How to Make Rat Toys

Just like other animals rats like to play. Since they spend much of their time in a cage they need activities to keep their lives active and interesting. Making toys for your pet rat is easy and you will have almost as much fun watching them as they will have playing with their new toys.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flower pot
• Hay
• Shallow bowl
• Water
• Frozen peas
• Toilet paper rolls
• Branches
• Larger rocks for rats to climb
• Full tissue box

1. Fill a flower pot with hay and place it in your rat's cage. He will love hiding and digging around in the straw.

2. Place a shallow bowl into the rat's cage or play area. Make sure it is big enough that the rat can get into it. Fill the bowl with enough water so that it becomes a shallow wading pool for the rats and then add frozen peas. Your rat will have a great time fishing for his snacks.

3. Provide some chewing activity when you make toys for rats, because chewing is an important activity for these critters. Toilet paper rolls, branches and untreated wood are all good options to satisfy their chewing habit.

4. Add rocks because rats love to climb, sniff and dig around them. Scratching on the hard surface will also help to keep their claws from getting too long.

5. Introduce a tissue box in the cage, pull out a few tissues and place them in the cage next to the box. The rats will pull these tissues into their nest and then come back for more. A full tissue box will keep them busy.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't have time to make toys for your rat, you can always purchase toys that were designed for birds, ferrets and rabbits instead.
• It is important to waterproof your rat's play area when incorporating water play. Put a plastic sheet down or have them play in the bathtub.

[SunnyStars]

on 1/15/2009 These are excellent rat toy ideas!