# Dumbo rat eats her cage



## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

So I've got a fancy rat and a dumbo rat sharing a cage but the dumbo keeps chewing the sides of her cage. She only chews the corners for the most part but I'm worried that soon they will be big enough she can get out. The fancy rat doesnt touch it all and I've had another fancy rat in the same cage before and she never chewed it. It's mostly wire but the very bottom is plastic and that's what she's chomping. They have chew toys, carrot sticks, rat food, and other veggies but she doesn't care. She wants to eat the cage . And suggestions how to modify her cage so she won't be able to? Can I put chicken wire around the plastic part?


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Should also mention she gets daily out of cage time so I don't think it's that she desperately needs out or anything.


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## Bluelilly (Apr 4, 2013)

Have you tired putting something there that might deture it from chewing there.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

What would u suggest would deter her from chewing though?


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## Bluelilly (Apr 4, 2013)

I'm not sure I've never personally had this problem .. If it was the bars I would call it attention seeking and to just ignore it. But since she's trying to chew the plastic, and I'm assuming she's doing some damage, I don't know ... Maybe research it. I know there are people in the forum who have some experience in this. Maybe try a forum search "chewing" that may help ?? Have you also thought about give them extra time free time girls tend to have a lot of energy. Maybe she just bored and taking it out on her cage...


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Yah I totally think its boredom because she's doing it I think sometime between 2-6am . Problem is I can't really do much about her being bored between those hours cause I'm sleeping, don't know what her cage mates doing at those times


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## Bluelilly (Apr 4, 2013)

When do you give free time??


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Depends when I'm working that day, but generally an hour or two of free time sometime between 10pm-1am and sometimes some other periods of free time during days off in the afternoon.


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## Bluelilly (Apr 4, 2013)

Okay I really don't see a problem. Have you tried giving them a toy the keep them occupied during the night? Have you tried something like a rat piñata ? My girls love them.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

I honestly have never heard of a rat piñata . Ill have to look into that. I did get her a new treat stick for tonight so maybe that'll help


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## RagingShadow (Jun 20, 2013)

I had a girl who did that. I borded up the hole but she chewed through that when I was at gransma's. when I got home, she had bled out from a cat scratch (cat put paw under door when she was escaped)
so try to fix the problem ASAP with either a metal pan or something.


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## Bluelilly (Apr 4, 2013)

Yeah it's basically the cardboard inside of a toilet roll you put food in the inside ( breakfast cereal is the best.) you fold both side and tie some string around it. http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm#pinata


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

That's pretty normal for a rat kept in a plastic cage. I always recommend against it. Specially females who are chewers and nest builders. Just get a metal cage.


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## evander (Jun 30, 2013)

I currently have 9 girls - some are chewers and others never chew.

My original 2 never chewed anything and I bought some really nice clouds and hammocks - but some of the newer rascals have pretty much destroyed every one.

Thankfully I don't have to worry about anyone escaping since they are in a DFN.

Hope you can find a way to stop her chewing or can get a different cage before she gets hurt!


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

If you dont want to get an all metal cage you could try bitter apple or bitter cherry. Trust me, they taste AWFUL and are available at your local pet store.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Is bitter apple the same stuff they sell to spray things u don't want ur dog chewing?? That works for ratties? For now I got her 2 new wooden chew toys and a treat stick maybe if its just boredom that'll help. Really hoping to find a way around this that doesn't involve buying an all metal cage cause the only all metal I can find are $120. Idk if its just where I live but every cage seems to be like mine, partially plastic at the bottom


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## PaigeRose (Apr 12, 2013)

Yup! My parents used it on me so I would stop sucking my thumb as a kid. Dunno how it would work on plastic.

Petco has a decent all metal cage, the Rat Manor, thats about $100. Craigslist is also a good place to get gently used cages.

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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

If I were you, I'd seriously look into getting a metal cage; it would eliminate the problem completely. I think if you have a plastic base chewer, they are likely to continue to do it for most of their lives. It's like wire chewers, once you have one they can barely stop. However I wouldn't say it's as common an issue as people have suggested - after all if rats were known to always chew plastic bases, they wouldn't produce cages for them with these bases in the first place.


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## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

Unfortunately, this is just one of those things that some rats do. It is not necessarily boredom. I actually think that some rats get great satisfaction from the crackle and crumble of chewing plastic. My cage was once decorated with many plastic tubes. They lasted about a month until they became unstable and an injury risk due to chewing, think gaping holes with sharp edges. The best solution is an all metal cage or a replacement metal pan ( can be expensive as they generally have to custom made). For the time being you could try and distract her with hanging pinatas and pasta ropes but rats are oh so tenacious, I reckon it won't be long until they finishes her little work of art and you will be finding her in your closet! Does she do this more when in season?


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## mameur (Nov 3, 2012)

well instead of buying a new cage have you tried metal corner brackets ? pass by home depot buy the biggest largest brackets you can find and since they have holes screw them to the side or buy a big metal pan pretty sure ur local hardware store can help you with that


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

This is why I never do plastic cages. Rodents x plastic = chewing. Plastic is disposable and temporary.


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Hephaestion said:


> I reckon it won't be long until they finishes her little work of art and you will be finding her in your closet! Does she do this more when in season?


Not sure how to tell if rats are in season. I've had them for a bit but I havent exactly been checking for that ever since I dont have any males. And Im relatively new to rats so I odnt know what to be looking for.


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## MeAndMyRats (Jul 5, 2013)

Hello! Good question. 
First, how big is your cage? She migt be chewing it because it is too small.
I would say put some olive oil on the places she chews (did that with my hamser) 

And yes, if the holes get too big u can put chicken wire!
She might have just gained a habbit in chewing on the cage. just like humans do, say you have a habbit of chewing your nails. Putting something gross on it would make you stop, right? So like I said olive oil works will, maybe even lemon juice, to rats it tasts nasty!
Hope i helped  

Oceanne


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

K so I put vinegar on it, I got her new toys, and she stopped chewing temporary. Meanwhile i went to the petstore today checked out cages and all they sell is plastic bottomed. Means Im gonna have to ship one in from online and who knows how long that'll take. Then the real problems started. When I got home Arielle had chewed a hole big enough that she can fit out of. Apparently her desire to chew just temporary stopped and wasn't permantely gone  . So the weird part is though she chewed this hole she could clearly get out of but shes not even trying. She's using it as a window right now. Her cage mate on the other hand got out of the hole when I wasnt home. Cant find her. Im pretty sure theres only two possible rooms she could be in and I hope eventually she may come back on her own because the one thing Ive always noticed about her is if she wants to stay hidden she can somehow get around without making a single noise. This happened once before and it took me 12 hours to find her  And then there's the added problem, once she comes back how am i going to make her stay in her cage until a new one ships in?


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

Temporarily put it flat on floor? Get some corrugated plastic (home depot by the windows) or plywood (home depot will cut it down for you for free) and set it on top of that. It's not ideal but it's only temporary. 

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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Try getting some bitter apple or cherry spray to deter chewing of the cage base. It should work!


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Will do first thing tmrw, all the stores are closed here now. I took a door off the old hamster cage and taped it overtop of the hole they chewed. its wire so as long as the tape holds it'll be okay. So far Zoey tried to get out and just gave up upon realizing the hole was blocked. I think just incase im also gonna put them on top the bookshelf because if they do get out as much as im sure they could get down there's no ladders or anything so it would at least be a little difficult. 
I also did some research on how females react when in heat. Apparently if you pet their backs they wiggle their ears?? In that case the one who isn't doing the chewing is definitely in heat tonight and she's also the one who went through the hole and got away for a bit caught her relatively quickly though this time. Do you think the sister being in heat has anything to do with her cage mate chewing holes? If she's wanting to mate would her cage mate help her out by essentially letting her out?


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

Also I dont know if i mentioned this yet but the one chewing the holes is definitely not doing it to get out. I had the hole wide open for probably 2 hours plus however long it was open while i was out and she didn't try to leave once. Literally she would stick her head out take a look around then go back in. Plus she's not a rat who's really desperate to get out of her cage, sure she enjoys some out of cage time, but I can and have before left her cage door open for hours and unless I'm near it she wont go out ever. That's why im wondering if she's literally making the holes for her sister or why?


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

She's making holes because she loves to chew the plastic. That's all really! Some rats just absolutely love to destroy what they shouldn't and plastic is definitely one of those things. It just seems like you have a very powerful chewer!


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## liesel (Feb 13, 2013)

So she chewed yet another hole in her cage and although when i got home both the girls were in their cage one or both of them obviously got out at one point cause there was rat poop everywhere . i think it was the youngest because i trained the other to only poop in the cage but who knows maybe she figured if moms not home to.catch me why not... I covered the entire outside of the base in chicken wire today. They shouldn't be able to get out anymore ... i hope.


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