RP CAGE GALLERY/RAT ROOM DECOR/TOYS & FUN!

Thu Mar 18, 2004 8:26 am

Don't forget to share pix with us in the RatPalace Cage Gallery!

Please post all of your TOY ideas here! That includes links to sites with great ideas for toys, any toys you've made, all sorts of fun stuff for the cage.

And speaking of fun stuff, let's post all sorts of cage and rat room decorating ideas: hammocks, playpens, home-made and bought stuff -- anything!

This should be a fun and creative topic. Mr. Green

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Last edited by Kate on Fri Jun 24, 2005 7:52 am; edited 3 times in total

Mon Apr 05, 2004 2:16 pm

*EEEE* Well, it's finally happening...after my Martin's arrives, I've two babies reserved to be picked up and brought home...I'm so excited!!! We're visiting the ratlets today! :D But some time this week, we're also going to be accessory shopping. The big question is, what all should I get?
Some things on the list are of course sturdy food bowls, water bottles, a rattie hammock, igloo, litter pan...but what other things are good ideas? I was thinking some sort of ropy bird toy, for climbing, and a concrete perch, as well...what sort of things does everyone use for play in cage? Ideas/thoughts, anyone? What can I get to mix and match things, and keep things fun and interesting? Do rats like ferret tubes and things, like to put on the floor for when it's free-roam time? What about cardboard box mazes and castles, are they quite good? Suggestions welcome!

~Noyoti-Kai

Mon Apr 05, 2004 2:35 pm

Rat toy ideas at The Dapper Rat.

It's a start, and tons of fun to read through the entire site (make sure you read and print out the Bad Rat Pledge for your new kids wink

).

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Tue Apr 06, 2004 12:19 am

There's loads of great stuff at Acrorats ( http://www.acrorats.homestead.com) I'm ordering a bunk bed for my new boys:D

Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:22 am

the rule with my pack is....the more you paid for something, the less the rats will like it

plastic hanging baskets are fun (mine have an "easter" basket this week). and alot of cat toys are great.

and of course cardboard boxes. We like to tape a bunch of boxes together with lots of "windows" cut out to make a "castle"

Have fun and congrats

Fri Apr 09, 2004 2:35 am

I get comfy perches for my rats to climb on, they are in the bird section at pet stores. You can get them in different types, there are "boings" which are spiral swinggs, then there are perches which go from one side of the cage to the other, this is how my rats get up to their "loft", there are also round swings, and more, you never know what you'll find. I got a trianular rope swing recently for my soon to be new babies. Also, if you see any stores getting rid of fixtures, shelves used to hold videos or books are great, mine have one in there and it adds a ledge to climb on. Almost like another level. The "loft" that I speak of is actually one segment of a paper holder, like you see in offices, they stack up and you can put paper and folders in them....I zip tied it to the top and it's a loft! The good thing is, they usually come with three or more. So once the one is chewed and deemed unusable, you just switch it out.
Here's a "loft"...

MY rats' loft...
http://www.ratpalace.com/albums/album13/rats_044.sized.jpg

http://www.ratpalace.com/albums/album13/rats_048.sized.jpg

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Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:55 pm

Hi
you can get some funky rat toys from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/jandy54petaccessories

I bought a load of play tunnels and chews from them, it's really quick if you pay by paypal and cheap, all there stuff is brand new!!
They even sell huge cages at cheap prices its a right bargain..
Hope this helps Crossed Fingers

xxx :cool:

Mon May 03, 2004 8:42 pm

I got my rats a plain wooden bird ladder. They climbed on it AND used it as a chew toy. I agree with the More Expensive = Less Used, thing. Every pet store worker I've ever come in contact with will try and talk you into the wheels and the Exercise balls and, while some rats might use them, mine have always seemed to look at unneccesary movement as just that: Unneccesary. And would much rather use their energy up wrestling or trying to capture my pizza. Hmm...and I actually made my rat a hammock just yesterday, using an old dish towel and shower curtain rings (I got one of the ones Super Pet makes a while back, and had it for about a month before the rats had chewed off two of the straps that were holding it up.) Then again, it's been a while since they've had a hammock, so Petunia can't seem to choose at this point between ignoring it totally and trying to yank it down and use it as bedding. Oh! And have you ever seen those little baskets at, like, Wal-Mart and Kmart that look like miniature neon milk crates? My rats love those, as well. I currently have one turned on its side and from the top of the cage in one corner (using shower curtain rings, again. those things are so clever) with an old towel in at. Kinda like an extra mini-shelf/cozy spot. I've also seen bits of plastic pipe used as a hiding spot. Especially the corner joint things (I know nothing about plumbing).

~Jamie Group Hug

Tue May 04, 2004 2:43 am

I have been thinking of getting a bird nesting house at a pet store for some time.They are great beds and hangouts for pet rats,I've heard.

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To my loving rats Arwen and Parle'

RIP:
Suzy:November 20th,2003-January 1st,2005

Rest in peace Suzy Q.I will miss you so much.

Tue Jun 29, 2004 1:54 pm

Lots of rat toy ideas here:
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

And ratty games:
http://www.interlog.com/~audiotre/games.html

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P, Charlie and Snoopy

Wed Jun 30, 2004 2:04 am

Does anybody here know where I can buy rat cage accesorries in the Vancouver area (British Columbia, Canada)? I want to make use of my tall cage (which is meant for Birds) by installing some extra half-levels. All I've been able to find is "Super Pets Look Out Corner" which the PetsMarts (in Langley and Surrey) sell. They're not too pricey ($14.99), but I want to add at least 2 to my cage, or better 3, so by then I'll be out almost $50. If anybody knows of a good place to find stuff like this, that would be awesome. I can drive a ways for a good deal, but a place in the area would be good. I've already tried Petcetera, King Ed's Pet Store and Bosleys.

Wed Jun 30, 2004 3:35 am

I just have to say, don't get wood huts unless you're willing to sand down all the edges and pad them. I lost a very sweet girly because she fell and hit her head on one Sad

It wasn't a far drop either...only the height of a Martin's shelf.

On another note, my girl ratties love the cat toys with bells in them and clean processed paper to shed, make nests and play in

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Rats~Janine, Madeleine, Cooper, Basil, Dolly, Kitty, Ilori, Theo, Elliot, Vladimir, Freya, Devi, Yoshimi, Nigel, Rosshalde, Faust, Tolkien, Caleb, Mira, Ivy, Nemo, Willow, Nikolas, Lucian & Linus
Mice~Molly, James & Will
Beardie~Cleo

Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:11 am

Try the hardware stores. Around here, Mom and Pop (as opposed to the big chains) stores often have the most amazing stuff. I just found one that sells galvanized wire mesh (they call it "Rabbit fencing") in 1/2"x1", just like Martin's uses. I was going to buy enough to build myself a whole big cage, but then I adopted my two newest girlies (who will be introduced soon, as soon as Boo comes out from under her feeder) who came with a big Martin's cage of their own. Now, I've bought enough to make the cage 6' tall! Woohoo! Enough space for a million ratties

Anyway, try closet shelving, hardware cloth, etc, etc. Plastic ferret litter boxes are good hideouts and shelves and they're really cheap (heck, if you lived closer to me, I'd give you some. These girls came with a million toys!) I've also seen Mom and Pop petstores that sell the wire bottoms for birdcages separate. I bought a bunch and used 'em for shelves. You can also get creative with towels, washcloths, or old clothes and turn them into hammocks. Also go to thrift stores and bargain/dollar stores and get creative. My guys are nuts for aluminum dryer ducting which makes a great hideout or will also work to attach two cages together. The possibilities are unlimited. I wouldn't even buy the commercially made shelves unless you either have the money just laying around and have to spend it, or you want your cage to look beautiful. Rats generally will ignore the things which cost a lot of money and play in the Kleenex box anyway.
PS Have a look at some of the recent threads in this topic. . .there are a lot of good sites mentioned that might have other fun ideas. Enjoy

_________________
Sarah
Gus, Electra and Lillie (cats)
Artemisia Serendipity Timoune Paikea Eowyn (RIP) Nimue Chrysanthemum Mozart, Elizabeth
Ruby Sunrise, Angelina, Madeleine, Claudia, and the Angels

Wed Jun 30, 2004 5:23 am

I would just add one thing. My personal experience is that galvanized wire STINKS after awhile, and no amount of scrubbing seems to keep the stink away very long. You can get coated hardware cloth in the states, I don't know if you can there.

you also might think about other creative ways of making levels. I've been able to buy "stackable" plastic shelving which I have been able to put in the cage to make more levels. Also, those plastic coated things to "organinze" kitchens, pantries etc can be used.

Mon Jul 05, 2004 1:08 pm

Mlescully and Knuckles: by fluke, that's exactly what I did. I bought a few plastic organizing trays from a doller store in the neighborhood and used picture-hanging wire to fasten them to the walls of my cage, and my boys loved them.

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Gulliver, Mogget, Mulligan, and Bob Jr.

Sat Oct 09, 2004 10:33 pm

Hello again to everybody and I'm back for a while! Now that the girls are used to the lovely new 4-and-a-third foot tall cage and getting rather bored of racing up and down the four levels and destroying their toys and hammocks Rolling Eyes

I think it's time for new toys! I'm going to make them some new hammocks and throw away the shredded ones, but I'm kind of stuck on finding new toys. Currently, they have cat toys with bells in them, which they love, a tiny stuffed elephant toy, a climbing rope, and some dangling wood chew toys, along with some tunnels and rocks. They don't seem to care for most dangly things, they seem to have gotten tired of cardboard boxes and simply shred them and shove them out the sides of the cage.. Shocked

which sort of leaves me at a loss. My girls are getting spoiled and less easily amused. =P Any new, innovative suggestions? What else can I use for nest boxes?

Sun Oct 10, 2004 8:36 am

Hmmm...have you looked at...
www.ratsauce.com
???

_________________
Karinka
Stop by and see StellaLuna Rattery
www.stellalunarattery.com

Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:06 am

sure!! Just get creative! Here is a pic of my R-695!

Just put hammocks, boxs, toys, hide treats, get a wheel, take a toilet paper tube, put treats in it, toilet paper, some more treats, toilet paper, etc... until it is full and let them go at it!

put frozen peas (or fruit or anything frozen) into a shallow bowl with water, they will love to go "fruit/pea" diving

_________________
The Boys:
Enigma
Neptune
Zion
The Hamster: Mischief

And Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will!

Sat Feb 05, 2005 10:46 am

So far the only "toy" my girls really like is a tiny stuffed animal that's hung in their cage. Besides that, they use their ladder to out maneuver each other when they're playing chase. Of course... tossing the litter out of the litterbox is their REAL favorite game, but they only play it at night, so I can't tell which girl does it!

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Sat Feb 05, 2005 7:58 pm

It might look a little disturbing, but rats tend to really love... those little fur mice that they make for cats. I know some pet store owners that have pet rats in their back room... and when the rats escapes they walked past several bags of dog food and treats to destroy the fur mice. So I got some for my rats and they very much enjoy them.

Erin B.

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I feel so listless, I think they're drugging my cocoa.

Sun Feb 13, 2005 6:55 am

cat toys! like erin said, the little furry mice are great! my girls looooove these little plastic jacks i got at walmart for like 97 cents. and dingle balls... and feathers... and laser pointers... and chasey dangley things...and...and...and....crap! off to wallyworld to buy more toys! doh

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i miss you dove, oz, briar and fern. liam, my love, i 'll never forget you.

Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:49 pm

Off to the carpet store!! Most will give you the cardboard roll that carpet is stored on. Cut it into pieces with any handsaw you have on hand and you have instant chewing, snuggling, stashing, sleeping spots!!!

Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:27 am

Try a digging box. Get a deep plastic container with drainage holes (or drill some yourself), fill with clean soil (no fertilisers, chemicals, bugs or other nasties), toss in some bird seed, lightly water. In a few days you will have a nice lawn of long grass. Put in cage or on a cleanable floor and add rats. Your rats will love chewing on the grass, pulling grass out by the roots, digging, getting their noses dirty and searching for food that you may have hidden in there before hand.

Have fun!!

Sat Mar 19, 2005 9:52 am

Here's my current toy stock :

Igloos
Bird Hanging Toys
Cat Jingle Balls
Dog Rope Toys
Bird Branches that attach to cage
Large Empty Tin Cans (no sharp edges)
Sisal Cat Mice
Hammocks
Bird Linking Chains
Bird Ropes that attach to cage
Wheels
Wood Boxes
Huge Ferret Roll Balls (Balls with holes on each side they can climb in)
Ferret Tunnels
Dryer Pipes
Hanging Baskets
Terra Cotta Pots

I'll have to check again, I'm sure there is other stuff...

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Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:16 am

Look in the bird section. There are tons of hanging things that my girls like to swing on or sit on. Notti has a wooden bird toy that hangs and she likes to chew it.

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-Randi and the Rats: Notti, Mysty, Nilla, and Wafer

~My precious Angels: Nosi, Jumper, Margie, Francie, and Bart~ We miss you.

Thu Apr 07, 2005 12:36 am

tomorrow i'm going to make a hutch from sctratch. i'm trying to amke it so they connect ina puzzle peice like pattern. my tester hutch will be made out of plexi glass but i want to make some wooden ones too though i'm not sure whast type of wood to use. i know cedar and pine aren't good but other then that...? it was also suggested to make one out of metal where they wouldn't be able to chew that one up.

any suggestions on what to make them out of would be great. when i have one finished i'll post a pic of it so you can see what i mean about puzzle pieceing it.

also i would be willing to make more if anyone would like to buy some from me. i live in canada so candain fund through mail order would be best. i'm not sure what i want to chage for them yet though. i'm going to try selling them in local petstores too so when i figure out a firm price with them i'll nock some off and then sell them to you guys.

i'm also experimenting with rat blankets with tunnels, rat toy balls and hammocks. these are only in nice idea/mild planning stages though. i'll keep you updated on it all though.

so any suggestions on what types of wood or toys that you think rats would like i'd really appreicate it.

thanks
-Raven

Fri Apr 08, 2005 2:52 am

Maybe try rattie bean bags. What about hanging rat cubes (if you can sew). And making cloth with a good grip for ramps would be nice.
Rainbow Smiley

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Sun Apr 24, 2005 11:56 pm

I was thinking on making some rattie ladders and other toys..I was planning on useing apple wood and soft rope but I am not 100 percent sure where to get good rope or what kind. I have enough apple poles...we had to trim back our apple tree...and no there has never been any pesticides used on the tree I figure since its a soft wood it shouldnt splinter..I know my rabbits loved chewing on the sticks I imagine the ratties would too. Any ideas? Shaz

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Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:11 am

Apple wood, as long as it's pesticide and disease free, is fine for them, and ropewise, I'd want to go for something natural (cotton or hemp for example) rather than the more synthetic ones. I've put natural hemp and cotton rope into the cage before now and they are fine with it.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:34 am

I get my hemp rope at a craft store. I love the stuff and it seems to take longer (for a rabbit anyway) to chew though. cotton is ok but when I had a rabbit she would chew through it a lot faster.

Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:22 pm

Alright, Matt still has another three weeks in New Jersey sans me, so I think in that time he needs to be productive!

Maggie and Sydney especially love to climb, and they manage to use our blinds, my closet, etc to get their fix (I found Sydney running across the tops of my hangers the other day on one of her "escape" outings). I was hoping ot make a "modified," pre-fabricated jungle gym for the girlies to play on in New Jersey. Handily, the basement is quite a bit larger than our bedroom at the moment, so it should be able to be pretty big

.

I'm looking for any strange ideas that I wouldn't usually add to a jungle gym. I'm thinking the base will be similiar to the "cat condos" that pet stores sell, though ours will be homemade since it's much cheaper, and Matt is very handy with tools. I also want to include a "blinds" sort of portion that they can climb on, but I'm at a loss over what to make those out of. It needs to be cleanable. I think we're giong to plastic-cover the wood base and use carpet pieces that can be removed and washed on the main body.

I want tubes, tunnels, ladders, shelves, the whole works!

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Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:39 pm

awsome! i'm jealous! one thing you might do is get one of those tire dog toys, either get one with a rope already attached, or make a hole and attach your own, and hang it so they can have their very own tire swing! and of course take lots of pics!

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i miss you dove, oz, briar and fern. liam, my love, i 'll never forget you.

Tue Apr 26, 2005 2:33 am

Tire Swing! AWESOME!

But I read something about rats and rubber...? Will it hurt them to chew it?

I also think they need a long rope ladder connecting two of the top balconies... anyone have good luck with a certain kind of rope for one of those? Gah, I can just picture Maggie now in heaven running back and forth on a rope ladder...

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Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:19 am

Okay, how about something like this:

or...

but I like the step feature on this:

I definitely want rope ladders, some sort of soft hammie, and as many tunnels/hidey boxes to run through as possible. I'm also thinking the "blinds" portion can be done as the way to get from one of the levels to another...

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Tue Apr 26, 2005 8:05 am

i've looked at something like that before... they would have soooooo much fun! there's so much to climb and play on! i think i like the bottom two better... the spacing seems more "rat friendly" i mean, you could always add your own ramps and such, but the top one just seems like there's too much room between, say, the top of the house and the perches.... i think they's have an easier time climbing and jumpin on the bottom ones. and you can always hang your own hammies! and i don't know if rubber would hurt the rats... but you could always use something like maybe a small willow wreath... that would definately be safe for them to chew!

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i miss you dove, oz, briar and fern. liam, my love, i 'll never forget you.

Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:00 am

Oh, I'm not going to buy a pre-fab one, so we can change the dimensions to be rattie friendly

. I just want to give Matt and idea of what sort of layout I'm looking for. I think I am leaning towards the bottom one, though. Although, I do want at least one "space" where I can hang a rope ladder accross.

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Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:33 pm

	Jill wrote:
	Oh, I'm not going to buy a pre-fab one

which will save you a buttload... those things cost a small fortune! i know! you can hang little rope "bridges" between the platforms... from the low one up to the tall one and back down! for some reason it makes me think of the lost boys in peter pan!

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i miss you dove, oz, briar and fern. liam, my love, i 'll never forget you.

Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:21 pm

You know what... look at any local maternity/kids consignment shop, and/or Goodwill -- they usually have loads of old Barbie Playhouses, Cinderella castles, Playskool gas stations, and things like that. Washable, pre-built, connectable with tubes and a little elbow grease... FUN. Mr. Green

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:24 pm

i have used cotten rope for my rats cage i hung them from the celling he loves it is is always chewing and climbing on it. you can find the rope at alot og craft stores i got hime @ home depot i would suggest washing before you but it in yout rats cage jsut to be say (dont wash with soap jsut hot water and let it soak)

_________________
From,
Devon
&
Chester (my rat) Rat yawn

Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:52 pm

apple wood is fine, but i read somewhere (on a rabbit site i believe) that if you use any other type of fruit wood, you have to let it dry before it's safe for them. and i agree with using hemp rope. the stuff is sooooo durable!

_________________

i miss you dove, oz, briar and fern. liam, my love, i 'll never forget you.

Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:50 pm

Hrm.. those sound fun, too! I wonder if we could connect all that together! Lol, rattie play room!

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Wed Apr 27, 2005 3:19 am

I can still see them. They're linked from the website, and I know that others can see them. However... I just got off the phone with Matt, and HE says that he wants to "modify" my idea... he claims this was supposed to be my graduation present, and I apparently blew the surprise by thinking of it in the interim.

Well.. I've been planning to get a RUUD, but Matt doesn't want the girls to be able to climb down to the floor anytime their cage door is open (It would be pretty hard to put a RUUD on a table

). What he's proposing is getting ANOTHER R-670, and attaching them, putting that monstrosity on a shelf, and building the jungle gym right against the wall, so that it does not touch the ground and allow them to get down whenever they want. I'm dubious at the moment, but he swears it'll be cool.

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Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:18 pm

Hey guys well I was redecorateing the cage today because u guys have so much stuff in your cages it made me feel like a bad mom. Yuck

U can go to www.petsmart.com its the Super Pet Deluxe Multi Ferret Home. It is home to 2 spoiled babies. Mr. Green

I have already got in it two hammocks,basket,jean tube,a couple cardboard boxes. But I need MORE ideas and I can't go out and buy much of anything ( parents on a strict budget only the things my pets really need like food,bedding,and litter KMA

) . Any ideas would be appreciated.

P.S. how do you post pics in an easy version for me to understand I'm not computer savy.

Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:53 pm

	kalynhanna wrote:
	P.S. how do you post pics in an easy version for me to understand I'm not computer savy.

Image resizers.

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RatPalace Administrators

Wed Jun 08, 2005 1:35 am

A comf-E-cube is a good idea... also wondent wheels are good

http://www.ratpalace.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=24&page=1 Has some ideas! good luck! also... http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/ratluver0428/4512562272A.jpg is a good one

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My rAts: BoYs- SqUeCkY, oReO! mY gIrLs- SaDiE, cUtIe PiE!
Angel rat

Buddy, Penut, Pinky, and Flower We will miss you! Angel rat

Michelle and the little ratties

Wed Jun 08, 2005 6:50 am

Well we are on a pretty strict budget too, so no buying all those neat toys they have ready made. I can sew just barely...as long as it is only a straight line and no special stitching I am good to go, so I sewed some hammocks with pockets (square and corner), I sewed some tubes. Another thing I did was get some poster board to make into the cardboard tubes that you see at petsmart. I also am using pvc piping and dryer vent hoses for hidey holes. Although the dryer vent hose is very hard to keep clean being it's like an accordian. These were just a couple of bucks, that maybe you can buy, instead of asking your parents. All the material I bought was actually the leftovers they sell at walmart. They roll up what is left of a big roll and sell it. Couple of bucks for a few yards. I also bought the craft wood sticks...the long ones in different diameters and made my own ladders. I will be trying a swing next. You can buy 20 feet of thin chain at Walmart cheap and the s hooks at a hardware store for a few cents.

Good luck.

_________________
Dawn
Never to old to learn something new! Open your mind and let knowledge flow in!

Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:42 am

kalynhanna, go to the Dollar store and get some plastic organization baskets and attach them to the cage so they have little perches, or turn them upside down for hidey-holes.

At Lowes you can get lots and lots of sisal rope and wind it around the bars so that they can climb. I have the same cage that you do, and I rearrange the shelves so that there are all kinds of multi-levels too. I took the top shelf off because they love climbing the bars like little monkeys. So their main play area is up there.

My ratties love balls -the solid ones made for cats with the jingles in them - I hear them rolling all around the cage at night. Right now their favorite toy is a cat toy I got at Eckerds for 75 cents - it's a little soccerball attached to a piece of elastic that hangs from the top of the cage- they played with it so hard they broke it the first night and I had to fix it. One would grab it and run, then the elastic would yank it back and the ball would fly up into the air and they would all chase it.

I try to rearrange things every week when I do the big clean - take some toys out- move other toys to different places - they get all excited when I put them back in, and run around exploring first thing.

Just wherever you go - look around for little things for them - they're everywhere that you look. wink

Diana

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"You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f------g khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." ~ Tyler Durden

Wed Jun 08, 2005 8:04 pm

A good thing to do to those plastic baskets is to put little holes in the bottom of them with a soldering iron. That way the pee, if they pee in them, will not stand in a puddle, but go through the holes. The holes in my baskets are maybe only a few mm wide so that little feet don't get snagged. It works very well, and is easy to clean. Thumbs Up

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Dawn
Never to old to learn something new! Open your mind and let knowledge flow in!

Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:23 pm

The cage was such a hassle to put up as I bet you know Sillyrat so if I asked my mom tohelp me stagger the cage shelves she would KILL me!!!! Thanks for all the ideas me and my mom like to go to Walmart and all those places anyways. And if anybody here lives in the Charlotte region they can go to Value Village they have t-shirts and everything for like only 25 cents to the maxium $5. Mr. Green

Anymore ideas would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:29 am

i was wondering what cheap at hoem toys i could use for my rat.... right now she has a litter box and a lil house and igloo.. but nutin else.. i was going to make a hammock but i dont know how... she is alone... yes i know.. thats bad.. but when your only 15 and your parents dont like her.. you cant get another... (she did have buddies they died of the same hting)

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"I wish people would realize that animals are totally dependent, helpless, like children; a trust that is put upon us."
~ James Herriot

Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:26 pm

I make my own hammocks because it's loads cheaper.

Recipe for hammock:

Any old jumper or jeans or any old clothes you can get your hands on. I find sweater material works best.
Paper clips or garden wire.

Cut the material into a square about 7 inches (17cm) by 7 inches.
Cut a hole at each corner about half an inch in. Thread wire or paper clip through and hang. Nice and simple!

The only thing to be careful of is making sure all wire is bent so that no eyes can accidently be poked out!

It'll need changing twice a week but the wire can be removed and the hammock washed. I make a few and have them on rotation.

_________________
Caroline mummy to: Sylvia and Darcy, the furry ladies!
Who will soon have a new foster mummy. sniff, tear.

Tue Jun 14, 2005 7:12 am

Ok youre like me and have no idea how to sew. You could just cut a peice of fabric into a square and use wire to poke trough the material and hang it in the cage ( make sure to bend it so no rattie eyes get poked out). You could cut off the leg of the jean and do the wire thing above. you can use a plastic container and cut a hole in the side and theres another igloo. Also these are great ideas www.dapper.com, and any other site u can think of.

Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:49 pm

	Quote:
	Cut the material into a square about 7 inches (17cm) by 7 inches.

You know what i said aboput 7 inches, I take that back! My girls have got so porky that last night I realised darcy was using Sylvia as a blanket! One across the other! Must get a pic! and a bigger hammock!

_________________
Caroline mummy to: Sylvia and Darcy, the furry ladies!
Who will soon have a new foster mummy. sniff, tear.

Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:56 pm

I have wooden bird toys with bells that hang from the bottom in all my babies cages. I can hear the bells at night and they love chewing on the wood. I also have those kitty cat toy balls with bells in them. I have tubes and hammocks and they come out of their cages for play time.

_________________
Tammy and the gang
Guys: Rufus, Raffles, Roo, Rugby, Ruger
At the bridge: Zorro and Rudy

Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:43 pm

So, I'm moving to my new apartment soon (the second move in 6 months!) and am eagerly planning for my new rat room. So far, I'm planning to have a cupboard for rat/other pet supplies, the rat cage (obviously) their tunnels and igloos and toys, my aquarium and my turtle, and..a chair or something?

Who else has a rat room? What do you put it in? Do you generally let the rats roam free in it or only when you're in there? What do you use for sufficiently rat-proof food and treat storage? Pictures?

Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:51 pm

for ya food storage , you could put a plastic container inside another and fill the inner container with there food , i guess it would take even ratty teeth a while to get through that if they managed to find it Rolling Eyes

Good Luck

_________________
Phil & The Ratbags : Abba , Thelma , Louise , Arwen , Mort & Rumples ! <:3()~

R.I.P Milo , Rody , French & Saunders

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:19 am

My rat room is our front living room that isn't used for anything. So I have the rat cage, rubbermaid storage drawers for hammocks and rat accessories, 2 lamps with the cords covered with flex tubing, two old end tables that were given to me and an old garage sale couch that looks decent but doesn't hurt if the ratties chew it. (Good thing too since Clara has chewed a hole through the side so she can sneak up onto the couch and nip me in the butt while I'm sitting on it. Rolling Eyes

) I also have my 75 gallon marine tank in that room, but have sectioned it off with plexiglass so that the ratties can't get behind it where all the wiring is.

I have two baby gates that go across the doorways since there are no doors - one doorway leads to our foyer and the other leads to our dining room which is actually our office. So while I'm working or online I put up the baby gates and let the ratties loose. Their cage sits on the floor so they are able to come and go as they please. However I do keep them locked up in the cage (RUDD) when I'm not home or not able to keep an eye on them.

I was gonna post pics for you but someone seems to have "borrowed" my digital cam and now I can't find it. Confused

_________________
Christy
RP Admin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:35 am

My favorite thing in my rat room is the plastic shelving. I bought it at Walmart. The shelves are for garage storage and very sturdy. They clean up easily, and it doesn't matter if the rats chew on them (but they don't seem to).

_________________
paisley

Spike, Diamond, Elphaba, Rose, Octavia, A Cappella, & Nocturne

the cats: Trip & Phlox

the rabbit: Ripley

Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:50 am

Ideas, ideas..

Christy, what are your baby gates like? The only ones I've seen can either be climbed through or climbed over. I'm looking into something like that to block off the kitchen, too.

How much were your shelves, paisley?

Tue Jun 21, 2005 3:18 am

I think about $20. I bought them a few years ago, so I don't remember exactly.

_________________
paisley

Spike, Diamond, Elphaba, Rose, Octavia, A Cappella, & Nocturne

the cats: Trip & Phlox

the rabbit: Ripley

Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:13 am

My rat room is the other pets room as well.. it's just a spare bedroom with the 2 rat cages in there, the degu cage, sugar glider cage and the bunnies have free range of the room with a couple litter boxes on the floor.. I don't really let my ratties out in there unless the bunnies are elsewhere.. I find it easier to just put them on my bed for play time.. but sometimes if the bunnies are busy in the living room I'll close the door and let the ratties go mad. They seem to feel more comfortable on the bed though.. guess it's just cause they spend more time there.
There's also a closet in there as well so thats where I keep all the extra cages, toys, bedding, foods, etc.. it's actually a pretty good set-up.. I'm happy with it and the critters seem to like it just fine.. there aren't any decorations of any sort in there.. no pictures, ornaments or anything.. maybe I should spice it up a bit.. put up some posters of rats in bikins and trunks to keep them occupied..

_________________
To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug - Helen Keller

http://photobucket.com/albums/v215/Glideriffic/

Wed Jun 22, 2005 2:30 pm

*sigh* I wish I had a rat room....my boyfriend wouldnt be too happy about it though...

My rat's mom and dad are free-roaming rats in their human's apartment, lucky things! One day, I'll have that!

_________________
Tails and her RAM byting Rats
Linux & Apple Mac
Angel rat

Maxie & Pepper

Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:37 pm

I was just wondering some good toys to put in their cage that I could find and make around the house?
<3

_________________
Jessie,
& Juno, Rubie, and Bracken...
At the bridge: Daisie, Monkie, Sandie and Oreo...

Fri Jun 24, 2005 12:06 am

Here's a good site on making rat toys:
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

_________________
EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Fri Jun 24, 2005 4:46 am

The toilet paper tube with treats inside stuffed with tissue paper is always a fun one. Or string some popcorn and hang it around the cage. Mr. Green

_________________
Christy
RP Admin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Sun Aug 14, 2005 8:04 am

Hey i was thinking for my cage
I would put a tree branch in after i had cliped off all the leaves
is this safe Confused

I also want to know how to make or where to get rat hammoks Rainbow Smiley

ok,

Luv Emi
Rat Wave

_________________
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
Attack of the rats

Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:37 am

http://www.ratpalace.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9028

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Sun Aug 14, 2005 11:17 pm

Tons of rat hammocks on ebay.

_________________
~*NatCat, Stella, Juanita & Atom*~

Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:48 am

I recommend a Dearpie Hammock. My kids LOOOOVE their large one that was given to me by my RR secret pal. Mr. Green

_________________

Shadow Brook Rodentry

Bridge Ratties: Samson, Wraith, Aiko, Kasper - I <3 you & miss you.

Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:51 am

I also recommend a Dearpie hammock!

Mon Aug 15, 2005 6:03 am

I have dapper rat hammocks, and my girls are quite fond of them

. www.thedapperrat.com (I think)

_________________

Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:49 am

ok where do you get them
and is it ok to make them

_________________
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~<:3)~~~
Attack of the rats

Mon Aug 15, 2005 2:52 pm

You can get hammocks all over the place (from your local pet store to all kinds of websites and ebay - try checking the links, classifieds and even googling). Try reading back through the rest of this thread for some more links. Dearpie hammocks are here. And yes, it's fine to make them. If you search the forums (the option is at the top) there are a number of threads about making hammocks at home.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:31 pm

I need some ideas on how to keep my rat busy in his cage right now? are there anythings that i could find around the house to put in or anything they like to hide in> anything would help thanks!

Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:59 pm

When I first got my Stella I couldn't afford many toys for her so I picked up a stick on my way home one day and she went crazy over it. She dragged it round with her everywhere! Make sure it's not a sharp one tho!

_________________
~*NatCat, Stella, Juanita & Atom*~

Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:06 pm

Aww thats cute...yeah diesel plays with my cats toys! my cat wont play with them so i thought i'll give them to my rattie! and he loves them....

_________________

Current Pets~~>
-Three Male Rats
-3 bettas
-1cat
-1 canary

Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:42 pm

If you choose sticks, make sure they're suitable wood, and they're not treated with pesticides. You might also want to freeze them overnight to kill off any bugs, and give them a bit of a wash.

Check out this sticky for more toy info and ideas.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Wed Aug 17, 2005 1:39 am

I know my girls love a cardboard box filled with shredded paper etc just pop it in there cage and it keeps them busy for a while , they'll either steal the paper for bedding or go digging lol LOL

_________________
Phil & The Ratbags : Abba , Thelma , Louise , Arwen , Mort & Rumples ! <:3()~

R.I.P Milo , Rody , French & Saunders

Wed Aug 17, 2005 10:59 pm

My rats don't have many toys...in fact they only have one and they don't play with it.

They have their house, they like to peek a boo out of the holes in it, but they also have this wooden contraption that has a nut inside of it. The goal is to have them chew through the wood to get to the nut. They aren't bothered with it.

Is there any way to gauge good toys based on personality and temperment, or is it pretty much touch and go until you find something suitable?

Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:05 pm

It really depends on the rat - some love certain toys, some prefer others, and some prefer playing in your laundry pile! LOL

You can try things like scrunching up paper for them with a treat inside, give them piles of paper or old clothes/fabric to play in. Good toys don't have to be expensive.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:20 pm

Surely not!

However they only have an enclosed 10 gallon tank presently. It only has room for their food bowl, water bottle, house and that wooden chew toy.

They really need more time out of the cage Sad

We bought them harnesses (of our own volition) so we can take them outside to a nice safe part of the apartment garden and let them play in the clover ^_^

Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:26 pm

Yup - I know you're already planning on a cage expansion so that's great. Plenty of out time. Can you let them play on the bed, sofa or bath (without water!)? Perhaps if you have a hallway that you can close all the doors to, they can run around in there? As long as they get plenty of time out (even if they're just sitting on you) then they'll be ok for now.

The only thing I'd say about the harness is that they can often wriggle out of them - so you might want to watch that, and see that they're not going to slip their leash. Also, it's worth checking here for some things to look out for if you take them outside.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu Aug 18, 2005 5:44 am

I just got back from the petshop where I bought the coolest little balls. They're clear plastic, and were actually sold in the Ferret section. They're small, and clear (like I just said >_>) and have a cross shaped bit inside the ball. Between the spoke of the cross shape there is a tiny ball that bounces around between them. This ferret ball has actually been played with! Their first real play-with-able toy. It makes me happy!

I let them out today too..on the floor, wherever they wanted. Razzle played out for 0 minutes then went and hid behind the fish tank stand....Wigglesworth played out for 0 minute sthen went under the coffee table.

I hope there comes a point where they stop hiding. Rats that are sniffing in hidey holes are hard to retrieve ;_;

Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:12 pm

You can check out The Dapper Rat for cheap toy ideas. Search around that site; it's one of the best rat sites around.

For playtime, we let our rats out on the bed. We've bought lots of cheap fleece blankets (on sale at Target) as well as remnants from fabric shops. The bed is covered with those, toys distributed, and rats let loose. The gf likes to lay on the bed and let them crawl on her. Usually she reads (which means the rats chew the book/magazie); sometimes she even falls asleep with the rats crawling around and on her. Be warned: intact boys like to mark (pee on) everything, including you. Fortunately, rat pee won't give you anything a bar of soap and some water won't cure

There's a huge advantage to letting them on the bed: Their wandering space is limited, there's usually nothing for them to hide under that you can't extract them from quickly, and you can lie/sit with them and let them get used to playing with you.

_________________
Victor, Bandit, and Sparrow's Sweeties: Neiko & Roo. Sparrow's Boys: Oliver, Arthur, and Rabskuttle. The fRAT Boys: Jim, Jack, and George.
Good night, Witter, Kono, Rat, Olie, Metro, Calle, Mr. Ratburn, Arwen, Leather, Ohana, Zoe, Misto, and Kanga.

Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:57 am

I was hunting around wal-mart the other day just looking for random stuff that might make a great rat toy and an idea struck me in the fabric section.

I picked up a couple of cross-stitching hoops and some scrap fabric. The hoops are wood and cost 50 cents a piece. I went home, cut a piece of flannel about an inch wider than the hoop's circumference so the edge would overlap, pulled it through the inner hoop and around the edge, then attached the outer hoop over it and repeated on the other side.

The little binding that tightens the outer hoop is like a built-in hook holder so I didn't even need to reinforce the material or add any ribbon or chain or whatnot, just throw it on some s-hooks and add ratties! They love it because when too many of them pile in there, the open part splits apart and they just pour out of the top. Group Hug

Thu Sep 15, 2005 9:52 am

Great idea! Thanks! I had tried making the openings out of cut up quaker oats boxes.... This sounds much better!

Sun Sep 25, 2005 2:38 am

Not sure if this is the right section for this, so Mods, feel free to move it if it isn't.

Anyway, I was just at the Dollar Store, because they always have SOMETHING useful for my rats/mice for super cheap. I just found these nice, heavy Terracotta bird feeders that come with clips for hanging.

They're too small to use for actual food, and the openings for the seed to come out are tiny, so I thought they would be perfect for stimulating rattie and meecie minds and making them get some exercise.

I'm going to try hanging them from the top of each level, high enough that they have to climb to get to them, and then I'll hide some healthy treats and bits of food in the holes meant for seeds. I figure it'll give them something new to do, since they'll have to work a bit to get the treats out, and the climbing will be great exercise.

I got one for the boys, one for the girls, and one for the boy meece and one for the girl meece.
The feeders look like they're awesome quality, and they were only $1.50 a piece.

I also found some small woven baskets for $.50 each. The tops are woven so that the opening is just a small hole, just big enough for a rat to get its head in and still safely get it out. For rats, I thought I could hang them and use them for hiding treats as with the feeders, and for the mice, they'll make great hiding places, chew toys, and sleeping baskets.

They had bigger baskets as well, shaped similarly, that'll be good for the rats to sleep in. Those were, I think, $1.75 each.

Just wanted to share some ideas for neat rat/mouse toys. Any sort of Dollar Store is a GREAT place to find stuff for them to play in/with. I always come away with some neat stuff when I go, and you can load up with all sorts of things and still not spend more than 20 bucks or so. hyper

I can't wait to go try all of this stuff out. I'll let you know how they like it. Mr. Green

_________________
--Brittany

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom."

Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:35 pm

dose anyone have any DIY toy ideas because my rats seem bored of their
toys.
anyone?

_________________
*~*RIZZO*~**~*ROLO*~*

Sun Oct 02, 2005 12:36 am

Try boxes or larger cardboard tubes
Create a dangling treat that hangs from the bars or make a homemade hammie out of a dishcloth and some shower rings

Rats like a lot of things!

Do they have plenty of space and things to climb on and play in?

Sun Oct 02, 2005 1:21 am

	holly_rizzo wrote:
	dose anyone have any DIY toy ideas because my rats seem bored of their toys. anyone?

Read back thorugh this thread.

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:05 am

Well, the rats seem happy with the new cage, lots of space, but they are getting a little bored. Here's the thread about our new cage, there's a pic at the bottom...

http://www.ratpalace.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20748

We just want some suggestions for toys, layout, any advice you can give that would give our ratties a little more enjoyment out of it. We're planning a hammock for sure, and already have one large igloo and two small boxes, what else?

Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:35 am

Try reading back through this thread, lots of good ideas.

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:04 pm

My rat girls love it when I put a little treat in a plastic easter egg. They chase it around the cage and try to get into it. Finaly they do after lots of fun. They love it!

_________________
________________________
Davina, 2 Select Few Rats
~Maggie~*~Nutters~*~Nani~
~*~RIP~*~Gail~*~RIP~*~

Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:19 pm

About the hammocks, they're so easy to make. I went to the hobby lobby and got these like about 10x10 fabric squares that were for making pillows I think. They had button hole like things on the sides and corners. Then I got some key chain rings. I looped them through the button holes and then hooked it to the cage any where. I put a picture of Maggie sleeping in one.

_________________
________________________
Davina, 2 Select Few Rats
~Maggie~*~Nutters~*~Nani~
~*~RIP~*~Gail~*~RIP~*~

Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:38 pm

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:22 am

I know so cute isn't she?

_________________
________________________
Davina, 2 Select Few Rats
~Maggie~*~Nutters~*~Nani~
~*~RIP~*~Gail~*~RIP~*~

Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:58 am

It was time to take the hammock (which was originally bought at Petsmart for about $7) out for washing, but I didn't want my girls to be hammock-less. I had some polar fleece lying around, and made a second hammock that my ratties love even more than the one I originally bought for them. Since I've put this hammock up, they have barely left it, and last night they even dragged all their shredded paper towels up the cage and put them in the hammock too. When washing day comes for the new hammock, I might have to make them another like this, because they like it SO much more than the store-bought one.

I wanted to use two layers of fleece, since fleece is pretty stretchy and I didn't want them to stretch the hammock out of shape too quickly. Then I remember how I've seen other hammocks with pockets, and had an idea.

I cut two squares of fleece the same size, and put metal eyelets (like this) in the corners. The eyelets hold the two layers together, and provide a reinforced hole for attaching the hammock to the cage (I just use plastic cable ties). Ratties can sleep on top of the hammock, or they can get in between the layers of fleece and have a soft warm pocket.

A packet of 12 eyelets is about $2-3, and all you need to put the hammock together is an awl or pair of scissors to make a hole, and a hammer to put the eyelets in. Even at the highest price I've seen fleece ($7/yard), that's still 3 hammocks for under $10.

Rattie approved!

Kate
(& Bella, Cissy, and Andy)

Wed Oct 05, 2005 9:39 am

I have never thought of using eyelets- great idea!! I normally just attach my hammocks(just material pieces) with safety pins, but the ratties stretch the hammocks in a day or two and they come tumbling down. I'll give the eyelets a go, once again- great idea Thumbs Up

_________________
You gotta be good at something in life!

Wed Oct 05, 2005 9:49 am

Similar to how I make mine - I use two layers (one of fleece, one of cotton to prevent stretching by fat ratty boy bums) and I use the eyelets too. Wouldn't do to pull through the fabric with all that weight on it. Mr. Green

Normally I don't bother with pockets as my lot don't go in them, so I just running stitch the two bits of fabric together, put in the grommets, and hang it up. I did make some [url=]sketches [/url]of pocket hammocks though. But those grommets/eyelets really are good for hammock making.

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:30 am

I made a cute little corner one the same as all my others wiht the hobby lobby squars but I folded it in half corcer to corner and hung it in a corner of the cage look at the picture how cute huh? They love to try to see how many can fit in the middle.

_________________
________________________
Davina, 2 Select Few Rats
~Maggie~*~Nutters~*~Nani~
~*~RIP~*~Gail~*~RIP~*~

Thu Oct 06, 2005 3:51 am

Oh and at the hobby lobby it was $2 for a thing of 4 10x10 squars and 50 cents for a pack of 25 key rings.

_________________
________________________
Davina, 2 Select Few Rats
~Maggie~*~Nutters~*~Nani~
~*~RIP~*~Gail~*~RIP~*~

Sat Oct 22, 2005 7:32 pm

Mine hate there hammocks, so I took it out and put it on top of there wire cage. Yesterday they partially pulled it through, and they have a little shelter!

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Sat Oct 22, 2005 9:42 pm

My home is not set up properly to have my two rats free roam. It's pretty much an open concept and I have 7 dogs and a cat. I would love to see pictures of indoor rat playpens so I can get some idea. I will have a nice large area in the basement where me and the boys could have some out of the pen time but I need some ideas on building an enclosure where they can play safely.

Sat Oct 22, 2005 10:55 pm

Cardboard works well temporarily. The small animal play pens at petsmart let rats climb out of them super easily, so they do not work.

Good luck Crossed Fingers

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:54 pm

Watch out for cardboard being too short as well. Ah, jumpers. Rolling Eyes

Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:59 am

	puppyfish wrote:
	Watch out for cardboard being too short as well. Ah, jumpers.

Any advice you can give me on how tall you feel the enclosure should be in order for them not to jump out?

Mon Oct 24, 2005 1:03 am

I would say anything higher than 2 feet would be okay. 2 1/2 for jumpers. Good luck!

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Mon Oct 24, 2005 4:52 am

I FINALLY got to turn my room into a rat room! I've been wanting to forever, since I had an insane amount of cages in this tiny room, a bed that took up way too much space...everything just looked awful. So my parents finally said they didn't care (I have no idea why they cared before, but eh.)
So I had to do the whole thing myself, moving furniture, cages, taking stuff apart, shampooing the carpet, scrubbing the walls and baseboards...I'm completely exhausted. Faint

It took literaly all weekend, working non-stop. I started Friday morning and got done about two hours ago. It was SO worth it though. Now everything is rat proofed, (well, almost. I still have to move some wires out of the way.) and there is a ton of open space, so I can let them out without having to worry about them getting into stuff, getting lost, getting hurt...its SO much better.

I had to move nearly all of my stuff into the attic. Puppy Dog Eyes

I really don't have that much stuff anyway. What little bit I have is now shoved into the closet, and I had to take my bed apart. I was going to sleep on the floor, but my mom had a lapse in personality and got me a foldout bed, so that's good.

Anyway, pictures!

This is what it looked like
Before:

After:

I got this awesome cage used from a pet store for 40 bucks. All it needed was a new coat of paint. hyper

Its perfect for my girls, and WAY cheaper than the Martins I was going to get.

_________________
--Brittany

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom."

Mon Oct 24, 2005 4:57 am

Ooh, that looks great! I bet your guys are so happy! It is amazing that you could get such a nice, big cage for only $40!

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:02 am

Wow. Wish I could do something like that!

Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:41 pm

	puppyfish wrote:
	Wow. Wish I could do something like that!

Your room looks awesome! Wow how big is that cage?

Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:05 pm

The boy's cage? Its a Martin's F-450. (Ferret cage.) Its 36 x 30 x 60, I think. It holds 18 rats. Mr. Green

_________________
--Brittany

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom."

Tue Nov 08, 2005 5:55 am

Wow, I bet they are so happy in it!

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:22 am

Are those bins the permanent mouse homes? Please see here just in case.

_________________
Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Tue Nov 08, 2005 11:53 am

Yeah, I saw that post a while back Kate, and now I'm in the process of switching over to tanks for them. Unfortunatly, I had JUST spent all my spare cash on new bins not long before you posted that, and sold my tanks to get the money for the bins. Faint

Its taking me a while to save the money to buy acceptable tanks. Even a 10 gallon tank with lid would add up to about 16 dollars, and I prefer at LEAST 20 gals, and I would need several of those.

I'm working on it, but in the meantime I have nothing else as far as housing goes but wire cages with really wide spacing, so they're stuck there until I save the money I need for tanks. Sad

Edit: I just re-read your orignal post on the bins, and actually, I never noticed a smell when I got them...and that's something I definitely would notice. Confused

Still, I do plan on switching just to be safe. I'm not happy with those bins for reasons other than possible dangers anyway.

_________________
--Brittany

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom."

Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:54 pm

I am still looking into polycarbonate, I'll post my search links later in that thread, I'm just tired now.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Wed Nov 09, 2005 7:14 am

Okey doke, here's the info:

Forgot to say that I love your rat room -- a tank on your desk, too! Wonderful.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:07 am

Thanks, I'll have a look. And yeah, I'm super happy with the rat room...Minus the sleeping on the floor part. Faint

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--Brittany

"He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has left the path of wisdom."

Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:33 am

Do you have a problem with the rats peeing on the carpet?

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Tue Dec 06, 2005 5:24 pm

	dragynflye wrote:
	cat toys! like erin said, the little furry mice are great! my girls looooove these little plastic jacks i got at walmart for like 97 cents. and dingle balls... and feathers... and laser pointers... and chasey dangley things...and...and...and....crap! off to wallyworld to buy more toys!

Would these cat toys have to NOT be infused with catnip, cos many of them are - I don't know what CatNip does to a rat (if anything) but aren't risking buying anything for them with it on!

Also was reading Dapper Rat website (fab site) and read about his digging boxes with soil and grass in etc, is clean soil and grass OK for rats to snuff about in? I'm guessing so as they would do in the wild but just thought I'd check!

Wed Dec 07, 2005 12:05 am

I've always got non-catnip ones.

Re: digging boxes - you can either get the cat grass boxes from pet stores, or you can make your own - make sure soil is free from pesticides, fertilisers etc, and try to ensure that there are no harmful bugs. No chance taking risks (wild rats aren't exactly reknown for their long and healthy lives). You can get soils from garden centres etc that are probably more likely to be lacking harmful bacteria or parasites.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:29 am

I have REALLY had the fealing lately that my girls cage NEEDS to be updated. I need to replace some things, and fill some space up. The hat hamock needs to be replaced, the plastic "airborn crate" nest has to be replaced, becasue it stinks bad every day because of the paper towels and kleenex, and the wood bird stands need to be replaced. The crate I think Im gonna replace with a Cuddle-E-Cube.Im also going to add some hanging toys and cat toys, but thats how far Ive gotten. I need some serious decorating help, my ratties seem so bored in their cage! Sad

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To the world, you are one person.
To a rat, you are the world.
~Charlie S.
Kristina an her babies, Basil and Snickers.
~*RIP Ema, I miss you sweetie!*~
<:3( )~~~~~~~

Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:28 am

Have a read back through this thread for some great ideas.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:22 pm

Hey all. I need some Ideas! We're buying a house and will be moving in very soon! There is three bedrooms two downstairs and one upstairs. The upstairs is all one big room. 24 by 48. My parents tell me that I get the big room upstairs, since they dont want to deal with stairs anymore. Anyway. That is way to big for just me! So I decided I will probably convert half of the room for just my two rats. They will have there cage still for sleeping in at night, ect. But for most of the day they will probably be free ranging in the half of the room (with acess to thier cage). My question is, what could I use to block off that half of the room? My rats arnt jumpers, so I dont think that would be a problem, and they arnt chewers either. Also, thats a lot of space for two rats! What all could I put in there for them? The only thing I can think of is boxes and tubes. But they would probably get pretty bored with that. Maybe something they can climb up? (away from the wall, or whatever I use so they cant jump over it). I'm pretty brain dead sometimes! lol. Any ideas?

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Sat Jan 14, 2006 2:02 am

I live in Canada (Winnipeg,MB) and we have a store here called PetTraders...it is a used petstore and there are soooo many good things for ratties there! You can get ladders or extra shelves for only $2...so I'd recommend looking for a used petstore in your areas. But I make sure to clean everything extra good when I buy from used places. Also check out the classified ads.

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~*Allie*~
Puppy: Pepper (my big suck) Kitty: Kitterz
Birdie:Mehico aka.Cheeky
Ratties: RIP Penny...i miss you pretty girl <333
Peaches n' Cream..2 bRATS
Jibroney!! --new rescue rat

Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:02 am

Whats your rats favorite toy/toys..??

~ pdm ~ Thunder

Mon Jan 16, 2006 10:11 am

I'm not sure you'd consider it a toy, but their favorite thing in their cage is always their cuddle cube. They've had a grand time chewing pockets in it, etc. It also makes a handy sleeping place when all the remodeling is complete.

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Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:54 pm

Mine love their hammocks and they loved these:
http://www.dapper.com.au/hammocks.htm#loft You can buy them or make your own.

Basically they love everything soft that they can sleep in. They also love Comf-E-Cubes which you can get from Petco or Petsmart, they play hide and seek in it. Mr. Green

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:57 am

They loved there Comf-E-cube, but it had to be thrown away, because they ripped it apart, and Eve stashed everything in it, including all of the omlet which was there New Years dinner, and I didn't feel like cleaning it out, so it went away.

Other than that they love there hammocks (well, some of them), boxes, etc.

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:13 am

it's not a toy... but my guys LOVE this cute log cabin thing I got at PJ's. I give them tissue paper (fresh every 2 days) and they pull it in there to nest. It's cute to watch them.

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Loving Mum to my rattie boys, Zipper and Ty
Bestest Bud to Milly, the greatest horse ever

Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:25 am

nevermind

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Rats~Janine, Madeleine, Cooper, Basil, Dolly, Kitty, Ilori, Theo, Elliot, Vladimir, Freya, Devi, Yoshimi, Nigel, Rosshalde, Faust, Tolkien, Caleb, Mira, Ivy, Nemo, Willow, Nikolas, Lucian & Linus
Mice~Molly, James & Will
Beardie~Cleo

Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:18 pm

I've given the boys some new toys for their house. In addition to their old 'Tim-br house' I've added two Chinchilla ledges, 2 ferret tubes, ceramic tiles, a new water bottle on the bottom level a hamball in the corner for lookout/sleeping purposes, their timbr house, and a litter pan (which is used for storing food in their opinion)

ITs a lot more interesting than it was just yesterday morning..its sad, but theyre sleeping in the one spot without any toys in it..but c'est la vie. This is as much for me as for them LOL

The top picture shows how messy it is to change litter and move bags and organise boxes when you have 6 fats underfoot being buttheads. Pardon the mess ^_^

This shows the green ferret tube lifted upo to the top of the cage. I took all the other pictures with it down rest on the floor..but yes it was meant to be up top. They are dragging a paper bag halfway down theior step ramp in this pic, so dont mind it LOL

Rat blur exiting the Hamball lookout

Sharing some new tasty water! MMM water!

The cage and boys enjoying the cage, with the green tube down (and not up like its supposed to be)

Overview of clean cage, virgin from the pitter patter of rat feet

Side-ish view

Front-on view

Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:01 pm

Very cool cage , your ratties must love it , it looks fun I know how much my ratties love their tubes lol Yogie Dance Rat

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Phil & The Ratbags : Abba , Thelma , Louise , Arwen , Mort & Rumples ! <:3()~

R.I.P Milo , Rody , French & Saunders

Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:33 pm

My rat (Razzle) is terrified of the tubes. He screams like a little girl when I tried to put him in it (gently) and he was just like 'OMG MOM NO THATS SCARY STOPPIT!'

So he hates them, but loves the hamball. That doesnt make sense to me, since hamballs and tubes are very similar, but whatever LOL

Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:28 pm

You could try shoving some nesting material into the tube. That might give him the idea.

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Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:25 am

Razzle doesn't nest, otherwise that would be an awesome idea. He likes being able to get out as quickly as he gets in. He might just be a bit claustrophobic?