# How can I train my rat to stop chewing on clothes



## Ladylazerstar702 (Sep 15, 2016)

My boyfriend is on the verge of making me rehome my rats because he so frustrated with them constantly chewing holes in his clothes, and as someone who has tried to shop for him before I understand. I'm honestly pretty fed up with it myself but have learned to get over it bc they're my babies and all babies have annoying habits. But anyways, what can I do to stop them from chewing on our clothing?


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

Under what circumstance do they chew it? Like... when you are playing with them or when they have free time loose in a room?

Generally, if you don't want a rat to chew on something, you need to move it out of their reach.


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## Ladylazerstar702 (Sep 15, 2016)

Mostly while freeroaming. I do understand that and everything else has been moved far away from their grabby little hands but I'm not going to sit on the bed naked for 45 minutes 3 times a day. Nor will I ask him to.


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## Ladylazerstar702 (Sep 15, 2016)

This isn't as simple of a fix as just move the items out of her reach, she's literally eating the clothes of our backs.


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## Grotesque (Mar 19, 2014)

Ah, so they are chewing your clothes while they are still on you? LoL That's what I was asking. 

I can think of three things.

1) Watch them like a hawk and the moment they go for the clothes, give them a firm, "NO!" and pull them away. 
2) Try spraying bitter apple spray on things they like to chew. Most rats hate it and are repulsed by it. 
3) Give them more things to do to distract from the clothes. 

I'm sure others will chime in with more ideas.


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## Ladylazerstar702 (Sep 15, 2016)

Maybe I'll spray my whole bedroom with the bitter apple stuff. They've destroyed my blinds, eaten all of my nice clothes, books and even my beloved blanket. They've even started chewing on the walls. This has become so incredibly frustrating. I don't get what I'm doing wrong to make them suddenly start chewing like this. They used to be such perfect little angels.


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## Andromeda (Apr 28, 2016)

Ladylazerstar702 said:


> Maybe I'll spray my whole bedroom with the bitter apple stuff. They've destroyed my blinds, eaten all of my nice clothes, books and even my beloved blanket. They've even started chewing on the walls. This has become so incredibly frustrating. I don't get what I'm doing wrong to make them suddenly start chewing like this. They used to be such perfect little angels.


Sounds like you've got chewers. :/ Some rats just seem to like chewing more than others. One of my guys is a chewer too. Clothes, headphones, pillows, carpet, anything he can get his teeth on he'll try to destroy.

I would suggest giving her other things to chew on. Willow sticks were a big hit with my guys. Even something as simple as a cardboard box that they can rip apart. It might at least help to distract them. 

Unfortunately, it's just a natural behavior, and as annoying as it is for us, it's just a thing that rats instinctively feel a need to do. I don't think there's really any way to get them to totally stop. xP


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## Ladylazerstar702 (Sep 15, 2016)

I bought them more chewsticks, which I hadn't for a long time because they weren't getting chewed. Turns out they LOVE chew sticks all of a sudden. I'm hoping this will help. I also got them some spiffy little toys with bells. And boy do they love them. On a side note, is the fluff inside toys bad for them?


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Very early on when I first got rats, I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest clothes I could find, lol- I wear those clothes when playing with my rats, they have all many holes in them but I just don't care because they aren't clothes I wear outside Sine you already have clothes with holes, ONLY wear these around your rats and protect all the other intact clothes from your ratties.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Also if you eat, the slightest stain (you might not even be able to see it) will get chewed. I had the tiniest stain of tomato sauce on a tshirt (I mean a pin head stain) and sure enough my rats went staight for it.


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## Rattielover965 (Apr 26, 2016)

Maybe you could get clothes that would only be worn around the rats.


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## Andromeda (Apr 28, 2016)

Gribouilli said:


> Very early on when I first got rats, I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest clothes I could find, lol- I wear those clothes when playing with my rats, they have all many holes in them but I just don't care because they aren't clothes I wear outside Sine you already have clothes with holes, ONLY wear these around your rats and protect all the other intact clothes from your ratties.


YES. This is another great idea. I only wear pajama pants and old t-shirts when I'm playing with the rats. xP


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## dashielle89 (Apr 24, 2012)

This might not apply to the chewing of the clothes, but since you've mentioned they started chewing on everything and they didn't always do that, I would guess they're a little bored. I know when I used to have my rats play in one of the bedrooms, they would chew everything as well. The room was practically destroyed and they were banned from the upstairs. Since then they have free range primarily in the basement which is very large. Almost 10x the space that was in the bedroom. And now chewing is a rare occurrance. They still chew things that have food residue, they will take papers and shred them and make little nests, but other than that they have only taken a very occasional nibble on other things. And even that is only a couple of them that like to chew more (like one of my rats will go for my headphones if I forget to pick them up off of the floor, I generally know what they'll go for). I think if they get a little bored with their play area they will chew to find something to do. Perhaps if you get them more toys and set up more activities in their play area and make their out of cage time as engaging as possible, they won't be as inclined to chew up your room.

As for the clothes, yes the suggestion about getting a pair just for them is good. Also make sure there is no food or anything on them. If I even so much as spill a tiny drop of soda on my clothes or on my sheets/blankets on my bed, my rats will literally eat that part of the material with the scent on it. If they start tugging on clothes like they want to chew/take them, that's when you have to train a little bit to tell them you don't want them doing that.


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## Ladylazerstar702 (Sep 15, 2016)

I got them some cat and bird toys and some more chew sticks and the issue is mostly resolved. Unfortunately I can't change their play area. I live with my boyfriends parents and his dad is not fond of the rats. He thinks they're gross and carry disease. They're not really allowed to leave our bedroom.


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## Andromeda (Apr 28, 2016)

That's great that the new toys are helping! Just make sure that none of the cat toys have any catnip in them. It's toxic to ratties.


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