Rats are incredibly intelligent creatures that need some mental stimulation in order to be healthy and happy. A regular change of scenery inside the cage does them good, helps keep them entertained and challenges them a bit. There are loads of small rodent toys and cage decorations available in stores and online, but by no means do you need to break the bank to cater to your little beans. In my experience, the most valued toys are the simplest ones that you’ve quickly thrown together, and most importantly: that they can shred. Nothing compares to shredding things on the rattie appreciation list. Ok, besides treats maybe.
Tissue Box
The unchallenged number one with my rats: a tissue box. Remove the plastic liner from the opening, and it can be used as a sleeping burrow, secret food stash, wrestling ring, chew toy… Bonus points if you give them a full tissue box that they can pull the tissues out of first. More to shred, more fun. Tissues also make wonderful soft nesting material, my boys love to carry them through the cage to all their favourite spots. Be sure to change the tissues and the box regularly though, the rats will pee on them and they’ll get smelly quickly.
Pádraig on box duty while Diarmuid oversees the work.
Kitchen Roll Swirls
This one’s especially good for younger rats. Take an empty kitchen roll, and cut into it diagonally from bottom to top, stopping about an inch before the end. Repeat a few times to create a hurricane of swirls that they can climb into, chew up, and get tickled under.
Hammocks
Hammocks are an absolute cage essential, if you ask me. A soft place to lounge and pile up in will be much appreciated by your rats, plus hammocks are an easy way to add more layers to your cage which is important as rats love to climb and get up high. I also like to use them as safety nets when the boys get older, to make sure they can’t fall far anywhere in the cage. Hammocks are super easy to use! Just take a piece of scrap fabric you have (like an old shirt, pyjamas, jeans, an old beanie… I like to use fleece), cut it to size, attach one of those clips with a chain and hook on the end to each corner, and hang it in the cage. If you want to get fancier and have some basic sewing skills, you can sew simple hammocks with strings or ribbons on the corners to attach them to the cage. This is what I do.
The rat’s ultimate favourite hammock in our cage is the one with two layers, made by sewing two squares first (sew attachment strings into the top one), turning the bottom square by 90° and sewing its corners onto the straight sides of the top square.
There are endless hammock options: you can make tubes, pockets, cubes, multiple layers… Play around with it and see what your rats like! Just make sure to make plenty so you can change and wash them regularly.
Llewelyn and Penpingion are bunkies.
Fleece Forest
I found this on Pinterest as a guinea pig toy, but my rats love it as well. Simply cut into a piece of fleece or leftover fabric from both sides, then feed the strips of fabric through the top of the cage. I remember playing in something like this (but human-sized) when I was a kid so I can imagine what it must be like for them. Lots of fun running through this and trying to tear off the fabric strips! This is a great way to re-use an old piece of fleece bedding or hammock that they’ve chewed up, by the way.
Toilet Roll Ball
Cut an empty toilet roll into thin circles, and slide them through each other to create a ball. Place a treat inside and let your rats try to take it out. Alternatively, simply fold the ends of an empty toilet roll in with a treat inside. They’ll have to chew through the roll to get to the treat.
Bran uses an old tomato box to hide from his cagemate as he eats his carrot.
Old Blanket
Another favourite with our mischief during free-roaming time: a blanket thrown messily into a corner. They can rummage around in it, discover tunnels inside, play hide and seek… Rats love small dark spaces, so this is perfect fun for them. I also like to lay down on the sofa underneat a blanket that the rats then get under as well. They’ll curl up next to me to take a nap and it’s wonderful bonding time while watching Netflix or reading a book.
Diarmuid and Llewelyn are pro blanket explorers.
Treasure Box
Fill a larger, tall box with layers of tissue, scrap fabric, old towels, shredded or crumpled newspaper, used and rinsed single use chopsticks, popsicle sticks, old magazines, wine corks, smaller boxes, egg cartons… Anything you can find that’s safe for rats, basically. They’ll love digging into the box to discover all the different textures and hidden treasures. If you like, you can throw in a few treats for extra motivation.
Toilet Paper Dispenser
Another super simple thing to do is hanging a roll of toilet paper in the cage by running a piece of cotton thread or wool through it. The rats can unwind the toilet paper and shred it. What a joy!
Llewelyn re-arranging some tissues. Important work.
A Rock
Yeah, that’s it. Try placing a rock in your cage and see what happens. Rats have a strange fascination with rocks. They love to climb them, walk around them, and for some reason the really love to pee on them. Rocks help them file down their nails which is important, so why not indulge them?
What all of this boils down to: before you throw anything made of cardboard, paper or fabric away, run it through the rats first. They’ll love you for it.
