LittleIndianGirl:
I understand what you're saying... but when I say clean once a week I mean that's the longest I'll go between cleaning.
I live in a very little one bedroom apartment w/ 4 snakes, 7 tubs full of mice, currently 2 rats more when I'm breeding, and a tarantula (which warrants housing stinky crickets occasionally)... the place doesn't have much air circulation and can get smelly fast. I clean mouse tubs every 2-3 days. My two male rats have a 120qt double tub setup and only needs cleaned once a week and probably could go longer.
I'm not currently breeding rats but yes this 'rack' is meant to house only one female and her litter per drawer. I did end up cleaning more often when the litter got older. Every 2-3 days like the mice when near weaning. Trust me, I know how smelly it can get and I figure if I can smell it then the animals are uncomfortable, I've stuck my nose in the drawersit's not pleasant if left to stew too long so I don't let it get that bad.
It's hard to prove over the internet but I'm a very attentive pet owner. Prevention is the best medicine IMO... vet bills are expensive and I really couldn't afford it so I take the best care of all my animals I can.
What you say is true, I don't know how comfortable they are... but I can give a good guess. I've owned rats for years as just pets before I got into snakes.. and now that I'm breeding them as food they still get treated like pets would, just a little different setup since there are so many of them... the rats I had in this rack seemed just as healthy, active, inquisitive, and happy as any rat kept in a tank or fancy wire cage. And when they didn't have new borns they often got let out to run around and play.
That being said, I'm glad you're asking these questions of me cause I know there are people out there that need the help... you've got to give what advice you can to everyone. Animals deserve to be treated right.And how do you know if you don't ask?.
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