What is it about brown paper bags??

[Louise]

I had a brown paper carrier bag that I put in the girls cage on Saturday.  What is it about a brown paper bag that makes it the best place to be on earth?

I'm in the computer room at the minute, but all I can hear is the sound of the bag gleefully being shredded by someone, I wouldn't mind, I just gave Willow a blanket for it because she seems to have taken it over.

I doubt there will be anything left of it by the time I get back in there - it sounds like six kids tearing open their Christmas pressies

[em]

It seems anything with any possible bedding potential left in the cage is a big hit - in fact it doesn't even have to be in the cage! I went away for the weekend once without realising I'd left a plastic bag next to the rat cage. It must have been poking in just a bit, because when I got home they had dragged THE WHOLE THING in and shredded it up for bedding! Of course I immediately removed all the bits I could find, but I had nightmares for days in case they'd ingested enough of it to hurt them. They were fine though, luckily.

Now I make sure there's nothing within three feet of the cage...  

[SADCAT]

With my girls it's kleenex boxes... I don't throw them out when they're done, I just toss them in the cage and in a few minutes it's just a pile of shredded cardboard! Will have to try paper bags next...

[em]

Mine love tissue boxes too, but they prefer to sleep in them rather than destroy them outright! Of course, after a few days they get round to thinking "right, what this bed really needs is some more ventilation from the back" and then they start chewing big escape hatches in the rear. After that, it's just a matter of time before the thing falls apart. Then I have to take all the tissues out of a new box and keep them loose so that the ratties can have a new bed  

[kmw]

My boys readily chew everything they're not supposed to or free things.  Unfortunately I discovered their affinity for free after I'd dropped $$ on expensive things.  They enjoy remote control buttons, my sofa, bathroom cupboards, pillows, etc.  Bad rats!

[SADCAT]

"right, what this bed really needs is some more ventilation from the back" and then they start chewing big escape hatches in the rear. After that, it's just a matter of time before the thing falls apart.

LOL, my girls used to do that, but after a while they decided to be more efficient and get the thing properly ventilated right away. Apparently the rats never quite agree on when it's ventilated enough.  

[em]

"right, what this bed really needs is some more ventilation from the back" and then they start chewing big escape hatches in the rear. After that, it's just a matter of time before the thing falls apart.

LOL, my girls used to do that, but after a while they decided to be more efficient and get the thing properly ventilated right away. Apparently the rats never quite agree on when it's ventilated enough.  

Sounds kind of like me when I pluck my eyebrows - "hmm, just a bit more off this side, oh damn now the other side doesn't match, just one or two more - OH GAWD I'VE GOT NO EYEBROWS LEFT!!"

[Ms. Jingles]

I never thought of paper bags...cleaning out the cage soon - think I'll try it and let you know  

[Louise]

Tim Horton bags are good Sheryl, this one I put in just happens to be a very nice heavy duty carrier with string like handles.  I anchored it to the shelf tho, because when Willow was in it on the sofa the other day she got so carried away that the bag fell right off the sofa!

[Kristen]

Lucky me, my rats don't chew at all! Well, they do a little, but not enough to make a stink about. Their kleenex box is relatively neat, save for a couple holes in the bottom. Same story with the mini-cereal box. I'm even considering getting them a fancy fleece ferret hammock, since they're such little angels  

[Scary Harry]

If you really want to keep them busy, throw a pile of shredded paper from the paper shredder in there.  It's a hoot watching them gather strips of it to go make a bed somewhere.  

[Ali]

Lucky me, my rats don't chew at all! Well, they do a little, but not enough to make a stink about. Their kleenex box is relatively neat, save for a couple holes in the bottom. Same story with the mini-cereal box. I'm even considering getting them a fancy fleece ferret hammock, since they're such little angels  

Same here - the boys don't chew anything in their cage apart from an old cardboard tube that they're allowed to chew! They don't touch their boxes, and their hammocks are in as perfect condition as they were when I bought them.

Outside the cage is a different matter though. This week we've discovered new holes in the quilt cover and the carpet, and a neat scalloped edge to my late-grandmother's antique ottoman.......

[Marybelle]

Hee hee..  they're just waiting for the expensive stuff to chew.  

[Suebee]

Then I have to take all the tissues out of a new box and keep them loose so that the ratties can have a new bed  

Luckily for the rats, with my nose, I don't have to empty new boxes. In fact, I have a stash of about 20 empty ones in the closet... stupid allergies!

[knuckles]

tissue boxes, paper bags, soda can boxes, poptart boxes.  and the lastest best box in the world......a donut box (with a few crumbs left in of course).    

Tried to get a picture of all eight of them sleeping in the donut box last night, but of course as soon as I opened the cage door, they were all over there looking for treats.   And its really funny to see no rats in the cage, then all of a sudden the top of the donut box starts lifting and out pop several little noses.      Paper bags they will usually sleep in for a few days before destroying them.  

Oh, and another favorite is the bags the dog food come in (I usually get the 5 to 8 pound bags).    They usually start ripping out the insides right away,  but the whole bag becomes a great stashing place and usually lasts until the next major cage cleaning.

[em]

Then I have to take all the tissues out of a new box and keep them loose so that the ratties can have a new bed  

Luckily for the rats, with my nose, I don't have to empty new boxes. In fact, I have a stash of about 20 empty ones in the closet... stupid allergies!

Well, every cloud and all that...