What size wheel for male rats?

[RubyDG]

I will hopefully be getting a male trio in about 2 months time. Currently making sure I have everything I need. I would like to know what is a good wheel size for male rats?

I would also appreciate any suggestions for good wheels. I have heard that Tic Tac wheels are good but they are rather pricey so am curious what other options there are

[cyber ratty]

The largest non tic tac wheel available is a 12" silent spinner, and some adult bucks won't use them as they are on the small side for them to be comfortable.

A tic tac is worth saving up for, or putting on a birthday/Christmas wish list - the 14" is adequate, but the 16" is even better. I like them fixed to the cage and that makes them a little cheaper than the ones on stands. Also, keep an eye on their clearance section as they are good while being cheaper still.

[RubyDG]

Thanks Cyber Ratty! It is helpful to know that the 16" is the best size for male rats, I am assuming that even if the rats are on the smaller side they can still use the larger 16" wheel?

I really like the Tic Tac wheels but as I'm saving up for an SRS cage I'm looking at ways to save elsewhere. It does look like I'm going to have to get the Tic Tac wheel though. I think I'd rather just spend the money upfront than try and buy something that's not going to be suitable long term.

[[cub]]

Thanks Cyber Ratty! It is helpful to know that the 16" is the best size for male rats, I am assuming that even if the rats are on the smaller side they can still use the larger 16" wheel?

Yep! I have three small to medium sized girls and they have a 16" which they all use. Even though they're relatively small, they definitely prefer the larger Tic Tacs to their old 12" wheels, so I imagine boys being larger would be even more affected. As with the SRS, it's one of the things that's worth saving for rather than trying to cut corners. Especially as the recent Silent Spinners are apparently a lot more fragile than older models, so although you might save some money initially, it'll cost more long term if you keep having to replace cracked ones.

[RubyDG]

Good to hear that smaller rats can still use the 16" - means that the wheel is more versatile and usable by any future rats I might have

I'm a bit wary of the Silent Spinners as the yellow 'rim' around it seems like a good place to collect pee! The Tic Tac wheels, although I understand you should not get the ball bearing wet, seem like they can be easily wiped clean with no pee getting stuck in weird nooks and crannies . Have discussed with the husband who agreed better just to get the Tic Tac even considering the price. I'm just wincing a bit as the SRS is already going to cost a pretty penny but I need those big opening doors as I don't have full rotation of my right shoulder which means I will really struggle cleaning and setting up a cage with small doors. Hopefully the cage and the wheel will be it for super pricey items, the rest will just be food, toys, fleecy snuggles and substrate .

[cyber ratty]

At the risk of overloading you... I would recommend budgetting for a deep perspex tray to use in the base of the SRS, they solve the niggle of substrate leaking out, and mean you can provide the rats with a much thicker layer of substrate which is great for all sorts of enrichment. It'll cost about £30 with postage, but you can add it in later.

[[cub]]

the rest will just be food, toys, fleecy snuggles and substrate .

At the risk of further extending your shopping list, may I recommend Rat Rations for the food and substrate: http://www.ratrations.com/
You don't have to get your substrate from there, but as they don't do free delivery (actually it's quite fair of them: they just charge you what it costs them) it works out more economical to buy your substrate from them at the same time. Long term it certainly costs less to get food and substrate in bulk from there than to buy it in bits and bobs at a pet shop.

Toys and beds are where you can really save money. Pound shops are full of random useful things, and old clothes can be turned into hammocks. Certainly the purpose-made stuff looks tidier, but it's not like the rats mind ... or are going to leave it tidy for very long.

[bazu]

To add to the money-saving, charity shops are great for old children's toys too! I've picked up toy farmhouses and such for £2-£3 that've served them for years, anything they can climb in/on/through does the job

[RubyDG]

Thank you for the lovely suggestions everyone!

Cyber ratty you mentioned the perspex tray. Is that something I can buy pre-made (I really hope so!!) or is there an online shop I can buy the pieces from? Also recommended dimensions!

[cyber ratty]

You order the pieces of clear acrylic and then glue or tape them together to form the tray. There are a number of sites people have used, so it's worth checking which would be best for you - if you're close enough to somewhere to collect that'd make a huge difference as the postage costs are significant.
I used https://www.sheetplastics.co.uk/
but a quick google gives lots of other sheet plastic companies, e.g.
https://www.theplasticpeople.co.uk/
http://www.plasticsheets.com/
etc.

There was a long thread here, but the measurements I used were base size 890mm x 595mm, and I think 4mm thickness is best, so the side panels would be 2 of 890 x Hmm, and 2 of 587mm x Hmm (side panels fitting between the front and back panels). H is how high you want it, mine are 150mm, but some people have had them deeper than that.

Current price for one tray at 150mm high from sheet plastics is about £35 plus I think £12 postage, plus super glue or gorilla tape.