# Free range question



## Wtpooh (Aug 23, 2015)

So, Max and Ruby typically live at my school where I get them out daily for about an hour of free range time. When I do this, their SCN is no where near the rat play pen/free range area. They seem to enjoy their play time. Well, I brought them home this weekend and introduced them to their weekend retreat which is a much smaller cage. I got them out of the cage in my bathroom for some free range time. They appeared extremely stressed out. They were obsessed with getting back in the cage. I finally had to close the cage door and even then they climbed all over the cage trying to figure out how to get back in. As soon as I opened the door they ran in and begin playing in the cage and appeared much happier. They came up to the cage bars for kisses and head scratches. When I put my hand in the cage they came up to it for me to tickle their chins. Should I continue to force weekend free range time? I don't want them freaked out. What would you do?


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## RattieFosters (Aug 8, 2015)

My rats do the same thing if they're cage is accessible during free range time. I don't think it's that they're terrified or hate being out of their cage. I think people kind of look at cages as though they were prisons, but to rats their cage is their home! It's a safe, familiar place. Especially if you have timid rats, it's not surprising that they would try to return to their home instead of explore a big open and foreign place.

If you want, you could try removing the cage from the room during free range time, or at least making it inaccessible. My boys have free range time on my bed, and they're cage is on top of my dresser at the other side of the room, so they don't even try to get to it. If your rats seem extremely timid and scared once you remove the cage, try providing hides during free range time. One of my three is a pretty nervous little guy, so I always have an overturned shoe box that I cut a hole into sitting on the bed when they're out, so that if he gets scared he's got somewhere to run and hide. You could also use a blanket, which can double as exercise because they'll burrow into it and then get a workout trying to find their way out. 

Free range time is really important to keep rats happy and healthy, so I would only recommend cutting it out if you absolutely have to. It's also a great way to bond with and get to know your buddies.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

I think the newness made them nervous. Keep trying to give them free range time when you have them at home and see if they don't adjust to it in a short time.


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

raindear said:


> I think the newness made them nervous. Keep trying to give them free range time when you have them at home and see if they don't adjust to it in a short time.


Agreed and make sure that there are tons of hut in their so that they dont feel as stressed and have somewhere to hide.


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## Wtpooh (Aug 23, 2015)

Thanks for the advice. I have another question: RattieFosters, you said you let them free range on your bed. I've also heard of people letting them free range on a table. Do they not try to get off the bed or table? I CANNOT have a loose rat. I have a standard poodle that would probably kill them if given the chance. When the rats are here, the poodle uses an indoor electric fence with the perimeter around the rat cage area and they are never unsupervised. At night they are in a bathroom with two closed doors between them and the poodle. When I free range them, there are also two closed doors between them the the poodle. I'd be very afraid to put them on the bed. I don't think I could catch them if they got off and went under any furniture in the bedroom. And not only that, I'd have rat poop and pee everywhere. Maybe me or maybe my girls aren't ready for that type of free range?????????


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## RattieFosters (Aug 8, 2015)

For the most part, rats are pretty good at judging whether a distance is too high for them. I don't know how, but they seem to instinctively know if a jump could hurt them. My bed is about 20" off the ground, and they've never tried to jump off yet.

I also have a dog, so I understand the fear. My bedroom door is ALWAYS closed when I'm not home, and even when I am home he's not allowed in my room. The cage is also on top of a 5ft tall dresser, but still. xP

As for worrying about them going to the bathroom on your bed, I just went to the thrift store and bought a big duvet and a bunch of towels and spread that on my bed before I let them out. You might be okay just using a blanket, but I have boys and they dribble quite a bit, so I needed the towels for extra absorbency.

General rule of thumb for free range: never leave them unsupervised. I never leave my boys unsupervised for more than a couple of minutes (always making sure I know exactly where the dog is). If you're nervous about it, then free ranging in the bathroom is fine.  I personally prefer the bed because it doesn't have to be rat proofed as long as it's high enough off the ground that they won't jump, and for a small number of rats I find it works really well.


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## raqathta (Sep 16, 2015)

My bed is pretty high up--it's on short legs, then a fat box spring, a fat latex mattress, and a 3" topper! I let my boys run around on the bed from the time I got them. they never tried to get off until they were pretty big (5 mos.?) First, one leaped from the bed to a tote bag full of stuff. He missed, and hit the floor. He was fine. After that, he started slipping down one corner, so as not to have as far a drop. Soon enough, his more-timid bro joined him. If there is fabric or grabby texture on the side of the mattress, they may sort of climb down. 

It's very funny watching them climb back up. It's quite a chore!

I don't have other pets, so it doesn't matter where they roam. I've blocked off the kitchen and the patio, and I keep bathroom doors closed, and doors to rooms they don't need to explore. Though I'm sure they pee everywhere, they are very considerate with their poops and generally choose a corner or somewhere along a baseboard to poop. When they spent time only on the bed, they would do their poops up in the left corner (I sleep on the right). I cover the bed with an old duvet cover, and I have a towel they have put lots of holes in. And I usually put some kind of box on the bed, too. They love the towel--lots of burrowing fun! It's great fun having them up there---they spend a lot of time exploring or napping under the towel, but now and then they get a bug in their ear and decide they have to come and climb all over me! My ratties aren't very affectionate--they don't come looking for pets or scritches. But I feel honored by the little topaz trails they leave on my legs and arms!


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## Malarz (Sep 7, 2014)

Free range time is the best time!
Just to add to the discussion on rats being stressed out by new surroundings. I have discovered that my rats get stressed out after I cleaned their play room. Maybe stressed out is too strong, but they are visible more cautious moving around, just as if they were exploring the place anew. This is especially the case after I mopped the floor, and all the familiar pee smell has been wiped out from the room. I gather they notice the change, and no longer consider the place entirely theirs, althought the topography of the room is the same, the toys are the same, and all hide outs are in the same locations.
So if you want them to free range in some place in your home - give them time, and let them make the decision at their own pace. But do make sure there are not places where they can hide and you aren't able to get them out later (holes in walls, etc).


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

I also think that when it doesn't have their smell they tend to get more stressed.


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## Lauraeliza (Aug 28, 2015)

I agree that the new location probably is what stressed your rats out. We keep our rat cage in our living room. Recently, we had the carpet cleaned and had to move the cage to our bedroom. That freaked them out. They huddled together in their hammock and looked totally stressed until we were able to move them back to their original location.


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