# Cardboard Box Forts!



## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

My ratties love cardboard box forts/mazes, and I have too much fun making them. I just finished this one:
View attachment 4881
The top part lifts off, and this is what the bottom level looks like:
View attachment 4882

Its certainly not a beauty but I think my rat will have fun with it. I'm going to put more shredded paper and fleece and stuff inside, and hide treats in it too.

Here's one I made awhile back that my rats enjoyed:
View attachment 4883

If anyone else has other pictures or ideas for forts I'd love to see them, as I like making new things for my rats.


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## halfmoon (Mar 29, 2010)

Oh my gosh! That's too much! I love it.  I'll be making one this weekend now. I'll post pictures of what I come up with.


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## Critter (Mar 4, 2012)

I made something similar inside the cage once. They really enjoyed it, till they ripped it to shreds. I attached it in a way they had to climb on it because I took the ramps out. They absolutely loved it. I have two older rats now though, I doubt I'll be repeating it soon. You could try put a boiled egg in and see if they try to football it out. It sure looked funny in my imagination. Anyway, yours looks absolutely amazing!


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## gourdrats (Mar 9, 2012)

I love it!! my ratties are still kinda new lol, I guess they needa be better socialized b4 I try something like that..they'd just try to escape I think, if I made one now.


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## Rat lover (Dec 28, 2011)

Cooool! I make those sometimes but all my rats wanna do is run on my shoulder rather than play in them! Haha.


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

Koko was a bit skeptical of this fort at first, but now I think she thinks its her new home. She has been in there all morning and she even took a nap in it haha.


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## PipRat (Jan 24, 2012)

JessyGene said:


> ...I think she thinks its her new home. She has been in there all morning and she even took a nap in it haha.


I must be turning into some kind of rat nerd because that comment maybe me almost laugh out loud at work. I HAVE to make one of these for my rats. I KNOW they will love it, they're not really into toys but love the soft tunnel I made for them and like to climb and hide in confined areas. This would be a little easier on my sanity than the newest play area they've discovered which is inside the couch frame! GRR


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

PipRat said:


> This would be a little easier on my sanity than the newest play area they've discovered which is inside the couch frame! GRR


Oh yes, the couch frame. I've had trouble with that in the past. I even had to cut a hole in the back of my old couch to get a stubborn rat out. haha


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## PipRat (Jan 24, 2012)

Luckily the couch in the rat room is an old one that we were going to get rid of anyway, so if they destroy it I won't be upset. I'm just afraid that they'll love the couch so much they'll move in! Do you think that could happen? That they won't want to return to their cage? I've been gradually letting the rats free roam for longer and longer and so far they always come back to me and then I lure them back to the cage with treats. But I have a fear that they will find a favourite spot and move out of their cage!


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

Haha I dunno, but its probably possible if you let them. Koko spent 5 hours playing/sleeping in her box fort yesterday but she eventually went back to her cage, which she loves. I don't mind if she becomes more comfortable free ranging because my house is pretty rat-proofed and she doesn't chew anything anymore. Plus I can always just put her back in her cage if I need to.


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## PipRat (Jan 24, 2012)

I think I'm just being paranoid, they like to be around me when they're out and they always come back. I keep a ramp up to their cage so they can get back in by themselves. I'm just new to rats and not really sure what to expect. I have a lot of silly questions like that. I've been working on a box fort, I'll post pictures of it when I'm done!


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

Nice, can't wait to see it!


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## EleashaC (Jan 30, 2012)

I can totally see them moving into the couch, haha! I wouldn't take it too personally, though; they would like the couch more than the cage, not more than you. 

Question about the cardboard houses: what do you use to fasten all the cardboard together? Just masking tape? Is that safe for them to chew?


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## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

I used packing tape cuz thats all I had (I used a bit of duct tape on the outside because I ran out of the other tape). My rat doesn't chew anything so I wasn't concerned about the tape being toxic. I am sure it is toxic so it would definitely be important to look into if your rat does chew. I don't think it is safe for rats to chew/eat any kind of tape so here are some suggestions: 1. Just use tape on the outside so you can watch to make sure they don't chew it, 2. Use nontoxic kids' white glue, 3. Use non toxic tape from a pet store, but I think that's expensive, 4. Don't use any glue or tape, just connect the boxes with large toilet paper rolls, hook on cardboard ladders by cutting a slit in the cardboard wall and then putting a bit of the ladder through and bending it over so it stays in place, etc...
Hope this helps


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