Peace, Love & Rats!!
CAGES!!
Cages are of the upmost importance! Remember rats are like chips, you always want more!!! So keep that in mind when purchasing a cage.
Rats also have sensitive little feet so wire bottoms & wire levels are a big no no to prevent bumble foot.
Young rats and even alot of adult females will escape out of a cage with more than 1/2 inch bar spacing. IF you find a cage that has bigger spacing you can use hardware cloth to cover the entire thing but it is alot of work, so I would recommend getting the 1/2 inch bar spacing to forgo this unless you find a great deal. ALL of these cages are 1/2 inch so there is no need to worry about that! And there is no such things as too much space!! Even if you only have or want 2, the bigger the cage the better! These are my personal recommendations, there may be other cages out there that will work but I have not find many. If you want to go on a search for one other than these just keep in mind the requirements I have listed.
Rats need at least 2.5cu per rat. This rat calculator can help you check on a cage you're looking at to see if it is sufficient. https://ratcentral.com/rat-cage-calculator/
PS. Most all links will be Amazon, Petsmart & Petco has some of these items as well so if that works better for you, please search their website to see if they have the same product.
1. MIDWEST CRITTER NATION: This is the MAC DADDY of ALL cages. The cage of rats dreams. There is no better cage than this one. Most all people end up with this or the Single Critter Nation cage eventually when they can afford it. They both have pull out trays which makes cleaning very easy.
The DOUBLE CRITTER NATION is 2 levels which can be divided OR used as one whole unit. It can house up to 10 rats. The price is around $250 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DAY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_MnvfFbZERKW8A
The SINGLE CRITTER NATION can house 5-6 rats. The price is around $150 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DAE/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_6evfFbDRFXDXP
2. PREVUE PET PRODUCTS EARTHTONE DUSTED ROSE RAT & CHINCHILLA CAGE: This is a really nice cage as well, a little cheaper than the Single Critter Nation but some people prefer the beautiful color of this one. This has a pull out tray as well which is great for cleaning. This can house 4-5 rats. The price is around $140
3. ALL LIVING THINGS RAT STARTER KIT: This is a decent starter cage that comes with alot of goodies. Some usable and some not. It comes with a water bottle, food dish, hammock which are all usable & bedding, food, & exercise wheel which are NOT usable. The non sliding tray & the fact that you have to take the top off of the bottom to clean it makes it more difficult than the 2 above with removable trays. This can house 3-4 rats. The price is around $110
https://www.petsmart.com/small-pet/starter-kits/all-living-things-rat-starter-kit-20599.html
4. YOU & ME RAT MANOR HABITAT: This cage is a struggle for me to recommend as all the wire levels need to be covered to prevent bumble foot as well as being difficult to take apart and put back together to clean. However I understand people do need a recommendation in the lower price range, but if at all possible I highly recommend getting one of the above. This can house 2 rats. The price is around $75
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XYJL6U2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_oKvfFb4D2Q45G