Haa, I have the same problem. :X I've only seen (And heard!) Flower do it. I've tried placing a brick to cover up the spot she chews on most, and it's helped a /little/.

Some other alternatives you could try would be:
- Spray bitter apple on the area they chew, and hopefully, they'll stop. (Some rats actually like the taste, though.)
- Possibly move the cage to another room so it won't bug you.

What kind of cage are they in? Are the bars getting really chewed up looking?

Cage chewing can be one of many things. It could be a sign of boredom. It could simply mean they want out and they're getting attention. Some just do it for the heck of it! (:

Good luck!

OMG...I have the worst bar chewers on the face of the earth!!!!   I have 3-4 of them in my girls cage that do it.  And I have 2 in my boys cage that do it.  They drive me up a wall!  And it definately isn't the size of the cage as my girls are in a honking SP deluxe Ferret whatchamacallit that is taller than me and my boys are in a FN.  The only thing I have found to stop them is to try to distract them with something else to do.  But see mine are in the living room and like to do it while I am watching TV or on the computer.  I don't know if they are doing it at night when I am asleep.

Staci

Apparently 'Fooey' is more likely to work than bitter apple spray.  I have not tried it personally, however.

height is important to, I as well as many others find 14inches wide to be on the small side. If it's a gp cage, then unless it is one of those monstrous things (like the  4ft long ones, an you already said it was 24 inches *i'm assuming long!!!*) it probably isn't big/tall enough for ratties unless you have a single or older ratties.

It is on Petco's website, and theferretstore.com's website for sure.   Perhaps if you have a Petco nearby they might carry it in store.

It's not small at all, it's a guinea pig cage! 24 inches wide by 14 inches deep by 14 inches high. Perfect for just my two rats that are in it, the other two boys are in a different cage because they're small enough to squeeze through the 1-inch spacing between the bars (I know, I've watched them do it.) I think if one boy was uncomfortable, the other would be too, right?
And anyway, the cage I had before was a three level extension for a 10-gallon aquarium (you can find them at any PetSmart) and he did the same thing then, and it was just him and Cody in that cage, and still room for at least one more. I don't think it's a space issue, I agree with Char now in thinking he's just bored. He does stop when I talk to him, but starts up again after I leave.
I don't think its an escape attmept, really, it's just the noise that bothers me. If they're in a bad mood they often try to get back in the cage. I've never known them to just waltz out of it, not even with the door wide open.
Thanks for the input, though.

My Inky girl was famous for chewing the bars.  She was such a social rat and always wanted out to run and play.  None of the other girls have ever chewed the bars, and so far my boys aren't chewing the bars.  Inky girl was just a bar chewer.  Even the night before she died, (we had her in a carrier in our room) she was chewing those bars too.  She could hardly get around she was so sick.  Still that little girl's spirit was alive and well telling her she wanted to romp and play.

My one rat is in a 24 x 18 x 18 cage, I wouldnt put him in anything smaller. (dont worry he wont be alone for long hes going to neutered and going to live with my girls after the post-surgery 3 week wait).

You're cage is way to small for 2 rats, let alone a guinea pig. I suggest a bigger cage from martins cages, use the cage calculator to determine how many rats can fit. (and the bigger the better in case of GGMR  )

Sounds like fun.  It is great to see what we can come up with isn't it?

Another great way to secure stuff is with zip ties or cable ties.  You get them in the plumbing dept of Home Depots and the like.  I just used a ton of them on my boys new cage.  I got a cage on e'bay.  It was described as a ferret/chin cage.  I put it together and it was just hooked with little wire hook things three on each side   Let us just say not real sturdy.  So it was zip ties for me.  The cage also had those annoying bird cage slide up/down doors.  what a pain in the patooty.  Hubby hinged for me though.

Can't wait to see your new creation. 

Oh some rats are just bar chewers.  Maybe boredom.  I think it's done to make you feel guilty for not letting him out.  Inky used to give me those eyes and chew on the cage.  Silly thing that she was.

Your new cage sounds great!  But just a heads up the wood chin ledges could end up getting yucky after a while.  Rat pee may soak into them and start to smell.  So you might save up a little money and invest in some hardware cloth from the hardware store.  You can get a roll for $10 so that you can rig up some shelves that are more cleanable.  But what you have rigged up for now is great.

Staci

Jack was never aggerssive about his chewing. He would always stop when I came over to distract him, and that'd keep him busy for a little while, but after leaving him alone for about a half hour he'd do it again. And he always chews on the same corner of the cage that I stand on when I talk to them, like in the morning when I say hello, or when I'm giving them a treat. I agree, he's trying to get my attention.

And yeah, those things do get kinda nasty, but I wash and dry them when I clean their cage weekly, and it came off okay, so I don't think I'll worry about it for now.

I'm sorry if I sounded kinda rude in my last message, you guys, I was just tired of people telling me my little boy was smothered and trying to escape. I really do try and provide my boys with the very best.....which is rather hard to do with a not-so-large paycheck. Hooray for overtime!! 

Okay......pictures. It's kinda hard to see the exact dimensions (not to mention the hugeness) of this cage because it's not a 3-d picture, but I took some different shots to show you how big it is.

That's from the front. Like I said, it's 25'' wide, 21'' deep and 35'' high. And you can see, by the size of my boy Cody, just how big the cage is in comparison to him. PS: The bar is no longer there, across the bottom. Cody liked very much to play on it, but after he fell off and I nearly panicked that he would break a rib or something, I removed it. It's in the trash now.


Here you can see some of the wood ledges. There are four total: two leading up the side of the cage, and a larger on right next to the hammock so they can climb safely in and out. You can also see the sliding bird doors (yes, they are annoying!!!) and the green little tie I used to secure them. YOu can also see, if you look kinda close, the white metal corner piece I found - whoever invented them is a genius and should be a millionare!!
My boys LOVE this cage =) And I must say I do too, except it's going to be a pain in the keester to move when I switch residences later this month....

And another question: Is it common for rats to pay no attention whatsoever to mineral licks? My boys have one in their cage that they haven't touched, not even sniffed. Was it a waste of money or what??

I'm new to the ratty world, but I also asked myself the same question, I have a mineral lick and they never touched it! I had it secured to the side of the cage beside water . Next time I cleaned the cage I moved it to a ledge and now they both use it all the time! Maybe just picky about where it is located, now they can stand on all fours to munch, before the would have to stand on hind legs. Not sure if this info helps, just wanted to share my experience.