# Free/cheap rat toys and accessories



## andrewcook95 (Jan 10, 2016)

My fiance and I don't have a whole lot of money to get thing besides the necessities for our rats. Due to that I'm starting to get a bit crafty with making them things for them. I wanted to share things I make for them as well as see if anyone else had any fun ideas to try out. I don't have pictures now but may put some up later.
Heres some things I've come up with:

1. Litterboxes from the dollar store- All of my rats litter boxes, there's 3 in their cage, are homemade. I used small storage tubs and cut out part of the corner. Then I melted the edges so there's not sharp edges. I poked a couple holes in the side to ziptie them to the side of the cage (my rats have a tendency to throw their litter boxes.)

2. Tube of newspaper- I stuff ripped up newspaper in an old TP or paper towel tube and put a couple treats in the middle. My rats love playing with and chewing through them.

3. Pantleg tunnel hammock- I have one hammock made from an old shirt that's in regular hammock fashion, but i made another out of section of pant leg. It's just attached at the top of the cage on each end, making a hammock that is more like a tunnel.

4. Fabric/cardboard treat ball- Just treats wrapped in fabric, then wrapped in cardboard, then repeat over and over until it's a ball for them to dig through and play with.


Those are ones they have right now and I'm trying to remember things I've come up with in the past. Anyone want to share cheap DIY things you've made for your rats?


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## Kokorobosoi (Jan 14, 2016)

My eagle scout hubby clove hitched apple sticks together into a bridge/ramp. Since the apple tree is overhanging our yard's fence, cutting it back for animal fodder is free 

I cut up and sew fleece blankets ($5 in Walmart) into hammocks, tubes, cloth ramps/ braided ropes, etc. Ive grown cat grass in a shallow disposable baking pan and let them at it

Ive given them knitted project rejects to shred, went over pretty well. 

Used fishtank silicone to build a rock mountain for climbing. 

Home depot and Lowes will let you have the carboard tubes from the carpet they sell for free. I have them cut it into manageable sections 

any old clothes/tee shirts get repurposed. I'm considering making a rag rug for the one cage. lol! I'm nuts I know


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## Britastic Gremlin (Nov 19, 2015)

I always try to get creative with empty toilet/kitchen roll tubes. 
Either I stuff them with toilet paper and treats, cut the ends and fold the flaps in for a nice little parcel, or I stuff them and hang them high for my boys to bat around and shred as they please. I also make cuts in the ends of the cardboard and slot them into each other to make these sort of puzzle toys that I stuff with goodies... my boys love them, but they get destroyed within minutes, so they don't last. Eggboxes are my go-to if I want to make them work a bit harder.

Paper mache inflated balloons make fun, tougher treat balls and hidey-holes too, and can be strung up. You can also paper mache some boxes to toughen them up, or to make a series of tunnels and interconnecting boxes.

Shoeboxes, tissue boxes, cereal boxes, cardboard sachet cat/dog food boxes, cardboard gravy tubs... pretty much any cardboard containers make great hides, though they need replacing every few days if your ratties are especially destructive. And shoeboxes and packing boxes with high sides make excellent dig boxes. My boys are also rather fond of this big plastic no-longer-airtight cereal container as a plaything, so they get that, too.

I've heard some people also like to buy those cheap hanging baskets and bird houses from those discount shops, fill them with bedding and scrap fleece, and hang them in a corner as an alternative to a hide. I've not done it personally but it sounds like a good idea. Someone I know also makes sturdy houses out of pieces of brick. The rats can hide under it, climb on top and it helps to file their nails down! Win-win!

Also newspaper. Do not underestimate how effective a sheet of unwanted newspaper can be for a few destructive rats lol
It keeps my boys busy for hours, and they much prefer shredding that over some toilet tissue!


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## DVirginiana (Jan 6, 2016)

Mine seems to like pulling on things more than shredding them, so I've got a piece of braided fleece tied at both ends that I use to play tug with her; she can't get the knot on my side through the bars. I also use paper towel rolls to stick halfway through the bars, where she's got to work to pull it all the way in.


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## andrewcook95 (Jan 10, 2016)

@britastic gremlin: Oh boy every piece of cardboard that enters my apartment ends up in their cage. Sometimes I take little boxes from work home just for them. Most of the time they get chewed up into bits but randomly they will find a box that they like for some reason and they will bring newspaper in and make it a hide. I never thought of putting an egg carton in there but I think I will next time I run out of eggs.

@DVirgininana: I think I'm going to give that a try. It's hit or miss with my rats whether fabric will be played with or just destroyed. Lets see if they destroy this one.

I also forgot to mention, ZIPTIES! My rats love to throw things around so anything I don't want getting thrown gets ziptied. I'm perfectly happy with them throwing around their little cardboard boxes and toys, but they like to throw their litterboxes and food bowl which makes quite a mess. The litterboxes are ziptied to the bars of the cage, and the food bowl is a bird food bowl that locks into place on the side of the cage. I also ziptie one of their hides in place because they will throw it from the top level and get grumpy when they can't bring it back up.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

My top cheap toys are;

Branches - these can be free, you just need to know someone with a suitable tree / wood in there garden or be able to identify what tree wood came from when you go for a walk. General rule of thumb is if the wood is a slow growing hard wood with edible fruit or nut then its safe to use in the rats cage. Cut to size, give a really good scrub with antibacterial and allow to dry out for at least a couple of weeks indoors and you've got a free and brilliant rat accessory (I have about 7 different sizes and shapes). The short ones can be adapted to make perches with a decent sized thread, a drill, a couple of large washers and a wing nut.

rope toys - rather than splashing out on the pricey ones sold for rats get some cheap dog rope + ball toys (the type with a knotted rope loop and a tennis ball). Untie the knot and cut the rope at the join, then just use some garden wire to tightly fasten each end, fraying beyond it and you've got a lovely long rope, or two shorter ones, normally for around £3 here in the UK.

Charity shop finds - you can find allsorts of good things here, from wine rack climbing frames, to kids clothes hammocks and some of the larger plastic / wood kids toys are lovely for rats too. 

Plant pots - generally the plastic ones work best for this. The biggest ones can have extra holes cut in them to make a multi exited house, they can be put on the sides as a rat cave or hung from the bars as a pot house.

Ikea - if you've got one near you its full of great cheap rat toy finds, the kids section has lots of brightly coloured hanging fabric baskets, their carrier bag holders make great rat tubes and they do an amazing tie / scarf hanger which is the perfect cargo net


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