Which one?

[medianoxstella]

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/theferretstore/suppetmulfer.html
or  
http://www.martinscages.com/images/large/f-475.jpg

Which one would you pickkk  I hope the links work

[Suebee]

Honestly?

Neither one. The bar spacing is too far apart. The Martin's rat cages are far more appropriate, features-wise.   If you are looking for something larger than the R-695, Martin's will also do custom cages.

[medianoxstella]

Even the martin's cages is too far spaced?  

[Suebee]

For anything other than adults, probably.

For the ferret cages, it looks like Martin's uses a much wider mesh. I don't know what it is -- it looks like 1" x 1", which babies could easily escape from -- you should ask, and you should also ask them to list that as one of the "features" so people know.  

The solid floors also concern me... there is a lot of new thinking about flooring of rat cages -- all of my "bumblefoot" rats have lived on solid floors, and a friend of mine has MANY wire-floor cages, and no cases of bumblefoot at all.

[medianoxstella]

What kind of cage do you have?

[Spiralgirl]

If you really like the ferrt cage, just special order it from Martins with "rat bar" spacing...they are more then happy to help you out.  

[Suebee]

I have a Martin's R-695, powder coated. Roomy enough for up to five rats, and even more if you take them out to play a lot.

[BranwenR]

"The solid floors also concern me... there is a lot of new thinking about flooring of rat cages -- all of my "bumblefoot" rats have lived on solid floors, and a friend of mine has MANY wire-floor cages, and no cases of bumblefoot at all."

I have a big martins with wire shelving and my boys adore it.  I have tried innumerable times to put paper/toweling/t-shirts down to keep them off the bars, as is advised, but they will have none of it!  They will violently push it into a heap and throw it to the bottom level.  They like to be able to pee through the bars and air out their bottoms!  Really though, they do love to stretch out on the wire with the breeze coming through the window and fall fast asleep.
Our only problem has been when introducing boys-everyone has to be out of the cage and the cage closed so no one can nip feet or tails through the bars.

[Spiralgirl]

You can buy a product online called Magic Mats.  They are made by Oasis and are specifically for covering the floors of wire cages.  They are interlocking plastic mats with holes for urine to drip through.

I use these in all my cages, and they are great!

You can take them out and clean them easily, they interlock so you can rearrange them anyway you need, and they last...I've have mine for almost 2 years and barring a little chewing around the edges they are in good condition.

[michiganratter]

I've never seen Magic Mats, but I'd be willing to bet they are identical to the needle point mats I use in my cage and you can buy dozens of them for next to nothing. . . My girls love to chew on them and they need to be replaced every couple of months, however.

John

[Tara]

Suebee, I LOVE the Rat Crossing sign, is it avail on the web anywhere?  

Sorry I am asking in public, but I thought that other's might be interested too!

[Christy]

You can get them on ebay - just search for rat crossing or rat xing.    I think the rat-alog also sells them  

[Grace Jr]

Have it custom ordered to have smaller spacing.  I'm going to get a Martin's ferret cage eventually, but it's going to be made with smaller bar spacing, and will be powder coated (they offer galvanized or PVC for ferret cages).  It costs a little more, but it's worth it.  No use having a cage they can escape from all the time!  

[Spiralgirl]

I've never seen Magic Mats, but I'd be willing to bet they are identical to the needle point mats I use in my cage and you can buy dozens of them for next to nothing. . . My girls love to chew on them and they need to be replaced every couple of months, however.

John

Not really...they are much thicker plastic and far sturdier.  And the design is such that they are less open then needlepoint canvas is...without sacrificing the drainage.

Here's a link with pics and more info:
http://petsforum.com/novalek/oprbd3.htm

[Goosemoose]

If you do end up with a cage that is too large you can buy wiring down to 1/4" x 1/4" at home depot and attach it to your cage, that is what I have done with all the custom cages I have made. I still haven't found out how to get the cages I make powder coated, but I am looking into it.

[Suebee]

Suebee, I LOVE the Rat Crossing sign, is it avail on the web anywhere?  

Sorry I am asking in public, but I thought that other's might be interested too!

I got it from the Rat-Alog. http://www.rat-alog.com

(which, incidentally, used to be part of the RFC, and is how I discovered the RFC in the first place four years ago...)

[Sabriel]

Also, remember that those large ferret cages will be hard to clean.  I throw my Martin's R-695s in the bathtub and give them a good scrub down every week, but that would be a lot harder to do with those ferret cages.  

If you do decide to get a Martin's ferret cage, ask them if they can make you a "drop in version" like they make for the rat cages.  The ferret cages have wire bottoms and slide in trays.  While I don't believe that wire shelves are bad for rats, I personally think that the floor should be solid so they at least have the option of getting off the wire if they want to.

Just my $0.02.  

[Suebee]

Very good point... I forgot to comment on the slide-out tray... I prefer the drop-in design, too.

[medianoxstella]

If I decided to get the ferret cage  Does anyone have instructions on how i could put in the wire to prevent them from escaping?

[scout]

You can wrap the outside of the cage with 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. Or for the same cost, you can ask Martin's to make the cage from 1/2" x 1" wire. I guarantee that's easier!

[deniseratlover]

Suebee, I LOVE the Rat Crossing sign, is it avail on the web anywhere?  

Sorry I am asking in public, but I thought that other's might be interested too!

I got it from the Rat-Alog. http://www.rat-alog.com

(which, incidentally, used to be part of the RFC, and is how I discovered the RFC in the first place four years ago...)

What do we click on? Which thing on the web site?