# My girls like to eat duct tape...



## Willieboo (Oct 22, 2012)

I heard duct tape is supposed to work wonders for cords and things to prevent them from chewing on them because rats don't like to chew duct tape. So I branched off an idea I found online to make my girls a toy clubhouse out of boxes with lots of fun ramps and windows and openings, and bound the boxes and ramps inside together with duct tape, like the picture online showed. Then I saw LouLou taking interest in the duct tape, and Mocha took interest because of her, and now they both love to pull it apart and eat it. (I assume they're eating it because I'm not seeing any remnants spat back out). So there we go, a fun idea turned into a bad thing. I can pull them away from the tape a million times and they run right back to it and pull it apart and try to eat it as fast as they can. 
I'm worried because the adhesive I know isn't good for them, and I can't imagine all the places in their little mouths it could get stuck to. What now? I can't really think of any other way to hold a bunch of odd-fitting boxes together (I don't think superglue would do that well, and that's dangerous too). They really seem to love the clubhouse, but when they're tired of chasing each other in and out of it and up the levels and down and poking their faces out the windows, they start eating the duct tape anyplace they think I can't see or grab them. Any ideas?  

Wasn't sure where to put this; sorry if it's in the wrong place. ;c


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## HelloClarice (Feb 1, 2012)

So...I'm thinking you shouldn't use duct tape anymore lol
I know some people use hot glue [after it cools down] as it is non-toxic and becomes really hard. just a suggestion though


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## Willieboo (Oct 22, 2012)

Ah, I didn't think of hot glue; I wasn't aware it was nontoxic. Thanks for the suggestion! c: I really appreciate it. All these years I've had a hot glue gun in the cabinet and I never remember to use it for crafts, haha.


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## HelloClarice (Feb 1, 2012)

yeah no problem I learned about using hot glue when I had a mouse, I would hot glue popsicle sticks together and then you can glue pistachios [in the shell] to them so they have to work to get the nut out haha


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

Are they eating it or just shredding it? I have caught my girls chewing the duct tape that holds their playpen together. They just shred it off and do not injest it. I doubt a small amount of adhesive would have a toxic effect. I would be more concerned about them eating it and having it block them up. I have read that you can stuff blankets in small spaces (IE: I you have a cabinet that the rats can get under and there are cords under that, you can stuff the hole to prevent them from getting under). You can make barriers out of cardboard or corrugated plastic that go around things like TVs and the outlets. Or you could unplug the appliance, put plastic protectors in the slots and wrap the cords in towels. If they start chewing the towel, it will give you enough time to stop the behaviour before they chew through.


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

If you have an abundance of cords in the area, this is a good opportunity to untangle them, roll up the slack, and get rid of excess appliances that you may not be using.


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