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Rat Shopping on the Web

© Karen Yang

For those gloomy rainy days that we've had so many of lately, we need a good indoor diversion. How about taking a virtual window-shopping trip for your ratties on the web? Here are some places I like or have had recommended to me. (This does not imply that I support any of these sites, so shop at your own risk!) On to the shops:

Fern Cage Manufacturing
http://www.ferncage.com/

Fern makes really high-quality powder-coated wire cages. The Fern 980 is the Rolls Royce of rat cages. Like Rolls', they're pricey, but well worth it from what I've heard. The multiple stories are great for young rats to get all the exercise they need running from level to level and climbing about on the wires. Unfortunately, older rats who have a hard time getting around may find these large cages overwhelming. Another problem I have with large cages is the ease of cleaning - you really need another person to help carry it around if you're going to give the wires a good clean. Otherwise, these large cages are ideal for most rat owners, and if you can afford it, go for it! Fern has other smaller cages that are also plenty big enough for rats - pretty much any cage they have will give your rat the home of their dreams!

Home Hagen
http://www.rchagen.com/hagen/canada/engl...

Okay, I confess, I'm addicted to Hagen cages. (We have two of their extra large rabbit cages and three other slightly smaller rabbit/GP ones....) I love them because the bottoms are heavy-duty plastic and prevent drafts, while the tops are wire and encourage climbing and allow curious noses to sniff the breeze. Add a hammock or a big box, and you've instantly added a level for climbing. Plus they're light and easy to carry, disassemble and clean. You can't buy cages at this company site, but you can do a lot of browsing and looking at pictures. (If you want to buy Hagen stuff, try Petopia for the best prices I've found so far - you can also get your local pet store to special order them, but they'll probably charge you twice as much.) This site does have a small amount of information about rats in their Basic Care Guide, but it's pretty sketchy at best. Hagen has also started making pet food - their Honey Sticks make very nice rat treats. Unfortunately, Hagen also now makes and markets Habitrail stuff, which I think should be taken off the market, but if you can ignore that, they're a pretty good company.

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