# GAH!! Driving me bonkers!!



## xkatex (Jan 10, 2008)

My rats had always been a little bit on the noisey side at night. But as with anything else I got use to it. But recently they have gotten so loud and so irritating I have had maybe 3 hrs of sleep within the past 4 nights!.

Im use to them running around like maniacs and playing in the middle of the night. And before I bought rats I was well aware of the fact that they are nocturnal. Ive been told to put them in another room at night but basically mother doesnt want them anywhere else but my room.

So what do I do? They make a mess of their cage for one thing. They drag things around at random and think its fun to climb the bars and make plently of noise while doing it. And they fight/play. And LOUD!! It sounded like they were beating the crap out of eachother. I turned on my lamp and they were in their house and the house looked like and earthquake was happening. It was just shaking everywhere.

Is their anything I can do to lessen the amount of noise? When I say loud I mean like my sister is able to hear it in the room beside mine when shes trying to sleep and my door in always shut? Help??!!


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## crapola (Feb 12, 2007)

is there any way you can convince your mother to let you put them in another room at night, as long as you get up before everyone else to put them back in your room and clean up the mess they made by throwing things out of their cage?

i have 14 rats, so i know about the noise at night... although none of mine sleep in my room. i live in a small apartment, so the rats might as well be in my room, lol, but i've learnt to sleep through all but the noise they make right before they try to kill each other...


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

I have 17 rats in my room - it can get LOUD.

I've not found a way to keep them quiet - after all they're only doing what's in their nature.

Have you tried sleeping with earphones in or something? I use my iPod when all else fails


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## xkatex (Jan 10, 2008)

Ya I have tried earphones but I generally like peace and quiet. And for a while I could stand their ruckus but lately they are just getting way too loud! Ive thought about putting a blanket over their cage during the day (im at school most of the time) And then during the evening when im home turn on a light and when I got to bed see if they are tired?? Would that work? Or no? GAH! Im too confused lol


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## xkatex (Jan 10, 2008)

OK last night was the last straw. They were so terrible I ended u psleeping downstairs on the couch....and COULD STILL HEAR THEM!! My mother complained to me and so did my sister that if they dont quiet down they are gone. So basically what Im working with here are two insane rats who make tons of ruckus at night and the only room they can be in is mine!!

I know playing with them during the say would help but I got school so thats simpley not an option and no one else will touch them.

HELP?!


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

sounds like you are a family of light sleepers, there's not really anything you can do to "correct" rowdy noisemaking. sorry, here's hoping things get better.


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

Yeeeah, I honestly don't think there's much that you can do about their noise. They are only doing what comes naturally to them.

How old are they? If they are youngish, they may grow out of it. If not - has anything changed in your room or their cage that could have possibly increased their anxiety/enthusiasm?

If your mum and sister don't like it, tell them that the only way to sort the situation is to put them in another room, possibly further from their rooms, so that the noise will effect them less. After all, that was your original suggestion


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## mink (Jun 24, 2007)

If the bulk of the noise is play/fight an such noises... maybe they can have separate cages for overnight... unless that would be too stressful for them or their relationship. Its gotta be better than being evicted / re-homed if it comes to that, anyhow.


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## xkatex (Jan 10, 2008)

Well I have moved into another bedroom for a few nights now haha just to catch up on some sleep! But I was wondering if this would work....If I leave the light on where the rats are during the night, and cover them up during the day and throw off their schedule then try to get it so they want to sleep in the dark somehow? Sounds good? Or just a desparate attempt to save the pm hours?


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## mink (Jun 24, 2007)

Erm, I know durring fly season, I tried to cover my rats cage w a towel some.. and she ate / shreaded the towel! Yours are really active, I would not put it past them.. I was worried about her ingesting some threads and getting messed up. Also, that towel was on the floor in 2 seconds flat.. and even after I added weights.. it all came crashing down eventually. =^_^=


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## dragonegg (Oct 2, 2007)

Earplugs and a pillow over my head helps me block out noise.


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## junior_j (Jan 24, 2008)

my rats are noisy to 

free range them for like a hour before u go bed - try to wear them out as much as possible - i put mine in the bath tub where they cant escape and put lots of things in there for them to do and climb ect ..also take the noisy stuff out there cage just make sure u leave food/water/bedding thats all they need during the night and if u must get a heavy toy like a rope toy at the bottom of the cage for them to play with  
i know its hard but ya gotta love them lol
Jess x


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## Iloveratz500 (Jan 21, 2008)

Play with them LOTS before you go to bed, take some of their toys out of thir cage and put them back in the morning, also, try putting a blanket or something over their cage and tell everyone in your house to put earphones in their ears with pillows over theirs heads. lol


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## Sami (Dec 11, 2007)

I can't stand noise at night, unless it's constant like a fan or an air purifier. Snoring drives me absolutely insane, and forget about the noise playful fuzz balls make! XD My girls live in the bathroom in the basement, where no one can hear them at night. The door is always open though so they get plenty of air circulation (and people don't do anything in that bathroom, so the rats don't have to tolerate poo-smell).

Since the noise is driving your mom and sister crazy too, maybe you could use that to your advantage to put the rats downstairs at night. I don't think there's anything you can do to make them quiet. They don't know that what they're doing is making noise that keeps you awake.

If all else fails ear plugs are always an option too.


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## junior_j (Jan 24, 2008)

mine still are crazy at night i just to try to free range them for a while give them there fav food and put somthing different int here cage and hope for the best -
try that
Jess x


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Mine when I was younger went nuts at night. My current ones are fine, but that may be because they are in a different part of my house and a good 5 rooms seperating us. It also could be because my former rats were female and my current ones are males? Perhaps that is the difference. Anyways to correct the problem with my other rats I played with them for a good hour before I went to bed. I would go in and remove all of the loud toys. They basically had nothing but tubes to run through, some food on the floor not in their food dish because if it was in the dish they would dump it anyways and then play kick the dish and roll it all around. I basically took out anything that would make noise and left them with quiet things to do. Shredding paper is fun and quiet and may convinc them to make a bed with that and go to sleep. Covering the inside of the cage bars with fleece may stop them from jumping on the bars, but beware that they might just shred it all up anyways. Small stuffed animals with the eyes and nose removed already were always good. They would spend the entire night tearing them apart and making a bed out of the stuffing. Just make sure your getting the eyes and nose out so they don't choke on those pieces. If all else fails go to the pharmacy and buy some soft ear plugs.


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