NexGen™ Rat 1800 Cage with Automatic Watering

NexGen™ Rat 1800 Cage Base with Automatic Watering – Large Reusable IVC Cage for Rats with Enrichment Options

The NexGen™ Rat 1800 is a large, reusable individually ventilated cage (IVC) for rats with 1800 cm² of floor space, part of the Allentown NexGen™ IVC system. A cage height of 254 mm, together with multiple enrichment options, permits bipedal posture and environmental enrichment. The wider, ergonomic design with side handles provides balanced weight distribution during handling, while the clear walls offer unobstructed views into the cage. The cage docks into NexGen Rat 1800 IVC racks (10, 15, 20, and 30 cages), NexGen Rat Combo racks, and NexGen Rat 1800 Tall racks.

This version (Cat. no. 226231-2) is designed for automatic watering: when the cage is docked, it connects to the drinking valve of an IVC rack equipped with an automatic watering system (a stainless steel watering manifold with removable valves). Animals have continuous access to fresh water, and staff no longer need to fill, change, or wash water bottles. A version for bottle watering is also available (Cat. no. 226231-1).

Key Features

• Prepared for rack-mounted automatic watering – no water bottles to fill, change, or wash
• 1800 cm² of floor space and a cage height of 254 mm, permitting bipedal posture
• Ergonomic side handles for balanced handling
• Multiple enrichment options: lofts, rear shelves, cage dividers, and hanging feeders
• Clear, high-temperature-resistant polysulfone cage for easy animal observation
• Gasketed cage lid protects animals and keeps the microenvironment secure
• Hinged filter retainer swings up for quick filter replacement
• Flip-up/stay-up cardholders that do not obstruct the view into the cage
• Smooth, single-finger docking and undocking in NexGen IVC racks with auto-locking runners
• Compact nesting and stacking for higher autoclave throughput
• Autoclavable up to 134 °C and chemically sterilizable

How to Complete the NexGen Rat 1800 Cage Set

The NexGen™ Rat 1800 Cage Base with Automatic Watering is supplied as a complete cage with the following components:

1. NexGen Rat 1800 cage base, with automatic watering

2. External top: External Bottle Top, available with or without locks. An optional filter guard is available.

3. Choose a wire bar lid or chew guard: Wire Bar Lid (food capacity: 998 g) or Chew Guard (food capacity: 998 g)

4. Optional hanging feeder: Hanging Feeder: Rat (food capacity: 1202 g), Hanging Feeder: Guinea Pig (food capacity: 998 g), or Hanging Feeder: Guinea Pig/Ferret (food capacity: 1202 g)

5. Automatic watering – the cage base connects to the rack's drinking valve when the cage is docked. The cage requires a NexGen Rat 1800 IVC rack with automatic watering, connected to the facility's central automatic watering system.

6. Choose a cardholder: vertical or horizontal (each for 76 × 102 mm or 76 × 127 mm cage cards)

7. Choose enrichment options: Cage Divider, Enrichment Loft, Front Loft, Rear Shelf (WBL Attachment), or Rear Shelf (Stand Alone)

Housing Capacity According to Directive 2010/63/EU

Maximum number of animals per cage, based on the minimum floor area per animal set out in Directive 2010/63/EU:

Rats:

• Up to 9 rats weighing 200 g or less
• Up to 7 rats weighing over 200 g and up to 300 g
• Up to 5 rats weighing over 300 g and up to 400 g
• Up to 4 rats weighing over 400 g and up to 600 g
• Up to 3 rats weighing over 600 g

Guinea pigs:

• Up to 9 guinea pigs weighing 200 g or less
• Up to 5 guinea pigs weighing over 200 g and up to 300 g
• Up to 3 guinea pigs weighing over 300 g and up to 450 g

Hamsters:

• Up to 12 hamsters weighing 60 g or less
• Up to 9 hamsters weighing over 60 g and up to 100 g
• Up to 7 hamsters weighing over 100 g

Applications of the NexGen™ Rat 1800 Cage Base with Automatic Watering

The NexGen™ Rat 1800 Cage Base with Automatic Watering is a component of the Allentown NexGen™ IVC systems. The cage is therefore used together with a complete NexGen IVC rack and a watering installation prepared in the animal facility.

A central automatic watering system is part of the building infrastructure and typically includes water treatment and filtration, pressure-reducing stations, stainless steel room distribution piping, flexible rack connection hoses, rack manifolds with drinking valves, automated flushing and sanitization, and pressure and flow monitoring with alarms. The complete system – IVC racks, cages, and watering installation – is best suited to:

• New vivaria and facility modernizations where automatic watering is designed into the building infrastructure together with the IVC racks
• Large rat facilities and barrier units with many IVC racks, where automatic watering replaces daily bottle filling, changing, and washing
• Group-housed rats, including large adult rats, requiring continuous access to fresh, consistently treated water
• Long-term and preclinical studies where a reliable water supply and reduced cage handling minimize disturbance to the animals
• Facilities aiming to reduce washroom workload, water bottle inventory, and labor costs

For facilities without a central watering installation, the bottle watering version of this cage (Cat. no. 226231-1) is recommended.