# Rats have no interest in chew toys.



## templet0n (Nov 18, 2013)

My three girlrats have absolutely no interest in chewing on anything (except for the fleece and hammocks ). I have many toys in there but they refuse to chew or play with it. The only one they sometimes move around is a wooden dumbbell.
So! I need ideas about what to put in their cage. I have a wheel in there and hideouts but I'm not sure what else to try. Any ideas?


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## ksaxton (Apr 20, 2014)

You could put climbing ropes in


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## beaner (Jul 21, 2014)

my girls like the flavoured wood chews, or popsicle sticks soaked in juice, maybe that would be more enticing.


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## deedeeiam (Apr 8, 2014)

Mine only chew on wood I've soaked and dried in something yummy.


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## templet0n (Nov 18, 2013)

Alright, thanks, I'll try soaking them and putting some ropes in.


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## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

Yeah, my dudes aren't interested in wood, either. Have you tried cardboard? Mine like to nibble on tissue boxes (after they got over acting like tissue boxes are the scariest, worst thing that ever happened to them), and other cardboard things. Egg cartons (non-plastic/foam), milk/juice cartons, paper towel or toilet paper rolls -- anything you can stuff a treat into and close. I make a few starting holes with scissors, and that seems to encourage them.

Oh, and nuts! Every once in a while I put in a couple of hazlenuts still in their shells, and the ratties chew threw to get at the nut. That's probably the best chew toy alternative that they're actually interested in.


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Have you tried apple wood? It's literally the only thing mine will chew besides their fleece and my clothes lol. Cardboard is good too, some of mine love ripping it apart; just not sure that it's doing much for their teeth.


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## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

Hm, I'll try apple wood and see if it tempts my ratties.

What do you mean by, "not sure that it's doing much for their teeth," kksrats?


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## theAfanc (Aug 29, 2014)

Mine haven't chewed anything. I have wood in there, two hammocs, a PVC pipe and a few things of cloth for ground beds and one of my two boys has taken a very small chuck out of the house and that is it!


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Cardboard is probably too soft to wear teeth down which is the whole point of chewing really


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## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

Kksrats, rats actually don't need to chew on anything hard to wear their teeth down -- the teeth grinding against eachother does that through thegosis, which happens during eating or bruxing. Here are a few online sources that support that, as well as the chapter on rats in the book _Behavior of Exotic Pets._


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I have actually read that, but not all of them are all that great at keeping their teeth worn down. This could be due to something else ( genetic issues, illness, etc), but there's nothing wrong with giving them something a little more firm for them to chew.


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## pwoink (Feb 19, 2013)

That's true - if someone has rats with tooth issues, though, it might come down to trimming the teeth by hand, rather than uneven wear from blocks. For rats with no dental problems, I agree that different stuff to chew on is good for enrichment -- different textures are more interesting and engaging.


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

They always remind me of babies and toddlers, exploring everything in their environment with their mouth!


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