# Can I just put outdoor lava rocks in the cage for their feet and teeth?



## TheNinja (Aug 6, 2018)

I have as many free rocks as I need outside in my yard and neighbors yards who don't care if I have a few once in a while. I put one in the cage yesterday and they grabbed it from me in their teeth and hid it away in their little home/bunker...heh.

But is it bad if they chew on these and potentially get the rock dust and rock bits in their stomach? I'm guessing these are essestially the same at those lava ledges they sell. Maybe they are different material though.

In any case I did boil them for 20 minutes before putting them in the cage. And I'm guessing the rocks will get smelly b/c of the pores in them but I just toss em out and get new ones from my yard.

Anyway. Are these safe for rats? I also read that many rats will grind their own teeth to keep them a safe length.


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## Cast+Chrome (Jul 8, 2018)

TheNinja said:


> I have as many free rocks as I need outside in my yard and neighbors yards who don't care if I have a few once in a while. I put one in the cage yesterday and they grabbed it from me in their teeth and hid it away in their little home/bunker...heh.But is it bad if they chew on these and potentially get the rock dust and rock bits in their stomach? I'm guessing these are essestially the same at those lava ledges they sell. Maybe they are different material though.In any case I did boil them for 20 minutes before putting them in the cage. And I'm guessing the rocks will get smelly b/c of the pores in them but I just toss em out and get new ones from my yard.Anyway. Are these safe for rats? I also read that many rats will grind their own teeth to keep them a safe length.


I have a large one (think head size for a kid) in their cage that they use to jump from one level to the shelf above it. Mine don't chew on it, although that's not saying much because mine aren't big chewers, but it helps their claws A LOT!Although it does get smelly sometimes I've found the best way to wash it is to use dawn dish soap and boil it in a large pot of water so the soap cleans it and water is bubbled out of the pores. Hope this helps!


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## shibezone (Feb 5, 2018)

I have pumice ledges, personally, and my rats have chewed them to heck and back and it's okay for them to do!
Pumice is just volcanic rock, so it's probably the same, if not really close to the yardscaping rocks. And honestly, just because they chew it doesn't mean they're necessarily eating it, and if they do eat a little of it it should be fine. But, if you ever think they're eating enough of it to get sick take the rock away immediately and see if the symptoms clear up!


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