RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Mon Jun 13, 2005 2:26 pm

I make my own hammocks because it's loads cheaper.

Recipe for hammock:

Any old jumper or jeans or any old clothes you can get your hands on. I find sweater material works best.
Paper clips or garden wire.

Cut the material into a square about 7 inches (17cm) by 7 inches.
Cut a hole at each corner about half an inch in. Thread wire or paper clip through and hang. Nice and simple!

The only thing to be careful of is making sure all wire is bent so that no eyes can accidently be poked out!

It'll need changing twice a week but the wire can be removed and the hammock washed. I make a few and have them on rotation.

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Caroline mummy to: Sylvia and Darcy, the furry ladies!
Who will soon have a new foster mummy. sniff, tear.

Tue Jun 14, 2005 7:12 am

Ok youre like me and have no idea how to sew. You could just cut a peice of fabric into a square and use wire to poke trough the material and hang it in the cage ( make sure to bend it so no rattie eyes get poked out). You could cut off the leg of the jean and do the wire thing above. you can use a plastic container and cut a hole in the side and theres another igloo. Also these are great ideas www.dapper.com, and any other site u can think of.

Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:49 pm

	Quote:
	Cut the material into a square about 7 inches (17cm) by 7 inches.

You know what i said aboput 7 inches, I take that back! My girls have got so porky that last night I realised darcy was using Sylvia as a blanket! One across the other! Must get a pic! and a bigger hammock!

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Caroline mummy to: Sylvia and Darcy, the furry ladies!
Who will soon have a new foster mummy. sniff, tear.

Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:56 pm

I have wooden bird toys with bells that hang from the bottom in all my babies cages. I can hear the bells at night and they love chewing on the wood. I also have those kitty cat toy balls with bells in them. I have tubes and hammocks and they come out of their cages for play time.

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Tammy and the gang
Guys: Rufus, Raffles, Roo, Rugby, Ruger
At the bridge: Zorro and Rudy

Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:43 pm

So, I'm moving to my new apartment soon (the second move in 6 months!) and am eagerly planning for my new rat room. So far, I'm planning to have a cupboard for rat/other pet supplies, the rat cage (obviously) their tunnels and igloos and toys, my aquarium and my turtle, and..a chair or something?

Who else has a rat room? What do you put it in? Do you generally let the rats roam free in it or only when you're in there? What do you use for sufficiently rat-proof food and treat storage? Pictures?

Mon Jun 20, 2005 10:51 pm

for ya food storage , you could put a plastic container inside another and fill the inner container with there food , i guess it would take even ratty teeth a while to get through that if they managed to find it Rolling Eyes

Good Luck

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Phil & The Ratbags : Abba , Thelma , Louise , Arwen , Mort & Rumples ! <:3()~

R.I.P Milo , Rody , French & Saunders

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:19 am

My rat room is our front living room that isn't used for anything. So I have the rat cage, rubbermaid storage drawers for hammocks and rat accessories, 2 lamps with the cords covered with flex tubing, two old end tables that were given to me and an old garage sale couch that looks decent but doesn't hurt if the ratties chew it. (Good thing too since Clara has chewed a hole through the side so she can sneak up onto the couch and nip me in the butt while I'm sitting on it. Rolling Eyes

) I also have my 75 gallon marine tank in that room, but have sectioned it off with plexiglass so that the ratties can't get behind it where all the wiring is.

I have two baby gates that go across the doorways since there are no doors - one doorway leads to our foyer and the other leads to our dining room which is actually our office. So while I'm working or online I put up the baby gates and let the ratties loose. Their cage sits on the floor so they are able to come and go as they please. However I do keep them locked up in the cage (RUDD) when I'm not home or not able to keep an eye on them.

I was gonna post pics for you but someone seems to have "borrowed" my digital cam and now I can't find it. Confused

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Tue Jun 21, 2005 1:35 am

My favorite thing in my rat room is the plastic shelving. I bought it at Walmart. The shelves are for garage storage and very sturdy. They clean up easily, and it doesn't matter if the rats chew on them (but they don't seem to).

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paisley

Spike, Diamond, Elphaba, Rose, Octavia, A Cappella, & Nocturne

the cats: Trip & Phlox

the rabbit: Ripley

Tue Jun 21, 2005 2:50 am

Ideas, ideas..

Christy, what are your baby gates like? The only ones I've seen can either be climbed through or climbed over. I'm looking into something like that to block off the kitchen, too.

How much were your shelves, paisley?

Tue Jun 21, 2005 3:18 am

I think about $20. I bought them a few years ago, so I don't remember exactly.

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paisley

Spike, Diamond, Elphaba, Rose, Octavia, A Cappella, & Nocturne

the cats: Trip & Phlox

the rabbit: Ripley

Tue Jun 21, 2005 6:13 am

My rat room is the other pets room as well.. it's just a spare bedroom with the 2 rat cages in there, the degu cage, sugar glider cage and the bunnies have free range of the room with a couple litter boxes on the floor.. I don't really let my ratties out in there unless the bunnies are elsewhere.. I find it easier to just put them on my bed for play time.. but sometimes if the bunnies are busy in the living room I'll close the door and let the ratties go mad. They seem to feel more comfortable on the bed though.. guess it's just cause they spend more time there.
There's also a closet in there as well so thats where I keep all the extra cages, toys, bedding, foods, etc.. it's actually a pretty good set-up.. I'm happy with it and the critters seem to like it just fine.. there aren't any decorations of any sort in there.. no pictures, ornaments or anything.. maybe I should spice it up a bit.. put up some posters of rats in bikins and trunks to keep them occupied..

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To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug - Helen Keller

http://photobucket.com/albums/v215/Glideriffic/

Wed Jun 22, 2005 2:30 pm

*sigh* I wish I had a rat room....my boyfriend wouldnt be too happy about it though...

My rat's mom and dad are free-roaming rats in their human's apartment, lucky things! One day, I'll have that!

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

Maxie & Pepper

Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:37 pm

I was just wondering some good toys to put in their cage that I could find and make around the house?
<3

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Jessie,
& Juno, Rubie, and Bracken...
At the bridge: Daisie, Monkie, Sandie and Oreo...

Fri Jun 24, 2005 12:06 am

Here's a good site on making rat toys:
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm

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

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Fri Jun 24, 2005 4:46 am

The toilet paper tube with treats inside stuffed with tissue paper is always a fun one. Or string some popcorn and hang it around the cage. Mr. Green

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Christy
RP Admin
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Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Sun Aug 14, 2005 8:04 am

Hey i was thinking for my cage
I would put a tree branch in after i had cliped off all the leaves
is this safe Confused

I also want to know how to make or where to get rat hammoks Rainbow Smiley

ok,

Luv Emi
Rat Wave

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Attack of the rats

Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:37 am

http://www.ratpalace.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9028

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Sun Aug 14, 2005 11:17 pm

Tons of rat hammocks on ebay.

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~*NatCat, Stella, Juanita & Atom*~

Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:48 am

I recommend a Dearpie Hammock. My kids LOOOOVE their large one that was given to me by my RR secret pal. Mr. Green

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Shadow Brook Rodentry

Bridge Ratties: Samson, Wraith, Aiko, Kasper - I <3 you & miss you.

Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:51 am

I also recommend a Dearpie hammock!

Mon Aug 15, 2005 6:03 am

I have dapper rat hammocks, and my girls are quite fond of them

. www.thedapperrat.com (I think)

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Mon Aug 15, 2005 11:49 am

ok where do you get them
and is it ok to make them

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Attack of the rats

Mon Aug 15, 2005 2:52 pm

You can get hammocks all over the place (from your local pet store to all kinds of websites and ebay - try checking the links, classifieds and even googling). Try reading back through the rest of this thread for some more links. Dearpie hammocks are here. And yes, it's fine to make them. If you search the forums (the option is at the top) there are a number of threads about making hammocks at home.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:31 pm

I need some ideas on how to keep my rat busy in his cage right now? are there anythings that i could find around the house to put in or anything they like to hide in> anything would help thanks!

Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:59 pm

When I first got my Stella I couldn't afford many toys for her so I picked up a stick on my way home one day and she went crazy over it. She dragged it round with her everywhere! Make sure it's not a sharp one tho!

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~*NatCat, Stella, Juanita & Atom*~