Weekly Rat Facts: Accessories and Toys

While it's important to give you rat some toys for their cage, it's just as important not to put so many toys and accessories into the cage that they have no room to move around. The best thing to do is to put a couple of small toys in the cage and see which ones they will actually play with, then once a week when you clean out the cage take the toys they don't play with out, and replace it with another.

This will keep your rat happy as well as give them something to do when you aren't playing with them. Keeping your rat mentally stimulated will keep them happy and therefore healthier. Keep in mind you don't have to spend loads of money on cage accessories and toys. Hand made toys can be just as effective as the store bought ones.

The most important accessory and the first thing you should get for your rat's cage is a nesting box for sleeping. Rats sleep a lot and having a safe, secure place to sleep will make them happy. Rats like to hide inside something while sleeping and there are several store bought things you can get that your rat will love. Things like log cabins, houses made from wood, and plastic igloos are just a few.

Make sure to look at other animal accessories, like ferret, chinchilla, guinea pig and even birds will have nesting houses, toys and accessories that you can use for your rat. Once you have the nesting house you will need to add some nesting material, such as extra bedding, shredded paper towels, and even torn pieces of paper are appropriate. Never use wood shavings as bedding or nesting material. Soft bedding made of paper products, such as Care Fresh works best. You will have to clear out and clean the nesting box material more than once a week if your animals are urinating in the nesting box. Rats like their environment to be kept clean.

Getting toys for your rat's cage is essential and will give your rat as well as you hours of fun. They will have fun playing and you'll have fun watching them play. Some but not all rats will like the wheel. Make sure to get a solid metal wheel with no wires. Rats can catch their tails in between the wires of some wheels and get injured.

Making treat boxes is another fun way for rats to play. Just take an empty toilet paper tube, put some treats inside it like nuts, fresh veggies or small dog biscuits and fold up the sides. You rat will love to tear the tube apart and get to the treat inside. There are also treat boxes in most pet stores that have a wide variety of treats in them. Store bought toys like wood chews, treat sticks, exercise balls, and plastic tubes are just some things you can get.

Hanging bird toys are another great thing you can put into your rat cage. Just hang the bird toy from the top and let it hang down, you rat won't be able to stop himself from chewing and tugging on it. Make sure you have a sturdy food bowl and give them plenty of food. They like to munch several times a day. A water bottle is a necessity; make sure your rat has a clean supply of water every day. Putting water in a free standing bowl is not a good idea as they will tip it over and get their bedding wet. Hard plastic or glass water bottles are the best to get. Rats like to chew so if you get a soft plastic water bottle you may find holes in it soon after you put it in the cage.

No matter how many toys you give your rat, make sure they get plenty of attention and playtime out of the cage with you. Rats are social animals and love to have time out of their cage, hanging around their humans, riding on your shoulder and getting bits of your food.