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My Martin's Cage

5K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Storyseeker 
#1 ·
I'm awaiting my very first boys with some level of patient impatience. They won't be home for a couple of months still. But, it has given me plenty of time to play. Here's my current cage set up. Enjoy! Critique be welcome.



 
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#3 ·
Thanks clairebee :)

I'm having fun with it. I'm such an anal overplanner who can't see past her own nose with any pets I get. It surprises me over and over to hear others aren't. LOL. I'm such a nerd.
 
#6 ·
Ahh the R-690...nice enough cage but not a lot of room. I have one setup and another waiting for its pan to be delivered.

If you have babies coming you will need a wheel...it's best to start them young and hope they continue to use it as adults...keeps them fit. :)

The problem with the R-690 is that you would have to remove that bottom ramp, put the wheel in sideways where you have the bins...and put the ramp coming down off the back, parallel to the actual shelf edge.

Honestly the best and favourite wheel of all my rats is the 11" Superpet mesh wheel "Runaround" I think? babies adore it and even grown adult rescues will try it out too :D
 
#7 ·
I had a smaller version of the runaround for my mice. They loved it. Of course, mice will run on it five and six at a time like a troop of hairy keystone cops. I swear I needed to have a nickelodeon playing in the background for their antics.

I'd actually almost gotten a wheel first thing, but the lovely breeder who is mother to my babies, said it would likely be a wasted purchase, esp. with boys as she'd never had any of hers bother with it past babyhood, and only a handful of her girls bothered with it into adulthood.

I was planning on a respectable amount of free time instead?

I agree, in hindsight that I would have been better served to cough up the extra 30 dollars and go with the R695. It would have been a respectable challenge to place the larger cage, and manhandle it, but I think I would have been happier. Hindsight and alla that.

I have no interest in keeping more than 2 rats at a time. It's just not feasible to our family dynamics, famous last words, I know. My sweet baboo is a he-man indoor animal hater--he says they all should be outdoors the way the good Lord intended to which I argue that then God wouldn't have made air fresheners and vacuum cleaners, but that's another tail. Point being, I don't anticipate my mischief to be growing anytime soon, so hopefully the cage I have will suffice.
 
#8 ·
I love your new cage, and set up. As for the Wheel issue, well...my girls will run on thiers non-stop, I actually have a hairless pet shop/rescue girl that will litterally run herself sick in the wheel, so I need to take it out every day, and put it back in for a couple of hours in the evening. My boys have never used a wheel, not even as babies, they did use their wheel once. One of them held it still, while two other boys stood on top of it to try and push the mesh top off of the tank (this was when they were about 4 weeks old). But other than the escape manuver, they won't go near the wheel!
So to get them to exercise, when they are out of the cage, I use a cheap-o blue feather duster and get them to chase it. We have lots of fun, and ince they are only $1, I don't mind replacing them once they pull all of the feathers out!
 
#10 ·
Never discount a wheel for males...I have introduced wheels to OLD boys and while they don't run they go for ambles and enjoy it :D

I find once a baby runs in it, then you often will get them to run in it into adulthood, male or female. I will be putting up a post later about my Puck and Yoda (Puck ran in the pics more than his brother, and he's huge!).

but yeah a lot of time out is wonderful too. Its more for future reference for others :yes:
 
#11 ·
Hehehe. That reminds me of our dwarf teddy bear hammy that we keep at work. For two years, she'd run like Speed Racer was on her tail, but now at two and a half years of age, she'll get on it, and wa-a-a-alk. The funniest thing is the sound difference. It used to be this loud roaring rumble that vibrated off the cage rungs. Now, it's this slow water wheel kind of a creak, creak, creak.
 
#15 ·
Thanks breyer. I can't wait to share pics either. I've gotten a blanket I keep over the cage right now.

And thanks also Lolamooth. :) It's not huge, but hopefully it'll be a good start. There's this one video on youtube I saw...a homeade cage this guy strung across his wall and ceiling like a giant trapeeze. Now THAT was a gymnasium. If I can find it, I'll post a link for you. It's incredible.
 
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