What do you use?

What do you all use to house your rats? I've got a Martins R-680 and 690, a single unit Critter Nation, and a Super Pet. Ideally all of my cages would be Martins because the CN is difficult to clean, and the Super Pet is plastic.

How about bedding?

I use a converted storage tub.

Here's a pic

It comfortably houses 6 rats. I think it costs about $15 to make.
The thing I love most is that they can't kick out the bedding!

I use pine excelsior and shredded paper as rat litter. I also feed them in cardboard containers. Boxes, paper towel tubes, anything that I can close up and make them work for it! That eventually gets shredded and becomes bedding too.

I house mine in tubs as well and use Aspen bedding.

Rhasputin, that's a great idea about putting the food into boxes! I'm going to start doing that.

I've thought about using tubs before but couldn't find any good resources regarding doing so. This forum rocks.

Any rough estimate as to the dimensions of that tub? Is the lid cut out/wire too (I would assume so seeing as there's a hammock hanging)? How often do you clean? Just wondering about ventilation/ammonia build up.

Do you both breed?

thistlebrook wrote:I've thought about using tubs before but couldn't find any good resources regarding doing so. This forum rocks.

Any rough estimate as to the dimensions of that tub? Is the lid cut out/wire too (I would assume so seeing as there's a hammock hanging)? How often do you clean? Just wondering about ventilation/ammonia build up.

Do you both breed?

I don't breed rats. I only had a few litters, and now i just keep them as pets.
The lid is also cut out and replaces with wire, plenty of ventilation!
The tub is probably. . . 4 feet long ish by 18 inches deep ish by 2 feet high ish.

I clean it about once a month. It's so large, and holds so much litter, it really doesn't need too much regular cleaning.

Here's another photo. . .

My rats are pets that I breed, if that makes sense. I only have 6 rats(I had a few more, but, sadly, had to rehome them and some of my other animals right before moving in order to fit everything/everyone into the cars ). They're in 2 trios. One trio is a Hairless buck and 2 Hairless does. The other trio is a Rex buck and 2 Siamese does.

I keep each trio is a tub that's about 2' long and 20" wide. They get cleaned weekly.

My rats are in martins cages, right now I'm using 2 30x36x16 cages[former rabbit cages], and 4 24x18x18 cages[former chin cages] All but one have wire floors but they have blankies and thick maple braches to rest their feet, climb, and make nests.

I briefly tried keeping them in those plastic bottomed wire cages[critternation types]with all the shelves, but hated how dirty they got, spent more time cleaning than playing with the rats.

I use racks here. I breed rats and I like these because they are easy to feed/water and very quick to clean. They offer good ventilation and are a space saver. I sometimes give them houses and they all get chew wood/sticks.

Rats are in the biggest tubs. I don't use water bottles anymore.

Just realized I posted this in 'Rat Photos/Rat enclosures'.