the mischief's never managed!

well damn Instagram didn’t post all the pictures 🙄

I noticed that @rappsrats put together a great post for British rat owners so I thought I’d put something together for those of us in the states. The basic premise is that big-box pet stores don’t usually offer the best prices. With a little research, you can save a ton of money by avoiding PetSmart/Petco. Please chime in with more affordable sources and ideas!

The Critter Nation is one of the most popular cages in the States. It can be purchased at PetSmart under the All Living Things brand name (but it’s the same cage made by the same manufacturer). I was in the store the other day and they had a $275 sticker on this cage. I see their website lists this cage for $260 (currently on sale for $215). I don’t know why they offer the same product on their website for a different price than in-store but this seems to be somewhat common so it always pays to check the website before making an in-store purchase.

$215 might seem like a steal but websites like PetSupplies.com and Dog.com regularly offer this cage for $168 - $180 [*edit* open these links into an “incognito” window for correct pricing]. These websites usually add on an additional $15 - $25 as a “weight charge” for handling.

Dear British rat owners,

Be wary of Pets At Home, always shop around first. Not because they’re a bad company or anything, but purely because their prices are fucking extortionate, especially for items like cages. You can get much larger cages for the same prices elsewhere and it pains me seeing people spending a fortune on a cage there when they could have a bigger one for the same price. I feel like they especially take advantage of first time rat owners who will buy rats from them and buy their cage and supplies while they’re there. Occasionally you can find good deals on treats there (like three for two on treats), but a lot of their stock can easily be found cheaper elsewhere.

i recommend the following websites for cages toys and treats

Little Pet Warehouse (get 10% off orders with the code ANIMAL)

Zooplus

The Rat Warehouse

The Range

Amazon

Price comparisons and recommendations under the cut!

remember how I submitted photos of what my girls did to the pocket hammock I won in your last giveaway? well, apparently having only one pocket hammock wasn’t good enough for Violet so she decided to make her own out of the big flat one 🙄

I won this hammock (along with 2 others) in a giveaway of yours like a year ago and I figured you’d want an update on your hard work…it’s in tatters 😅 definitely their favorite hammock by far, though! the face holes make it great for summer snugs! 😂