CAGE CALCULATOR - UK Calculator now included!!

[Dearpie]

Although this is already listed in the Internet Resources in the Reference Desk, apparently a lot of people don't know where to find it.  So I've made it easy to determine how many rats fit into a cage:

Cage Calculator

Please use it wisely and often when trying to figure out how many rats fit into your existing cage, or when you're shopping for a cage.

Thank you.

[Standingonthefringes]

Is it just me, or has the cage calculator stopped working? :x

[Dearpie]

It's you.  It works fine for me.

[lilly123]

it doesnt work for me either

[Ratty Corner]

It worked for me, but took a little while before it would take input.

I have a javascript (now perl cgi) version at http://www.rattycorner.com/odds/calc.shtml - it makes the same calculation. There's also one somewhere that takes the shelf area into account but I can't remember where.

[Dearpie]

Here's another webpage that ALL UK folks should have bookmarked!!!

http://health.ratzrus.co.uk/cagecalc/index.htm

You can actually put in the name/size of the cage, and it does the work for you!!

[Phalaeo]

Here's one that works in both English and Metric measurements.

http://www.huskyrat.co.uk/aboutrats/cagecalc.html

[BaraLahatiel]

I wanted to add a comparison about the calculators that might help people who don't know which one to use.
-----
According to the rattycorner calculator, my new Martins cage (24Wx14Dx60H) can hold 5 rats. According to the UK Fancy Rats calculator, it can hold 5.83 rats (so nearly 6). According to the ratzrus calculator, with levels taken into consideration, it can hold 5 or 6 maximum.

But, according to the rattycorner calculator, my 34Wx22Dx19H cage can hold up to 4 rats. And on the UK Fancy Rats calculator, it says 4 rats as well. However, the same cage, according to the ratzrus calculator, can only hold 2 because it only has 1 small shelf and the bottom floor space.

So it's height isn't really much of a factor. You can have a seriously tall cage and it could say you can keep 10 rats in it, but if you have only 1 shelf and the floor space, that isn't a realistic number. It's all about the wise use of space and floor area.

[Shrelana]

I can never get it to work either...:S

[Dearpie]

It takes a little bit for the program to load.  Then the first thing you do is click "New Cage".   Then the boxes come up for you to put the dimensions in, for it to calculate for you. 

[ratface]

Hope I'm allowed to mention it on here, but there's also a great cage calculator on www.fancy-rats.co.uk

[Emiko]

Hi

I'm not a great fan of those cage calculators. Dearpie already mentioned to use it "wisely"  which I think is very important: Please don't regard this calculator as the non plus ultra. If the calculator tells you that you can keep (for example) five rats in your cage, it doesn't automatically mean that the cage is big enough, because what the cage-calculator doesn't consider are important facts like: age of the rats, sex, character, dominant behavior, behavioral disorders, illness etc. You can have the world's biggest rat cage that is still too small if the rats hate and fight each other only  Please regard the cage calculator only as a very useful guideline  And if the calculator for example suggests 5 rats, then please keep only 5 rats or even less.

 

[Ratty1100]

The cage calculator doesn't include either how much rats get their free run time. If you only let them run half a hour a day then they need a lot larger cage, when you let them run 6, or even 15 hours a day (i now let, because i am on holiday, 6 is usual.) then you can maybe even have one extra rat. What is strange- for two cubic feet, calculators give different answers.
My cage fits for 6 rats, i have 4.

What also very much disturbs me is, that for example, the calculator says 3 rats, it fits for 2, when calculator says 13, it fits for 14. (example only)
It's bit hard to explain, especially because my home language isn't English, but I'll try.
Rats don't use only their 2 cubic feet. They use all of the cage. Eight rats in 14 cubic feet cage have more space for each, than 3 have in 6 cubic feet cage.

One place had a logic that one rat needs 60000 cm3 (cubic centimeters) and  second 55000, each additional rat up to 9 rats 50000, when up to 14, then 48000 each when 15 or more, then 46000 each. So ten rats: 60000+55000+50000x7+48000=513000 cm3
Also, if you let your rats run less than a hour a day, it adds 5% and when more than 2,5 hours than 5% less. (no difference when 1-2.5 hours)

So my cage would fit:
It is 60x70x80=336000 cm3
One rat- leftover (33600-60000)=276000
Two rats- leftover (276000-55000)=221000
3=171000
4=121000
5=71000
6=21000
Without runtime, 6.
Runtime, +5%= +16800
21000+16800=37800- no additional rats here.

So the final number for my cage is 6.

...But 115000 cm3 for two rats is more than 4 cubic feet.