# Is this rat cage size info correct?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-rat-cage-size-info-correct/739746>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 7, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-rat-cage-size-info-correct/739746 "2015-12-07T22:18:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-rat-cage-size-info-correct/739746/1 "2015-12-07T22:18:12Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> You will need a cage that provides at least two cubic feet of space per rat, with an additional 2 cubic feet for each additional rat in the habitat. This means for two rats, you should ideally be looking for a cage that provides four cubic feet of space.

For all you rat owners, is the above correct?

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-rat-cage-size-info-correct/739746/2 "2015-12-08T00:07:29Z")

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Looks like you got it [from this page](http://www.northstarrescue.org/pet-care-information/pet-rat-care/138-a-guide-to-pet-rat-cages)? I couldn’t visualize the sizes, so I had to look it up.

Are you wondering if those cages are too big or too small? I would say the images are about right for a typical rat cage. As I said in the other thread, I think wheels are pointless for rats as long as you let them run around outside and thus it’s just wasting cage real estate. You could even go bigger. The first two on the page are tiny.

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**Author:** ![Stealth\_Bragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Stealth\_Bragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Bragg)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-rat-cage-size-info-correct/739746/3 "2015-12-08T13:05:23Z")

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I would also say the first two on that page are way too small. As rats get older they don’t like to climb so much so I always bought longer, wider cages rather than tall ones. Put in some tubes and shelves around the perimeter (cable tied to the cage) and a rope or hammock across the middle and they’ll be happy bunnies, errr, ratties.

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**Author:** ![Brodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-rat-cage-size-info-correct/739746/4 "2015-12-08T14:06:28Z")

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> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> Looks like you got it [from this page](http://www.northstarrescue.org/pet-care-information/pet-rat-care/138-a-guide-to-pet-rat-cages)? I couldn’t visualize the sizes, so I had to look it up.
> 
> Are you wondering if those cages are too big or too small? I would say the images are about right for a typical rat cage. As I said in the other thread, I think wheels are pointless for rats as long as you let them run around outside and thus it’s just wasting cage real estate. You could even go bigger. The first two on the page are tiny.

Not that one, but I did look at it.

I’m going to, hopefully, get my next two rats from a breeder and am just a little paranoid that everything be “right” so I don’t get rejected from the start.  
I also have limited space and am trying to find something that they will be comfortable in, but it isn’t the empire state building.