warning about Martin's cages

[RKEM]

I have found out this weekend that my wee one-eyed girl can somehow partially unhook the door of the Martin's and squeeze out.

Two weekends ago I came home after a 48h absence to find her on top of the cage instead of inside the cage 

At the time I saw the one clip undone and figured it was my mistake and that I had failed to close it properly.

Now last Friday when I left I checked and re-checked to make sure it was hooked properly.

Well lo and behold, I come home yesterday and find that only Watson is in the cage. PaiMei is nowhere to be found and that same hook is yet again undone 

After recuperating from my near heart-attack I went in search of her and found the little bugger snoozing away in a giant toilet paper nest on my towel shelf. I think she went in there because during playtime she climbs up to the sink (which is always leaking) and gets a drink there so she probably elected that place because of the source of water. Heck, she even used the bathroom litter pan.

She didn't seem that hungry so she probably wasn't out much. I'm just amazed that the only damage was a towel and a roll of toilet paper. She could have done so much worse 

Anyway, I just wanted to warn you guys ... if my little barely 250g girl can unhook it (and from what I can see its not damaged of anything), bigger males or females might also be able to do it.

In the meantime (the Martins is just the quarantaine cage) I've doubled all the zip ties (who knows what she will think of next) and added a lock to the door. A lock that requires a key to open. She seemed rather pissed of when she noticed the lock and kept pulling at it. Little furry hellion 

If she escapes again, I'm renaming her Houdini 

[taku]

LOL smart little girlie!!! You ruined her secret free time with the toilet paper, Mommy!! I already have to ziplock Gandolf's cage when I'm gone. He free roams while we're here, but he already knows how to unlatch two cages.
 Splinter watches me intently while I'm unlatching his...
 Evolutionary brain changes..perhaps???

[scout]

I would guess you either have defective latches or a super strong rat! I have half a dozen Martin's cages and there is no way any of my rats could undo the latches. They're just not that strong and can't get the leverage to open them.

I do have a couple of girls that figured out how to squeeze between the door and the wall of the cage, however. Now I add one of the spring hooks to the center of the door to keep them from doing that.

[Sunilata]

Wow, you leave them alone for 48 hours at a stretch? If I were you (in case you haven't triply locked the door - which I'm sure you have) I'd put out a dish of food and water for her, just in case she gets out Friday evening.

[angelratgirl]

i actually came up with a very very simple solution a year or so ago for a friend who had the same problem. and suprise! martins sells these too. (Supplies Section - Mini Clamp, Pack of 5 (SUP-145))

you have to take the rubber tip off the ends and bend the tip but it is very easily accomplished. and not only do you have a rat proof door clamp, (you can put two on each door for the very sneaky rats) but it also makes it much easier for you to access their cage when you have the urge to snuggle.

[Kati33]

My rats can't get out, but my dogs can get in! Asher quickly learned how to open the rat cage to eat their food (she would never harm the rats, but loves to eat!) So I have clips on the doors, just simple ones from Walmart like the kind on the end of dog leashes. Works like a charm.

[kim]

Wow, you leave them alone for 48 hours at a stretch?

rats do perfectly fine left alone for 48 hours, with proper precautions taken.

[jorats]

How about putting a couple of latch springs on the door as well? She may not be able to get that opened?

[RKEM]

I've been doing the whole "leaving for 48 hours" for years. Basically I leave around 6PM on Friday and get back sometime in the afternoon on Sunday. They have enough food for two weeks in the cage along with a minimum of two water bottles (in case one of them malfuctions). And they are kept in a cage that can hold 3 times the number of rats currently in it so they have space and tons of toys to play and romp.

But now the Martin's cage has small lock (the ones on suitcases) on it so she can't squeeze between the door and the cage frame or unhook the latch. I really have no clue how she does it though and is the first rat I've ever seen doing that and she is the fifth rat to spend her quarantaine in there.

Good thing its only a temp cage. The Monkey Motel has very good locking mechanisms.

[Sunilata]

Wow, you leave them alone for 48 hours at a stretch?

rats do perfectly fine left alone for 48 hours, with proper precautions taken.

Wow, glad to hear it. It just seemed way too long to me - I'm going back to college next year and was trying to work around weekends.

[Ratwings]

Wow, that's really impressive!  I'm just hoping my rats don't start getting any ideas...

[Tracy]

Yeah, my rats weren't the brightest. Plus if they got out, how would they get back to the yummy goodies inside.
Anyways, here's a short film with rats escaping from a Martins. http://www.zilberhere.com/ratcam/
The rest of the videos are pretty cute too.
You need Real Player to see the video.

Tracy

[bluerattyrat]

My rat Sqeaky (RIP) figured out how to get in and out of his cage by pushing the door up and jiggling it.  I finally gave up keeping him in a cage because he always got out of everything I put him in.  He was a good rat though, and very smart.  I taught him where not to go in the house, and after a while he slept in my arms every night.  He would climb the covers on the foot of the bed, and scurry under the covers past my 100+ pound dog to me where he would lay down and sleep. 

Now, I have another rat named Snuggles who has recently learned how to open his cage when its unlatched.  The other day he would not take his meds and I looked him in the eye and told him off for trying to get out of taking them and he jumped down, ran to his cage, opened the door and ran into his house to pout.  What a spoiled little rat!  I was laughing really hard when I went to say sorry for upsetting him and he started licking my hand.  I know he doesn't try to be a pain in the neck whenever the vet gives him meds, but sometimes he gets carried away.  I love him to death though!   

I can definately see how your rat learned to get out, rats are very smart.  Way smarter than most people think.  I have been impressed many times by the things my rats do.   

[Ratty Corner]

I keep posting this link around because I love it so much. Just watch the first video on this page: http://www.zilberhere.com/ratcam/

[RKEM]

Yeah, my rats weren't the brightest. Plus if they got out, how would they get back to the yummy goodies inside.
Anyways, here's a short film with rats escaping from a Martins. http://www.zilberhere.com/ratcam/
The rest of the videos are pretty cute too.
You need Real Player to see the video.

Tracy

Wow, very interesting video. At least now I know how she might have done it. When I came home after having put a lock, the hooks were yet again undone and the only thing holding the door was the luggage lock.

[pigsandrats]

I keep posting this link around because I love it so much. Just watch the first video on this page: http://www.zilberhere.com/ratcam/

It won't play for me. 

[Auntie Crazy]

Wow, very interesting video. At least now I know how she might have done it. When I came home after having put a lock, the hooks were yet again undone and the only thing holding the door was the luggage lock.

Amazing. And too funny! 

[RKEM]

I think someone should send that video to Martin's Cages. They might want to re-think their locking mechanism, at least for rats.

[Tracy]

I think you got special deterimined rats

I used to leave half the door unhinged and my guys never tried to escape. That would require effort. And moving OUT of the hammock.  They only did that for Nutristat and Yoplait brand yogurt.

Even the budgies (also in a martins) don't come out until I open the door wide open. That means come out, mingle, wriggle into the cockatiel cage, freak out the tiels, take a bath in the tiel water and at 9pm, wriggle out, and waddle back to home cage and wait for mom to shut the door

[angelratgirl]

I think someone should send that video to Martin's Cages. They might want to re-think their locking mechanism, at least for rats.

ok, i did

me:
hi diane,
on my favorite rat forum, we have been discussing your cage latches. now they work perfectly fine for me but every so often a rat will be determined to come out of someone's cage. well, one person found a video of how they do it... (and the link was added here)

reply:
Thank you for sharing the video with us.  What a smart rat!  As much as I hated to see she was smart enough to open the latch I just enjoyed watching her very much.  That video was amazing.  I had to share it with all our crew.  Thank you!
 
Most pets can't open those latches.  If there's not enough tension on the latch you can pull the latch toward you which places more tension on the latch and makes it harder to pull from the inside. 
 
We did have a prairie dog that was able to open the latches no matter how much tension we put on the latch.  If more tension doesn't work the mini clamps are a good idea.  You can also use the springs ( same springs that hold the pan to the cage ).   A snap latch will also work ( snap latch is the type of latch on the end of a dog leash ).
 
Again, thanks so much!  I'm sorry Perl was able to get out of her cage but she sure was a treat to watch!  Little escape artist!
 
Diana Martin
Martin's Cages, Inc.

[mamarat2]

My sweet Einstein ~rip~ rat used to be able to let herself out of the martins r-695 cage, just used to unhook one of the hooks and run out.  Nobody else would follow but we'd always find her cuddled up and sleeping in the middle of OUR bed!!!!  little bugger!