# Rats won't stop ruining their fleece!



## mrowfs (Sep 20, 2014)

So about a month ago, I got my babies a critter nation and I line it with fleece. It looks so pretty! But a day after a cleaning, they have the new fleece torn to shreds to the point where it's unusable now. They do this every time we clean their cage and put new fleece in it's getting too expensive to keep buying fleece every week now. Is there anything I can do to refrain them from chewing up the fleece? I have it held down with binder clips but that doesn't seem to help at all.

I have three adult females and just got a baby around the same time I got my critter nation. At first none of the adults were chewing on the fleece or tearing it apart, but the baby started and now two of the adults are chewing on it and tearing it up. The baby even will tear it up and then crawl under it and just hang out there. How do I get them to stop?


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## JAnimal (Jul 23, 2014)

If you hold it down then they will have to bite and chew it to get under. I don't hold it down and let them do what they want. It is their cage after all. You could also put another layer of fleece over top of the one that is binder clipped so that they can get under but you still have another layer. You could also put a bunch of small scraps on top of the fleece as well.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

I just tuck it under... they rearrange it as they wish, it stays covering the shelf for the most part. They lifted up one corner and started peeing there so I moved the litter box there.


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## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

Aww sorry this is happening. I agree with Janimal that it is their cage and they will do what they want XD. I'd remove the binder clips or only use a few so they're able to move the fleece around.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

There are a few options you could try:

1) Replace the fleece on the lower level, and third level (if you have a double critter nation) with Home Depot cement mixing tubs. You will have to use litter here. Still way less expensive than replacing fleece liners each month.

2) I use an indoor/outdoor rug I cut to fit my DCN. I bought it at Cosco. They leave it alone, and never sleep under it. My rats used to sleep under the fleece liners too and destroy them.

3) attach a plastic basket (I use zip ties) to the cage and put a piece of fleece folded many times. My rats sleep in that basket most if the time even though they have so many other options. That might satisfy their needs to sleep under some fleece, and leave the liners alone.


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## Daphne88 (Oct 19, 2015)

Mine tends to leave the liners alone as long as I satisfy a few requirements: (1) the liners are a solid color, (2) he has a large loose piece of fabric to nest in, and (3) he has at least one scrap of fabric to draped on the outside of the cage for him to pull into the cage.

He tends to chew where he notices a contrast of colors, that's why I say you need a solid colored liner rather than prints. He'll also nibbles off zipties if the color differs from what it's tied to, but he tends to leave matching colors alone. I have no idea why. I tuck mine under rather than pin them down; I've heard the binder clips can encourage chewing.

He also seems to have a particular way he likes to nest that I've failed to mimic with boxes or hammocks. He just loves having a loose piece of fabric to do with as he wishes. This piece of fabric is usually an old t-shirt, to give you idea of the size. He does chew on this gently, but he hasn't completely ruined one yet. Depending on what your rats are doing when they're pulling up the fabric, they may enjoy a large piece like he does or they could like having strips of fabric, torn up paper towels, crinkly paper, etc. They may also enjoy a fleece curtain or fleece forest to hide behind.

Ah, and he loves to vigorously pull on things. That's why he needs a scrap of fabric draped over the edge of his cage. I'd really like to mimic this vigorous pulling motion without him destroying some fabric, but I haven't quite figured out another activity for him. But, for now, it saves the liners. This is probably the most important feature.

They're pulling up the liners for a reason. If you can figure out those reasons and satisfy them in another way, theoretically they'd stop messing with the liners. There's also a slim possibility your rats will never leave the liners alone.


As mentioned before, you could try a cement mixing tub as a pan for the base level to use loose substrate. I've been thinking about making a pan for the base of the cage out of coroplast and just using liners on the shelf for a while. Liners are working well for me, but I feel like loose substrate required less upkeep, so I'd just like to keep my options open.

Definitely compare the cost of loose substrate to the liners. Depending on how much you're paying for fleece, especially if you're making the liners yourself, they could still be less expensive than loose substrate. It all depends. You do have to factor in the frustration factor as well. Liners aren't for everyone.


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## dguizzy (Jun 9, 2014)

I go back and forth between fleece and carefresh. I have the bass equipment cage pan that has the higher edges, but the girls' still kick out the bedding. I used to binder clip down my fleece, but that encouraged chewing. I lay the fleece on top of the pan, but they'll tend to try and ball it up a nesting material for their igloo. I've tried leaving scraps of fleece around the cage but they have more interest in the lining. I used to be OCD about it but now that i've had rats for almost two years and haven't won has made me not care so much. 

I'll only ever buy fleece from Joann's remnants, it's an extra 50% off of the listed price, and I usually buy about 10 rolls if they have that much extra. I just cleaned the cage today and since I was out of fleece, I went back to bedding. I have a normal cage pan on the middle shelf though, and used an old t-shirt as a liner which they haven't seemed to rip up yet. I definitely would try out the mixing tubs if I didn't already buy a bass pan!


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## BeeWord (Feb 11, 2016)

I second some of the thoughts already posted. I have had great success with cutting strips of fleece and placing them in their hammock or basket for them to play in. This seems to satiate their need to burrow and lay in the fleece without completely destroying their liner.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Besides your rats destroying the fleece, sleeping under it might be bad for them. They pee on their fleece liners and then sleep under it- not good to prevent URIs- unless you wash their fleece every other day. I replace their fleece in their favorite sleeping spot each day, sometimes twice. I wish rats wouldn't pee where they sleep My neutered male rarely pee where he sleeps, not sure if it is because he is neutered or I got lucky probably a little of both.


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