# Rat Playpen?



## Mouse (Aug 13, 2013)

Now that school's started, I'm not able to free range every day. I try to, but with homework and extracurriculars, I just can't always. Here's where the playpen comes in. It would be filled with toys, huts and treats. When I'm doing homework I can set it up near me, and glance at it occationally just to make sure they're ok, but I wouldn't have to watch it full time. This wouldn't be used as a substitute to free range, but a supplement. What should I make it out of? I was thinking tri-fold boards.


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

A really cheap way to do something like this, is. Giant movin boxes binder clipped together as long as its halfway supervised you should be fine, just look at aris









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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

Cute 
I use cheap wood boards cable tied together for easy folding up when play time is finished 

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## Mouse (Aug 13, 2013)

What a cute little ratty! Both ideas are good. I know my dad has a lot of wood stashed away, I'll ask him for help.


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

How tall should the boards be? I was thinking of using foam boards (posterboard size) and wondered if they could be turned sideways (with long side horizontal).


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

Anyone know how tall?


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

wow&here I used a playtable! a card table w/dollhouse...it grew to two tables&climbing stuff to the ceiling, its near my desk so as I do my paperwork they are behind/next to me. its a monster of a playarea in my living room now.


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## Daniellenk1231 (Aug 11, 2013)

The problem I have with the trifold boards is they can slip underneath them,so they're not really good for use with no supervision. 


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

Is it the light weight of the boards that allow them to wiggle underneath?? I was thinking not of the tri-folds, but individual foam boards that are taped together to look like Stefni's set up (pictured above) but she used wood boards. I was thinking the foam boards would be easier to lift and store.

This would be something only used during immersion and human/rat playing. Not to be unsupervised.


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

Foam boards would be alot lighter than wood, you're right, I know you mentioned they'd be supervised in there, would be a good idea since they may be able to move it. I'm able to leave my ratties unsupervised when I'm at the other side of the room taking care of other things which is nice but most of the time im in there with them just incase. My boards are 600mm tall. Smudge attempted to jump up after me one day, it was so cute cos it's just so impossible for them, I had to laugh at him  hehe 

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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

^^ thanks. That would have been cute to see Smudge want to follow you.

Do you think they could make it over 500mm? I think the boards are that wide. If so, I could stand them horizontally.


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

Nah I doubt they'll be able to jump that, if they can you must have kangaroos 
Smudge tried to grab onto me before I climbed over it and when I looked back at him leaped for me but just couldn't jump high enough, was seriously cute, I couldn't help but go back in there with him, made me feel so bad lol must try getting a video of it sometime 

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## Trenix (Aug 30, 2013)

What boards do you use? Do you require to sand them down? Where did you buy them? I've been really struggling to find a cheap way to make a playpen and I don't like the cardboard box idea so much, because it seems like they would need supervision.


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

I think Stefni used real wood... I'll let her chime in on that.

I was thinking of using that foamboard/posterboard. But that would only be with supervision. I've not tried it before. It just seemed like an easy idea that wouldn't be too heavy.


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

It's called MDF  quite cheap to buy but quite heavy to move around all together...

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## Tufty+Flo (May 5, 2013)

If you have an emptyish room you can always let the rats have and run and do your homework at the same time. I have sometimes tried to do it with my rats and it is near impossible. They chew your book and sniff your pen. Urgh! It's so annoying. If you were on a desk and them on the floor it is doable. But such space is quite hard to find and a playpen is an excellent idea. You can buy them however they can jump up or slip though the bars do you making one seems much better. Good luck!


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## Trenix (Aug 30, 2013)

Stefni said:


> It's called MDF  quite cheap to buy but quite heavy to move around all together...
> 
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I'll be sure to check it out, thanks so much! I've been told to use corrugated plastic but it's way too expensive around here.


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

You're welcome  hope you come right with something affordable soon. xx 

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## Trenix (Aug 30, 2013)

The only wood that I found cheap was plywood which was around $9 and could make about 4 long boards. Do you think plywood is safe?


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

Thats perfect, it's a flat surface anyways, so chances that your ratties are gonna find a way to chew it is really minimal, my rats can't and don't chew the MDF that I use for their play area, they find other ways to annoy me, like trying to chew my draw cabinet or even the wall, have no idea why but they are both rather distracted by the paint they've managed to chew of the wall in one section, that concerns me quite a bit, I have to find a way of blocking that off now lol 

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## September (Jul 30, 2013)

What kind of plywood is it? If it it's the kind I'm thinking of, then it splinters really really easily and I would worry about splinters or even cuts on their stomachs or mouths from running across it and chewing it.


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## Stefni (Aug 10, 2013)

Plywood should have a smooth finish, and I doubt any rat would be able to run up something like this like some kind of spiderman lol That thinking is actually a bit over obsessive. Like I said before, the mdf I use is a safety barrier, my rats have never attempted climbing it, chewing it or even brush along it as there is a huge area for them to play in, they're not at all bothered by the barrier and same should apply if using plywood.

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## September (Jul 30, 2013)

This is what I'm thinking of, which is definitely a rough finish and easily splinters. I don't know about where you and the OP are located but this is the most common and practically only option of plywood around me, and I certainly would never use it for any animals habitat, even temporary.

http://www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&rlz=1C1RNRA_enUS505US513&espv=210&es_sm=93&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&tbnid=2C9_qlGHAUr2SM:&imgrefurl=http://www.nachi.org/osb-plywood.htm&docid=Fp2lMt8Y9XmYzM&imgurl=http://www.nachi.org/images09/osb.jpg&w=439&h=432&ei=NBdZUoLgNKP64AODw4BI&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:0,s:0,i:81&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=172&tbnw=158&start=0&ndsp=31&tx=97&ty=243

[URL="http://www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&rlz=1C1RNRA_enUS505US513&espv=210&es_sm=93&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&tbnid=EmNUaOPLN6mTaM:&imgrefurl=http://www.colourbox.com/image/rough-cheap-plywood-texture-image-6125878&docid=2tP3gTiZm-qPIM&imgurl=http://www.colourbox.com/preview/6125878-507485-rough-cheap-plywood-texture.jpg&w=480&h=320&ei=NBdZUoLgNKP64AODw4BI&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:12,s:0,i:117&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=173&tbnw=250&start=0&ndsp=31&tx=126&ty=58"]http://www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&rlz=1C1RNRA_enUS505US513&espv=210&es_sm=93&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&tbnid=EmNUaOPLN6mTaM:&imgrefurl=http://www.colourbox.com/image/rough-cheap-plywood-texture-image-6125878&docid=2tP3gTiZm-qPIM&imgurl=http://www.colourbox.com/preview/6125878-507485-rough-cheap-plywood-texture.jpg&w=480&h=320&ei=NBdZUoLgNKP64AODw4BI&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:12,s:0,i:117&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=173&tbnw=250&start=0&ndsp=31&tx=126&ty=58

[URL]http://www.google.com/imgres?sa=X&rlz=1C1RNRA_enUS505US513&espv=210&es_sm=93&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&tbnid=FQT26AAV4w8B9M:&imgrefurl=http://www.rgbstock.com/bigphoto/mum7vLq/Fiberboard&docid=cpg7ITx0FMBgDM&imgurl=http://l.rgbimg.com/cache1orUgy/users/m/mz/mzacha/600/mum7vLq.jpg&w=600&h=449&ei=NBdZUoLgNKP64AODw4BI&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:21,s:0,i:153&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=179&tbnw=228&start=0&ndsp=31&tx=80&ty=73[/URL][/URL]


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## Trenix (Aug 30, 2013)

Yeah everything around here is just way too expensive to have a playpen, usually adds up to be 50$ or more for something so tiny. I might just go with the whole cardboard idea.


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## Divit (Aug 5, 2013)

Here's the foamboard I mentioned earlier. Now that my son has his rats, we finally taped it together. So far it's been working great. It's so light and easy to fold up. (only used when rats are supervised  )


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