I'm hoping to be a Rat owner very soon! 
But I'd like to get a cage all set up and ready first!
 

Sure I'm sold on the Martin's cages now. They look good.

Was considering the R-690 Tower...

would that be a good choice for two baby rats?

I have a couple of questionsfor everyone with Martins cages..
and I'm sorry if they're dumb,silly or stupid 
I originally wanted the 695, but have now decided I want the Rudd 699.
So these questions pertain to that.
First, how the heck do you use the pins that close the doors? they look terribly confusing to me 
Second, Are there two different types of closure pins? I see one regular and one with springs?
Is one better than the other? Or do you use both?
3rd how steep are the ramps? they look pretty steep to me in some photos, and in others they don't 

I sent them an email and asked the some questions also, I couldn't seem to find the info on.
Like, originally what are the door dimensions?
I want them bigger, not sure how big though, maybe 12'? For a wheel to fit, as some have suggested.
12" look huge to me though too  But, I also want to clean it easily  I also don't want 3 doors, just 2 larger
doors, spaced evenly apart i nthe center. One tword, the top, one near the bottom.
And I also asked about a sliding bottom pan, rather than the lift out one. I don't think I really want to be lifting
this thing up once a week to get the bottom off.
Heck, I could have a flat floor too! The girls are all litter trained, so the base isn't even totally necessary.
Then I asked them how much all of that would cost, if it could be done..inclusing powder coating.
I think I'm gonna go broke. Good thing I'm getting a good tax refund 

Thanks for your time and help fellow rattie lovers
 

Check into having the F-475 (a ferret cage) modified with rat-sized wire. They now do it in powdercoated as well as the original PVC-coated wire. I got this cage a few years back and it's fabulous, and seems to fit a lot of your specifications already.

Thanks you, I didn't even look at the ferret cages 
I do like that cage, but it's not as big 

Ruud: 30x18x60 = 32,400 square inches
F-475: 30x24x48 = 34,560 square inches

The F-475 is deeper, giving it extra space.. I personally love all the floor space the cage has, versus all the narrow ramps and ledges, but to each his own!

That sounds great! Which leads me to another question...How can we add them together if they're
different widths and depths?  Or will they customize that also?   

Nice! I'll check those out as well! Thanks so much!

I just set up my 690 this evening. I wish I had read about the misleading size of the "Hi Rise" as I bought that one first and had to exchange it. The person I spoke to at Martins was very helpful. I do have a question about set up.
My hands are throbbing from closing the "c clamps" with the pliers they provided. There must be an easier way to get the clamps properly closed. I am also a bit concerned about the clamps on the balcony and ramps, as they seem like they could injure a rats foot. Any advice?
I will be bringing home my first ever ratties in two weeks! 

Actually, the Summary for the 670 is grossly exaggerated:


Personally, I think most people seem to agree that even 2 females is almost too many for that cage, especially once any hammocks, igloos, toys, and a food dish are involved.

As of right now, I'm in the process of buying a cage for my future rats, and I recently stumbled across Martin's Cages. I plan on getting two male rats, assuming I can ever find a breeder, and am currently trying to decide between the The Rat Tower (R-690) and the The Rat Skyscraper (R-695). I'll be moving to a fairly small apartment prior to getting the cage, so that's a consideration: I'll also be moving to another state within the next five year, so the cage either needs to be sturdy enough to move built, or break-down-able. Another factor is my other pets: I plan on fostering for the local shelter, so I'll probably have cats/dogs, and I currently am a bunnymom.

With this in mind, what cage would you suggest?

I agree that the 695 is great...when you put it together, use strong zip ties instead of the metal C-rings they give you...you can just clip them off and re-do them if they get filthy, or if you want to break down the cage to move.

They seem to be putting bigger doors on now as a standard thing, so it might fit.  You can also put the wheel in the pan, and then just put the cage on top of the wheel.  The best option is to get the 695 with the flip top, then you can just open the top to clean and put the wheel in and such.

Just a note for anyone reading this considering a Martin's...the 690 has been renovated.  I just bought one on the 3rd of July, and the ramps are not NEAR as steep as they used to be.  The doors are also much larger.  Here's the new version...



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