The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) states that “Animals require sufficient space to rest and exercise, access food and water, and freely express normal postures and behaviours.” With respect to rats specifically, the CCAC goes on to state:
“The height of cages should accommodate typical postures of rats, including the ability to stretch vertically, which has been shown to be a common and important behaviour for rats (Buttner, 1993; Makowska and Weary, 2016). To determine the appropriate cage height, the length of the rat from the nose to the base of the rump should be estimated, and then approximately four centimetres added to account for the additional distance required for upright stretching with partial leg extension. For example, a fully grown male rat with a body length of 26 cm would require a cage height of 30 cm to accommodate appropriate rearing and stretching behaviour.”
These guidelines are mirrored in other animal research standards across the globe, with the Eighth Edition for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals stating that “Cage height should take into account the animal’s typical posture and provide adequate clearance for the animal from cage structures, such as feeders and water devices.”
Allentown’s new NexGen™ Rat 1800 Tall™ Cage and IVC system provides 30.3 cm (303 mm / 11.934 in) of cage height to comply with CCAC, and other global standards, and permit optimal bipedal posture for rats.
In addition to cage height, the 1800 Tall also offers a variety of enrichment lofts and shelves and an optional hatch in the top of the cage for easy access to animals. Additionally, the 1800 Tall rack design accommodates both Tall and Standard 1800 cages, while existing 1800 cage system components are compatible with the 1800 Tall cage system (excluding the Wire Bar Lid).
Like the rest of our NexGen line of rodent housing, the 1800 Tall provides easy cage removal, quiet operation, ergonomic handling, and a robust variety of complementary hardware and software solutions to enhance use and improve research outcomes.
For more information on the NexGen Rat 1800 Tall Cage and IVC system, click here.