# How much free range time to do your rats get?



## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

I have boys and girls, so they free range at different times since one boy still has to be neutered. My boys have a much smaller cage (I'm going to upgrade them to a DCN as soon as I have the money), so they're out all night and I wake up with them sleeping in bed next to me, and in the evening when they're cuddling with me before we sleep. My girls are out the rest of the day! There are 3 of them in a DCN with lots to climb and chew, but when they get bored they get destructive and chew one of their liners to shreds. 

They're all really well behaved so I don't worry about letting anyone free range while I'm gone, and I'm here quite a bit anyway, so they can come interact with me whenever they want.


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## Deegee (Nov 17, 2012)

I live above a shop, so I'm aware of what might be heard whilst the shop's trading. But from around 7pm, the cage door's left open, and the pair get about 6 or 7 hours freerange time.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Just depends. The girls get more time out then the boys because they're older and the boys are still tiny lol. 
The girls are currently running through the house somewhere. Four of them are here climbing on the cages and the black Berkshire has disappeared lol


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## sarashine (Oct 12, 2012)

My boys love to stay out in the garden for hours at a time (weather permiting)


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## CherriBomb (Nov 13, 2012)

I cant wait until my boys are old enough to where I feel better about them roaming without constant supervision. both the boys almost fell behind the couch last night... Guinness leapt from the couch to the cage and fell to the carpet below...luckily it wasnt far. Iam just a worrier though. They get a few hours run around time on the couches/bed/bathroom a night. A fair majority is spent in my sweatshirt hoodie as well.


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## sarashine (Oct 12, 2012)

Because I lived on an isolated spot of land in the country when I had my first rat, we let her roam around in our garden for hours at a time unsupervised and she always came when I called. She lived for 3 1/2 years and was never bothered. Now I'd never think about letting my rats do the same, for fear of preditors, but at the time it's one of the contributing factors to my continuing love of rats.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I work from home, so the boys are out pretty much any time I'm awake. I do confine them to whatever room I am in at the time.

Remember to practice safe free-ranging!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Hey, if you free range your rats around the house check your electrical wires and extension chords regularly... Some rats don't nibble or slash wires, but some do and you can wind up with a serious fire hazard behind the couch and not notice it until it's too late.


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

They just get to run around my room--my flatmate hates my rats and is convinced they can't show love, and I don't want to have to worry about them getting behidn the fridge or by the TV.  The only wires I have in my room are my computer and phone chargers, so I only use those when I'm there to watch them and then I hide as much of the wire as possible under my pillow. XD If I could block off the kitchen and living room, then they could have the hallway too, but Kevin wouldn't like that much. Haha. My rats really just chew little holes in my sheets, but I'd rather not take the chance and let them around wires!


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Be careful about letting the boys sleep with you, YellowSpork. Lots of horror stories out there regarding small pets and even the lightest/most still of sleepers. =(


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## ZombieMama (Nov 19, 2012)

I have too many dogs and a couple cats to let my rats run around the house, I try and let them out for at least an hour in my room but there's just so much to get into (me and my boyfriend live with my parents so our stuff is crammed in here lol) but once I get my kids room cleaned up I am going to let them run around in there a lot more freely cuz they have a lot more space and less things to get Into, and no wires in there!!!  


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


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## Willieboo (Oct 22, 2012)

Honestly the prospect of house freeranging terrifies me. If my rats were more well behaved I would give them more freedom, but while LouLou usually comes when called, Mocha won't even thought she knows her name, unless there's some benefit for her involved. She's definitely not eager to please and is always getting into something so I mainly let my rats range on the bed or in the bathroom. I have a big black lab that I worry about with my rats, an old diabetic cat that thinks they look delicious, and parents who definitely don't want rats underfoot or free about the house so my rats spend their 4+ hours on the bed, climbing the cage, or in the bathroom.


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

My rats get plenty of free range time; usually around 2 hours a day but generally more. In fact it's not uncommon for them to be out for about 5 hours haha! I'm a student so I have a lot of home time where they can run around my bed and play while I'm studying.


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