# rat chewing fleace??



## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)

how do i keep my rat from chewing fleace/hammock????


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## Snippet (Dec 30, 2010)

Give her other things to chew on. My girls have bits of apple wood to chew if they want to. 

Some rats just like chewing fabric, so you may not be able to stop her.


EDIT: Also, you say 'rat'. Is she on her own? Maybe getting her some company will keep her mind off of being destructive.


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## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)

I WLD RLY RLY LIKE TO GET HER A FREIND ,BUT UNFORTUNATELY ME AND THE HUBBY ARE LIVING WITH MY MOTER AND RENTING OUT OUR HOUSE TO HELP HER OUT RIGHT NOW. LUCKY WE HAD MOVED THOUGH CUZ SOON AFTER THE HUBBY LOST HIS GREAT PAYING JOB . NOW WE JUST ET BY AND WERE KINDS STUCK HELPING MY MOM PAY HER BILLS UNTIL OUR OTHER HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY IS FINISH BUILDING. WE ARE BUILDING A HUGE BARN WITH 2 SEPERATE HOUSES INSIDE TO LIVE CLOSE TO MY MOTHER.
CAN U USE THE DOG BITTER SPRAY STUFF ON THE FABRIC?


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## hatchethottie (Nov 7, 2010)

Stop using capitals, it's hard to read! 

Your rat sounds like she is chewing through boredom - most likely because she is lonely and has no friends. Get her lots and lots of toys, things she can chew on - I wouldn't spray the fleece because that doesn't solve the problem, just makes her life worse. I would really, really suggest getting her a friend. Rat's cost next to nothing and she will appreciate it to no end, and it will solve a lot of your problems too! I don't see why renting out of your mother in law's house would stop you getting your rat a friend. x


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## blinky000 (Jun 27, 2010)

I would agree. There's no-one for her to play with, she's bored so she chews. It's the same as if you leave a puppy on its own, it'll chew things because it misses your company. Both rats and dogs are naturally sociable. If they don't get the companionship they need, it can result in destructive behaviour. Also, rats without playmates die considerably younger and it's really not that expensive to get another one. Think of it as an investment


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## Alethea (Jul 14, 2010)

Aww, yeah I would have to agree with other members. Rats typically chew their hammocks out of boredom, especially since she is living alone. If funds are the problem, toys are cheap and extremely easy to make out of things in your home. From rattie-safe wood to cardboard, there are so many possibilities if you get creative with it. 

About purchasing another rattie for company, that would be a swell idea since rats are social and like to live in at least pairs of two for a longer and happier life. Another rat wouldn't pose as expensive to purchase and in all honesty another rat would not eat much more then a single rattie. They eat about 100g aday, which really doesn't amount to that much as far as food. Vet bills might be something to take into consideration though.

*Edit:*
I was reading about that bitter apple spray and it states it is safe for all animals and some brands are made with 100% natural ingredients. It would be worth a try, but I am wondering with the spray on the hammock, would that deter her from sleeping in it?


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## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)

just read your respones. srry for caps it was stuck on lol. i just went and bought her a new house today that was in my budget all medal with 3 levels and a new corner potty pan. she used to use a tupperwear container as a litter box and since the day i put her in she used it and was litter trained just the last month or so she has stopped using it. and after the first couple motnhs of having her i stopped putting in hammocks. if i put like a tissue box in she will no sleep in it she likes to sleep in a soft corner with just a crap of fleace to lay on for some reason? she would never tyr to get in the hammocks when i had them. do some rats just not like hammocks? i wish she would i sewed a bunch of cute things for her when i got her and all she did was let then sit and eventually chew them up. i bought cat toy balls and and a fake cat toy mouse and i got a mineral chew and a hanging metal rod for wood chews and it came with some paper candy wrapper looking chews to thats in there. she eats a food from walmart that is just the big blocks of food not the seed mixes i dont rember what the food is called. she has 2 water bottles in there too. ill see if i can get a pic up to show you her setup. the reason i cant get another one is my mother happens to hate animals and i brought her home origionaly w/o telling her or my husband lol. and since we share the house now i have to consider her as well because this is her home.but yes i want a friend for her REALLY bad!


another Q: lea my rat loves me and both my kids 4yrs and almost 2yrs and doesnt bite them but just trys to run if she doesnt want them bothering her. when my husband even lays his hand outside the cage door she will intentionaly go to him just to bite him lol! she makes him bleed every time. why does she do this? she licks me when i handle her or stick my hand in.my kids too even though there not the easiest handlers lol


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## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)

ok having trouble. im trying to get a pic up of her cage.


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## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)




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## Alethea (Jul 14, 2010)

That is odd to hear that she is only biting one of you and no one else. Try having him wash his hands before handling her with unscented soap, perhaps he has a good scent on his hands that she thinks is food. If she continues this, tell your husband to 'eep' loudly when she does this, to let her know she caused him pain. I know it sounds weird, but they know that sound relating to pain. If she still does that, use the nose-tapping method that I have used before when my females tried biting through the cage. When they bite, make the noise and gently tap her on the nose. Not hard or anything, but just enough to get her attention.


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## blinky000 (Jun 27, 2010)

My rats have a thing about rubber gloves (the relevance to the story will become clear in a minute). They've never from day 1 had any kind of issue recognising the difference between fingers and food UNTIL the gloves go on. They can't smell the normal human scent and get very defensive about this giant yellow thing coming into their cage and bite me. Hard. I'm wondering if he's got some sort of cologne on his hands or he's washing them very thoroughly before he goes near them. There's also the question of what kind of life did she have before she found you? Was she in a pet store? Maybe a man mishandled her and she simply doesn't trust men anymore.
If your mother doesn't see the benefit of the animal as important enough for you to get her a friend, maybe the cost of vets bills as consequence of her being alone will. Lonely rats are sad rats. Sad rats will become sick rats. Sick rats become EXPENSIVE. Invest in a friend for her so you can avoid the unnecessary expense.


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## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)

she bites him at diff times, sometimes hes clean and recently had a shower sometimes he just gets home from work and smells like dirt lol. now he has pet her today when i have her and she seems to act normal but doesnt go out of her way to stay still or acnowledge him. 000 lol lea keeps running around my keyboard typeing lol. btw she wil not get in my hood of my shirt or in ne snuggly place like that? isnt that wierd for a rat? i thought they were more snuggly or at least liked to burrow and or go in your sleeves or hood. lea hates it she will run up my body cuz she loves being on my shoulder but thats about it. if shes on the floor though all she wants to do is get under the end table and stay there most of the time like shes on a mission and wont stop to try and play or ne thing. i wish she played with me. she will get a friend sooN I HOPE


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## Alethea (Jul 14, 2010)

Well all ratties are different. Some can be cuddle monsters, while others like to be left alone more often. Continuing trust training her and both you and your husband should spend a lot of time with her so she learns your smell and learns to trust the human hand, rather then fear it. It doesn't seem like she is biting him out of fear, since he is the only one she bites. ><


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## Snippet (Dec 30, 2010)

I'll also say that her cage looks far too small for a rat. Maybe a bigge cage would be a good idea so you can give her a rat appropriate wheel (12" in diameter) which would mean she could use up some of her energy on running then eating hammocks.


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## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)

i just bought this cage the other day its brand new. and its the best cage i could get in my budget.she can stand up and she can climb the levels and she doesnt try to chew the bars or act like she doesnt have room or want out really bad. she seems happy to have her new home. this is the biggest and best ''well made'' cage i found in my price range. ill get her a play mate. and she gets out everyday all the time and ive had her for months so she gets alot of run around time and attention from me and my kids and just a lil time with the hubby lol. she bites him randomly lol. if i left her in there and got her out once a wk or sum then i would agree it woudl be small but since she likes to climb an dshe has the 2 other shelves to run up and down and she gets run around time everyday out of her cage i dont think the size of her cage is her problem with playing with me and chewing and not sleeping in hammocks. from all ive heard i think my rat just doesnt like sleeping in hammocks and she prob chewed them up when i made them after so long because she was bored for a bit. i think a play mate will make her happier and teach her how to play and interact with other rats and myself. i just want a rat thatl play and pounce around with us or snuggle us. and shes not either really. shell get rubbed and scratched in her cage but thats it and shel run around and run on you here and there on the floor but doesnt play with you or some back for more play when you try to play she just runs off.


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## kimowen (Aug 20, 2010)

good news! i will be getting another rat! hopefully by next week when we get paid!! keep ya updated


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