# How to "rat proof" a room?



## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

I have a few ideas so far - keep wires up and door shut while the rats are loose. But what about fabrics and furniture? My bed is just a mattress on top of a boxspring, so it's directly on the floor and easily within reach of any little critters roaming around. Will the rats chew or pee on it, or try to eat my rug/carpet? I am planning to buy a play pen for when I have to clean their cage and such, but I kind of think it would be easier to fence off my closet (and bed if needed) and let them run around the rest of the room. And is it possible to potty train the rats so they won't be peeing all over the floor?

And if the rats do chew on things they aren't supposed to, like books or furniture, what are ways of discouraging them? I understand that chewing is in rats' nature and that they need to nibble on things to be entertained, so I'm not looking to punish them for following their instincts. But there's a distinction between play toys and my bookcases XD They won't ever be loose unsupervised, but of course they're inquisitive little buggers with a talent for trouble. Not to mention that I want to be really careful with them.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

Anything you don't want chewed will have to be out of reach...clothing, books, paper, wood, basically anything. They also love wires as well. With your bed, I'd be most concerned that they would get into the box spring and then be difficult / impossible to remove... Maybe get a thick large blanket that you can "tuck" under the entire box spring when you have them out. 

As for peeing, you can litter train rats to a degree..Keep a box in their cage with pee rocks in it and a specific kind of litter..once you see them going in there frequently, you can have a box in your room for their play time. However, they will still mark / pee on pretty much any surface. The amount of marking depends on the rats, but most rats will mark while they're out and about. 

When I do free roam time, I either do it in the bathroom (so it is contained and washable surfaces) or I use a play pen and put down some fleece / towels to cover the floor and have things for them to chew / play with in there. 

If you do free-roaming time in your room, you will also want to put a towel under the door (and door to your closet) so they can't get out and look for floor-level holes, cracks, anything they could get inside.. If you have any large / heavy furniture that has openings behind or inside it, I'd watch out for that too.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Assume that everything valuable or that you care about will be chewed or urinated on. Rats use their pee as a second language, that is why they pee mark. Neutered males and spayed female rats do it much less than intact rats.


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## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

artgecko, thanks for that. We have a few extra comforters and blankets that I can use for that. And the pee rocks info will probably be helpful. Bathroom will probably be the way to go for a while, especially while I'm still trying to potty train them. There aren't doors on the closet so I'll probably have some kind of barricade up there, but I'll keep the bedroom door part in mind. Probably lock it too so nobody will wander in accidentally. The only furniture I have is a desk, a few bookcases, a nightstand, and the dresser. The nightstand is the only one that would give a rat underside access but they wouldn't be able to get up inside it.


Gribouilli, good to know XD Spaying the girls will probably be something I'll be doing for other reasons, but the marking thing is also something to take into consideration.


Thank you both!


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

Just check around the baseboards and vanity in the bathroom... Sometimes there are cracks or holes / openings on the underside of vanities (where the doors attach)... I would also make sure no bathroom cleaning supplies are out or have been recently sprayed on things they could lick. 

I use our walk-in shower for play time when I need them to be more confined also, so that could be an option for you too. 

If you do use a barricade, make sure it is not climbable.. at least 3-4' tall and smooth.. They can climb wire pretty easily, so things like puppy gates won't work.


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## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

We actually don't have any baseboard in our bathrooms XD There's just a sink-topped cabinet set that goes around one corner, and then the toilet, shower, and linen closet. The only thing I'd have to block off would be the closet and the main door, the rest of it is the wall, shower, or cabinets. And the cabinets are fairly new so the bottom of those are closed off for inquiring rats.

The shower we have has a ledge about four inches high, would that keep them in or not? I'm guessing no, just because they're good climbers, but if I'm in the shower with them, will I be able to keep them occupied with pettings and toys?

Also would cardboard work as a barrier?


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## TheRatAttack (Mar 29, 2016)

I have yet to be able to entirely rat proof a room. My little Ross always proves to me that rats can get anywhere.


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## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

Yeah, I bet! It's hard to keep intelligent creatures safe when they're determined to get into trouble.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

As far as the bath tub, one of my rats has zero problems jumping out of it.

In my experience, rats can learn what is off limits. I had to be pretty dramatic about it the first time. Now I all I have to do is give a firm warnin. Anga immediately runs over to me! I guess maybe to apologize?

I personally don't think it's possible to predict everysingle thing your rats might be able to get into or destroy. If you're going to free range at all, take an inventory of everything you don't want destroyed and secure it. With everything else, just be willing to deal with some destruction.


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## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

I'll definitely be keeping them in the bathroom, at least until they learn how to obey when I tell them that something is off limits. If there's going to be some experimenting, I'd rather it happen there. My best bet will probably be to keep them there and always keep an eye on them for when they inevitably get into something they shouldn't. Destruction is going to happen regardless, but hopefully most of it will be in the bathroom where things aren't so valuable.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

If you can find a way to support the cardboard, that would probably work... like wood bracing on the backside of it or something similar. A lot of people use long hallways as play areas too (with barricades on either end). 

yeah, a 4" step up will not keep them in lol. My shower has a door that goes almost to the ceiling. 

The only way I think I'd be able to do free range with mine in a whole room (other than the bathroom) would be if I had a dedicated "rat room" where I could remove anything that they would not need to interact with...Otherwise, I'm just not confident enough in my rat-watching-skills to do it. The room mine are in now is where all of my animals are and in addition to the rats, I have a lot of reptiles and all of their caging, heating, electric wires, etc...so basically the worst scenario for letting them run around in there lol. 

I did make a playpen out of that flexible plastic shower liner stuff (the flat thin white shower material) and I use that for socializing when I have litters, but it is not tall enough to let them do that unsupervised (about 2', which they can jump as adults). You could try getting a couple of those boards and not cutting them in half (would be ~4' tall) and that might work. You use industrial strength velcro and attach the ends together (to form a large circle or oval which stands up on its' own).


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## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

Our floor plan is very open, so unfortunately hallways aren't an option. And since there is an elderly person and a dog in the house, I'd like to stay away from main areas just so nothing happens.

We don't have any free rooms, but I'll keep that in mind. The bathroom is the closest thing to safe that we have. No wires or escape routes at ground level, and the few furnishings are marble, porcelain, or metal. Only things I'd have to do are pick up the bath mat and the shower curtain, plus block off the closet and door.

Shower liner is a good idea. What about plywood? My dad sometimes brings home pieces about three or four feet tall that are scrap from his jobs. They wouldn't exactly be dragged in and out of the house, but we have a screened in patio area.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

That should work...if the plywood is too smooth for them to get a toe-hold. I like the shower liner because when I am done with it, I can "roll" it up and store it pretty easily. Some people have also mentioned making one out of foam core and duct-taping the sides together so that it folds accordion style.


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## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

Most of it is, and it'll be more than easy to sand it down with a sander or sandpaper if necessary. I've worked with shower liners and similar plastics before, and the ability to roll it up is amazing. Plus you can hose it off and dry it pretty easily. I've never heard of foam core being used like that but that might work too.


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