Need ideas to get a rat room ready

[LuvRats2]

Ok, this has been weighing heavily on my mind. My rats have plenty of cage space - I have a Martin's 6-95 and
another one almost as big.

The problem is, I want MORE for them.  (Edited to add: I'd like this to be a room where I can let them run in it for hours and not worry about leaving for 15 mins to answer the phone/etc. and come back and find half my doorframe
chewed, lol. They get a lot of exercise but I have to supervise. I would like to create a safe environment that is like their own cage but bigger - and where I don't need to supervise as much/worry about them getting hurt.)

Usually they play in my master bedroom which is pretty large. I bought a cat post, two very big cat 'cubes' that tie together and form a little maze, I bought ferret funnels, and I have a fake tree in a pot that little boy loves to climb on.

The downside:
My TV and Xbox are in the room. Two lamps and an alarm clock. I don't want them to chew on wires. When they run around, I put the cords up out of reach. I have two small wood bedside tables with covers, and little boy in paritcular loves to climb up those (which I don't mind that part, I just have to remove the potporri-filled candle holders so he doesn't try to eat it!)

They have never pooped on my floor, although obviously they mark and dribble. I want to keep a clean floor, especially living in an apt complex and the carpet was installed before I moved in. Also, they chew the wood around my doorframes so I have to watch them there.

I would love to rat proof my room so it's livable for me and good for them.

The carpet: My master bedroom is very large. I was thinking of maybe purchasing some thicker fleece from
Wal-Mart to put down over the whole floor over the carpeting in there now. The problem is, how would I keep it
down so they can't 'snuggle under' it?

The fixtures/light sockets - What would be sturdy enough to rise up and not allow the little ones to chew
on cords and such? I thought of cardboard but wasn't sure how that would work.

My X-box and TV - the cords in there are a big concern also. I can put the x-box in the closet and just take it out when ready to use. But the TV and cable and the cords with those, I'm not sure how to get those away enough so they won't chew through them.

Bed: Remove the good sheets and put secondary sheets so if they want to run around on my bed they can

Any ideas would be really appreciated!

[wonderrodent]

My girls have their own room and I put vinyl sheets (from Walmart) on the floor since they mark too and after one week they are dirty also just from dragging food around. But the vinyl is very easy to clean. I just wipe them. Then, I have bricks, rocks and dumbells to hold the sheets down (whatever I could find that's heavy!). A few days ago I bought these Play Mats in different colors that kind of look like a puzzle (you can get them at Lowe's, Walmart, K-mart etc., they also come in gray as a protection for gym equipment) and put them down in the whole room. Then I put the vinyl sheets over them. If your ratties are big chewers they might like the foamy material though. For the outlets you can get these plastic covers at every home improvement store(protection for kids). Have you thought about making a "wall" to devide the room so they can't get to your TV etc.? You would have to make sure that it's high enough so they won't be able to jump over. (I made a play pen for my rats but they could jump over so I gave up and the whole room is theirs).

[mandycoot]

For cords, at Home Depot and Mendards type stores they sell plastic cord keepers that you screw into the walls to cover cords, and they have junction pieces too so they can follow the cords wherever they need to go. There is a back piece that is screwed in and a front piece that snaps on, so you can remove it to access the cords when needed.  We had them in our house for computer cords and internet cables. They come in long pieces that you have to cut to size and put up yourself, but they can be painted and look pretty good compared to covering your cords in aquarium tubing.  This may be something to look into if you're looking for a more permanent option. I'm sorry I can't provide you with a link or a picture; I wasn't able to find them online but if you check out a hardware superstore type place, they should have something like it. 

For TV cords that can't be attached entirely to the wall, use aquarium tubing with a slit cut down the side so you can insert the cords.

If you have outlet strips: In my room, I put my outlet strip inside a medium clear plastic container with holes cut on two sides to allow the cords to get through.  Then I've taped all the cords to the wall (you could use more permanent means--whatever you think is best) once they're outside the container.

[scrubjay]

I'm going to check into mandycoot's suggestion for my rat roaming area.  I also wondered about putting the cords in PVC pipe.  I've tried aquarium tubing and other conduit with the house bunny and he just chews right through it.  You could use 2 x 4s or boards to hold fleece down, maybe?   I put several litterboxes around the large upstairs room my rats roam in.  They use them for pooping, but of course mark other things.  One thing that might help is actually putting some things around for the express purpose of marking.  Mine love to mark some largish roundish rocks that are on the floor, and of course I think that's great, because they can't ruin a rock!

[DolciLady]

Some inexpensive options:

One idea for floor coverings would be flannelbacked vinyl tablecloths...only used upside down.  Got a moisture barrier on one side and a soft topping for footsies.  And they can be washed in the washer on gentle cycle.  Then use the no-to-low air fluff dryer cycle, or hang them over your shower rod to dry.

If your rats aren't avid chewers, you could try using shower rod covers to cover your cords.  They're like 99 cents for 6ft+ of already slit, pretty colored plastic.  But if they are chewers this may not be much protection. 

One thing to caution you about, one of my rats, SugarBaby, is a complete busybody.  he finds ways I never imagined to get up on things and into things.  He's managed to get some furniture to wobble enough to knock things off tabletops, like my lava lamp, which he was very lucky to not be hit by.  he couldn't actually get on the table it was on, but he tried so hard that he managed to get things to slide/vibrate off!  He's always surprising me and teaching me just how much work it is to rat proof.  LOL   I swear this rat can fly.  he's klutsy as can be and fearless and persistent...bad combinations!  LOL

Robin

[biggiy05]

You might try wiremold for covering your wires. I don't know how expensive it is but it looks good and comes in a variety of covers. It's easy to find too.

http://www.wiremold.com/www/consumer/index.asp?bhcp=1