# Rats using exercise ball?



## roaringsnail (Aug 1, 2013)

Any info you may have about exercise balls. I have an 11" ball. In addition, Since I only have one, could I put two rats in one ball or should they have runs by themselves.


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## franjf (Dec 13, 2012)

When I first got rats the man at the pet shop told me they love balls and they must have them! So me being naive went and bought two of them. Lets just say getting them into the things was a nightmare... screeching and scratches all round! So I scrapped that idea haha. Balls aren't well ventilated so if you are going to use them I'd say only just them for 10 minutes at a time and only put ONE rat in each ball. Rats would prefer to just run around naturally though so try and find/make a space where they can do this therefore you will be able to interact with them more during free time


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Exercise balls are generally a terror and awful for every animal ever forced in one. It can negatively affect their spines, they can't see through it to see where they are going and are deprived of other sensory cues they could rely on, which means that cute bumping around they do is terrifying. Then your frightened pet widdles or poos and is left running in it :/ They are just forced in it and can't get out when they are done. I really don't like them.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

I really can't say I like the idea of exercise balls. I got Liesel one when she was younger but she hated that thing with a passionate hate. It worked awfully. Ive since taught her to just run loose without one. If u train them right its easy. Step one is to get them to come to their names so they are less likely to get lost when they are running loose as they should come back to you. I practiced this first on a couch with Liesel and once I was confident in her ability to come to her name put her on the floor in a rat safe area. Ill still keep an eye on her somewhat but now she runs loose quite often and when its time to go back in her cage I'll call her and she comes. Now my other girls are slower learners and younger so they are still only allowed on the couch. But really I wouldn't suggest an exercise ball with rats. Liesel would barely even move within it and she pretty much turned hers into a toilet because any time she went in shed have stress poops and pees like crazy. I haven't even tried the other girls in it since that experience was so horrible. I'd just teach them to free roam. It sounds hard but its really not and it will completely be worth it. Rats are quite intelligent and you can even teach them things like not to chew certain things, the word "no" etc. At first I too thought an exercise ball was better than free roaming but now that I've done the other I'd never go back to the ball. Like I said training free roaming rats sounds hard but you'll be surprised how quickly they pick up on things and how eager most become to see you pleased and obey.


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## Siringo (May 7, 2012)

You could always hang it up in your cage and stuff some fabric scraps in it so that it becomes a place to sleep! Many people have bought exercise balls only to realize that their rats hate it, so this is a good solution since you have a ball already. I believe you can use zip ties to secure it, if you are interested in this idea.

Here is a few pictures of someone (not me) with a large pink exercise ball strung up in her cage:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brokenpuzzle/3680173747/


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Siringo - that is actually such a good idea. I am definitely going to see if I can get mine to hang in the cage tmrw. I've always wondered what to do with mine since I realize my girl hated it.


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