it a plastic cage ok for rats?
I'm guessing you are the person who just emailed me with the same question, but I'll post my answer here as well so other people may benefit. A plastic cage is generally not a good idea. They can chew it and escape, and they are also often too small as they are made for hamsters, and since they are not very well ventilated it can cause the ammonia from the rat's urine to build up and cause respiratory problems. A rat needs at least 2 cubic feet of space, so the cage should be at least that large. If your rat has tiny babies, though, she will be fine in a plastic cage for now, but once the babies are 4-5 weeks old you can move her into a larger wire cage if the bar spacing is narrow enough.
I would say no. If they can get a hold of any kind of edge they will chew and perhaps swallow plastic. Plus plastic itself is not overly healthy.
Wire shelves would be the same as a wire floor to the cage and could lead to a foot or leg injury or bumblefoot. The pre-made plastic shelves may be expensive, but you can get the job done using coroplast - essentially corrugated cardboard made out of plastic. It is used in homemade cages. You can purchase it by the square foot at a sign store and cut it to size. You can also fold the sides up and make a tray that will keep them from kicking bedding out of the cage.
