Home Made Rat Toys
October 9, 2009 by RatsRatsRats
Filed under Rat Care, Rat Toys
Young rats love to play with toys and older rats like to lounge on them and investigate them. Even if your rat doesn’t play all that much, toys are a great way to add excitement to his environment.
Remember not to clutter up your rat’s cage too much. Just give them a couple of toys to try out and then they can play with some more in their free range time. Of course if you have a large rat cage, you may be able to fit quite a few toys in, before it becomes cluttered.
There are not too many toys that you can buy especially for rats, but you can often use ones designed for birds, rabbits or ferrets. You can also make toys for your rats. They are very appreciative of anything you give them from an expensive new toy to a toilet roll.
Here are some ideas for home made toys.
Tubes and Tunnels
Rats love to crawl through tunnels and sometimes just to hide away in them. You can use an old piece of pipe for a very hardy tube.
You can also use old clothes to make squishy, comfy tunnels. Cut off the sleeves or trouser legs of a comfy old garment and use a paper clip to hang up each corner, now your rats can use it as a tunnel, or a comfy retreat.
You can try asking at your local carpet shop, whether they have any old carpet tubes. These will make very sturdy tunnels for your pets.
To get your rat to explore the tunnel (if they need encouragement) simply pop a tasty treat inside.
Comfy, Squishy Things
You can buy hammocks for rats. They may be marketed at ferrets’, but they do the job. However, it is just as easy (and much cheaper) to make one at home. As long as it’s comfy your ratty won’t care how it looks.
Just use a piece of comfy material, like polar fleece from an old jumper, or buy some from your local material shop. Cut out a nice piece big enough to accommodate your rats, for a snooze and use paper clips to attach each corner to a corner of the cage, or to make it a bit more sturdy you can cut a little hole in each corner and thread some string through.
Your rat will love to sleep in such a comfy place, especially when it’s cold.
You can also use an old woolly hat or comfy pair of socks as a hammock, anything cuddly really.
Another snuggly place for your rat to hide in and explore is a flower pot filled with hay. They will love to make a little nest in there, when life gets a bit too stressful.
A simple way to keep your rats entertained is to hide pieces of tissue around the cage. Your rats will love to spend time finding and arranging the comfy pieces of tissue into their bed. It all helps to keep them warm in winter too.
Things to Keep Rats Amused
When you’re not around your rats may get a bit bored, so why not try out some of these ideas to keep them entertained.
Toilet Rolls
Pop your old toilet rolls and cut up cereal boxes in the cage for your rats to play with. They will enjoy gnawing them up and moving them around.
Branches
Put some branches in the cage for your rats to climb on. Make sure they are suitable branches for your rats to chew.
You can also put in some untreated hard wood, something they can really sink their teeth into.
Empty Boxes and Treats
Some empty boxes will be great fun for your rats to explore. They will be interested in the change of environment and will have lots of places to hide in.
Hide treats around the cage, in unexpected nooks and crannies, for your rats to seek out during the day. They use this technique in zoos, to add interest to the animals’ day.
Sealed up Boxes of Treats
Get a small cereal box and put some irresistible treats inside. Seal the box up tight. Your rat will smell the treats inside and will have fun gnawing at the box and working out how to get to them. Of course, he will then have fun eating them.
Digging
Rats love to dig. Try giving them a box of mud to play in and they will enjoy digging in it. They will probably dig in the corners and get nice and muddy.
Playing With Your Rat
Toys are even more fun for your rats, if you play too! Here are some toys you can use to make play time more fun.
Paper and String
Some rats love to chase a ball of paper on a string. Drag the paper around for your ratty and watch the fun ensue.
Feather Duster
My rats love to be tickled with a feather duster. They will pounce on it and run away and then run back. They get very excited indeed. It is also a good snuggly toy to leave in the cage (if your cage is big enough, so that it doesn’t get cluttered)
Fishing For Peas
My rats love water. Sometimes I just give them a shallow bowl of water to splash in. It is a great way to cool down on a hot day and they love to splash each other.
To make things more interesting for them pop some frozen peas into the water and watch your rats fish for them. It’s a good way to keep them entertained and cool them down at the same time.
Don’t make the water too deep, because your rat will probably dive in and they are not meant to get water in their ears.
Mazes
Why not make a fun maze for your ratty to explore? You can make a simple maze out of books, bricks or anything else you may have. Put your rats favorite treat at the end and watch him find it. After a couple of tries, you will see your little fuzzy gets much faster at reaching the treat.
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i love your website.
Thank you! What a lovely comment.
this is a fab place such handy tips for my boys
Thanks for your comment Jenna. I am glad you found the site useful.
I was afraid that my rat wouldnt trust me, because she just runs away when i try to build the trust. now, with the toys and the appreciation tips you put in, i can ensure that she will love her place , (:
my babies love fishing for peas!! i will try paper on a string and feather duster!! sounds like fun(: thanks
Thanks for your comment Nelle! I am glad the tips have helped you. Good luck with your ratty!
Hi Jordie!
It sounds like you have some playful ratty friends! My rats love chasing the duster as I am cleaning out their cage. They are so cheeky!
Have Fun!
Hello, thank you muchly for your fantastic site
I love how you reply to all your comments aswel as this is handy especially when your in need of help 
I commend you for a great site and information. xxx
Thank you for your comment Ebony! I am glad the site has been useful to you. It is always nice to meet people who love rats as much as I do
Can females learn as well as males, or better? And can my 4 month old female learn tricks? She doesn’t like any treats that I offer. She just sniffs it then does something else. Why is that? I got her a few days ago, and I know she’s still adjusting, but I would think that she’d love treats.
Hello Pink Kat,
Congrats on your new ratty. Males and females can both learn well, but all rats have different personalities. Your little one may still be adjusting, after all she has only been with you for a few days. Some rats prefer exploring and having fun rather than training. As far as treats just try new things. Banana, weetbix, even a little bit of cookie or chocolate. As long as you don’t give too much you can try out many different tasty foods.
Good Luck
this site is great i love my rats so much….
My rats love their food they are so mad 4 chocolate… Here is a little ratty tale
My mate was over and it had just been Easter and i let my rats out. They’re cheeky…while one of my rats was distracting us the other one pinched my cream egg it was so funny as well they pinched our last button… sneaky little thing and as well they chewed my homework up.
When i put toys in that i have bought they don’t bother with them but when i make them they luv em. I want a lil help because my rats hate water but i still give a bath to keep them clean i tried everything 4 them to like it but they don’t…..
Thanks for your comment Courtney! Your rats sound so funny and mischievous. It is nice that they like your home made toys…at least you won’t have to spend too much money on new toys.
As for bathing your rats, you don’t really need to do that unless they get into a real mess. To be honest I have never had to bathe my rats, although I have made them a shallow little paddling pool (out of a new cat litter tray propped up on books) so that they can paddle and pick up the shells, treats and other interesting things that I put in the water for them to find.
My rats do like the water, but they like to go in, in their own time. It is great to get their pool out on hot days. So you can try dropping some peas into the water for them to find to make it a little more fun for them, but otherwise if they don’t like water, you don’t have to give them a bath unless they get into a mess somehow.
thxxs for ur adive
I would really like to have rats but sadly I’m not able to own them. I get by, by learning all about rats. If some day i can get one then i’d really like to be a brilliant owner. Your site is fab!!!!
Hi Eleanor,
It sounds like you would make a great rat owner. They really are wonderful animals, so full of personality. Hopefully one day you will be able to adopt some.
Good Luck and thanks for your kind comment about the site.
This is one of the best websites for rats you can find.My rat was always kind of shy and when I held her on the couch she wanted to run away from me.One night I looked at a few web-sights.I’ve looked at about five different sights until I found this one. The other sights had little help.Then I started using your ideas and boom! Now my rat cant get enough of me and my toys.
Thank you Brooke. You’ve made my day! I am glad that you have found the site useful and that you are now great friends with your rat. It is lovely to meet other people who appreciate these mischievous little critter as much as I do.
Love Catherine
I have two little rats and their names are Ella and Lulu. I’ve had Ella for about a month, but then I read that they are supposed to live with a buddy, so I got Lulu. They are both brown and white hooded rats and they just LOVE toilet rolls. One thing did to make their cage a little more fun, was that I hung a toilet roll at the top of their cage, and then put some uncooked pasta on a different piece of yarn, and hung it on the toilet roll. They LOVED it!!! I used pasta, because they can chew on it, and eat it without getting hurt.
Hi Rat Girl,
Thanks for your comment and well done for getting Ella a friend. It will make her life so much more fun. What a great idea for a rat toy. What lucky rats Ella and Lulu are to have such a creative Mum.
HI!
I LOVE your website! its really cool and ive tried out some of the ideas and my baby rat loves playing in his cage now. thanks!
Thanks for your comment LoLo. I am glad the site has been useful for you.
I need things for my rats to chew on. Are old Jenga blocks okay?
Hi Ivy, I am not really sure about Jenga blocks. If they are made of untreated wood they should be fine, but as I don’t own Jenga I can’t really advise.
Hello i love your toy ideas i just got my rats yesterday as a surprise i have been wanting them sssoooo bad and i came on line to look for toys to make them i tried the toilet role they love it i have 2 of them both about six weeks old thx for advice
Congratulations on your new pet rats! You sound like you are a lovely ratty Mum.
Thank you for all of your wonderful adivice! I recently adopted an adorable male dumbo rat. He doesn’t like to play, he is terrorified of people, besides myself, and he doesn’t much at all… My brother has 2 female rats and we let them play and interact with supervision (so they don’t make babies) and this us the only time he truly comes out of his shell, why is all of this? I’d really like to get him more confurtable with me and other people as well, how do I go about doing this?
Hello again… I just wanted to apologize for all of the above typos, I’m trying to type on my iPod and it’s a bit hard.
One of those lines is supposed to say “he doesn’t eat much at all”
Hi Krystal,
It sounds like your little rat may have been mistreated before you got him. It will take a lot of patience and love, but he will trust you in the end. Sit quietly with him and let him come to you. Have some treats on your lap to encourage him. Speak softly to him and always handle him gently. Pick him up to place him back in his cage and he will begin to connect your hands with safety.
Good Luck
this website is very good use of info my rat is a rex rat shes full of life.i got her on my b-day and i spend alot of time with her.school is starting soon but i still want to spent time with her i only have 1 rat so will she be ok if i leave her alone for a good portion of the day.
Hello Abby,
It sounds like you take good care of your rat, but it is always best to have at least 2 rats. That way they can snuggle together as they sleep and play with each other when you are not around. See whether you can find her a female companion.
I’m conserned. I’m only allowed to have one rat, but everyone says you need two. I play with my rat everyday, but I’m not sure if she’s lonely or not. Do you have any advice?
Hello Maddy,
It is great that you play with your rat every day and give her lots of love and attention. You are right rats are happier with ratty company. They like to snuggle together when they sleep and play and groom each other when you are not around.
It would be great if you could get your rat a companion (another female) and it should be easy to introduce them, but if you are not allowed just try to spend as much time with her as possible. Also ensure she has plenty of toys to play with and warm bedding to snuggle into.
Good Luck
I’ve had my male for about 3 months, and ever since I got him he’s been having seizers. I went back to the people who I got him from and they said he’s never had a seizer when he was with them. Some days he won’t have any and somedays he has them every 5 minutes…. Sometimes their violent and sometimes they are not as bad. He almost always looses control of his bowels when having a seizer. I’ve looked online the signs of them being in pain but he doesn’t show any of them. When he’s not having a seizer he seems very happy and healthy. He just seems really confused when he comes out of a seizer like he doesn’t know what just happened, then he goes back to cleaning himself, sleeping, eating, playing or whatever he was doing prior.
Hello Krystal,
It sounds like you have already done some research, but the best idea is to take your little one to the vet. A small animal specialist is best and they will be able to advise you how to control the seizures and ensure your rat’s quality of life.
Good luck and let us know how it goes x