Rat Toys and Games

[melikerats]

none of my rats will go in the wheel i bought. they just hide under it
i tried leaving it in the cage for a couple of weeks but they never use it.

as for housing... my boyfriend and i just built a few rat huts out of popsicle sticks and fabric. they really seem to love it, although i thought they would chew on the wood but they don't at all... other than that, my cages are just not big enough for some real fun stuff yet. I will probably splurge for a really big cage this summer when i start working. for now i have two boys in a decent sized rabbit cage (it's about 2' x 1.5' x 1.5')(although we let them run free most of the time...) and my girl is in the bigger rat cage (about 2' x 1.5' x2.5')

[Cassy]

I may just have a weird rat but he loves chasing shoe laces and a lazer pointer! ha its entertaining (but you gotta let em win or they loose interest...obviously)

[allykatt]

Someone already mentioned the kinder surprise eggs, but I sometimes give them the toy inside too, if it is suitable for them. They get the halves of the little egg parts, and the toy, and my one rat Daisy spends half the night picking them up and putting them in their "proper" place, as well as  flipping over the igloo, and pushing as much bedding as she can through the bars and onto my floor. She is my little housekeeper.

I have two "playpens" in my room. One is under my desk, with a window screen across the open front part so they can't get out when I am watching, and the other is part of the box my parents huge new tv came in. The box is used mostly as the "time out" box for when my hyper little Pepper won't stop bugging the other rats.

I have lots of boxes stuck together in the play pens, as well as one huge box filled with shredded paper that is a favorite.

Some of the rats I have had int eh past LOVED socks, but only if my feet were in them. They would chase me all over teh room to try and catch my feet, tackle them, and give my toes little love bites.

Some of you guys have the best playrooms! I am so jealous! I better not let my girls see them, or they will wish they could live there!

[fluffy pluffy]

I came up with a new toy idea! You know those old-fashioned toys,Weebils? (Or whatever they're called,those balls with something on top of it,you know,they can never tip over no matter what? Sorry,hard to describe it..) Well,we've got a small version,and at playtime last night,I set it on the floor,and Lightning pushed it around,obviously enjoying herself.  She couldn't figure out why it didn't fall down..

[KerryBowie]

Sometimes if my girls look bored (usually because I've been working too much to play  ) I give them a bunch of treats - yoggies, dog biscuits, cereal, chopped carrot and apple - and roll them up in an old sock. I then tie the top of the sock up with wool and tie it to the top of the cage so that the rats can only reach it on their hind legs. It takes them ages to get it open and it makes their dinner time just that bit more exciting! It gives a useful home to all those odd socks the dryer spits out!
Although this activity does come with a warning!!!
Right now I am lying in bed with my laptop and three naughty rats, one of which, keeps biting my feet which are in thick socks! Hahahahaha!! there are no treats in these socks Bertie!

[Granddadrat]

Our two little girls go bonkers over the little watter bottle toy and also nuts or yogies tightly wrapped up in a piece of brown paper bag.

Then there's hazelnuts, which unfortunately you can't get all the time...

[fluffy pluffy]

More fun for my mice,but I filled a napkin with treats,and tied the top,and hung in the cage. Voila~,a Pinata!

[PureRose]

Hey,

I'm hoping you imaginative people can help me out here. I work in a computer shop and deliveries always mean plenty of new toys for the rats. I get loads of boxes which Finn and Nero are happy to pee all over for me, shredded paper which they turn into bedding for me by making huge nests but other than that it's mostly plastic or foamy stuff which I don't give them because I'm guessing it's not good for them.

Since I've taken over more responsibility in the shop I've noticed that the little pieces of card that we get attached to the back of our receipt books are always hanging around. They're small pieces of thick card, about 6"x4". What can I do with these? If I just put them into the cage they just ignore them, walk all over them and pee on them. But I'm fed up with them going to waste and want to do something with them. Any ideas?

I'd also like to share a new treat I found for my rattles. While I was on holiday we visited this big garden place and they had a shop there. I picked up two bird boxes made out of coconuts. They've got little thatched roofy bits and a chain type thing to hang them from. At the moment the boys aren't too keen on actually going inside them because they swing, but last night there was a bit of a squabble which broke out when Finn got into one and wouldn't let Nero get in with him, so I think they're going to get popular.

[AFIneohilim]

I found small little wind chimes at the dollar store that my rat kids love. I have to take them out of the cage at nigh tho. Or I can't sleep. You can find all sorts of fun stuff at the dollar store.