makeing hammocks

[BJ in WI]

I have made a few hammocks for  my girls, but the corners always rip out after a few days.  I use grommets to hang them and the material I use is old shirts and things. Any suggestions on how to make them stronger? Any materials work better than others?

[Claire]

I make hammocks for my rats; it's so inexpensive.  I go out and buy fleece and use that, plus the grommets to hang them up.  They've lasted me for three months so far without falling out or ripping.

[chaos_in_motion]

It's so cheap and easy to make them, and while they aren't impervious to the inevitable rattie chewfest, I love having matching themed hammocks for the cage! I usually use 2-3 layers of fabric for mine, polarfleece on one side, decorative fabric for the other. Instead of grommets I sew a button-hole stitch at each corner, use a button hole (or seam) ripper to punch a small hole in the fabric, just big enough to run a zip-tie through each one and make them into loops. Then I use lanyard hooks to hang them from the cage. This way the hole is very small, and the rats are less likely to chew the holes. I have yet to have a hammock succumb to chewing or wear and tear at the holes this way. And it's even cheaper since I'm not buying grommets. As a bonus, I've discovered my zip ties are machine washable and dryerable

[jorats]

What I have found to withstand chewing somewhat longer than fleece are those cloth placemats. I just use shower curtain hooks, yank them through the placemats and voila, cheap and easy. If rattie makes a hole around the hook, yank the hook through another part of the placemat.