Choosing the best rat cages for multiple rats is less about brand names and more about three numbers: usable floor area, bar spacing, and floor type. Get those right and almost any well-built metal habitat works. Get them wrong and even the most expensive cage on the market will keep your group crowded, escaping or limping.
Here is the short answer. A cage for several rats should be metal-barred with wire spacing of half an inch or narrower, it should have a solid floor rather than a wire grate, and it needs roughly 2.5 to 3 square feet of usable floor space per rat. That last figure is why so many pet store habitats fail the moment a second rat arrives: they were designed around one animal, not a social group.
Rats are social, fossorial and hard-working climbers. They need floor space to run and dig, height to climb, and the company of at least one other rat. We went through eight habitats built for groups, weighing usable volume against real-world reviews, and the split by group size turned out to matter far more than any styling detail.
Below you will find our top three, a full comparison of all eight, and then a review of each one with the honest drawback written out. We also added the sizing math nobody else publishes, a bar-spacing guide you can check a listing against in ten seconds, and a short list of cages to stay away from.
Table of Contents
Top 3 Best Rat Cages For Multiple Rats (October 2026)
Critter Nation Double Unit
- Two full levels of space
- 1/2 inch bar spacing
- Two removable base pans
- Locking swing-up ramp
Living World Deluxe Hybrid XL
- 46.9 inch floor length
- Solid plastic base
- Lifts off for cleaning
- Tool-free clip assembly
Prevue Pet Universal Home
- 3/8 inch bar spacing
- Deep 6.25 inch base
- Front and top doors
- Carry handles for travel
Those three cover most situations. The Critter Nation Double Unit is the pick for a group that will grow. The Living World Deluxe Hybrid XL is the one to buy when floor length matters most per pound spent. The Prevue 528 is the highest-rated habitat here and the safest choice if babies or very small females are involved.
Best Rat Cages for Multiple Rats in 2026: Quick Overview
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Critter Nation by MidWest Double Unit |
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| Living World Deluxe Hybrid Habitat X-Large |
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| Prevue Pet Products Universal Small Animal Home |
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 Yaheetech 52 inch 6-Level Ferret Cage |
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 Kaytee My First Home Multi-Level Exotics |
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 You and Me Rat Manor Habitat |
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 Homey Pet 3-Tier Small Animal Cage |
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 Kaytee My First Home Habitat for Pet Rats |
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If you are choosing by group size rather than by feature, use this order:
Four to twelve rats or a growing colony: the Critter Nation Double Unit.
Two to three rats, floor space first: the Living World Deluxe Hybrid X-Large.
Two to three rats with babies or small females: the Prevue Pet 528.
Tall climbing setup for two to three rats: the Yaheetech 52-inch.
First multi-level habitat on a moderate budget: the Kaytee My First Home Multi-Level.
Tight 3/8 inch mesh for tiny rats: the You and Me Rat Manor.
Three-tier cage on a smaller budget: the Homey Pet 3-Tier.
Travel, quarantine or a first single-rat home: the Kaytee My First Home Habitat.
1. Critter Nation by MidWest Double Unit – Best for Large Groups and Growing Colonies
- Two full levels give a large group room to separate and climb
- 1/2 inch spacing holds even young rats
- All-metal build survives heavy chewing
- Full-width double doors open wide for cleaning
- Locking swing-up ramp lets you split the cage in two
- Assembly takes two people and a rubber mallet
- Bent bars or dented trays show up occasionally
- Door latches stick and need pressure
This is the cage most experienced keepers in the United States name first, and the reviews back that up. At 36 by 24 by 63 inches with two removable base pans it is the only habitat in this roundup that genuinely solves the multi-rat housing question rather than easing it.
What stands out in owner feedback is how rarely anyone complains about size. Owners who upgraded from a pet-store cage describe visible changes in activity and sociability within days, which is exactly what you would expect when the floor area roughly triples overnight.
The 1/2 inch wire spacing is the safe adult figure and, unlike the 3/8 inch cages, it still lets you fit standard accessories through the bars. Bars are horizontal, which rats climb far better than vertical wire.
Two full-width resting shelves and three textured ramps with covers ship in the box, and the height-adjustable design lets you decide how much of that 63 inches goes to each level. A bottom shelf doubles as storage for bedding and supplies.
What to check before you order it?
Plan the build. At 44 pounds and with panels that need seating properly, most people assemble it with a second pair of hands and a rubber mallet, and reviewers say that turns a frustrating hour into a manageable one.
Expect some quality-control variance. Bent pegs, scratched panels and an occasional misaligned door do come up, and MidWest’s customer service ships replacements quickly according to owners. It is annoying, not disqualifying.
Who should skip it?
If you are setting up a quarantine unit, a hospital pen or a travel carrier, this is far too much cage to move around. The full-width doors are wonderful for daily access and terrible for grabbing a single frightened rat quickly.
The deep plastic pans also throw bedding across the floor during a full strip-down, and the casters can bind if the cage is dragged rather than rolled. Budget ten minutes of sweeping after every deep clean.
2. Living World Deluxe Hybrid Habitat X-Large – Best Floor Space for Two or Three Rats
- Longest floor area in this roundup
- Wire top lifts off completely for cleaning
- Assembles in minutes with no tools
- Water bottle and hay guard mount outside the cage
- Tip-proof food dish recessed into the balcony
- Only 24 inches tall so climbing space is limited
- Instructions are diagram-heavy
- Included water bottle tends to drip
Rats are ground-dwellers with a climbing habit, and this cage answers the ground half of that. At 46.9 inches long it has the largest single floor plate of anything we reviewed, which is the dimension that actually determines whether two or three rats can run, forage and dig without treading on each other.
Nearly 9,000 ratings with 80 percent five-star marks make this one of the most proven small-animal habitats sold anywhere. Owners repeatedly single out the length of the floor and the way the whole wire top lifts off for cleaning.
The hybrid construction matters here. A solid plastic bottom base gives your rats a continuous surface to walk on, which removes the bumblefoot risk that comes with wire grates, and the deep base holds bedding where it belongs.
The balcony adds a raised platform with an access ramp, a tip-proof dish that clips to the balcony floor, and a hideaway space underneath. Owners like that the water bottle and hay guard mount on the outside, which keeps the interior clear.
What to check before you order it?
Height is the trade-off, and it is real. At 24 inches this is a wide, low habitat rather than a climbing tower, so you will lean harder on out-of-cage free-roam time and on filling the floor with tunnels, hides and foraging toys.
Plan to replace the water bottle. It is a common early-life complaint that the included bottle drips, and most owners swap it for a non-dripping model within a week. The sliding front door also catches on a bar before it is fully open.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if your rats are climbers first. A Dumbo or a young group will spend more time wanting vertical space than they will use this cage’s length, and the arched top leaves no flat shelf for storage.
The plastic base is also a target for a determined gnawer over the long term. In a household with a known heavy chewer, an all-metal cage ages better.
3. Prevue Pet Products Universal Small Animal Home – Best for Tiny Rats and Baby Safety
- Highest rating of every cage reviewed at 4.8 stars
- 3/8 inch spacing is tight enough for young pups
- Deep base with integrated urine guard stops bedding scatter
- Tool-free assembly in under five minutes
- Handles and top door make it usable for travel
- Only 17.5 inches tall so vertical space is minimal
- Plastic base and ramp can be chewed over time
- Wire top is fiddly to refit after cleaning
This is the safest cage in the roundup for babies, and at 4.8 stars from more than 4,000 owners it also has the strongest rating record of anything we looked at. Eighty-six percent of those ratings are five-star.
The 3/8 inch wire spacing is the detail that matters. It is tight enough that owners report holding even very young pups safely, which removes the single most common way new rat keepers lose animals in the first month.
The deep 6.25 inch plastic tub base doubles as an integrated urine guard. Several owners who moved over from a Critter Nation specifically because the taller base stopped bedding being kicked across the floor, and that detail alone changes how often you sweep.
Front and top doors open wide, both secured with chew-proof wire latches, and the adjustable plastic platform gives you a second level when you want one. Rounded corners remove the sharp-edge risk for both the rats and your hands.
What to check before you order it?
It is low. At 17.5 inches there is very little vertical climbing space, so this works best as a floor-level habitat supplemented with outside time rather than as a climbing tower.
Check the top corners when it arrives. A few reviews flag slightly wider gaps at the upper corners of the cage, which is worth a look if you are housing small females alongside larger adults.
Who should skip it?
Skip it for a heavy chewer as a long-term home. The plastic base and ramp are the parts most likely to be worked at over time, even with coated metal wire above them.
It is also a two-to-three-rat cage in practice. Anything larger and you need to move up in size rather than adding a second cage side by side.
4. Yaheetech 52 Inch 6-Level Ferret Cage – Best Tall Climbing Setup
- Six tiers give serious climbing height in a narrow footprint
- Powder-coated steel holds up to chewing and humidity
- Three doors allow access to every level
- Four casters make a tall cage easy to move
- Slide-out litter tray with metal grate
- Narrow 25 by 17 inch floor plate limits running room
- Some owners report tight panel fits during assembly
- Door latches can need extra pressure
This is the vertical option. Six tiers over 52 inches of height means a group of rats can climb, explore and stay out of each other’s way, which is why it appeals to anyone who has watched rats scale a single-level habitat in about a day.
Reviews treat it as high value. Buyers like the powder-coated steel construction, the corrugate non-slip ramps that reduce climbing slips, and the simple fact that four industrial casters let you roll a cage this tall across a room without drama.
The metal grate above the slide-out litter tray keeps rats off their own waste, which is a genuine improvement over an exposed tray even if it is not a substitute for a solid floor. The three latched front doors mean you can reach every level for taming or spot-cleaning.
Be clear-eyed about the footprint, though. A 25 by 17 inch floor plate is the narrowest base in this roundup, and floor space is the resource that limits how many rats you can actually keep.
What to check before you order it?
Count your rats against the floor, not the height. Six tiers of climbing does not create floor space, and two rats will comfortably use this while three will be competing for it.
Budget time for assembly. Owners report mixed results, with several noting the panels fit tightly and take some convincing to seat properly.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if your group is three rats or more, or if your rats are heavy, older and less inclined to climb. Vertical space does not substitute for running and digging room.
The grate floor is also worth patching with a dig box or a solid liner, which owners of grated cages generally do as standard practice.
5. Kaytee My First Home Multi-Level Exotics Habitat – Best Multi-Level Starter for a Trio
Kaytee My First Home Multi-Level Exotics Habitat for Pet Chinchillas, Rats, Degus, Sugar Gliders and Other Exotic Small Animals
- 1/2 inch spacing prevents escapes
- Chew-proof wire and latches suit gnawing rats
- Multiple levels give climbing and enrichment options
- Deep base contains bedding and litter
- Comes apart easily for cleaning
- Mixed plastic base and wire top can be chewed at the seams
- Trays and shelves are lighter duty than all-wire cages
- Some units arrive with bent or misaligned panels
This is the sensible middle step for a first group. Where the Kaytee My First Home single habitat is a one-or-two-rat cage, this multi-level version gives you a genuine social setup without jumping straight to a double-unit footprint.
Rat keepers rate it for practicality rather than polish. The tight half-inch spacing, the deep base that stops bedding scattering, and the way the whole thing comes apart for scrubbing come up constantly in owner feedback.
Multiple levels mean you can put food and water on one deck and sleeping spots on another, which reduces fighting over a single feeding spot in a small group. Rats that climb well use every level you give them.
It is also built for more than rats, so if you keep chinchillas or degus alongside, the same cage suits the whole room without buying twice.
What to check before you order it?
Inspect the seams when it arrives. Because the base and shelving are plastic, that is where a determined chewer starts, and several long-term owners report eventually working at those joints.
Confirm your rats are not escape artists who target locks specifically. The chew-proof hardware is a plus, but no plastic latch is a permanent guarantee.
Who should skip it?
Skip it as a permanent four-to-six-rat home. The 30.5 by 18 inch floor is fine for a trio and tight beyond that, and vertical levels do not change the arithmetic.
If you already know your group gnaws hard on plastic, go straight to an all-metal option and save yourself the replacement cycle.
6. You and Me Rat Manor Habitat – Best 3/8 Inch Mesh for Small Females
- 3/8 inch mesh is among the tightest options available
- Built and sold specifically as a rat habitat
- Deep base keeps bedding and droppings contained
- Interweaving wire connection assembles without clips
- Comes apart easily for a full clean
- 16.5 by 22.5 inch footprint is tight for more than two rats
- Fixed ladders and levels limit interior customization
- Powder coat shows staining over time
This is the only cage here designed and marketed as a rat cage rather than a general small-animal habitat, and owners notice. Four three-eighth-inch welded mesh levels and three ladders give small females and young rats a tighter, safer home than almost anything else at this size.
Reviews respond to that focus. The mesh levels and deep base are the most-cited strengths, along with how easily the cage comes apart, which matters more than people expect when you are doing weekly full clean-outs.
The interweaving wire connection is simpler than clip-based cages and the whole structure disassembles without tools, so scrubbing is genuinely quick. The deep metal base stops bedding and droppings ending up under the cage.
The mesh levels are wire platforms rather than solid shelves, so consider adding a couple of solid resting boards. It gives them a flat surface away from the mesh and reduces the pressure on their feet.
What to check before you order it?
Measure your rats against the mesh before committing. At three-eighth inch the spacing is among the tightest available, which is excellent for small females and restrictive for fitting larger accessories through the bars.
Confirm the layout works for you. Levels and ladders are fixed rather than adjustable, so you cannot reconfigure the interior as your group changes.
Who should skip it?
Skip it for anything beyond a pair. The 16.5 by 22.5 inch footprint suits two rats well and leaves little spare floor area once you add bedding depth and hides.
It is also not the cage for a group that will grow fast. Rats reach full size in months, and this footprint will not grow with them.
7. Homey Pet 3-Tier Small Animal Cage – Best Budget Three-Tier Option
Homey Pet Rat Cage, Small Animal Cage for Ferret, Chinchilla, Guinea Pig
- Roomy interior that suits multiple rats including larger males
- Four lockable casters make it easy to roll outside and hose down
- Splash guard and floor grates reduce debris on the floor
- Sturdy enough not to shift when a rat runs into it
- Solid value among three-tier wire cages
- Cleaning is difficult because debris collects behind the urine guard
- Side clips are fiddly and often need zip ties
- 0.65 inch spacing is wider than most rat cages
If you want three tiers of climbing without spending double digits per rat, this is the pick. The 25 by 17 inch base and 38-inch height give a group more room than the budget-tier alternatives reviewers usually recommend, and reviewers consistently call out how easily the wheels work.
Owners like the splash guard at the base and the detachable floor grates, both of which cut down on how much bedding and debris ends up on your floor. Several mention rolling it outside and hosing it down as the easiest deep clean they have found on a budget cage.
The detachable paw-friendly floor grates filter waste from the tray below, and every part detaches for scrubbing. The two-finger locking door system is a two-step lock, which is reassuring if you have ever had a determined rat open a simple latch.
Construction is rust-resistant thickened metal wire, and reviewers say it holds its shape even when a rat runs into the bars at speed. That matters more than it sounds in a narrow 17 inch wide frame.
What to check before you order it?
Plan for the clean. Several owners report bedding and droppings wedging between the tray and the urine guard, which forces partial disassembly rather than a quick wipe-down. Budget real time for it.
Watch the bar spacing. At 0.65 inch it is wider than most rat-appropriate cages, so very young or very small rats need supervision until they are big enough to be safe in it.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if your rats are babies or you are planning on adding to the group soon. The 0.65 inch spacing rules out the youngest animals and makes the cage a poor long-term choice for a growing colony.
It is also a chore to keep clean compared with all-metal pull-out-tray designs, which is worth factoring in if you already dislike spot-cleaning.
8. Kaytee My First Home Habitat for Pet Rats – Best Travel and Quarantine Cage
- Weighs 5.28 pounds so it is genuinely portable
- 1/2 inch spacing prevents escapes
- Chew-proof latches and wire
- Deep base keeps bedding inside
- Solid plastic shelves wipe clean easily
- Too small for more than two adult rats
- Two levels give limited run and climb space
- Plastic shelves and ramps get chewed over time
- Light build can be shifted or tipped by rats
This cage earns its place for a job the bigger ones cannot do: transport. At just over five pounds it is the only habitat here you can genuinely carry to a car, which makes it the one most experienced keepers buy alongside a proper home cage.
Forum threads about hospital and travel setups come up this same cage again and again, and the half-inch spacing plus chew-proof hardware make it safe for a single recovering or newly introduced animal.
The solid plastic shelves and ramps wipe down in seconds, and the deep base stops bedding escaping during a car journey. Multiple levels give a recovering rat somewhere to retreat without climbing far.
It is also the most common first cage sold in the United States, and that popularity cuts both ways. Owners of pairs find it adequate and recommend it for one or two rats only.
What to check before you order it?
Do the floor math before buying this as a home cage. A 25.5 by 12.5 inch footprint falls well short of the 2.5 to 3 square feet per rat guideline once two rats are in it.
Know that rats can shift or tip a light habitat of this weight. If you keep it beside a larger cage, secure the door and keep it away from the edge.
Who should skip it?
Skip it as a permanent group home for three or more rats. It works for a pair in a small space, and it works beautifully as a carry cage, but it is not a social-group solution.
If your rats are known chewers, the plastic shelves and ramps are the first thing to go. Buy it for travel, not as a permanent enclosure.
How Many Rats Can Live in One Cage?
Divide the cage’s usable cubic feet by 2.5 to 3 and you have your safe group size. A standard welfare guideline is roughly 2.5 to 3 square feet of usable floor space per rat, and rat keepers on the r/RATS enclosure guidance push the higher end of that range.
Use these as the practical bands for the cages reviewed here:
About 5 cubic feet: a same-sex pair. This is the floor of acceptable housing.
About 10 cubic feet: a trio, or a pair of adult males with good temperament.
About 15 cubic feet: four to six rats, and the size most first-time multi-rat owners should aim for.
About 30 cubic feet and up: eight to twelve rats or a full colony, plus enrichment space.
Two practical adjustments matter. Heavier or older rats need more space than the standard rule, since they move less and gain weight faster. And bedding depth eats into usable volume, so count only floor area you can actually run on.
Count volume inside the wire, not the listed product height. Multiply the base plate by the internal height at each level and add the levels together, then divide by 2.5 to 3.
How Many Rats Can Live in a Critter Nation Cage?
A single-unit Critter Nation is the standard four-to-six-rat cage for most owners and the gateway cage almost everyone starts with. The Double Unit is what experienced keepers name for a group that will grow.
Rat keepers on r/RATS and on breeder forums consistently treat the Double Critter Nation as the consensus choice for larger US groups, with a breeder reviewer rating it her top choice for large communities. One rattery owner describes it as comfortably housing up to twelve rats.
Add an add-on unit and that number goes higher, which is why breeders run them this way. The single unit stays a sensible choice for four to six rats, and pairing two single units side by side is a common setup for eight to ten.
Do check the growth rate when you buy. Rats reach adult size in months, so a cage that is right for a pair will be wrong within the year.
How Far Apart Should Rat Cage Bars Be?
Half an inch is the ceiling for adult rats, and three-eighths of an inch is the safe figure for babies, small females and any group you are not certain about. A rat should not be able to poke its head between two bars, and that head-through test is the single most useful thing you can do with a product photo.
3/8 inch: safest overall. Holds very young pups and small females. Costs you some accessory placement flexibility.
1/2 inch: the standard adult figure, and what most US rat-appropriate cages use.
0.6 to 0.65 inch: borderline. Several ferret-style cages sit here, and keepers commonly flag it as risky for small females.
7/8 inch and above: unsafe for rats. Fine for adult male ferrets, not for a group of rats.
One caution about buying by bar spacing. The single result ranking for this query states that bars should be four to five inches apart, which is wrong and dangerous for rats. Half an inch is the ceiling.
Do Rats Prefer Tall Cages or Long Ones?
Both, and they need floor space first. Rats use height for travel and floor area for foraging and digging, so the priority order is floor space, then vertical space, then everything else.
Multi-level cages let a group spread out vertically instead of competing for the same stretch of floor, which reduces fighting in larger groups. A single fall of more than about 20 inches risks injury, so check shelf-to-shelf gaps on any multi-level model.
Long and low wins for a pair or trio that spends time foraging, and it makes bedding depth easier to maintain. Tall and narrow wins for climbers, though the floor plate gets squeezed.
Our practical answer: pick the longest floor your space allows, then add height if the cage offers it.
Cages to Avoid and Why
Four categories cause most of the problems we see, and all four show up repeatedly in owner forums.
Aquariums and glass tanks. Airflow is terrible and ammonia builds fast, which is a leading cause of respiratory illness in rats. They are also very heavy and impossible to expand.
Storage-bin and plastic tubs. No ventilation, no bar spacing at all, and a determined rat will chew an exit. Fine as a temporary carrier for a vet visit, not as housing.
Any cage with an untreated wire grate floor. This is the cause of bumblefoot, a painful condition affecting the pads of the feet. The fix is a dig box or solid liner rather than the cage itself.
Ferret cages with wide bars. Anything at seven-eighths of an inch or more can let a small female or a juvenile through, and escapes in a home are frequently fatal.
Our previous guides on veterinary cages cover short-stay containment setups, which is a different problem from housing a group long term.
Setting Up the Cage: Bedding, Enrichment and Cleaning
Fill roughly 8 inches of diggable substrate at the bottom. Rats are fossorial and a deep layer is what lets a group burrow, which is the single best boredom-reducer you can offer.
If the cage has a wire floor, add a dig box. A large shallow tub filled with soft substrate gives them solid ground over the grate and takes the pressure off their feet. This is a five-minute DIY fix that costs almost nothing.
Provide one shelter per rat plus one extra. Extra hides cut fighting in a group far more reliably than extra open space does.
Keep airflow high and clean often. Spot-clean daily, do a full strip-down weekly, and expect to wash the base pan and shelves in hot water rather than relying on sprays near the animals.
Position the cage away from direct sun, drafts and radiators, ideally against a wall where the rats feel covered. Leave clearance so you can access every level for cleaning.
Buy a separate small cage regardless of what you choose. Every keeper on the forums asks the same question about hospital, quarantine and travel setups, and the answer is always a cheap second cage you can grab in ten seconds. Our picks in large bird cages share the same consideration around door access and bar spacing, though the spacing standard is wider.
If you would rather watch a group than guess at it, the same multi-camera logic behind our baby monitor picks for multiple kids applies here: one fixed viewpoint beats a cage you have to lean over.
If you are shopping second-hand, the metal cages here hold up better than plastic ones. Check every latch, look for rust at the connecting corners, and confirm no bent panels before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cage for two rats?
For a pair of adult rats, the Living World Deluxe Hybrid X-Large or the Prevue Pet 528 are both strong choices. Aim for at least 2.5 to 3 square feet of usable floor space per rat, bar spacing of half an inch or tighter, and a solid or pan floor. Never house a rat alone, since rats are social.
What is the best rat cage for 3 rats?
A trio needs roughly 7.5 to 9 square feet of usable floor space, so a single-unit Critter Nation or the Kaytee My First Home Multi-Level will serve. Check total floor area rather than height, and add bedding depth plus hides on top of the raw dimensions.
How far apart should rat cage bars be?
Half an inch is the maximum for adult rats, and three-eighths of an inch is the safe choice for babies, small females or any group you are unsure about. A rat should not be able to push its head between two bars. Seven-eighths of an inch and above is unsafe for rats.
Do rats like multi-level cages?
Yes, and multiple levels let a group spread out vertically rather than competing for the same floor space. Floor area still matters most for foraging and digging, so pick the longest floor your space allows first, then add height. Keep shelf-to-shelf drops under about 20 inches.
How many rats can live in a Critter Nation cage?
A single-unit Critter Nation comfortably serves four to six rats. The Double Unit is the standard choice for eight to twelve rats or a growing colony, and adding an add-on unit increases capacity further. Two single units placed side by side is a common setup for eight to ten rats.
Which Rat Cage Should You Buy?
For most people reading this in 2026, the Critter Nation Double Unit is the answer. Two full levels of living space, half-inch bars, solid plastic pans and enough volume for a group that will grow, with the largest review base of any cage we reviewed.
Buy the Living World Deluxe Hybrid X-Large instead if floor length is what your group is short of, and buy the Prevue 528 if babies or small females are involved. Keep a cheap second cage for travel and vet trips whatever you choose.
Measure your rats before you order, check the bar spacing first, and buy for the size your rats will be in six months rather than the size they are today.