To roam free once again...

[jujipup]

So at my previous apartment, we had my room set up so that the ratties could roam freely while we played with them.  We'd put them back in the cage, and sometimes Demeter got lucky and had a night out.  However, they chewed up the corners of the carpet, and of course pretty much stunk up the room.

At the new apartment, we have new carpeting, and we'd like to avoid the mess and bedding, seeds, and all that everywhere.  So we're keeping them in the cage unless we hold them, or put them in the ball.  However, I'm missing letting them roam especially since they all want out and we have the toys for them to play with.

Any suggestions as to what I could do to let them have some freedom, but keep everything sanitary and the carpet new?

Our bathrooms are too small, which would of been ideal with the linoleum floor.

[CaroCaro]

I might have a couple of tips for you. I have 7 pet rats, only one of them is a known chewer so whenever they free roam in my bedroom, I keep a closer eye on her.

Another thing is to keep your bedroom spare. No extra shelves where they like to hide and pee. Do, however, have some sort of play area for them. For us it involves a laundry drying rack with old bedsheets draped over it forming tents. Easy to wash and wipe. Pepper, the chewer, also likes to chew books as much as she likes to chew carpet. So I have a bookshelf filled with books that I don't mind her chewing. She only chews the edges anyway, so I can still read them

She also seems obsessed about certain spot in the carpet (usually corners). So I put a brick on every single corner.

Steam vacuum the carpet every now and then.

And this is probably what has worked best for me. Keep playtime short and do it before their dinner time. My kids can't wait to go back to their cage after 20-30 mins of playtime because they know dinner will be waiting for them. That way they won't get too destructive.

It's a tough balancing act. Good luck! 

[jujipup]

Thanks for the tips.  Keep 'em comin!  ^.^

We just recently moved, so I have to unpack all the boxes yet.  They'd have too many hiding spots if I let them out atm!  XD

[looneycartoonie]

Bricks work wonders in corners. I thought I was the only one CaroCaro. lol. Anyhow have you ever thought to put out some boxes or toys in the middle of the room. My rats pretty much like to run about everywhere and I have quite a few, but when they have things to play with they they're all over it. It's funny because the toys are meant for them but they always have this look as though "heh heh...I'm doing something bad and you're letting me" look on their faces. 

I've also found that if you interact with them more instead of leaving them to their own devices then they tend to chew less. I normally just give them some treats and stuff while I'm sitting on the floor to keep them pre-occupied. I also try to keep their out time to a minimum. Man I swear if they're out too long they become destructive out of sheer boredom.

[LivingPinCushion]

If you dont want to do it in your room what about sectioning off your kitchen if it is tile or letting them play in the bathroom.

[fluffy pluffy]

I don't have any ideas,but why don't you check out "Rat toys and games' ? they may have some ideas as to what you can do. It's a bit of an old topic,though,but I believe it's posted at the top of the topics.

[Kendra]

Maybe a Martin's play pen would work?  Another option that some people use is getting an old table cloth to throw over the kitchen table then setting up a play area for them on it.  There was a really neat one posted a while back with a sort of castle make up of old boxes with holes in them. 

[Dearpie]

What about getting a large piece of scrap linolium to lay in one of the rooms, and then boxes and toys on top of it.

Also, in general, rats don't really like those balls to roll around in.  Typically hamsters do best in them.  If you insist on using one though, I hope it's the largest they make, otherwise you can mess up the rats spine.

[RatAttack59]

shower curtain liners are fairly cheep and pee proof (at least until they chew on them).  All those moving boxes!  Castles galore, there....

[Antics]

Hi,
We created  large play areas within a carpeted room with masonite panels and duct tape hinges. You can make it as big as you want depending on  how may panels you use. We use one piece of plexi glass in front so that we can see inside. As for the bottom floor, we take huge cardboard boxes and cut them to make them flat and lay them out under the area making sure that the cardboard floor extends past the walls of the play area, which makes finding a corner to chew less of an issue. Little poos can be picked up from the cardboard floor and when the cardboard gets yucky or smelly with pee we just replace it with new because it is free.
Hope this helps!
Those  balls are great for hanging in a rat's cage. Mine love to sleep in them but I don't think that they would be good
for rolling around in.Rats are so smart and I think it would feel frustrating for them to be trapped in something so small.
Annie

[jujipup]

Everyone keeps saying that they like sleeping in them, but I do not see how you'd attach it to the cage?  How would you do that?

We have a little indented wall in our living room, we were considering putting something there, possibly with linolium or whatever we can find for a floor.  I just don't think thats as apetizing for them as a room.  When we were moving, we wanted to find a 3 bedroom so we could have a rattie room.  However, no where in town has a three bedroom.  And, now we're stuck here for at least a year.  XD

[Kendra]

Zip ties through the air holes is the quickest way to hang up those balls.