Original cheap-as-free toy ideas?

[Katy M]

So, my new boys just got moved into the BIG cage. Lio was so excited, running around sniffing everything, but he's already bored. (Torgo just sniffed around long enough to find his sleepy house and curled up there) I have *counts* 13 bucks on me, need to save 5 bucks to purchase a dojo loach... So I have about 8 bucks to spend on housewarming gifts for the rats ^_^ My normal really cheap toys involve PVC tubing, boxes, things tied to strings.. So, a simple question!!

Anyone have a good random idea of something I can get at the pet store or at home depo, to entertain the rats and congratulate them on the new cage? ^_^ I might buy them some peanut butter or starberry banana yogies, since they're never had those. But a toy would be great to!

[Mischief_Love]

there are a lot of free toys you can get that are just laying around the house: empty boxes, tissue to nest in, small toys, milk jugs with holes cut in them...You could also get some pvc pipes, baskets, and small cat/dog/plastic baby toys for them for pretty cheap.

[Katy M]

As creative as I am, I've never actually thought of milk jugs ^_^

I just remembered a bizarre ceramic vase we have, with holes in the ride. I may go find that.

[Ratwings]

Two words:

Dollar Store!!

You can get tons of *cheap* rat-friendly stuff there!  Good luck and have fun.

[Ligeia]

Do you drink soda?  My rats' favorite "toys" are those "fridge boxes" that twelve packs of soda cans come in.  You can leave it closed at the back to make a cave or digging box, or open the back end and make it a tunnel.  Caffeine addict that I am, I have a ton of these laying around.

[Dearpie]

Dapper

[knuckles]

garage sales    I have gotten so many toddler toys and hanging baskets there

[brandy]

I keep the boxes from just about any food that comes in it... Things like taco shells, bagel bites, oatmeal cylinders, etc.  My girls always have at least two boxes in their cage, and I change them out once or twice a week as they start to smell.

You can also get cheap fabric from the sale table of any fabric store - $1/yard, one yard will last you a while.  Make hammocks, plus cut up strips to tie to the cage bars so the rats have to chew them down to nest with them.

[KittyRat]

This thread gives me an idea...We should do a Rat Toy Exchange. kind of like the secret pal exchange, but with toys for the rats. Everyone here has different ideas for this type of thing.  Obviously we wouldnt send a soda box; but stuff like the pvc pipe with holes in the side, or organizer baskets, ladders and other goodies.
Say, no more than a $2.00 or $3.00 toy/cage accessory? Sound good to anyone?

[ttiwedas]

Another household item I recently thought of for ratties is pringles tubes. You can just cut the metal end off and they are big enough that even the adult rats can get through(my babies are too big to crawl through toilet paper tubes anymore.)

[Heather]

The best toy I've got at the dollar store was a huge latte/soup mug. My girls always sleep in it and then the boys come over and lay on top of them and more girls lay on top of them. I was thinking about getting anothe. Also, cheap terracotta or plastic flower pots turned on their side make cool sleep spots for summer.

[OrlandoBloomnut]

if you do a swap i would like to participate in it

[love2teach]

I'd love to participate in a swap.  love2teach