I'd consider the minimum free-range time to ideally be at least 90 minutes, although it varies depending on the rat. All my current rats can stay awake and active for hours (makes sense considering that they mostly just sleep in the cage!), so I try to have them out as much as possible. I'm only allowed to take out the rats when everyone else is done using the basement )where they live/free-range), so I usually take them out between 10pm and 1am. On weekends they sometimes stay out longer, but it really depends on what I'm doing. I'd also say that I only really interact with the one on one for 20 or so minutes (training time!), and the rest of the time they usually play their own games, occasionally coming over for some treats/play/cuddles.




As for the cage, while its true that you want to stuff it as full as possible, I find that my rats mostly just sleep in it. I read somewhere that rats sleep for 13+ hours a day, and while I haven't exactly measured this for myself, my girls certainly sleep a lot. My rats will get up sporadically throughout the day to eat, drink, or use the restroom, but that's about it. Occasionally they'll wrestle or play, but mostly they just groom and sleep. Then at around 9:30pm they all get up, finish their business, then wait impatiently by the cage door for me to let them out. And once I let them out, they'll run around for maybe 30 minutes before stopping by to beg for treats or to do some training. After that, they go on playing for some times, upon which my older girl Blackberry usually asks to go back to the cage (when she jumps onto my shoulder, it means she's ready to be put away). Sometimes the others will ask to go back as well, but usually my other 3 girls play until I have to put them away. And that's basically it!






My 4 girls live in a single critter nation, and what I do is stuff it as much as possible. I'm talking multiple dollar tree baskets acting as levels, bathroom wire shelves zip tied onto the doors to create mini levels, DIY basket houses, hammocks, space pods, boxes, ladders, and whatever else I can fit. I used to include a wheel, but my girls don't use the wheel very much and it was just taking up valuable space. So I removed it and replaced it with other hides like igloos or bird tents (my rats LOVE sleeping in hanging bird tents, but destroy them in just 2-3 days!)


My current cage setup looks like this:

I know it looks pretty stuffed, but in my experience rats would rather have a more cluttered cage rather than a bare one. They always find a way to get where they want, although as of recently I've been including more ramps to help my older girl Latte, who has weak hind legs (if Latte didn't have these issues, I would forgo the ramp and instead put more lava ledges/wooden ledges).


As for what toys you should get, I say go for the space pod! When I got my first space pod, I wasn't sure if my rats would like it. I had read all the glowing reviews on the product, but as you know rats can be picky about what they like. But they LOVED it! I've never seen such a universally rat-loved item, heck, even when my girl Cream was so skittish that she refused to sleep in open hammocks, she loved to stuff the space pod with nesting material and sleep in it with the other rats.

Keep in mind that rats aren't big fans of chew toys in general and will usually ignore them. The only exception I've found is the eco cheese chews, which are cheese flavored, edible, and just about the tastiest thing ever in my girls opinion. They go crazy for those chews, and I like to give them 2 or 3 every once in a while.

Another thing rats love are bird toys. Anything that lets them climb (like ladders) or anything that gives them an extra platform (like bird swings/perches/hanging huts) are bound to be favorites. Chinchilla ledges (lava ledges) and wooden ledges are also favorites among my rats. In fact, my rat Blackberry likes her wooden ledge in the cage corner so much that when its warm enough, she'll sleep there 90% of the time!


As for treat balls, those aren't that big of a hit with my girls. They tend to ignore them inside the cage, and only sometimes interact with them outside of the cage. I once saw this cute little contraption in someones rat cage where you could load it up with treats, and whenever the rat pushed a lever one treat would fall out. I think that would be a big hit with my girls, considering they already know how to give paw for treats. Your rats might like the treat ball though, so give it a go if you want. You can also try and make your own "treat ball" by putting treats in an empty toilet paper tube, poking holes in it, and letting them figure out how to get inside. My girls never really took a shine to this either, but then again one of their favorite tricks is finding treats hidden between layers of paper towel, so its not like they don't like foraging.

 

I agree, it depends very much on the rat how much free range time they want/need!
I have one lazy one and one unstoppable one. Lazy Blazy used to be interested in exploring, running around and finding new things (is now a bit fat, old and unwell) but Monsterchen absolutely lives for it! They have about 5 hours of free range time per day when they are allowed in the living areas and the kitchen more or less unsupervised (luckily, we own our house and can do what we want) which is more than enough for Blazy. She goes back to the cage when she's had enough but might come out again an hour later or so. In contrast, once Monsterchen is out, she rarely goes back in (unless she has something she wants to add to the stash) and wants nearly constant stimulation. She is a lot more people focused than Blazy, a lot more confident and agile than Blazy ever was. When she was little and too scared to jump off we took her outside on our shoulders and once put her on the grass in the backyard for a quick sniff. On another occasion she was allowed to explore the back balcony. Those short experiences of the outside world just sparked an immense desire in her to explore the big outdoors! Sitting readily by the screen door sniffing the air, sometimes scaling the flyscreen all the way to the top or coming running when she hears the door - we have to be really careful now when opening the backdoor that the rat won't escape! While Blazy has enjoyed the occasional stint outside the backdoor, she wouldn't go begging for it. To be fair Blazy is 2 years old, overweight and a little unwell but even in her younger, fitter days was never as bouncy as Monsterchen who just doens't seem to grow up (she's now about 15 months old!).

I'd also say that my rats mostly sleep in their cage but I think that's more due to the fact that there's just not enough to do, no matter how much stuff you put in it,they just get bored quickly, than due to the fact them being tired. That said Blazy used to be the master nest builder and could just never have enough paper to redecorate the cage and sleeping spots. She used to come running to the cage door for pieces of torn packaging paper which I handed her for hours! If left with a pile of the stuff she would spend ages rearranging it in a nest box and piling it all around the nest box.
I give them a huge pile of shredded paper as bedding every time I clean the cage (once a week) which they first tunnel through and then carry off to their various sleeping spots.
So I'd recommend giving them lots of paper! The disadvantage is of course, that they sleep in it and thus, pee in it and it can get smelly, if left too long. On the other hand, it's cheap and recyclable!

Ideas for sleeping spots/places to stash:
A cut off of sewer pipe suspended from the cage side with an entrance hole on the side and two lids (one with hole) has been a long time favourite of mine. Advantage: cheap, can be washed and reused
Any sort of hammock made of old thick jumper or fleece that is arranged into some sort of cavy, cosy, hangout, suspended from the cage roof with safety pins. They currently have one made of an old hoody minus the hood and the sleeves which they use as a 2 level hammock. Advantage: cheap, can be chucked in the washing machine and reused
Small cardboard box with hole cut in as a nest box on the cage floor. Mine have always liked this, especially for stashing food. Advantage: cheap, disadvantage: will eventually get wet and gross, especially with food bits stashed in it and needs frequent cleaning/chucking

Regarding chew toys:
While rats may not like commercial ones, mine love chewing date pips to bits! Of course, they wouldn't do this everyday but every couple of weeks I can spark their interest with it. Nuts in their shell are an occasional but very much appreciated treat that can keep them busy for a while, too.
I have never tried treat balls but I'd say it's all about what motivates the rat! I keep some of my rat cubes in a small clear container on the mantle piece which Monsterchen once knocked down. Greedy, food obsessed Blazy then spend hours trying to open the **** thing, pushing it around the floor and chewing holes in it but never quite getting there. Homemade, cheap and easy treat ball

All over they seem to be very happy with the cheap home made stuff (even their cage is homemade) and I've only once bought them an expensive toy, a whodent wheel, which they were first scared off and then completely ignored! But I've heard that some really go for the wheels so you could try one, just be prepared for rejection!

 

Oops, the forum does not like d a m n;D

 

I always find it funny when forums censor out words like that! Especially considering how easy it is to work around it!

 

Though I made the mistake of writing thanks in twice when I first posted this I am going to go ahead and say it again. Thanks.

I am going to let my girls out as for longer now. And am also going to get some more things for their cage. I have not had rats for long and so I am still learning things about them.