# Does your rat like hammocks?



## diinytt (Jun 15, 2014)

My rats refuse to use them, they have from the time I first got them. They will not even go near them. I even tried to lure them in with treats and toys in the hammocks, but they just don't care lol. I've even placed them inside of it a couple of times to show them what it's like and they immediately scramble out. 

Do your rats actually use the hammocks, or are mine just weird?


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## ratbasket (Apr 26, 2014)

Well, mine didn''t like them at first either so if you all ready have one then I would just leave it in there for them to explore on their own time, and not bother getting more unless they eventually show interest.


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## Wtpooh (Aug 23, 2015)

My girls don't like theirs so far. But, I've only had the rats a little over a week. I'm hoping they eventually like them because I'm having fun sewing for them. Every night, I put treats in the hammocks and every morning, the treats are gone. I've even put treats in them during the day hoping to catch them hanging in the hammocks. They just stretch themselves into the hammock, steal the treat and scamper away. I just made them a new style hammock that is more enclosed. Going to try it next week and see if they like it. So far, their favorite thing is an empty tissue box. They squeeze into it together. I'm not sure how they both fit in there but they do. Plus they drag other stuff in there with them. Silly rats!


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## loveabull (May 28, 2015)

Our rats chew down any accessory we put in.


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## lost_whisper (Nov 11, 2014)

My rats just LOVE THEM.

The second I put a hammock in their cage all four go straight to it and shred it into rags and drag the pieces of my unuseful attempt of hand made toy to their nest to keep on chewing them until there's nothing left from the original thing except from my brief memories of it and the pain it caused to my hands for hand-sewing for 30 minutes.

But I won't lose hope just yet.


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## TuxedoGilma (Apr 25, 2015)

All my rats have liked hammocks. I don't have a sewing machine, so I make no-sew hammocks and cubes. When got my first girl I wasn't sure if she would like them so I also put treats on the hammock. I was also able to loop some cheerios on a shower curtain hook and hook it on the back side (away from any shelving) so she would have to sit in the hammock to get the treats.


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## Roonel (Jan 27, 2014)

Maybe they're a bit nervous of being exposed in a hammock. Our ratties prefer peekaboo hammocks (double layer hammocks with a hole in the top layer so they can get inside the hammock and sleep without being seen). Maybe you could try that sort instead?


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## linkmoon (Aug 24, 2015)

My girls just discovered their hammock this morning and have been napping in it already. It has been in their cage since I got them a week ago. They have both finally got curious enough to go exploring the other levels of their cage.


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## Ezray (Aug 15, 2015)

Haha, I've been considering making a thread about this myself  I bought a large hammock for my two girls, and they have completely ignored it. I had all these visions of them snuggling and snoozing, but they'd rather build a nest on hard plastic, apparently 

I thought maybe they were scared of being exposed as well, so I've tried various things- covering the top with paper, hanging it halfway down the wall so it's super deep, and I've now got it hanging almost on the floor and they still ignore it! Like some of you, they'll take treats out of it, and occasionally stand on it, but that's it! Glad I'm not the only one! I really wanted them to love it, but they definitely have their own opinions haha


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## blakeduhh (Aug 9, 2015)

Currently my girls have two homemade hammocks set up in there cage. That are just cut up shirts with safety pins joking them to the wire. 

They don't rlly like them but they do use them ocassionaly to walk on or to attempt to climb. I think that's mostly because of there placement thought.

The first really small one is placed right next to the top level so they will climb the top of the cage and then hop onto it and walk to the shelf.

While the other much larger one is on the top level connected to the ramp and eight of above where they nest and sleep. They typically climb onto this one to get off the ramp or to claims on the onto the ramp. 

However, for the most part I don't think they rlly like them.


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## diinytt (Jun 15, 2014)

I've had my rats for about a year and a quarter now and I have been putting hammocks in their cage since the very beginning. 

I haven't yet tried to put the hammock really close to the level in the cage so they can just wall from one to another. I think I'm going to try that to see if it can entice them. I'll try the shower ring trick and also try making one with a cover. 

I was thinking it might be because my boys are daily big so if they would go into the hammock it would dip down quite a bit and that might unsettle them. 

I too have always had visions of my boys all cute and snuggled up in a hammock. I will attempt to make them love the hammock lol. I will post u dates if these suggestions work.


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## Amph (Apr 14, 2015)

Mine love them... to eat lol. Do your rats climb much? If they don't that might be whats stopping them from getting in. If so try taking out the ramps to force them to climb or if its not that try placing them in it with treats.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

My first rats didn't like them at first... They had not been raised with hammocks, so I think they were scared of them. What I did that helped, was to place a honeycomb hammock low in their cage (about 2-3" above the ground) this seemed to help them get used to the idea. Now, my last remaining old rat is getting close to 2 years old and climbs to the top of her half of the critter nation to sit in them. I think once they trust them, they are ok. Another factor may be heat. Fleece holds a lot of heat, so if it is warm, that could be why they are avoiding them. My guys also love space pods (which are sorta a plastic solid hammock.. might be a good in-between type thing).


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## Ezray (Aug 15, 2015)

Funny enough, having posted saying they don't like hammocks, I just found Lara and Daisy snuggled up in theirs for the first time! I noticed the other day that they absolutely love my fluffy fleecey dressing gown, and I had an old slipper sock in the same material, so cut that up and put it in the hammock (I figured they could hide under it if they were scared) and also stole some bedding from their nest and put that in there as well. Something worked, and now they love it!







(Sorry for the poor pic quality, but I thought I'd show you guys proof so you can see not to lose hope with hammocks lol)


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## linkmoon (Aug 24, 2015)

My girls in their hammock  it's a ferret sized cubed hammock


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## Tiffanie (Aug 31, 2015)

My rat likes to hang in beanies. She has been sleeping in there since the first day I got her. I hang the beanie with strings in the corner of her cage.


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## Tiffanie (Aug 31, 2015)

Linkmoon, so cute! how old are they?  they look so young.


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## linkmoon (Aug 24, 2015)

Thank you! 
As for how old, i have no idea. I just know they're young. They were feeder bin rescues


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## diinytt (Jun 15, 2014)

linkmoon said:


> My girls in their hammock  it's a ferret sized cubed hammock


Aww, they look just like my boys when they were babies, so freaking cute!! 
They are pretty big now.






















Also I've given up on the hammock lol, I hung a basket up in the spot where the hammock used to be and they love it, so I might get a few more of those instead of trying to force them to like the hammock. This is the basket:


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