# Rat cage accessories



## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

Well, I was just wondering if anybody could help me with this. Does anybody have anyideas for homemade toys or cheap bought toys? I feel like my rats cage is boring and he needs some fun and color. I only have one rat so I think he gets bored while I am at school all day. Please give me ideas! thanks!    8) :lol:  :wink: :roll:


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## dragonegg (Oct 2, 2007)

Some cat/dog toys from the dollar store work for rats. I give them empty cardboard boxes with holes cut out for a cheap toy. Strings, rocks, shredded paper...anything they can't hurt themselves with.


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## CaptainFlow (May 16, 2007)

Like Dragonegg said, pretty much anything they can't hurt themselves with makes a decent toy. My girls like paper (dragging those little subscription cards to their cage to nest with is a favorite), climbing ropes made from cut up fleece or t-shirts, hammocks add a lot of color and interest, toilet paper tubes are easy and available, jingly ball cat toys (but take them out at night! Trust me), a wheel is good (solid or very fine mesh floored so that your rat doesn't catch a foot).

But the very best rat toy is... another rat! Rats are very social creatures, and they really do need the company of another rat. You're right, your rat probably does get bored when you're at school. Also at night when you're sleeping and can't play, or while you're eating dinner and can't play, or doing homework... rats need company pretty much 24/7, either for cuddling or playing, humans just aren't a perfect substitute. Something to think about, that if you possibly can get another rat, you most definitely should!


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## mopydream44 (Jun 10, 2007)

Nice transition . 

I completely agree. You should get your rat a friend, and go through proper QT and Intors, and I think you'll find that your rattie friend will be a lot happier!


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

The thing is.....my Mom won't let me get another rat! I started bringing it up but my Mom interupted me and was like "You are not going to get another rat!" But thanks for all of your advice! I think it really helped!


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

please keep posting! I really need some new ideas!!!     8O :? 8) :lol:   :x  :roll: :twisted: :wink: :evil: :!: :?: :arrow:


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## Eliza (Jan 20, 2008)

A nice toy is an empty kleenex box. Rats like to chew on them, and they make a great nest when filled with fabric or bedding. 

P.S. Maybe too much smilies?


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## Hattie (Jan 25, 2008)

You really need to convince your mum 
Another rat won't cause any more smell, money or time. 
Infact, it'll make keeping a rat better.
Rats kept alone get depressed, no matter how much they're played with by humans, and often resort to self harm, which can include "barbering" out their fur, or gnawing their tales (I've heard they can gnaw them right off). I've also heard they chew repetively on the bars of their cage, sometimes so much they make their gums bleed.


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

awwww....I am DEFINIELY going to try and convince my mo to get me another rat. I think my rat is happy though, hee doesn't seem to be doing ay of those things. But thanks for everything and Hattie thanks for telling me those things.

Yeah, sorry to many smilies......



keep posting please!


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## Vixie (Jul 21, 2006)

Hattie said:


> gnawing their tales (I've heard they can gnaw them right off). I've also heard they chew repetively on the bars of their cage, sometimes so much they make their gums bleed.


Acid and Romi got so close when I first brought Romi home that, when I had to separate them due to an abscess on Acid's neck, Romi would chew on the bars nonstop and Acid chewed off the tip of her tail. I had to take Acid to the vet to help her tail heal properly.

So, without a doubt, you should convince the parentals that two are better than one.


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## Barb (Jan 26, 2008)

I feel anything new you add to the cage will help them from being bored.
although it won't take the place of a playmate. 

what I do before I throw anything away I check it out and see if I can make it into something new for my rat. (cereal boxes, coke bottles with the ends cut off, add limbs from trees, get a box with some dirt and or something they can dig in, old clothes you don't wear anymore) when they don't seem interested in it anymore just replace it with something new.
Maybe just rearranging the cage will cheer them up. (I know it works for me when I rearrange my den or bedroom)


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## kkdepp (May 22, 2007)

Putting some treat in used toilet paper rolls and then crumpling the sides is a fun activity for ratties....blow up a balloon and then pat a pretty good layer of wet toilet paper around it like paper mache...be sure to make a hole on the side of the balloon that it ties that is big enough for your rat to fit through...when itr dries use a needle to pop the balloon and yo u have a fun hideout that your rattie can also shred....putting treats inside a few layers of paper towels then tying them at the top and tying them up in your cage ...your rat will shred it to get to the treats....most boxes and stuff are fun....hiding treats in odd places will have your rat interested in trying to find them....sometimes rats like crawling through piles of st8uff like old clothes, towels, etc

hope this helped


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

Thanks! I tried most of the things you told me and I think templeton is a lot happier!


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## Almi (Feb 11, 2008)

Also, some cheap toys that are good (if you have a lot of floor space in your cage) are PVC pipes! I get some nice, big ones from Fleet Farm (but any hardware store like Lowes or Home Depot should sell them) that only cost a couple of bucks a piece, and I connect them together. The rats love to run and climb in them. :]

Oh, and know it's already been said, but the sky is the limit with cardboard and tape.


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## Squeak (Sep 4, 2007)

Okay, okay, I know most people know about this site. I'm quite surprised that no one has mentioned it, but here it is: 

http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

It has cheap, and simple toy ideas. Whether you've seen this or not, it could bring something up that you missed last time.

Hopefully this could've helped.


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

I have one big PVC pipe in my rats cage, and I keep forgeting to put in a digging box with dirt in it!


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

My rats love parrot toys! They provide tons of climbing and color and they are fairly cheap and last a long time plus they are safe to use. Rats are smart like birds are so it makes sense that they love these toys. Some of the favs I have are these..

I bought this on sale for $2 at a local pet store. They are awesome because they are sturdy enough for the rats to climb on and can be molded however you want, no matter how you position them they stay put. Just take the bell off otherwise you will be sorry!! Mine love bells, so much so that they ring them all night long to show how much they love them! Ugh.... 
http://www.birdtoyoutlet.com/detail.aspx?ID=674

Any of the shredding toys. They make toys for dirt cheap like $1 or $2 per toy that are made for parrots to shred. Yeah my rats love shredding anything and these are far more interesting to look at and take them way longer to destroy than say a toilet paper roll or some newspaper. 

This thing... http://cgi.ebay.com/MACAW-SIZE-MOBI...ryZ20736QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem 
I've yet to figure out their obsession with this, but they are in love!! I can only guess because it's hard to climb and it's a challenge for them. Once they get to the top you can hear them squeeking with excitement. I've had one like this for about 3 months now and it looks as good as new. Just take it down and soak it in some vinegar and hang it outside to dry to get rid of any smells that have soaked into the wood. The vinegar neutralizes the smell and stops it from crumbling apart. 

Mine love rope ladders. The more verticle you hang them the more they like them. Strange rats I know. You can basically make your own for about $5. 

Big lego (although I'd skip the small ones) houses and castles built for them. Mine go crazy for this and I have a 6yo, 5yo, and 4yo who are perfectly willing to spend 2 hours building an extravegant little city for the rats to run around in. 

Stuff you probably already have at home.
-Tissue boxes
-Old cans they can hide in (make sure to file them down so there are no sharp edges)
-napkins and paper towels (mine are obessed with shredding them)
-Old cereal boxes
-Rocks from the backyard
-Pieces of wood they can climb on
-Old baseball hats. They love to sleep in these! and you get to pry them away from your husband when they look too nasty and say "sorry the rats need this one to sleep in" So it works out for everyone (except the person loosing their nasty beloved hat)
-Egg cartons (make sure they aren't the sytrafoam ones and that they are clean). Mine love to shred these, walk over them (they are big about texture) and store their food in them.


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