It's important to make sure your pet rat has a place to retreat to.It is a good idea to have a dark and quiet hiding place for your rat.You can either buy a hideaway from the store or make one yourself.Providing multiple hiding places for your rat will help keep it healthy and happy.
Step 1: There is a cardboard box in the cage.
Check the box for any remnants of food or packaging.Cut off any of these things so your rat doesn't eat them.Line the box with a soft item.If your rat is afraid of you, use a soft t-shirt that you have been wearing.The rat will get used to it.You can change out the lining of an old blanket by cutting it into strips.If the old box gets messy or chewed up, you should switch it out for a new one every 1-2 weeks.Cut several doors in the box, large enough for your rat to fit through, using a knife or scissors.You can put anything from a shipping box to a box of cereals aside for later use.
Step 2: Your rat can retreat to a hanging hammock.
Tie a piece of fabric to the roof of the cage using an old dish towel or cloth that you don't mind getting rid of.If you extend the other end, it will create a cradle that your rat can sit in and tie off at the appropriate length.Use a safety pin to hook the fabric.Put the hammock close to another structure in the cage to make sure the rat can access it.Line the hammock with more fabric so you don't have to remove the whole thing.The entire hammock needs to be cleaned once per month.
Step 3: Use empty tissue boxes to hide your rat.
Remove the plastic sections that cover the hole in the box and put it in your rat's cage.For easy access, the hole should be vertical.To make it into a cozy hideaway, Line it with something soft, like cage bedding or strips from an old cotton T-shirt.The lining and box should be checked every 1-2 weeks.
Step 4: It's a good idea to drill.
If you want your rat to fit through the opening, you have to take an old plastic bowl and a drill.The bowl should be upside down in the cage.This makes a small cave for your rat to retreat to.Line the bottom of the cage with something soft to sleep on, like a strip of an old flannel shirt or a fleece blanket.When it gets dirty, switch out the lining of the cave.The entire cave needs to be cleaned once a month.
Step 5: There is a plastic pipe on the roof of the cage.
If you want your rat to easily get into and out of the tube, you need to put at least one end of it near another surface.Attach the cage with a small hole on each end of the pipe and a chain through it using a drill.A large pipe is enough for your rat to turn around.The pipe needs to be cleaned once per month.Multiple pipes at different heights could give your rat more variety.You can buy something similar from a hardware store or use a cardboard tube to hold posters.The cardboard tubes from the paper towel rolls are too thin for your rat to use.When your rat is in the nest, transparent piping allows you to see it.
Step 6: Provide the materials for your rat to build a nest.
Paper towels, old pillowcases, shirts, blankets, shredded paper, and other fabrics are things your rat would like to shred and use to build a nest.Before you put your rat in a cage, make sure they are clean.Before putting large pieces of material into a cage, they should be cut into smaller squares or strips.To keep your rat healthy and keep them busy, change out the nest material every 1-2 weeks.
Step 7: You can buy a hideaway at your local pet store.
Depending on the size of your rat, you can choose from rat-specific hiding places or look at the ones built for mice, gerbils, hamsters and ferrets.Chances are that a worker knows which products are popular and can point you in the right direction.Amazon should be able to deliver a rat hideaway directly to you.You can ask the manufacturer if the information you need isn't specified in the product details if you check out the reviews for different products.
Step 8: It's important to find a home that is large enough for your rat.
You want your rat to be able to fit into the hideaway and have enough space to move around and get back out easily.If your rat wants to build a nest inside, there needs to be room for that kind of material, too.If the hideaway is the wrong size, check the return policy to see if you can make exchanges.
Step 9: You can buy a plastic hideaway.
If your rat likes to chew, a plastic hideaway from a pet store is a great option because it isn't harmful if it's eaten by the rat.Ask someone to verify the label before making a purchase.If you buy a hideaway that is going on the floor of the cage, make sure to lay down bedding or fabric across the bottom to protect your rat's feet from the wiring.Whenever you notice that the hideaway is getting dirty, you should clean it.
Step 10: If you want an odor neutralizing option, purchase a cedar or pine hideaway.
The scent of the wood provides a nice cover to the ammonia that is present in a rat's urine, which is why these hideaways need to be discarded and replaced more often.Once it is dirty, discard it.Remove it and replace it with a new one.
Step 11: Look at igloos, tubes, hammocks, and log cabin homes.
Choose between 1 or 2 options for your rat.Because they live most of their lives in a cage, having variety keeps them active.Don't be afraid to introduce your rat to something new, as you can use that information to inform your future buying decisions.Make sure your rat's hideaway is still in good shape when you clean it out.If your rat is avoiding a particular hideaway, chances are it is dirty and needs to be changed out.