Vivarium

[Frank1006]

Hi everyone. New to rats. Don’t know why I taken so long. I have adopted two male dumbos. I am not happy with the size of the cage they are in ( minimum needed ) So they are having an upgrade.
I have a wooden vivarium in the room that the rats will be kept . It did house an iguana. Is there any reason I cannot replace the glass with mesh, Mesh the inside to prevent them chewing their way out be and use it to make them a larger home?
Otherwise. The viv is being destroyed and I will be building a bigger cage

[cyber ratty]

You won't regret it, rats are the best pets

Some people use wooden enclosures with mesh fronts, so it could work, but that will depend on how large the vivarium is and whether the air flow within it is sufficient.

However, the surfaces may get very stinky (urine/scent marks will soak into untreated wood, and accumulate on/under the mesh, especially in each of the mesh corners. Plus, it's going to be difficult to attach all the necessary enrichment to the inside walls and ceiling.

Personally, I much prefer a cage. Pricewise, the best size for cost is currently the coco 100 (67.50 when using the discount code FANCYRATS here https://www.littlepetwarehouse.co.uk/pr ... x54cm.html), but you can often find bargain bigger cages second hand.