Simple Homemade Rat Toys?

my rats' cage looks boring, so i need toys and decorations to brighten it up. simple and easy toys that aren't very hard would be great :)





- Flower power

Simple Homemade Rat Toys?
personally some of my favorite toys:





http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm








also, you can get plain, untreated wood popsicle sticks or blocks, shapes, whatever (just make sure they're not treated with anything like arsenic or any other weird chemicals) Get a shallow glass dish or something, put food coloring and a little apple juice, or maybe a little koolaid powder in it (without the sugar)


mix with water (about half the pan) and throw in your shapes. let them soak over night, or longer if you need to turn the shapes.


Put on a wire rack with something under it to drain, then bake on a cookie sheet at the lowest temp your oven allows (usually 150) for about an hour (to ensure its dry) and then let cool. Makes really inexpensive fun chew toys for ratties. I started doing that once I realized how much money i was spending to buy popsicle sticks with food coloring on them. I bought them in bulk and now my rats always have pretty things to chew on (although you can just give them plain ones)








Also, take strips of old t-shirts, thread fun non-perishable things on it (like those wooden shapes, pasta (you might need to add in thread for that) and then braid it, tie it into knots whatever you want to do, and hang it in the cage. the ratties will go crazy trying to get the food off of it.





I also like putting fun treats inside of those paper mache boxes you can get at craft stores for like, 25 cents. but then i wrap them. Its fun to watch them shred the paper and then realize they still have to shred the box. hehe.





Also, unfinished wooden birdhouses are endless entertainment for rats, they love to chew them. When I bought a pirate ship shaped unfinished birdhouse, my rats lost their minds. Only the small baby rat could fit in and the other one couldn't so she'd spend all her time chewing the doorway. it took her almost 2 weeks to get the door open enough for her to fit in. Then she stole all the babies treats.





Hope that helps.
Reply:My ratties love to use Kleenex boxes with the Kleenex inside it. I put a fresh one in there every week after cleaning out their cage. It is great fun to watch them make beds with them and do general house keeping.





I have 2 of them that are always changing the others work. Too funny!! :o)





There are lots of great ideas already posted here but on a side note, my rats don't like peas, so find a veggie that they will like, maybe corn instead.
Reply:Three words. Peas in Water.





It's adorable to watch them fish!
Reply:Toilet Paper rolls. Wooden chopsticks. Rubber super bouncy balls...
Reply:I had a pet rat that LOVED the cardboard rollers left from toilet paper. He also liked empty spools (from thread) to push about. Most anything is interesting to rats. Just make sure they can't tangle in it or get cut, and you should come up with some good ideas.
Reply:any little stuffed animals would be good.


Just make sure they are not stuffed with anything harmful inside.


Also, you can try going to www.google.com and type in homemade hamster toys.
Reply:http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm





There ya go, lots of ideas.
Reply:RAT TOYSCreativity is the keyword here. One doesn’t need to buy every toy made out there. You may find that your pet rat will think that empty toilet paper tube makes a wonderful place to hide in, or the shoe box you decided was taking up closet space will be a great place to take a nap in. How about wrapping a yummie up in a piece of tissue and watching your rattie enjoy taking it apart and eating the contents.





Making Rat ToysDigging box:My boys love their digging box more than any other toy! They enjoy digging in the soil, they also love to forage for seeds that haven't sprouted, nibble on the grass and dig up roots to eat.





1. Get a largish box or tray. use a plastic plant tub or a tough cardboard box as a disposable one.


2. Half fill with clean soil. Get a sterilised soil from the garden shop, with no added fertilisers, chemicals or stray bugs.


3. Toss in a handful of birdseed and water lightly.


4. Wait a few days until the seeds sprout. You'll have a nice crop of "grass" in less than a week. 5. Place the digging box in an easy clean location





They will chew on the grass and unsprouted seeds, frolic in the grass, lurk in the grass ready to pounce on unsuspecting cagemates, and dig fling dig fling ...





Fishing for peas:This is a fun game for cooling rats down on hot summer days. 1. Get a shallow tray big enough to fit your rats in. A paint roller tray is perfect as it has a deep end and a handy slip free ramp into the "pool".


2. Shallowly fill with water


3. Place somewhere water-proof 4. Toss in a few frozen peas (or corn)





The water loving rats will jump/wade right into the pool and more nervous ones will fish for peas with their hands from the pool sides.





Decorations:Something fun to hang up in their cage for christmas, new years, birthdays, etc.





1. Get a needle and strong cotton thread.


2. Choose an assortment of threadable rat treats: like popcorn, grapes, dried fruit, cheerios, peanuts in their shell. 3. Thread them onto the cotton, alternating to make it colourful and interesting.


4. String up high in the cage





These will look festive and cheerful and the rats will have fun munching their favourite treats off them.





Hammocks, etc:.Rats love hammocks! There's so many ways to make them and use them differently for variety. Here are a few simple ideas:





1. The basic hammock: Cut off an old jeans leg. You could also attach it to the cage wire using safety pins or curtain hooks for easy removal for cleaning.





2. The cot shelf: Cut two pieces of wooden dowel and indent the ends to exactly fit your cage like a bird perch. Cut a jeans leg, or sew two hems along the edges of a piece of tough fabric. Feed the dowel through and attach to cage. With the fabric pulled tightly it will form a shelf, left loose it will form a hammock.


These are also handy for corner shelves. Cut the dowel to fit across a corner. Sew up a triangular piece of fabric with a hem for the dowel to fit through.





3. Lofts: Cut off an old jeans leg, feed two pieces of rope through and tie them relatively close together in the cage so that the jeans leg stays hanging open and the rats can climb inside. Alternatively, punch four holes in the top part of the jeans leg and tie it up with rope.





4. The rat pouch: Cut a tough piece of fabric to size. Double it over so the top covers 3/4 of the bottom and sew up the sides. Attach string to the two top corners and hang it up on the cage wall. The ratties can climb in for a hanging hidden nap.





The Clubhouse: Every rat needs a clubhouse in his free range area, chasing each other through, lurking in wait to pounce.





1. Find any useful construction equipment like shoe boxes, packing cardboard, balsa wood, mailing tubes, fabric strips, thick rope, parrot ladders, plastic bottles, etc.


2. Other useful items: cutting blade, packing tape, string


3. Let your imagination run wild:


Levels: Two and three storey houses can be made out of stacked shoe boxes, taped together, with access holes cut between levels.


Bridges: Balsa wood, thick rope or fabric pulled tight


Tunnels: Mailing tubes or old drink bottles with tops and bottoms cut off, fabric tunnels





Ratty Beanbags: What rat doesn't love to laze around during the day? Here's a simple, comfy spot for summer or winter.





1. Cut some tough fabric (like denim) into a rectangle, size depending on your number of rats.


2. Sew up the side seems so that it forms a pillow case, leaving one end open to put the filling in.


3. Fill loosely with whole uncooked wheat grains, rice or small dried beans.


4. Sew up the end to close it completely.





The wheat grains, rice or beans hold temperature very well. For hot summer days, place the beanbag in the fridge/freezer to cool down before giving it to your rats to laze on. In winter, it can be microwaved (or heated in an oven) on a low - moderate setting until it's warm (careful: NOT hot) and the rats can snuggle up on it. A warm beanbag is also handy for sick rats to snuggle up to and transporting rats during winter.





Other games tug of war