Toys and Enrichment
The mind of a rat needs constant stimulation from its environment and the objects within that environment. This can be provided to your rat in a myriad of ways, and thankfully most of them are cheap if not free.
Rat Presents
Give your rats a gift! Place a super yummy treat inside a toilet roll tube, then fold the ends in or sew them with string so they're sealed. Throw it in and watch them go! For extra fun, try hanging it from the roof, piñata style.
Cat Toys
Cat toys are great for rats as they're often small, noisy and safe to shred apart. Tinkle balls can provide a lot of fun. Roll them around and your rat may chase after it, or they may carry it around the cage. I play with ym rats with a cat teaser, which they take great pleasure in 'hunting'.
Tunnels
This multi-purpose toy is easy to get and will last for ages. They're good for climbing on, sleeping in and running through. Find a mailing tube from your post office and place it in your cage. Done! Or you can cut it on an angle and change the shape of the tunnel. You can also pick up PVC pipe joints from Bunnings and other hardware stores for a few dollars each. These are great because you can change the layout of the tunnel frequently to make it seem like a whole new one. You can get quite a few for $20! They're also super easy to clean.
Rat Pool
Turn your cage or play area into a rat resort with a pool! No excavating is required. All you need is a big, shallow tupperware container or a paint tray (unused), water, some pebbles and perhaps a few other incentives to climb in, like fruit or peas and corn. Place the pebbles in the tray along with any treats, then fill with clean water. This is excellent for a hot day! Your rats will enjoy diving for pebbles and rescuing them.
Box Fort
Collect any boxes you have around the house (shoes boxes, mail shipping boxes etc.) and cut some rat-sized holes in the sides. Arrange them in an interesting layout on the floor or table. You can even stack them and connect the boxes with tubes if you want. Add rats for a lot of fun! You can make it even more exciting by hiding treats around the boxes and tunnels.
Fishing
It's probably best to not use live fish for this one. Instead, fill a solid heavy bowl with water and add some peas. Your rats will try to fish for the slippery things and stay amused for a good while (or at least until you run out of peas!). It's good to cool off your rats on a hot day.
Rat Presents
Give your rats a gift! Place a super yummy treat inside a toilet roll tube, then fold the ends in or sew them with string so they're sealed. Throw it in and watch them go! For extra fun, try hanging it from the roof, piñata style.
Cat Toys
Cat toys are great for rats as they're often small, noisy and safe to shred apart. Tinkle balls can provide a lot of fun. Roll them around and your rat may chase after it, or they may carry it around the cage. I play with ym rats with a cat teaser, which they take great pleasure in 'hunting'.
Tunnels
This multi-purpose toy is easy to get and will last for ages. They're good for climbing on, sleeping in and running through. Find a mailing tube from your post office and place it in your cage. Done! Or you can cut it on an angle and change the shape of the tunnel. You can also pick up PVC pipe joints from Bunnings and other hardware stores for a few dollars each. These are great because you can change the layout of the tunnel frequently to make it seem like a whole new one. You can get quite a few for $20! They're also super easy to clean.
Rat Pool
Turn your cage or play area into a rat resort with a pool! No excavating is required. All you need is a big, shallow tupperware container or a paint tray (unused), water, some pebbles and perhaps a few other incentives to climb in, like fruit or peas and corn. Place the pebbles in the tray along with any treats, then fill with clean water. This is excellent for a hot day! Your rats will enjoy diving for pebbles and rescuing them.
Box Fort
Collect any boxes you have around the house (shoes boxes, mail shipping boxes etc.) and cut some rat-sized holes in the sides. Arrange them in an interesting layout on the floor or table. You can even stack them and connect the boxes with tubes if you want. Add rats for a lot of fun! You can make it even more exciting by hiding treats around the boxes and tunnels.
Fishing
It's probably best to not use live fish for this one. Instead, fill a solid heavy bowl with water and add some peas. Your rats will try to fish for the slippery things and stay amused for a good while (or at least until you run out of peas!). It's good to cool off your rats on a hot day.