# Do you cover their cage at night?



## katlovesaandw

We did when they were first-born because our house is chilly and we were concerned about them getting cold.
We still do.....but now that they are in the GIANT cage....kind of hard to find a throw to fit it.
I can make one, if it is the norm. to cover the cage.

So...do you guys cover your rats cage?


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## Muttlycrew

Definitely not! I put a blanket over the cage ONCE and they pulled it right through the bars and shredded it to bits, lol!


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## Phantom

I tried covering my ratties cage once because I had the window open and I didn't want Molly to catch a cold, and they tore the towel I put on over it to shreds. >.<


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## HelloClarice

I agree in fabric near the girls cage and they will just nibble it away. The boys don't tend to care about it though lol


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## katlovesaandw

Cool! They have pulled it in a bit so far, bit not a lot.
No more covering them!LOL


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## ratazana

Same things happened to me! They pulled the sheet right through the cage bars! I learned my lesson. haha


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## LightningWolf

When we had the rat manor their cage was always covered in a blanket, well large piece of scrap fleece (which Liam ate when we got him). in their Critter Nation it's too big to put one on and they seem more comfortable sleeping Under the fleece covers/blankets, so I don't at the moment.

Covering them can be a good thing, especially for shy rats (or territorial rats). covering the cage will sometimes make them less cage bond (aggressive only in the cage). It made our Storm much happier when his cage was covered compared to when it wasn't.


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## katlovesaandw

So...then do you guys give them scraps of fleece in the cage for like little blankets to snuggle with and take into their tubes, etc.? I was thinking of doing this. Toss them if chewed, wash easily if dirty, etc.


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## Rumy91989

I used to cover my girl's cage at night so they knew it was night time because they had a tendancy to be super loud and active at night. When we covered the cage they snuggled up and seemed to get the point and switched their active times to when I got up in the morning and when I got home from work. Since they moved into the DCN I haven't been covering it because I haven't found a good way to do so. Mine chewed at the blanket I had over them but didn't destroy it.


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## cagedbirdsinging

If you have a drafty house like me, winter time is crazy inside! It's like we might as well not even have windows, they leak so much!

Anyway... do some searching to find the warmest and least drafty place in the house. Move the cage there if possible.

As far as coverings, this is a time to think INSIDE the box. Rather than covering the outside of the cage, allow them to cover themselves inside the cage. You can go to the store and get some cheap fleece and cut it up into little blankets for them to arrange around the cage themselves and cover up.


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## PeachPeach

Mine would eat a blanket in a heartbeat. Our house stays around 70 degrees all day and night, so there's no concern, but if temperature WAS an issue I'd be more tempted to make a fleece sleeping cube or snuggle sack than tent the cage. Let them warm up in an insulated item in the enclosure, you know?


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## kbug

Like cagedbirdsinging, I have a very drafty apartment, so I always felt bad for my boys at night. I tried to cover their cage with a blanket one night, and in the morning, the whole blanket was inside the cage.  I still don't know how they managed it; must have been an all-night endeaver! Haha


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## mistymornings18

Nope, we don't cage cover unless we've got nursing babies or orphans we're hand raising. They will eat fabric. I made the mistake of putting our clean clothes basket to close to the cage one day and they ate three of my baby's shirts LOL


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## cagedbirdsinging

mistymornings18 said:


> Nope, we don't cage cover unless we've got nursing babies or orphans we're hand raising. They will eat fabric. I made the mistake of putting our clean clothes basket to close to the cage one day and they ate three of my baby's shirts LOL


Similar thing here! The clothes hamper accidentally got bumped against the cage and next thing I know, three pairs of panties are in the cage all torn up!


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