Super Skyscraper - The Ratty Ritz

I bought this cage last year for some of my rat boys. I'd had enough of using the Ferplast aviary, and there were very few cages on the market for large colonies of rats.

The Superpet Deluxe Multi-Floor Ferret Home is obviously marketed as a ferret cage, but it's size and price make it appealing to multi rat owners too.

***The Basics***

The cage dimensions are:

Width: 76cm (30")
Depth: 44.5cm (17.5")
Height: 143.5cm (56.5")

The RRP is £299.99, but you will find it has recently gone down in price on many online stores - averaging at about £145-£200.

Generally included in the price are 9 full depth shelves which can be placed in just about any position needed in the cage, 2 ramps, a Fun-nel tube, and a hammock. Three shelves placed side by side will make a full level, enabling you to section off the cage if needed. Some shops will include the stand in the price, and some will charge extra, so shop around. See links at the bottom.

The bar spacing on Superpet cages is 2.5cm (1") so although this cage is suitable for all ferrets, when it comes to rats it is not suitable for small does or babies, as they are likely to escape. It's more of a batchelor pad!

The Superpet Multi-Floor is suitable for up to ten rats, or up to three ferrets comfortably.

Some rat owners have found that their rats nibble the shelves - some rats are chewers (my group that are in this normally chew plastic cable ties, but for some reason haven't chewed the shelves in this cage at all in the year we've had it).

This cage comes in varying colours - the picture showing it in black and purple. Ours is black with grey, speckly shelves and base. It's pretty much pot luck which colour you will get, dependant on whether the retailer allows you a choice.

***Notes/tips on assembly***

This cage, because of it's immense size, obviously comes unassembled. There are 2 front panels (with large doors), two back panels, four side panels (with small doors - the two bottom side panels have large wire clips to attach the cage to the base) and a top. There is a decent sized, deep plastic base. You will find a small bag containing plastic clips, which hold the cage together.

The idea is to clip the bottom half together in position, add the shelves in that section (they clip onto the bars), then add the top section, and finally the top half's shelves. Then you can lift the cage onto the base, and clip it on using the wire clips at the bottom of each side.

*Tip 1.*
Soak the plastic clips in hot water before you attempt to clip the cage together. This was unfortunately recommended to me after I had done it without soaking, and I ended up with blisters - they're quite fiddly and hard to snap on.

*Tip 2.*
Make sure you have another person to help you - this is not a one person job!

*Tip 3.*
Make sure you know which panel goes where, *before* you start clipping it together. It sounds really obvious, but mistakes are easily made and believe me unclipping is as fiddly as clipping it together!

*Tip 4.*
When adding shelves, think in advance about how easy the cage will be to access and clean, or to get hold of your pet. This is a big mistake we made, but can be remedied even with the cage up and fixed together.

*Tip 5.*
The cage base has a dip at the front. This is to allow the door in the bottom front panel to open properly - make sure you put the cage on the base the right way round.

***Cleaning***

The good thing about these cages is the access. Each big door can easily fit a shelf through - so if, like I was, you're wondering how you go about a thorough clean, you have two options. One is to use doors as access for getting in for a spot clean - because of the amount of doors and the size of the large front doors, this is not difficult as long as you have placed your shelves suitably. The other option is to remove the shelves for cleaning - this is easily done too as they lift off the bars and fit through the large doors, but is time consuming (as with any large cage).

The placing of the bottom big door is fab for getting in to clean the base - we haven't had to remove the top of the cage from the base to clean it.

***Adaptability***

One thing I love about the Superpet cages is that they are so adaptable. You can buy Fun-nels (plastic tubing) to use inside and outside the cage - to make tunnels in between levels (some shelves - available separately - have holes that they fit into), or to even join two cages together with cage door adaptors (available separately) and tubing.

The shelves can be placed 3 side by side to completely section off part of the cage - ideal if you have two smaller groups of rats or a ferret that needs separating for a particular reason (eg. while ill).

Unlike indoor metal aviaries, which are the nearest cages in size, the Superpet cages don't have wasted roof space and you can hang all sorts of things - hammocks, birdfeeders stuffed with veg, etc - from the top to keep your pets comfy and amused.

***Where to buy ***

These cages are very popular, so finding a stockist isn't difficult. I've found that online shops tend to have the best prices for these cages. Here are some links to retailers:

http://www.petspyjamas.co.uk - current price £144.99 (with stand)

http://www.ratwarehouse.com - current price £180.00 (with stand - shelves and accessories also available here).

http://www.surreypetsupplies.co.uk - current price £215.00 (with stand)

http://www.pet-supermarket.co.uk - current price £179.99 (with stand)

http://www.companionschoice.co.uk/ - current price £199.99 (with stand)

***In Summary***

This cage is ideal for larger groups of male rats, or for a small group of ferrets.

It is huge, and therefore quite heavy, but it's adaptability, accessibility, and ease of cleaning more than make up for this. You don't *have* to lift the whole cage off the base to clean it.

Although this cage can be expensive to buy, it is well within the price range of other similar sized alternatives, and often cheaper.

This cage has numerous advantages over it's alternatives in both price, adaptability and access.

Would I buy it again? I think the fact we've already bought a half sized Superpet 4 Storey with view to joining them together speaks for itself!