# Are Hammocks all my Spoiled Rats need?



## Middy (Nov 19, 2007)

I'm told that my rats are spoiled down to their little twitchy noses...but a few of the levels just seem lonely. I was going to ask for hammocks for christmas and such. I'm a first time rat owner so I'm still learning what rats can and can't have. What else do you think I could give them or is just a few more nap time hammocks good enough?










They seem to like this makeshift hammock I made


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## madeittothemoon (Nov 1, 2007)

I would do a few more hammocks, and maybe some hanging ropes... my girls like those.


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## Secularian (Nov 7, 2007)

I have the same problem. We haven't had our girls all that long and we're learning as we go. I don't have such an awesome cage, though! Our girls would love something like that.

What I've noticed is that changing things up on them now and then is better than trying to give them everything at once. They grow bored with certain games and toys, until they haven't seen it for a few days, then it's quite fun again. Heheh. Do they actually play with and/or use everything in there? What do they like best?

If anything, I do think you could stick a couple more smaller hammocks on the higher levels. Maybe one of those "Grassy Roll-A-Nest" things (our girls love theirs).

All in all, I'm going to be very interested in the suggestions you get from those with actual experience with rats.


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## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

that cage is huge and has a lot of potential. here's a link with a lot of ideas for in cage toys and out of cage play time. your cage is so large that some of the out cage playtime ideas could probably be adapted for in cage toys. 

http://ratforum.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=4860/highlight=enrichment.html


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

I take rope and a little home made ball i made and hang it in the cage so when they bump it,it moves they enjoy attacking is until they chew it down!

they also enjoy newspaper. I bought carefresh bedding and they took it out of the litter box and put it into the nest house.

This and cotton and newspaper can keep them busy by hiding bits of it in boxes fabric hammocks and other interesting places!

For ur cage i would hang more hammocks in by the levels of the cage. maybe some tube hammocks that is angled like a slide dropping onto another hammock would be fun... Also u could wrap the shelves in fleece and maybe decorate the cage the new colors might keep the rats interested and from being bored....


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

Secularian said:


> If anything, I do think you could stick a couple more smaller hammocks on the higher levels. Maybe one of those "Grassy Roll-A-Nest" things (our girls love theirs).


i gave my little girls one of those, and they have almost destroyed it, lol!! they love chewing on the grassy stuff and trying to sleep in whats left.
i originally bought it when i got soot & ash, but neither of them liked it at all, and by that time, ginger & loco were too big, as was meggsy when i got her, but cirrus, nimbus & spazz just looooove it... well worth the money i think.


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## Berks (May 15, 2007)

In the pic below there are some things I bought from the pet store which the girls love but the 2 things they really spend alot of time in our the hanging flower pot in the upper right corner and the coffee container inside an old glove hanging on the right. They love any old tube containers like the pringles or rolled oats tubes. Sometimes when I cant get to the pet store I just look around at home. At the rate my girls scent mark and chew things its cheaper as well. Yesterday I took a pair of my sons old jeans and cut the legs out to make hanging tunnels for the girls. That was a blast, they sleep in them too now. Youll be surprised with what you can find just laying around. 









The box on the bottom shelf is an empty beer case filled with shredded paper. They climb in through the holes where the handles are. They love that!


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## JoshDeMott2010 (Aug 25, 2007)

really nice cage berks~ Ill have to steal some of ur ideas hehe! lol.


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## Secularian (Nov 7, 2007)

It really is a great cage. I love the hanging glove and and the shredded paper stuffed beer case ideas. I'm stealing them. *nods*


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## Berks (May 15, 2007)

hey we are all here to share right i love looking at ppls cages and think man thats a great idea. Most of the time its something someone just got on a whim. Likewise if you come up with any cool ideas, my girls would appreciate it as well!


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## Lil_treasures_Ratties (Dec 6, 2007)

PVC pipes...

there fairly cheap (get the 3" at the smallest 4" diameters are the best)
VERY easy to clean (throw em in the dishwasher or just simply clean in soap and water in the sink, and there usually too thick for most rats to chew on...(get the hard white plastic not the flexible black rubber)
you can easily attatch them to the sides and top of your cage with cable ties too! i would probably put a 3 way tee and cabletie it to the roof of your cage (clip the cable ties when cleaning time comes, this will give your kids a cool high vantage point) you can then hang a hammock underneath for fun acess...

long straight ones anc curved ones sable tied to the sides make cool tunnel ramps and hidey holes too!

ive found you can never had too many hammocks lol.
plantpots are another favorite, plastic of course to prevent absorbtion...
those plastic hamster run around balls, take the top off and hang them in the cage fill with some shredded fleece, my girls LOVE these, when cabletied its one of their favorite places to actually sleep, when hung from chains (never more than a few inches above a solid level) they LOVE to play with it and jump in it and let it swing!

small wicker hanging baskets are also alot of fun


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## Poppyseed (Feb 1, 2007)

Hammocks, cubes, cuddle cups. More igloos, more tubes. Some like balls, and sometimes they don't and just set the balls into the food dish. I like to tease my boys with the balls when they are in the igloo, they will roll it back out in anger and protest or pick it up and set it down firmly OUT of the igloo


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