# They're thisclose from having no hammocks.



## Mimzy (Apr 21, 2008)

I just bought the Feisty Ferret cage and it came with a Hammock. I bought them another hammock and a tunnel to run through. They have chew blocks and wooden toys, but they chew on them for a while and then start destroying stuff that they should be sleeping in. I came in, the hammock was fine, I leave and come back and its on the floor, chewed up, hanging by two little strands. They're starting to do it to the other one as well. 

I`m not going to waste money on chewed up hammocks. They get their free-range time, and I know this is just instinct, and its only ONE of my rats thats doing it. She's been acting up for the past couple of days, with her behavior towards Tequila, and her attitude towards the things in her cage. I`m sorry if I sound annoyed, but it just aggravated me that she's doing that.
Has anyone else had this problem?


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## shellbat (Jul 26, 2008)

how old are they????
My bf has a rat who used to chew up everything you gave him but as he got to about a year old he calmed down and realized that it is for sleeping... i have got mine lots of tunnels and what not before and they got ripped up too but now they just live in it.... hard to get them out to be fair hehe

And also if its a new cage they may be all errr about it as its not their old one hehe might take a bit of time to get used to it but they will probably calm down soon enough... just have to wait till the day hehe


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## Mimzy (Apr 21, 2008)

They're about 6 months old =_=...still babies.


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## shellbat (Jul 26, 2008)

Could be why twinkle was a little cow until she was around a year old she destroyed anything she could including the sofa cushions and bed quilts.. if i was you i would put toys they can play with like balls and stuff with bells in and put a few things they can get comfy/hide in and play in like the thick plastic tubes you can hang them with chains which they usually come with...
They will soon slow down and become lazy so they will love the hammocks then hehe.... just keep trying them when they get a little older 
Hope this helps you


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## begoodtoanimals (Dec 6, 2007)

Don't worry about it and don't take it personal. They are just young rats for heaven's sake. Would you expect them to behave like Border Collies or something?
Your description of their naughty behavior is what cracks most of us up, I think. I love it when they have a mind of their own.


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

That's why most of us don't buy hammocks, but just use scraps of fabric from anywhere we can get it XD And ironically... when I stick an old shirt in there for a hammock, they're less likely to chew it up than when I put something store bought in there.

Also, realistically, they're rats. You need to expect that anything and everything that goes into the cage may come out in tatters due to rat teeth. It's just their nature to chew.


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## Gary26Uk (Oct 2, 2007)

I agree with mana , my 2 girls did the same thing to every hammock I bought them , in the end I started making my own out of old towels and S hooks.Much much cheaper and my rats either dont like the texture of towel on their teeth or its just too awkward to chew through.Either way ive got about 4 funky hammocks that never get chewed and are easily washable !


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## AlxBlack17 (Dec 3, 2007)

Mine chewed the two store bought hammocks i got for them to pieces within days of me putting them in their cage. Now, I've wizened up and I either use by cheap washcloths or fabric scraps. I am currently using a piece of a pajama pant leg for one hammock and a piece of a denim pant leg from an old pair of jeans. And the denim at least is very durable.


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## cinderella (Sep 10, 2007)

I use old pants legs they chew them less often


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## amandahoney (May 14, 2007)

you can also suspend things that aren't fabric hammocks in there, as a substitute. my girls mostly leave their hammocks up, but they're home-made out of fleece remnants so i'm not crushed when they tear them down. but i also hang plastic tunnel pieces in there by feeding a bit of cotton clothesline through the tunnel, knotting both ends, and hooking coated paperclips through the knots and onto the cage. sometimes i do the same thing with plastic storage baskets, or an old plastic run-around ball which i use wire to tie to the corner of the cage. these are less destructable loft-type sleeping places, and if you stuff them full of fleece and paper towel scraps, they'll be comfy.


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

My Eva chews it if it's expensive, but if It's dirt cheap she seems to leave it alone! Anything with long straps on it, or metal rings she goes right after. Now a hand made hammock made from fabric on sale that took all of 5 minutes to sew up hung by zip ties and she leaves it alone! I rarely buy super cute fabrics for my rats unless they are on sale because they will chew them up.. ok not they Eva! 

Try hanging things up that aren't fabric like those rolly ball things for hampsters, empty soda 12 packs, even a plastic cup from the kitchen with holes punched in it. Line these things with old rags, whatever you have laying around and then they won't get destroyed until they are done chewing... if they even will be.


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## Jingles (Feb 2, 2008)

my rats are full grown and still do this.


so i said [email protected]@ it. took an old country crok butter tub. cut a door.....and hung it up.


Chew proof....washable......and the rats seem to like it.


But to make it more comfortable i put in blankets for them to sleep on.



i also use coffee containers...(the plastic ones)


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## junior_j (Jan 24, 2008)

Its all about distraction or some times let them get on with it and dont replace the hammocks as long as they got some thing else to sleep in , because Kieths old he prefers to sleep in a box where as my babies )almost 9 months) love there hammock or food bowl to sleep in , therefore yours may not particulary like the hammock but they may like other things to sleep in therefore thinkin the hammocks a nice chew toy.
Jess x


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## MadCatter (Aug 12, 2008)

With my two new girls , I'm experiences the same thing as you (really, only one is the culprit)... and it doesn't even have to be a hammock that's hanging. If it hangs, it will come down. She only chews the end that's connected to the ceiling, so it drops down, then she'll leave it alone and go to her bed. 

Good luck with yours  Mine seem to be very determined to keep things on the ground!


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