# Top Must Have Items?



## Tabitha&Tobermori (Mar 14, 2016)

Which Rat products or even just products in general are a MUST have in your household?


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## Kokorobosoi (Jan 14, 2016)

vinegar. fleece. the baby tide. cardboard boxes and apple branches. My commercial push vacuum thing (like restaurants use) steptic powder. bottle brushes. 

have I mentioned vinegar? LOL 

wooden blocks without dye. ball pit balls. god, lots of ball pit balls. 

But seriously, every cardboard box in this house gets repurposed into fun rat stuff, or fun ferret stuff lol. Actually, everything in this house gets repurposed and I'm excellent at making square things fit in round holes lol. Don't limit yourself by the intended, or original purpose of something. Make what you have work for you


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

Climbing ropes... I use the large rope bird perches from booda (other brands make them too) that screw onto the cage.

Cardboard boxes..and tubes.. 
Vinegar (to mix with water in large spray bottles for cleaning).

Dustpan and broom

Air filter (HEPA) helps a lot

Hammocks..Flats are good, they also love honeycomb ones.


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## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

Just to add to everyone's lists above. Plastic boxes that you can hang on the cage get from dollar store / euro store (where ever you're from) They make great jumping off places for your rats, or little areas for them to hang out by themselves.

If you have a large open cage, the ikea hanging rack is a great "safety net".


View attachment 246018


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## Tabitha&Tobermori (Mar 14, 2016)

Kokorobosoi said:


> or fun ferret stuff lol.


 Do you have ferrets? Well obviously you have ferrets, but what are they like? Are they very much different then rats?


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## Tabitha&Tobermori (Mar 14, 2016)

"Kelsbels" Do you use loose bedding in the bottom?


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

The thing my rats love is so simple it's absurd.

Sheets of paper. They seem to love dragging the whole sheet around the cage and then cutting it up with their teeth. I mean, they get REALLY EXCITED over a sheet of paper. It's not the same for them if I tear it up into strips.


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## dionkasper (Nov 28, 2015)

Lava ledge - Does wonders for filing down their little sharp nails


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## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

Tabitha&Tobermori said:


> "Kelsbels" Do you use loose bedding in the bottom?


Yes, I use hemp bedding on the bottom, and shredded soft cardboard. This allows them to forage for their food.


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## Tabitha&Tobermori (Mar 14, 2016)

Cool.


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## Tabitha&Tobermori (Mar 14, 2016)

catty-ratty said:


> The thing my rats love is so simple it's absurd.
> 
> Sheets of paper. They seem to love dragging the whole sheet around the cage and then cutting it up with their teeth. I mean, they get REALLY EXCITED over a sheet of paper. It's not the same for them if I tear it up into strips.


 As soon as I read this I went, got a piece of paper and put it in my rat cage! ;D


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

Did they like it?


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## Tabitha&Tobermori (Mar 14, 2016)

I'm not sure yet, so far my girls have just ignored it...


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

I got a small plastic basket from target and my rats love sleeping in it. I just throw a few scraps of fleece in it and they do the rest of the work. Now I keep a few baskets around to switch out when I clean cages.

Other must-haves are large dog ropes, digging boxes, and carabiners. Oh, I also keep gallon jugs around to refill water bowls and bottles, eggs, and a spray bottle with just plain water in it.


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## Kelsbels (Aug 12, 2015)

Tabitha&Tobermori said:


> I'm not sure yet, so far my girls have just ignored it...


Try interacting with the paper by slowly ripping it. That always gets my girls' interest.


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## hayls94 (Apr 17, 2013)

My lava ledge for their nails! love that thing. Also hammocks are always and have always been a MUST with any of the rats I've had (even though they tend to chew them). Their travel cage is a pretty big one too because of all the places we go to and from.


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## Finnebon (Jul 15, 2013)

A lot of the things in my "must have" list have already ben said, but I'll add on a few more (didn't read all of the comments so I might say things already said). 

-ratty first aide kit filled with a lot of things
-kitchen scale that can measure in grams to weigh rats and a large bowl to fit on top that the rat can sit in while being weighed
-rat notebook to keep down important information like vet visits, illnesses, medications (dose, rat weight, what type of meds, and dates), notes on things like when you notice tumors forming or snuffles, birthdays, dates of death, medication dose calculators etc etc
-SPACEPOD and HAMMOCKS (must have for all rats, they love them!) Hammocks should also have metal pear hooks or metal shower curtain hooks to keep from chewers destroying connections.
-safe baskets, clean and with no glazes, colors or other treatments on them, that are safe to chew. Great for chewers to have fun, and for also hanging to use as a place to sleep
-a good vet (almost impossible to find though  )
-a decent enough savings or income, very important to have some savings. Ratties can sometimes (or always) cost a lot of money. Even rats who are usually very healthy can sometimes require emergency, expensive care.
-I also like very large 12" or more wheels like a wodent wheel for runners. Even if they don't use it all the time, it's still a healthy way to get occasional exercise. I have 2 rats that LOVE it and run everyday, but the rest almost never use it.
-Double critter nations are also wonderful! I got a brand new one (lightly used) for $100 on craigslist. It's worth it to check CL frequently. I use fleece for the pans, and have a couple litter boxes.
-humidifier for rats with respiratory issues undergoing meds, it seems to help.
-nutrical and baby food are great treats, and also really good at hiding meds if the rats don't like the taste
-a regular water bottle and also a bird water silo waterer so they have a choice of a way to drink. Some rats prefer bottles and some prefer to drink from a little bowl, and you always want animals to drink as much water a possible so make it as appealing as you can.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

Finnebon said:


> ... and also a bird water silo waterer so they have a choice of a way to drink. Some rats prefer bottles and some prefer to drink from a little bowl, and you always want animals to drink as much water a possible so make it as appealing as you can.


I like this idea! I've got the 12" Wodent Wheel too. 2 of my rats have used it a total 3 or 4 times


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

A CareCredit account is nice to have for unexpected large vet bills. They have payment options so you can pay off charges interest free.


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## RatAtat2693 (Jan 13, 2016)

Sewing machine. You'll lose so much money buying hammocks. Sewing takes a minute to learn, but there are tons of easy tutorials, and the cost of the sewing machine will pay for itself.


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## catty-ratty (Feb 21, 2016)

RatAtat2693 said:


> Sewing takes a minute to learn.


I have a sewing machine, and people seem to think I can sew. I tell them I'm actually sticking two rags together with a string and a tiny, very sharp stick.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I actually bought a sewing machine a few weeks before I got my rats...used it only a couple times and bought their hammocks, cubes...on Etsy instead, lol.


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

I've been thinking about it because I do have a sewing machine. I've just been too lazy to get it out and use it.


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## Kokorobosoi (Jan 14, 2016)

I forgot the sewing machine!!!

Off topic...can the person who wanted to know about ferrets message me? I can't work the phone version so well and my message to them never sends lol


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## RatAtat2693 (Jan 13, 2016)

InuLing said:


> I've been thinking about it because I do have a sewing machine. I've just been too lazy to get it out and use it.


It's worth it for me. I can go into Joann's Fabrics and get discount fleece for $3 USD per yard, stitch it together and pull four flat hammocks out of it. I just wish I had gotten a better machine since it can't handle more than two layers of fleece.


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

So much was already covered on this thread, but I wanted to mention paper tape for making cardboard creations. You can find it at a hardware store. Get the kind with adhesive on one side (not the kind you have to wet). It's thick, durable, non-toxic and easy to tear. I'm always using it to make castles with adjoining rooms and balconies. They also enjoy a large, roomy box with holes in the sides and top, filled with newspaper or tissue paper. Use the paper tape to seal the whole thing up and it becomes a wonderful place to explore.


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## PawsandClaws (Jul 22, 2014)

Bird toys, mind puzzles, clicker for clicker training as well as what everyone else said.


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## Tabitha&Tobermori (Mar 14, 2016)

My top items include 
1) Lava Ledge 
2) Rat Forum 
3) My Fabric Ledge 
4) Milkbones 
5) Fleece 
I probobly have way more I forgot, but a lot of them have been covered already including most of these!


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

Newspaper, preferably the New York times because the pages are large and sturdy and often feature eye-catching designs. Plus I love lining the rat cage with Prada ads  

And yes, the Rat Forum is definitely a must-have!


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