out design, prevent a lot of anxiety. Keeping the pet securely inside, they allow you not to worry about your little friend when you are being away. As your pet stays safe, you remain worry-free.
- Your pet stays healthy A rat cage with good ventilation safeguards your pet’s respiratory system and prevents lack of oxygen from occurring. With more fresh air and less air contaminants, your pet can enjoy life more. And be bothered by being in the cage much less.
- You have less maintenance to do With high-quality rat cages, cleaning after your pet is easy and feels a lot less like a chore. Thanks to their accessibility, you can maintain them faster and with less effort. Spending less time cleaning, you get to enjoy more time with your little friend.
- Your pet stays injury-free Top-quality rat cages minimize the risk of your little friend suffering from an injury. An even full-width plastic floor protects your pet’s feet from overuse injuries. And the ramps and shelves with non-slippery surface allow your pet to explore safely.
- You can move the cage freely Low-quality rat cages are awkward and leave you with few options for their placement. On the contrary, high-quality cages are portable, allowing you to move them around as you want. They also keep your pet’s food and accessories all in one place.
Our little friends differ from us but not to a significant extent. Just like us, they can suffer from anxiety caused by crowded spaces and depression resulting from lack of joy and adventure. Similar to us, our small pets can develop serious health issues if they face lack of fresh air and movement.
Luckily, though, your little friend has a responsible owner, who has made the effort to learn more about rat cages. Hopefully, the above information will help you to weigh the options for a rat cage for your pet. And get your little friend the best rat cage there is.
