# my destructive boys....grrr



## LeStan82 (Dec 31, 2013)

So my boys have turned out to be absolutely destructive! I free range them in the bedroom but that is going to have to change. They have chewed everything under the sun in the room. Their latest destruction is : they have chewed a hole in the side of the box spring to the bed and can now get inside of it, and has stashed food in there which I can not get out. They've always gone under the bed which I didnt think to much about until I went to put them back in the cage and discovered that they were all gone! The bed is up against the wall. I searched what seemed like for ever and then....I heard the pitter patter of an army of little feet running in the box spring. We never took the plastic off the box spring, so they chewed through that and the side of it as well......grrr! They just wont stop chewing on things and I cant let it continue. They have chew toys and things to keep them occupied but arent interested when free ranging. If the hubby sees all of the destruction they have done, they wont be able to have free range time anymore. I am always in the room with them but there are 6 of them and they are quick and sneaky. Getting near my wits end here....


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I lived with the truly amazing Fuzzy Rat, when she got bored she went on demolition binges, mainly slicing wired tearing up carpets and shredding papers... No phones, computers or even faxes one morning she even slashed the answering machine cord and snipped my head phones... There isn't a single wire in my home that isn't soldered and taped together in multiple places, and my part wild rat put a small hole into the underside of every piece of furniture including my box spring... so she always had a place to evaporate into....

Then there's Max... a grouchy solitary loner we raised from a two week old pup... She's about as smart as Fuzzy Rat and gifted in every way that counts... well except for having the charm and personality of a squid... But she has lived her whole life outside the cage, she's a 24 X 7 free range rat that's never done a single act of damage I can convict her of... She just gets it... she knows she can't destroy the house and she doesn't... She may have knocked over a glass or two, but otherwise she's completely house safe, she won't even step on my keyboard... I wish I knew how she learned to be so well behaved... 

But some rats are great house pets... other's not so much.


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## LeStan82 (Dec 31, 2013)

My boy Sully is only in a cage at night, mainly b/c he keeps my daughter up all night so she begged me go get him his own cage. Other than that he just lives in her room. He is not a chewer.....yet anyways(unless he is the culprit of the hole in the box spring and the others just happened to find the hole...lol) but ive never discovered anything chewed on while he's out thankfully but the others....thats a different story. It just sucks to have nice things destroyed. Any advice as to what I can do at free time? I would prefer to keep the damage to one room.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

My daughter suspects that Max waits until Cloud is free ranging and then destroys stuff so we blame it on Cloud....

But honestly, we tried to teach Max not to chew stuff when she was little, telling her NO and giving her gentle bops when she would mouth things... maybe that worked? But with Fuzzy Rat nothing we tried made her safe indoors... she was destructive on purpose when she got bored or felt neglected... Maybe that's the key... Max loves boredom and revels in nothing happening... so I guess destroying stuff might be exciting and on that basis alone she would resist the temptation.

Fuzzy Rat loved adventure and excitement... and rampant destruction when she didn't get it! Max is boring and house safe... not really sure which is preferable. Well actually there's an up side to both but Fuzzy Rat was more than worth the havoc she caused.

Maybe just be grateful for the madness and take up sewing like I took up soldering?


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## Ladyfish_xx (Feb 26, 2013)

Lol my Moose and Totoro are obsessed with the carpet that divides my bedroom and hallway. They tear it up and try to pull it all back until I notice and stop them- SO annoying, but they're still precious  they are also quite fond of chewing up my doorframes- only advice I can give is what I have done: we taped little pieces of cardboard around the doorframes to stop them from chewing, and I shove an old sheet under the door to prevent them from tearing up the carpet! My guys don't ever chew up our bed, but i am always in the bedroom with them they are free range playing, so I can watch them and look out! Rats are the sweetest little destruction devils!


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