(toys and games for your rats)
(toys and games for your rats)
All it takes to keep your rats entertained and keep their little minds racing is a bit of creativity on your part in the form of toys and games and tricks.
My boys love anything cardboard. It's great for hiding, stashing food and gnawing. Needless to say one of the best things I ever received was some large cardboad tubing from a friend of mine who worked in a mysterious factory. Not only could they do all of the above with their new tubes, but they were also fun for playing. It's very important to think about your little pet and how he/she is built and what sort of thing they will do with any certain toy, because this is how you will decide what is safe.
Click here to see how my boys' mansion is decorated...it's also great to have extra stashed away so you can change their environment every now and then and keep them intrigued.
The plastic tubing they make for hamsters and gerbils is definitely not ok. It may fit your baby rats, but not only can an adult rat get painfully stuck in this tubing once they outgrow it (which will be very quickly), but they can also catch and painfully injure their little toes and tails in the vent holes. It's all around bad, and not appropriate for rats.
Still determined to have your ratties running around in tubes? Well, if you're not lucky enough to come across an endless supply of my strange cardboard tubing, there is a safe alternative. PVC piping. It's big, it's ugly, and it's black, but your rats will love running through and hiding in it. And it's a safe place for them to play. Not only that but it's simple to clean with a scrubbing of hot water and bleach solution. You can create a tunnel maze for them outside their cage, or use it in pieces to add to their cage environment, anything you can think of.
Another thing to avoid are the metal wheels. Now, I'm of the opinion that rats are smarter than that anyway, and deserve something more. But the important thing is that a rat can very easily be injured by them. Hamsters, gerbils and even mice don't have long tails like rats. Plus rats are bigger animals. Your rat could break a foot, ankle, or even his tail attempting to play on a wheel. If you really want your rats to learn to use a wheel for extra exercise, there are safe ones being made.
Wodent WheelsWant something that gives your rats loads of fun and balancing practice? Try ropes. My boys have rope hanging from one wall to the ceiling all the way down to the bottom of their house, and they use it both functionally to get to a fro, but also leap up on it and play. It's great exercise for them, and rope climbing is a skill your rattie has to develop over time with practice, so it keeps him learning.
On to little toys. Aside from those nasty hamster tubes, and things to gnaw on, your local pet stores probly don't carry much for small animals that's suitable for rats to play with. They certainly are smarter than hamsters or gerbils, and need much more stimulus to stave off boredom. To find great rat toys you have to look to other animals. Namely, birds and cats. Yes, they have all the good toys, so I'd start looking there if you're having trouble finding anything in the small animal section. In the cat area, you can get those very cheap little balls that have a bell inside them. Also a hit would be anything that dangles. A feather or other light object suspended on elastic makes for a fun toy to play with with your rats when you have them out. They'll try to catch and wrestle the strange flying object to the ground and bound after it when you tug it away. As for birds, try any of those great dangly toys, as they seem to be designed for rats as much as they are for birds. Anything dangly and jangly will probly be a hit. Chunks of wood hanging on leather with keys or a bell on the end make great rat toys. You can just hang them from the roof or the walls of your rattie abode, or off a rope hanging inside. My rats bat at them, jangle them, and will even use them to climb up onto their rope.
Tricks are a great way to make full use of your little pets active mind. Rats can learn their name, learn to come to a certain sound for treats, and many other things. Repetition is the key to your rat learning it's name. Just as with a dog, hearing it over and over applying to them will make them realize you are indeed talking about THEM. With a handful of little treats nearby you can quickly and easily teach your rat to come when you call him. Making a clicking sound and calling their name, get your rats attention. If he even so much as looks at you, reward him with a treat. Make sure he hears your sound, and sees the treat, and he will quickly associate your call with receiving a goody. Keep doing this, as your rat progresses until eventually he will come towards you when you make the sound and show him the treat. Once he really gets the idea, he'll come running when you call him.
What your rat can do to impress you is only limited by what you can think of to train him!
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