After looking at some amazing commercial bird foraging toys, I sat down and decided to make one of my own with rats in mind. To make this fun DIY you'll need a small empty bottle, 2 pushpins, string, scissors, cardboard, and of course, treats! Watch the video below to find out how to make this great foraging toy:
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Want cheap rat toys that will give your rats hours of entertainment? If so, I'd highly recommend making some of these awesome DIY toilet tube toys. The majority of these DIY toys only need one roll to make, and your rats will greatly appreciate the mental stimulation that comes from their new foraging toys! Watch the video below if you'd like to find out how to make these epic toys!
I was recently peering through my (extensive :P) rat toy collection, and after sorting through many, many, MANY toys I decided that I might as well review my favorites.
#1.
The first toy I'll discuss here is the simple wooden bendy bridge. This toy may look boring, but don't be fooled: It has multiple different uses, and any rodent (from gerbils to hamster to rats!) can benefit from them. My favorite use for these bendy bridges is to use them as bridges connecting gaps, or to use them as huts for the rats to duck under. I've also used them as tunnels (both for trick training and playtime), and as fences to separate food and bedding. Whatever your needs, a bendy bridge or few is sure to fit the job.
#2:
Our next toy also looks surprising simple, yet boasts many different uses. The toy I'm talking about is the bird ladder. As you get more experienced with caring for rats, you might start to notice that many "rodent toys" just don't suit their energetic nature. And that's where bird ladders come in! These ladders can be used to connect high places, and are also great at supplementing climbing in cages with vertical bars. And if you want to get really creative, you can hang them from the top of your cage with some pipe cleaners and safety pins! Overall, these ladders are a great way to spruce up any rat cage, and something I wholeheartedly recommend.
#3
Continuing with the bird toy theme, the next toy I'll talk about is bird ropes. Bird ropes have a very similar use to bird ladders in that they give your rats alternative ways to climb from place to place. But what's uniquely great about bird ropes is the fact that they can be twisted into multiple different shapes. This allows you to continually challenge your rat, and helps keep them mentally stimulated while your away. Bird ropes also make perfect tightropes, and I've used mine to teach all of my girls to do exactly that!
#4
Next let's look at small animal cotton nets. These are some of my favorite rat toys because their sturdy build allows for these nets to be used in many different ways. You can use them to create a challenging ladder/bridge for your rats to navigate, or flip them over and add fabric to make them into the perfect hammock. And if you buy multiple nets, try hooking them together to create an extra fun toys for your rats to enjoy!
#5
Our next toy is the Large You&Me Ferret Hammock. This hammock does a great job of being sturdy yet soft and comfortable, and seems to be one of my ratties favorite sleeping places. I also like that these hammocks tend to be significantly cheaper than many of their counterparts, and that combined with their size makes them the perfect hammock for any rat.
#6
Going back to the climbing toys, lava ledges are the toy of choice for many rat owners. These pumice steps are sturdy and durable, perfect for giving your rats a fun way to navigate their cage. And best of all, lava ledges work wonders on filing down rat nails. Just place a ledge under each water bottle or make a staircase around the cage, and as your rat hops about they'll be filing down their nails for you!
#7
Now onto the opposite of climbing toys, the next toy I'll discuss is the fun tunnel. These tunnels are aptly named because rats seem to love darting back and forth through each tunnel. But the best thing about these tunnels is easily the fact that you can shape them! Simply pull the tunnel to extend it fully then mold it back into whatever shape you wish! And for a longer tunnel, consider buying 2 or 4 and then taping them together to form an extra long tube that your rats can explore.
#8
Another great hammock-like toy is something I like to call a Snuggle Hammock. These cup-like hammocks can be hung just about anywhere in the cage, and seem to be one of my girl's favorite resting spots. I just love the design and feeling of these hammocks - they're soft and cozy enough that I almost wish I could fit in there with the rats!
#9
Now we get to one of the most icon toys out there: The space pod (sputnik)! Space pods are practically a legend in the rat world - they seem to have an almost magnetic pull for rats and when one is in the cage, you can bet that all your rats will be crammed inside it! The space pod can be either hung up from the top of the cage or turned over to act as a house. This versatility makes it a great toy both inside and outside the cage, and I've yet to have a rat who didn't adore them. If you could only buy one toy for your rats, this is the one to get!
#10
Now we move on to some of my favorite training props: Slotted cat balls and mini wiffle balls. Both of these mini balls have perfect sized holes for dropping in small solid treats, letting you use these balls as rat foraging toys. And if you're into training like I am, you'll be happy to know that both the slotted holes of the cat balls and the circular holes of the mini wiffle balls are the perfect size for rats to pick them up!
#11
And finally we move on to THE BEST rat foraging toy in my opinion: The Teach N' Treat! This amazing product is a 3-in-1 foraging toy that can keep your rats occupied with ease. This toy comes with 3 levels of difficulty:
My rats found each setting very easy to learn, and had mastered them within seconds. But this toy still gave them a great way to actually work for their treats (other than trick training :P), and their intense focus on interacting with it whenever I place it into their cage or free-range area makes it a great success in my opinion! If you'd like to hear a verbal review of each toy, along with see clips of my rats using them, feel free to watch the video below: |
AboutHey there! Here you will find tips and tricks on rat care and training, along with information not found elsewhere on this site. If you have questions or suggestions for me, feel free to contact me through the contact page. Archives
October 2021
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