Chewing hammocks

[Vouivre]

I use to use denim to make my hammocks, but then discovered some really soft material, so i figured I'd make them out of that. So i sewed some lovely hammocks, with one of them being like a pocket (got the idea from Mousie's Mom).
But now they chew them! There is barely anything left of them, i only put them in last weekend. They didn't chew the denim though.
Anyone have any idea why they now chew their hammocks?

[pegc]

Rats chew everything! It's just what they do and it's perfectly normal behaviour.

I use denim in my cages too - it takes quite a bit of chewing before it falls apart. Use cheap fabric!

[Vouivre]

yes yes they do
but they DIDNT chew the denim
only the new material

so i'm wondering why they chew this, when they didnt chew the denim.
is it because its different?

[Ali]

oh my boys are just sooooo good! smirks

I splashed out on some very smart hammocks for them, all fleece and quilting and nice flashy gold hooks. My little angels haven't chewed them once!

OK, they're not good at all. They are just soooo lazy they can't even be bothered to open their jaws to chew! It's all they can do to lumber down the stairs for a milk drop (and this is at 5 months old!)  

[Ratty Corner]

Maybe it didn't occur to them until they got the new material to investigate. Of course, they have to taste new things to see what they're like, and they got a little carried away. They might even try the denim now if you put it back, just to compare the taste. Congrats, you've introduced them to a 'hole' new pleasure!

[Vouivre]

lol
i think my rats enjoy destroying things that i put effort into. i bet they sit in their cage watching me make them things, and plot the best way to destroy it. haha

i put an already made beanbag in their once and they didnt touch it, then i made them a new one, all soft and pretty. First night in their cage and it was in pieces!

hmmmm...I might put the denim back for a couple days, see what they do.  

[Jodi]

I make mine out of denim with polar fleece for the lining, and my boys don't chew them at all. They have chewed up other types of fabrics I've tried using in the past, though. Try going back to using a good quality denim and a nice, thick polar fleece to line them with, and see if your fuzzbutts don't appreciate their nice hammocks enough to avoid chewing them to shreds!  

[Yresim]

I bought my rat some wonderfully nice balls to play with.  She ate them.  

So I bought a ball I thought she couldn't chew (too big).  She figured out that if she wedged it under the ramp, she could chew it through the bars.  

I gave up.