Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am planning on buying a new rat cage, the one in the picture. And I am wondering, what type of stuff should I put on the ramps and shelves to prevent my small females from getting bumblefoot?

If it's 1/2" x 1/2" mesh you don;t need to put anything on it. Bumblefoot is NOT caused by walking on wire. It is caused by walking constantly in their own urine which is more common with solid shelves.

The main thing to watch for with wire shelves and ramps is if it's 1/2" x 1" or greater then they can get their feet caught and broken.

Well for more clarification bumblefoot is ulcerative pododermatitis that is caused by the bacterium Staphyloccocus aureus which invades tissue once there's a tiny cut or scratch. Wires that are too wide can cause the cuts or scratches and it's worse for them if they are overweight. More weight on their feet.. more pressure when there is wire floor.

They can get "bumblefoot" with or without wire floors but wire floors cut their feet up so much that's why it's thought the problem is caused by the wire.. and it is but that's not the whole story.

It's true generally if the wire is 1/2x 1/2 & only on the ramps but the floor is solid then it's not likely to happen. A lot of problems can be prevented by simply keeping things clean.
I don't cover my ramps, my floors are solid & we don't have any problems with feet.
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PHRatz

I don't cover my ramps, they are 1/2x1/2". In 16 years I have never had problems with bumble foot. Your cage looks nice and fun. Just be careful if you are breeding rats in cages that have wire bottoms or ramps, the hoppers can get their feet stuck.

I have used cheap kitchen rugs from Wal-Mart, and those are really great. You can cut them to the size you need AND you can machine wash them. Those were my favorite. You can also use vinyl tiles with adhesive on the backs. Those stay in place better but it's hard to clean in the cracks. Or you could just use twisty-ties or wire to attach towels to the floor, but that's hard to deal with when they need to be cleaned.
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Kadee Sedtal

home of old lady Lucy (boxer/lab/garbage disposal), pretty girl Fancy (beagle), the rats-Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Pachebel, Fillmore, Norbert, and baby Franz, the mice- Vivaldi, Brahms, Schubert, Bartok, Rasputin, Johann, Chaminade, Dorothy, Glenda, Em, and baby Rosa, and the wonderful winter white dwarf hamster- Feather
"I wish I had a dollar for every time I spent a dollar, because then, yahoo! I'd have all my money back." -Jack Handey

I have that Exact same cage I Love it!!!
Sara

I remember a few years ago everyone was talking about using craft canvas to cover ramps & shelves.
I tried it, they promptly chewed it to pieces LOL!!
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PHRatz