Best pet rat cage

Best pet rat cage
(Image credit: @Annemarie Horne on Unsplash)

Rats are social colony animals; they need spacious homes for climbing and exploring. While these rodents do just fine in small cages, multitiered cages are ideal because they offer full freedom of movement for eating, sleeping, and playing. Rats are incredibly intelligent, and their residences should be a place where their minds and bodies can be enriched, whether it's from their food or water bowl or some hanging toys. This might be a tall order, so we've gathered up the top cage options to assist.

Staff pick

A multi-tiered rat cage with blue slopes between levels, supported on wheels.

(Image credit: Amazon)

MidWest Homes for Pets Deluxe Critter Nation double-unit small animal cage

A mansion for your rodent pals

Provide your rat friends with the ultimate comfort with the Deluxe Critter animal cage.

Pros:

  • Large swinging doors allow access to the entire cage
  • Cage parts lock together securely
  • Truly huge; large enough for for rats, easily

Cons:

  • Shallow flooring trays mean litter spills out
  • Metal parts often end up bent in transit

We humans sure do love living in huge places. Often, if money allows, we seek out the penthouse, the mansion, or luxury accommodations. Don't we want the same thing for our pets? Rats are highly social and like having room to move around; the Deluxe Critter Nation tiered cage provides more than enough. It is the closest thing to a rat mansion with two expansive tiers, three raps, two pans, and more. There is plenty of vertical space, like expansive floors and fun lookouts, where your pet or pets can roam.

Easy assembly

A cage on four wheels with 3 tiers to it, connected by mesh ramps.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Yaheetech 37-inch metal indoor/outdoor small animal cage

A quick and easy fix to a housing dilemma

Provide your pets a home in a pinch with this easy Yaheetech animal cage.

Pros:

  • Casters for simple transport
  • Easy assembly
  • Three fun platforms

Cons:

  • Wide bars are not ideal for smaller rats
  • Plastic bottom tray wears down

The Yaheetech animal hutch is a special gem in the pet rat cage world thanks to its easy-to-set-up design and sturdy construction. It'll work great as a long-term habitat for a larger small animal or as a short-term habitat to transport your little critter friends around. The cage's rat-friendly amenities include three perch-ready tiers, two access doors, a waste tray, a water bottle, and a food bowl. The cage is made of strong iron contraction and features four casters for transport.

High walls, no waste

A white cage on wheels with a plastic base, with 3 different tiers connected by ramps.

(Image credit: Amazon)

PawHut four-level small animal cage

Deep waste tray keeps messes contained

The PawHut pet rat cage is another multitiered home with several platforms, but the best part is the substantial bottom tray that keeps waste from spilling onto floors.

Pros:

  • Extremely large bay doors
  • High-walled bottom keeps waste from spilling out
  • Multiple color options available

Cons:

  • Large opening in the base floor is not safe for small rats; will require an additional mesh layer for safe use
  • Not easy to clean the deep tray

Many rat or small animal homes don't have waste trays large enough to maintain the mess, so waste can be sprinkled on the floor near the cage, which makes a mess and smells something awful. PawHut's pet rat cage prevents overspray with a deep bottom tray with high plastic walls to prevent your burrowers from flinging their waste all over the room. Additionally, the cage has three platforms, non-slip ramps, and three cage door openings to give you the best access to your rats at all times. 

Reliable construction

A two tier cage on wheels, with a mesh hanging wall and ramps connecting the levels.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Prevue Pet Products metal cage

Sturdy and huge, great for medium size packs

The Prevue metal crate is great for medium-sized rat packs and features safe, sturdy metal bars and ramps.

Pros:

  • Perfectly sized bars for adult rats
  • Strong ramps and bars
  • Storage shelf for accessories

Cons:

  • Not easy construction
  • Metal is still flimsy enough to bend in transit

The Prevue two-tiered crate will make quite the rat home with its substantial metal construction and roomy layout. This structure will easily withstand years of usage, which is good because it has a lot to offer. There are two platforms, two, ramps, a large door, a removable waste tray, and even a handy shelf for extras. And the cage's bars are set in with 3/8-inch wire spacing, which will prevent any of your usual escapees from making a prison break.

Treat your rats to the best housing

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Rats love a spacious environment to live and explore. They're active, intelligent creatures, so providing them with a place that's all their own is absolutely essential to their health and well-being. Each of these pet rat cages is a safe and comfortable residence for your rodent friends to scurry around while remaining easy to maintain and clean.

The MidWest Homes for Pets Deluxe Critter Nation double-unit small animal cage tops our list, and rightfully so. It's absolutely huge and customizable to make your rat happy. There are even three doors for accessibility and easy cleaning.  The Prevue Pet Products metal cage is a great choice if you're looking for something a bit sturdier for your rat home. The small wire spacing prevents most escapes and the strong metal features are safe on your rat's paws and will last for years.

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