I Just Ordered My Very First Martin's Cage!!! *IT'S HERE!!*

[star2]

I'm so excited!!  I just ordered it and since I had to use my mother's credit card she was like "Is this was you really want to spend your money on...?"  I was like are you kidding of course!!!  I've been wanting to do this for two and a half years!! 
Anyways!!  A few quick questions:

1. Do you recommend I cover the shelves/ramps?  If so, what do you find works the best?

2. What are the zip ties that I should use to put the cage together (instead of the C-rings); and where might I find these "zip ties"? 

Um I think that's it!!  Sorry if this doesn't make sense, I'm very excited/overtired hehe not a good combo...

[aphoeniceus]

I remember when I got my first martin's cage, I was so excited!  lol, anyway what kind of martin's did you get?  The best way to set up the cage is using cable ties.  You can get those at any hardware store.  Personally, I like the small cable ties because they make the cage more stable.  Also, I cover the floors with linoleum that I bought at the dollar store and I love them.  I have tried cloth but the boys just want to play with it.  If you leave the floors bare and your rats are toilet trained, it makes the cage stink up pretty good.  So I would recommend linoleum floors. Hope this helped

[Adventure Rats]

YAY!!! Congrats I too was very excited about my first Martin's, as a matter of fact I have quite a few and still get excited if I get new one.

I use the C-rings to put mine together, but I have quite a few chewers who would be more then happy to take the cage apart for me. If you do use them, I agree on getting the littlest ones, they hold the cage tighter together. I use fleece on my shelves and safety pin in down. The rats love to sleep on the fleece shelves. If you use a solid flooring you'll need to wipe them down every day. If they pee on the floors and stand in it, that's a good way to get bumble foot.

I would suggest laying out the cage and take your time. You'll be kicking yourself in the butt if you do it wrong *speaks from personal experience*. I like to have a picture of the cage in front of me.

Which cage did you get? I can't wait to see pics.

[star2]

Which cage did you get? I can't wait to see pics.

I got the R-670 Rat Cabin.  Maybe I'll just buy scraps of fleece from a fabric store cuz they often have the scrap bin for really cheap.  How often do you replace/wash it usually?

[Ratwings]

Maybe I'll just buy scraps of fleece from a fabric store cuz they often have the scrap bin for really cheap.  How often do you replace/wash it usually?

As often as it needs it.   Some rats are neater than others... my girls have not understood the concept of peeing OUTSIDE of their igloo... so their fabric is usually saturated and STINKY within a day or two.   And nomatter how much fabric I try to put in their cage to line their shelves, it all ends up in their igloo.

[Poohbear]

I use plastic needlepoint canvas to cover the floors--I don't bother with the ramps.  The needlepoint canvas is cheap and when they pee on it, the urine drops down to the first floor.

I put my cage together with the c-rings since my boys tend to be chewers.  If you decide to use the c-rings, you may want to order this:

http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/sup-110.jpg

Makes clamping those c-rings a heck of a lot easier than the cheesey pliers they supply you with.

Enjoy you new cage!

Julie

[Adventure Rats]

Maybe I'll just buy scraps of fleece from a fabric store cuz they often have the scrap bin for really cheap.  How often do you replace/wash it usually?

As often as it needs it.   Some rats are neater than others... my girls have not understood the concept of peeing OUTSIDE of their igloo... so their fabric is usually saturated and STINKY within a day or two.   And nomatter how much fabric I try to put in their cage to line their shelves, it all ends up in their igloo.

That's why I safety pin the fleece to the outside of the cage. I change mine when needed, a few of my boys like to stink up their fleece as fast as possible and other love it so much it's almost perfect besides a few lab block crumbs on them.

I use plastic needlepoint canvas to cover the floors--I don't bother with the ramps.  The needlepoint canvas is cheap and when they pee on it, the urine drops down to the first floor.

I put my cage together with the c-rings since my boys tend to be chewers.  If you decide to use the c-rings, you may want to order this:

http://www.martinscages.com/images/full/sup-110.jpg

Makes clamping those c-rings a heck of a lot easier than the cheesey pliers they supply you with.

Enjoy you new cage!

Julie

Best $15 I've ever spent, now I need to get the ones that take the c-rings off!!

[Rattiemama]

I'm in the same boat! I ordered mine a while ago and they've been on back order. I was thinking about trying the vinyl tile method and seeing how it went. I'm trying to get them to use a litterpan . . . we'll see how that goes. If the tiles end up being too much pee for them to walk around in, I was going to try the needlepoint stuff. I would do fleece, but we have coin op laundry here, and I couldn't rationalize doing a half load to wash their stuff when it costs me over three dollars a load. I also can't immagine letting rat pee soaked fleece sit in a hamper for over a week, so . . . I'm hoping the vinyl tile will work.

[trubandloki]

I also can't immagine letting rat pee soaked fleece sit in a hamper for over a week, so . . . I'm hoping the vinyl tile will work.

I purchased one of those tote containers with the lid that snaps on (no it is not air tight, but it better than the hamper) and kept all the rat laundry in there until it's time to be washed.  It worked great.

[Rattiemama]

I also can't immagine letting rat pee soaked fleece sit in a hamper for over a week, so . . . I'm hoping the vinyl tile will work.

I purchased one of those tote containers with the lid that snaps on (no it is not air tight, but it better than the hamper) and kept all the rat laundry in there until it's time to be washed.  It worked great.

Good idea. Does the inside get all permanently stinky? Do you wash out the plastic tote? What do you use? Sorry to hijack the thread and as so many questions . . . but hopefully my questions are helping Star2 too.

[trubandloki]

Good idea. Does the inside get all permanently stinky? Do you wash out the plastic tote? What do you use? Sorry to hijack the thread and as so many questions . . . but hopefully my questions are helping Star2 too.

I tried to find a link to a photo of the one we bought, but could not find it.  I think it is simply a Sterlite brand (not at home, can not check) with two snap latches on the lid and a handle in the middle....

I do suppose the plastic does get permanently stinky.  I know when I open it to do laundry it is not 'nice' smelling in there.  I simply remove the dirty stuff and close the lid back up.  It is not repulsive or anything.

We only had the tote in use for five months, so other than rinsing it with water a couple of times, it did not get cleaned (I do not have any rats right this minute).  After it was done with rat service it was washed with bleach and seems to be fine (it has dog toys stashed in it).

I will do it this way again when I get my next ratties.

Before the tote we simply carried the rat laundry to the basement on a daily basis and it piled in a basket near the washer.  I did not notice the basement ever smelling rat like.  It only smelled basement like  .

[Rattiemama]

Thanks! I'll talk to Future Hubby about that. It sounds like a good solution to the stinky rat laundry problem. Hope it helped you too Star!

[star2]

It came it came it came!!  I ran out to the store and bought cable ties (I could only find clear ones.  Black would've looked better but I'm too excited to care!) and then I put it together using twist ties first and then I replaced the twist ties with the cable ties.  *Squeal*
After I decorate the cage will be ready for Aggie's two friends...I still have to figure out how I'm going to pick them up....*PM's TheChicagoCrew*

[Cricket]

Yay! Congratzy!

I'm glad you got it so soon - I was always under the impression Martin's was booked from here to 2020, and it took weeks on cages; 2 days insn't too bad!

Good luck decorating! Pictures, pictures!

[Adventure Rats]

YAY!!! Isn't it a GREAT cage??? I can't wait to see pics of it set up and with the new babies in it!!!

[Rattiemama]

I'm so glad you've got yours! I can't wait to see some pictures of the ratties enjoying it. I'm so jealous. They still haven't even shipped mine and it's been a month since I ordered! We want decorating pics and happy rat pics!

[star2]

Today I went to the pet store and they had tons of clearance fleece ferret hammocks so I got a really nice one for $3!  I also got this macrame (sp?) hanging ladder for them to climb on.  And I went through my recycling bin and grabbed a couple boxes.  And I bought a huge water bottle since there will be three thirsty girlies.  (I'll move the smaller water bottle that's in Aggie's guinea pig cage currently into the new cage once they all live together.  Then they can have one on the top shelf too!)
*sighs happily* I love decorating.  I wanted to buy one of those waffle houses that many of you have.  Out of the colorful waffle-ish pieces but I had to watch my budget!   Maybe for Christmas.  Or a "CongRATS-on-your-new-friends-Aggie" present....