Reddit Reddit reviews Kaytee Lava Ledge

We found 16 Reddit comments about Kaytee Lava Ledge. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Pet Supplies
Pet Bird Supplies
Birdcages & Accessories
Bird Ladders
Kaytee Lava Ledge
Completely safe to chew with "pet safe" Food colorsEnhances your pet's life with a fun playtime activityFor chinchilla or other small animalsAttach to any wire homeEncourages natural jumping exercises for mental and physical wellness
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16 Reddit comments about Kaytee Lava Ledge:

u/owlrecluse · 8 pointsr/RATS

Do you have a rough budget? also im sorry for the novel
The typical and most suggested cage is a critter nation (a single can work for 2 or 3). You can sometimes find them or similar cages on craigslist, or find them cheaper on other sites.
You can also use several Martin brands, here's a breakdown of all of the versions you can get.. I've heard that they can be a bit annoying to clean, since most of them only have one door that opens, as compared to the critter nation with its double doors, but they're a reliable cage.
You could probably even use a Petco or Petsmart brand one, such as the Rat Manor, but that only holds 2 rats. So if you wanted to expand your mischief, you'd need an upgrade.
The most important thing at the moment is that they cant escape.
This is a good cage in general but the bar spacing is good for younger rats, and its a bit bigger than a single critter nation.
Here's a general listing of good cages for rats as well. but make sure to do your own research on them, as they suggest the aquarium topper which isnt a good one. The bar spacing needs to be at least 1/2" for babies.

  • The most suggested food is oxbow if youre in the USA. you're also going to have to feed them a small portion of fresh fruits and veggie every other day or so (but you can also give cheerios and stuff as treats, they can eat almost anything tbh).

  • they're going to need hides, hammocks, toys etc. you can usually make them yourself with fleece, some sewing, or cardboard boxes. Many bird toys and small animal advertised toys and stuff are fine.

  • decide what kind of bedding youre going to use. If youre going to use loose bedding like this, consider getting a cage with a deep pan. If you're going to use fleece, consider if you're going to litter train them or not, or sew absorbent liners. Most people recommend fleece.

  • rats need to chew because their teeth grow forever. so theyre going to need wood toys or lava ledges.

    Here are some good cages.. Just to give you an idea.
    They will need to see the vet at least a few times in its life. So be prepared to find an exotics vet and start saving. Imo, you dont need to take them like you would a dog, once a year or whatever, but if they start breathing funny or get hurt it's difficult to treat that kind of stuff by yourself.
    uuuuuuuuuuuu its usually cheaper to buy food and stuff in store so find a pet supplies plus, or a petco/smart. You're also going to need to clean the cage about once a week or so. You can use a small animal cage cleaner such as Nature's Miracle, or use a dilute mix of vinegar and water.
    And yes, you're going to need a friend if you decide to keep them.
    I think that's a good basic rundown of what you're gonna need eventually. If you dont deck them out like immediately they'll live, so theres no huge rush.
    Oh, and keep an eye on their health. make sure their breathing is fine and that they dont have lice or fleas (they'll have a lot of scabs on their ears and shoulders and tail). Rats are very prone to respiratory infections.
u/tpr0218 · 5 pointsr/RATS

I got my girls a lava ledge, it helps them trim down their nails.

u/mag_cue · 4 pointsr/chinchilla

Lava ledges. One of my chins will chew through one in literally a week. I have to buy them in bulk for him. He's a spoiled little brat.

My other chin loooves applesticks!



I recommend this site for chin-safe toys and treats.

u/PoppySeedK · 4 pointsr/RATS

Get lava ledges and defintely get a Sputnik. You'll see a lot of posts on here of ratties in their sputnik. They love them!

u/420shadesofgreen · 3 pointsr/RATS

One of my rats is weirdly picky about the stuff she chews on. Have you tried different types of chews? If you don't have any Lava Ledges, you can try one of those. They can help grind down those sharp rat claws AND teeth! There are pumice blocks and stuff specifically marketed for chewing out there but I like lava ledges for the multitasking ;)

Rats have an instinctive need to grind down their teeth so there's bound to be some type of material they're into.

e: Something you can try: A Kong dog toy (possibly two, to keep the peace). This was the first thing I got my picky rat to chew on. I stuff chopped carrots inside it (which are also good for teeth), and they also have fun figuring out how to get the treats!

u/CorbinDallasMyMan · 3 pointsr/RATS

Sorry about your dog.

Bedding: The purpose of some sort of bedding material is to absorb urine and odors and to minimize your pets' contact with their own waste. Some people use fabric to cover the levels and/or floor of their cage. The benefits of this is it's reusable and there's less waste but fabric is crap at controlling odors so needs to be washed very regularly (every few days) and some rats destroy it pretty quickly. Loose substrates are generally better at absorbing urine and odors/ammonia but can be a little messier and create more waste. Personally, I use a combination of a loose substrate (aspen shavings) on the floor of the cage and fleece mats with an absorbent inner layer on the platforms of the cage.

There are lots of loose substrate bedding options but the main things you want to look for are good absorbency, good odor/ammonia control, as little dust as possible, fragrance free, and low cost. Nothing gets 10s across the board so sometimes it just takes some experimentation to figure out what works best for you, your rats, their cage, and your lifestyle. Some good options I've used include fragrance free paper pellet litter (bags made for cats are sometimes cheaper), "crumbled" paper litter, soft paper substrates like Carefresh or Clean & Cozy, and aspen or kiln-dried pine shaving. You can also just cover the floor with sheets of paper and they'll have a blast shredding it up and carrying it all over the cage. Blank newsprint is pretty cheap at the hardware store and you wouldn't have to worry about inks. Paper would get gross quickly and would need to be changed very often.

Food: The most widely available recommended pellet food is Oxbow. You can get it at PetSmart stores but it's cheaper on Amazon or Chewy. Oxbow is generally free fed (always available) but it's good to supplement it with fresh veggies and/or a little bit of a grain/seed mix every few days. Other recommended pellet options are Envigo Teklad (also available on Amazon - 2014 formula for adult rats and 2018 formula for juveniles) and Mazuri. For nutritional balance reasons, you might want to make sure that 70-80% of their diet is the pellet and 20-25% is supplemental. This equals out to only about 4 to 7 grams of supplemental stuff daily, per rat.

Cage Accessories: For the most part, you can fill the cage with literal garbage and your rats will be happy. You don't really need to spend any money to make a cage fun for your rats. I try my best to avoid purchasing overpriced pet-store items. You can use cardboard boxes from the recycle bin, ropes and small baskets and bins from the basement, thrift shop, or dollar store, scraps cut from old clothes strung up with paper clips as make-shift hammocks, etc. The hardware store is also a good place to find fun cage items. A cluttered cage is a good cage. I like to have as many hammocks and hides as I have rats so they can all have their own spaces if they want to be alone. It's good to have at least a couple sets of hammocks because they need to be washed frequently. I wash all fabric cage items 2 to 3 times a week. Cardboard and paper items get tossed weekly because they also start to smell awful.

While you don't need to spend any money on accessories, there are some things that are worth their weight in gold. Space Pods are wonderful. I drill a hole in the bottom of them so pee drains out. Lava ledges are good for keeping nails trim and when strategically placed, they can be used instead of those stupid ramps. I love bendy rope perches, they're great for creating "steps" to higher hammocks and stuff.

u/specialgreenonion · 3 pointsr/RATS

I exceeded the character limit so here's the continuation haha.


Since Im in Europe, I use the european equivalent which is this cage. The only downside is that not all the bars are horizontal, but its enough for the ratties. I just struggle a teensy bit more hanging some decorations but its not a big deal since I at least have some horizontal bars! If youre in europe, this is a wonderful cage to have.


Here's some other cages if youre looking to keep 2-3 ratties:


3 rats max in my opinion, even though the calculator says up to 4 with 2.5 cubic feet per rat

This cage is good for around 3 ratties


3 ratties too


This is a giant cage and looks really awesome, I would get this one if only it had the fully opening double doors! This cage cant fit around 10-12 rats


2-3 ratties


2 ratties but the triple version can keep around 4


Those are just some examples and rough guides to go by. Another important thing is you want the floor of the cage to be solid, not wire. If your cage has a wire floor, cover it with tiles, linoleum or cardboard.


You want to include hammocks and hiding places in the cage - rats prefer to sleep and chill out in cozy dark hidey holes. Lots of people here love Savic Sputniks, and I have to agree that they are fantastic. All my ratties love them so much that I had to get one separate Savic for each or else they'd be fighting over them! You can buy them on amazon or here. If you cant find any good results on amazon, try searching for Space Pod instead. It's the same thing.


Ratties also need to chew, so try to get them some pet-safe, untreated wooden toys for them. These are also great, they're like perches made of pumice stone that the ratties can climb on and chew to file down their nails and teeth (this is important as rat teeth continue to grow constantly, so the ratties NEED to chew on stuff to file them down). Because rats chew so much, they will chew through plastic and wood on cages. This is why you ideally want to pick out an all metal cage, although this is a bit hard since most cages are plastic with metal bars. I dont have this issue as my rats dont chew anything in their cage besides their chew toys. People usually buy metal trays to fit into their cages instead of the plastic platforms provided. You can look into this, but I'd say just observe your ratties and if they're not chewing too much on the plastic shelves, I wouldnt worry about it until you have to replace the shelves (if it even comes to that). That's why you wanna provide them with plenty of chewing toys, so they dont feel the need to chew on anything else but at the end of the day, ratties are ratties lol


If you search for "boredom breakers" on amazon or any online pet shop, you'll get a good selection of toys and things to hang around the cage to keep the ratties occupied. DONT get your rats wheels though, as wheels tend to be bad for rats' backs since they're designed for smaller animals like hamsters, mice etc. If you find a huge wheel designed for degus, you can get that for your rats. Just make sure it's solid, not wire and big enough that the rat can run in it without bending its back.


As for bedding, here's a good site explaining different types of bedding, what is and isn't safe etc. If you buy a cage with deep pans, you can choose a loose bedding, like shredded paper or hemp. Most people dont though since the loose bedding tends to fly out and your floor gets very messy. This is why a lot of people opt to use fleece. You can buy cheap fleece and cut it to size to line your cage platforms and floor. You want to put an absorbent material under the fleece though, as the fleece lets any liquids though and the cage will get smelly very quickly. If you put something absorbent underneath, the smell wont build up so much. I use puppy pads and layer paper towels on top, then line with fleece. I dont notice any smells for around 5-7 days. You wanna clean the cage around once or twice a week, it depends on your ratties. Just change all the bedding out, put any hammocks and fabrics in the wash, wipe the shelves and platforms down etc. I use vinegar mixed with water to clean everything out since it gets rid of the smell of urine really well. Then I wipe it down with some water, dry everything and line with puppy pads, paper towels and fleece. I use binder clips to hold the fleece in place. You wanna give the cage a big wash around once a month (spray it down with water, do 10 parts water to 1 part bleach and soak platforms and any solid components for a few minutes in hot water etc.) Spot cleaning should be done every day - this means picking up any loose poops or pieces of food and throwing that out. Just small cleaning like that, it takes like 1 minute.


Paper towels, cardboard, shredded paper etc. is also great to put in their cage in general since they love to tear it and carry it to their favorite sleeping spot to make it all cozy! It's really cute and fun to watch.


Lastly, vet funds. Make sure you have an exotic vet, or at least one familiar with rats. Always keep a vet fund since illnesses in rats can just flare up out of nowhere sometimes.


Rats are born with these bacteria called mycoplasma pulmonis. Some rats can live their whole lives with zero flare ups, but most get sick at least once or twice in their lifetime. You know that theyre sick if they start sneezing a lot more than normal, their breathing is audible or even loud, they get porphyrin discharge around their eyes and nose (this is red colored so dont worry, its not blood if you ever see it. Porphyrin discharge is normal first thing after a rat wakes up though, so dont worry if you see it. Its only if its there a lot more, or in bigger amounts than normal that you should be concerned). Some rats are sick with it all their lives and are constantly on and off antibiotics. That's the case with one of my boys. He's got it so bad that unfortunately we can only keep it in control and prevent it from getting worse, but he's sick all the time. Poor baby is only 4 months old.


Ratties generally have very delicate respiratory systems, so its important not to have them around any harsh smells, dusty bedding/places, wind droughts etc.


Rats also can get mites easily, so make sure whenever you buy any pet safe untreated wood, that you still put it in your freezer for 24-48 hours just to be safe and kill off anything that could be there. Same goes for any fleece bedding or other fabrics, especially if they weren't packaged in airtight plastic packaging.



I know this is A LOT of info but Im still sure I missed something! Others on here will definitely fill in any blanks that I missed though lol


Enjoy your babies, cherish every moment with them, love them and spoil them! They'll bring you so much joy and happiness. Theyre wonderful pets and I hope you have an amazing time and many wonderful experiences with them. Good luck and update us when you get them! This sub is generally very supportive and positive, so if you have any other questions then always feel free to come here and ask! Have fun :)

u/thalandor46 · 2 pointsr/chinchilla

I used to have that cage, and I have a vague memory that might be of some help. I seem to remember the hole that separates the upper and lower level being off center, and there being no good way to determine which way that piece is actually supposed to go in. So that middle horizontal piece? You might need to take the cage apart and rotate it 180 degrees for the middle ramp to fit properly. I wish I could say with more certainty, but I can only say that there's a possibility that that is the case. I apologize in advance if you try that and I end up being wrong.

As others have implied thought, the lowest and highest ramps are pretty much unnecessary, and I used Lava Ledges and other similar platforms to serve that purpose.

u/C22JE · 2 pointsr/RATS

yeah that is a big concern! Wire can cause fractured/broke feet and toes! I would recommend http://www.amazon.com/Super-Pet-Chinchilla-12-Inch-Exercise/dp/B0006IK0PQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372998518&sr=8-1&keywords=silent+spinner that one. Are you getting girls or boys? OH! and if you want a lot of people cover the shelves with fleece for easy clean up/soft cuddle spots. I personally don't with that cage since the shelves are smaller. Just something to consider!
And another thing my rats like are http://www.amazon.com/Lava-Ledge-Attachment-Chinchilla-Habitat/dp/B00176F466/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_2 I like to put one up and then a hanging toy above it. It just adds another little thing for them to use.

u/darkayden · 2 pointsr/RATS

When I boarded my girl rats at Andy's all four of them fit fine in that cage. Some stuff I'd recommend are get tons of Lava ledges so they can have different heights in the cage. They have Big ones and Small ones. The small ones are only available online now I think. My girls love to hop from one to another plus it will help file down their nails and teeth. I currently have 10 big ones and 8 small ones in my 2 cages. A hammock is great but you can also put a space pod in there too as another place to sleep or chill. I just got one for my girls but I'm waiting for a hammock to be chewed down before putting it in there. I also got The Bandit Bridge and my girls love that too. I mainly use it as a safety net in case they fall off one of the ledges. I'd rather have them land on a soft thing than the igloo or hard cage bottom. Basically I'm cutting the fall in half.


Also if you still want to get another cage I recommend The Rat Manor I have it and my girls LOVE it! It's big enough for 4 rats so 3 would fit perfectly plus it has a metal bottom so they can't chew holes in it. Other than that you seem to be on the right track. Just spend a lot of time with them and get them used to you kinda like a re-introduction to humans and they should turn out fine. They may have been scared of the kids and all the noise but it sounds like they should perk up to you in no time after they get used to their new surroundings. Good luck and keep us posted!

u/JPersnicket · 2 pointsr/RATS

I think a lot of things are kind of up to your rat's preference. I wouldn't bother buying a wheel unless you knew they loved it because most rats don't care about running on wheels. I'd invest in a Sputnik because it's universally loved by rats. https://www.amazon.com/Lixit-Critter-Space-Pod-Large/dp/B002X2NBNQ You'll need some sort of bedding. I've put fleece covers down and litter box trained my rats. I tried all sorts of bedding but I really ended up liking Aspen shavings (which is the only safe wood for rats because the others give off scents that irritate their breathing). PVC pipe joints are good for them to run through and hide. http://www.allrightmachinery.com/pvc/pipe-fitting2.jpg My rats like Lava ledges to climb on and this helps wear down their claw without clipping. https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-Lava-Ledge-Assorted-Colors/dp/B00176F466 Also put some bricks near their water/food bowl to help whittle their nails down too. Binder clips and safety pins are your friends for hanging things. A ton of my stuff is from the dollar store so I can just throw it away when it gets really disgusting/torn up. And plenty of soft fleece pieces/fabric scraps for them to snuggle and nest in. Save any cardboard boxes you can because they love playing in them.

u/-Nuu- · 2 pointsr/RATS

I get all my fleece from JoAnn stores. They often have fleece at 50% off per yard, so you can buy it in bulk and use it as needed. Any large fabric store will have lots of fleece in stock (I just prefer JoAnn because that's the best one I have in the area I live in). I'm sure you know this already, but just in case, please don't use cedar or pine chips as bedding for your rats; it's harmful to them. You can use fleece or aspen chip bedding (but freeze the aspen for 48 hours prior to use to make sure it's free of parasites).

I buy many rat toys on Amazon, and make some myself. If you're buying any kind of wooden rat toy, do be aware that many of them are made from soft woods like pine and cedar, which are super bad for rat respiratory systems. Hardwood toys are usually safe—just make sure it's not a combination wood that also has pine or cedar in it along with the hardwood. I personally do not buy wood toys on amazon, because the products often don't list what kind of wood they're made of. The only wood product I buy on Amazon is bags of untreated apple branch chewing sticks. I'll link you to some rat-safe toys and accessories I buy on amazon below! :)

Kaytee Lava Ledge
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176F466/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

15" Chin Spin - Small Animal Exercise Wheel - Handmade in USA (Expensive, but it's the very best and safest wheel for rats.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GJ6SDBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bright Starts Lots of Links Accessory Toy (Great for hanging things up in the cage.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ABZGU2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

Small Animal Activity Toy Cotton Rope Net For Rat and Ferret Pet Bed for Parrot and Hamster Parrot
https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Activity-Cotton-Ferret-Hamster/dp/B0777NWKT9/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1519011945&sr=1-2&keywords=rat+rope+net

Kaytee Igloo Hideout, Large
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00068K132/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

ACCO Binder Clips, Medium, 2 Boxes, 12/Box (A7072050) (If using fleece as the bedding/liner in your cage, this helps to secure fleece to the Critter Nation pans.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TQ8FDB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Liquid Soap - Baby Unscented, 32oz. (I don't use any scented products with my rats since rat respiratory systems are so fragile, so this is the non-scented liquid soap I use to wash my hands and their non-fabric toys.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DAI76TC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Pawliss Teeth Grinding Lava Block for Hamster Chinchilla Rabbit
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HGHA6VW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Aspen/Booda Corporation BBX56134 Byrdy Cable Cross Bird Toy, Medium
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WRHTG6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

200g(7oz) Apple Sticks Pet Snacks Chew Toys for Guinea Pigs Chinchilla Squirrel Rabbits Hamster(About 50-70 Sticks) by MAIYUAN (The only wood product I buy on Amazon.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WLL641Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ware Manufacturing Fun Tunnels Play Tube for Small Pets (Medium.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LUMU9M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ware Manufacturing Plastic Scatterless Lock-N-Litter Small Pet Pan- Colors May Vary (Regular size, not jumbo.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SLICDA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

JW Comfy Perch for Birds (Large, 36".)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AR754/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lixit Critter Space Pod 2 Large (You can hand these on the ceiling of the Critter Nation. My boys LOVE these!)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002X2NBNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lixit Lbg-16 Glass Small Animal Bottle 16 Oz (16oz is always best for rats because of the bigger water spout. I've found that smaller bottles are a struggle for my boys to get water out of, so I only use the small ones for rat carriers/transporter cages. Tip: filtered water is best for rats, so if you can, get a Britta water filter.)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WYCFK0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Yummy Time Tiny Small Stoneware Pet/Dog Bowl
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NAUMYDC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I buy Harlan Teklad (Envigo) food blocks for my rats, which is one of the top two for rats (the other is Oxbow Regal Rat). Harland Teklad is hard to find though, so I buy mine through this animal rescue:
http://weecompanions.org/healthy-food

If you get these blocks, freeze them to extend their shelf life, and take them out from the freezer as needed to fill your ratties' bowls. Harlan Teklad is great because they have several formulas for rats based on their age, which is super helpful for their health. Young rats up to 8 months usually eat Harlan Teklad 2016 (16% protein), and after 8 months they eat Harlan Teklad 2014 (14% protein).

Also, I don't have a link for this, but the best laundry detergents to use to wash your rats' cloth toys or bedding with is one that's non-scented and is sensitive on skins.

Um, if I think of anything else, I'll add it. But for now, it's already a ton. :P Enjoy!

(And feel free to message me if you have any questions!)

u/Lunaiz4 · 1 pointr/RATS

My boys have a "lava ledge." I got mine from the pet store, but you can buy yours here: https://www.amazon.com/Kaytee-100079157-Lava-Ledge/dp/B00176F466/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505518972&sr=8-2&keywords=lava+ledge

It isn't so much THEIR favorite toy as mine. They seem to enjoy sitting on it, and it keeps their little claws worn down. Other than that, I would say their favorite toy is probably dirty laundry, especially jeans. Or weird-shaped boxes from Aldi.

u/memebo1 · 1 pointr/hamsters