RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:06 am

Hi all,

I am going to try to convince my boyfriends mother who is quite the seamstress to make our ratties some hammocks.

However, I know if I say 'rat hammock' she won't have the faintest clue what I'm talking about. Heck, she doesn't even like the rats at all, but hopefully she'll do it for me.

I found one diagram that Little Willow made of 'pockets' hammocks, that looks great... does anyone have any other diagrams for sewing?

Also, In LittleWillows the total length is 25" isn't that very very long??

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Lise...

& Molly, Nora, and Tevy

Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:49 am

If you look at the diagram, it actually ends up 15", rather than 25". wink

That's about the right length to hang across my cage - it's 18" wide, and 15" plus clips fits about right, with a nice tautness - tight enough to be stable, but loose enough to cup big ratty butts. You can use whatever you want to hang it (fabric ties, cable ties, covered wire, etc) but I use split rings (it's third on that page). They make it easy and firm to clip onto the hammock through the grommets/eyelets, they're easy to clip to the cage and they're nice and sturdy.

Hope that helps a bit - they're really not hard to sew up, even by hand though generally I do simple hammocks without pockets:

- Just imagine that image there, but without the two 6.5" end pieces (around 12" x 15").
- Cut two layers of fabric, pin, stitch them together, hammer through grommets/eyelets (or cut and reinforce holes) and you're good to go. If you want neater edges, you can sew some tape or binding over the edges to help prevent fraying and add extra support to the stitching.
- Alternatively, you can pin the two fabric pieces right sides together, sew most of the way round, turn it the right way out and sew up the last unsewn bit.
- I use one layer of strong cotton for strength and one layer of fleece for warmth and softness. Suits my guys down to the ground.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon Nov 21, 2005 5:42 am

	LittleWillow wrote:
	If you look at the diagram, it actually ends up 15", rather than 25".

Oops! Now imagine me trying to make something.. when I can't even figure out the diagrams. LOL

Another silly question, as I truly am clueless. I know what fleece is, to look for in a fabric store. However, what is cotton? I like the idea of adding stability I'm just not too sure what kind of fabric that is... Something that just feels/looks like a normal cotton t-shirt?

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Lise...

& Molly, Nora, and Tevy

Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:02 am

Not at all silly.

It's not stretchy cotton like t-shirts are made of. It's more like the non-stretchy cotton that bed sheets, pillow cases or duvet covers are made from. Actually, the stuff I got was pretty heavy and thick - just a bit lighter than as denim, weight and thickness wise. It's probably not necessary to get it quite that heavy but it gave me some security (I had some big squishes at the time), it happened to be on sale in the fabric store and my guys didn't seem to like the overly stretchy hammocks - I don't think they trusted them either. LOL

I know some people just use a couple of layers of fleece but in my experience, my guys seem to prefer something more sturdy. That's why I chose the thicker cotton backing and the fleece on top.

Of course, if you want it to be reversible non-pocket hammock, you could do three layers of fabric - fleece, then cotton, then fleece. Then you can mix and match. wink

If you were doing a pocket hammock, and wanted to use cotton reinforcement along with the fleece, then you'd go for three layers (with cotton between the two fleece pieces) rather than the two in that diagram - that was designed based on using two pieces of fleece, so it's fluffy inside and outside, without the reinforcement.

Does that make sense?

Edit: OK I read that back and it's getting a bit confusing. I'll do a quick extra diagram and show you what I mean. wink

_________________
Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Nov 22, 2005 7:04 am

I've got hammocks made from two bits of fleece. one about 13" square, the other about 12" by 15". they are just stiched together around three sides (the 13" bit being too short to meet the 4th side), the 13" bit is slightly wider than the other bit, so it has a bend in it and won't lay flat (pocket is always open!) they have tape folded and sewn around all the edges for strength.

FD

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Tue Nov 22, 2005 8:41 am

Those diagrams scare me. I think I will stick to cutting up my dads shirts and hanging them, until my spacial perception increases.

They do look like the rats would love them though, if only they would actually use there hammocks, instead of stepping on them Rolling Eyes

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Tue Nov 22, 2005 9:03 am

My girls didn't like their hammocks for awhile, and it took them even longer to discover that their hammies had pockets. After that, though, it was all over. They're never in them anymore without being inside the pockie.

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Tue Nov 22, 2005 6:10 pm

I had a home made hammock in there for a while, which they never used and just shredded. Then I thought maybe it wasn't fluffy enough, so I go a cuddle cup, which Ellie liked for about 10 minutes, so I took that out (it is now with the new boys, and they LOVE it). I thought maybe they wanted something covered, so I got them a Comf-E-Cube, which they imediately started using as a hammock Rolling Eyes

Now they sometimes go in it, and sometimes stay on top of it, but they created there own pockets, by ripping out part of one side Shrug

_________________
Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Tue Nov 22, 2005 7:13 pm

*has a strong urge to go and sew funky rat-hammocks* wink

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Tails and her RAM byting Rats
Linux & Apple Mac
Angel rat

Maxie & Pepper

Thu Nov 24, 2005 9:53 pm

OMG, the imposible has happened! Eve and Shadow actually used a hammock I made!!!

*drops dead from shock*

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Fri Nov 25, 2005 7:11 am

My girls love their hammocks! During the day, that's where I find them, LOL. When I first got them their R-695, they chewed their brand new hammocks to bits. Than when I put a new one in, they didn't chew ONE hole!! Shrug

The hammocks I make are really simple, two pieces of fleece, with 3 sides sewn together.

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Fri Nov 25, 2005 7:57 am

I'm going to go out this weekend to buy fleece, and try my hand and just hand stitching one of these hammocks together.

Hopefully my ratties appreciate it, and don't just rip it to shreds like I have a feeling they are going to. LOL

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Lise...

& Molly, Nora, and Tevy

Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:21 am

I should make my ratties some hammocks! If my mom lets me use her sewing machine! Mr. Green

I have tried to give them one before but the trouble was they woul'nt go on it!

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2 rats ~Pheona~Clover~
4 Bunnies~Twinkletoes~Honeybee~Honeybunny~Marlo
2 Mice~Bovine~Roo~
2 Ducks~Hara~Bazil~

www.freewebs.com/ratsitter

Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:10 am

I usually don't even bother to do anything fancy with rat hammocks (pockets, etc.) because my girlies just chew 'em to shreds. In fact, I hung up a plastic basket with their old, torn hammock in it for cushioning, and they ADORE it. Much more durable, and you can find 'em at the dollar store.

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Cera (Sarah) and The Girlies:
Grace and Lenore

Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:36 am

I've only bought my ratties a hammock once, thank goodness. They DESTROY them, so I buy fleece, and make them myself.

The design I've found to work the best is by taking two squares of fabric, with one about 1/4 bigger than the other. You sew all four corners together, but only about an inch on either side of the corner. Hang it up with saftey pins, and voila! Insta hammock! Not to mention, I don't feel bad chucking them when they get grungy.

I'm excited to go to Walmart tomorrow, because for christmas I got a $25 gift certificate, and I'm going to use it on fabric for the ratlings!

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mother to:
rats: scooter, kermit, lestat + tsume
mouse: bingo [rip sweety. you're with peanut + wizard at the bridge]
horse: phoenix