Rats are very intelligent & playful.  They have personalities much like dogs & cats.  They need a variety of toys to keep them amused & active. A bored rat is a sad rat.  With a little creativity, you can provide inexpensive and entertaining homemade toys.

*Safety

The most important thing when choosing any pet toy is that it's safe. Anything you give your rat must be non toxic, and you should also watch for  bits that might be swallowed causing a blockage of the digestive tract. This includes threads off of fabric items & ropes. Also, loose threads might become wrapped around toes or pose a strangulation risk.  Fleece is a good choice as it avoids the loose thread problem.

*Cardboard
Cardboard boxes and rolls from paper towels, toilet paper, & other rolls make good toys. Boxes are great for hiding in, too.  My ratties enjoy using a salt box.  They nibble the hole wider every day. 

Another great idea is to take a bunch of boxes & other items & make a rat playhouse.  You can tape together a bunch of boxes and create a network of rooms connected by doors, ramps, bridges and ladders. This sure beats the store bought prices.

*Paper
My rats love shredding paper.  Brown paper lunch bags are great for playing in as well as shredding. Your rats will love digging, diving, & hiding in a plastic bin or shoe box filled with crumpled or shredded paper. Paper towels & tissues are also great for shredding.  My ratties love picking up small, square pieces of colored memo pad papers & carrying back them into their cage. 

Also, try wrapping or folding a piece of paper in layers around a favorite treat like a yogurt drop, piece of fruit...  Shredding & unwrapping the treat will keep your rat busy for a little while.  You can also make a pinata to keep them busy.  Wrap a treat up in sevearl layers of paper and tie off.  Tie this to the top of the cage so that they have to stand up to reach it.  FUN!

*Wood
Wood is good for chewing & rats need to chew to keep their teeth in good condition & prevent them from growing too long and causing problems.  Make sure the wood is untreated, not painted, & non-toxic. I sometimes get tree branches.  Just make sure they are not treated with pesticides.

*Ropes
Rats are very agile and like to climb. You can make rope ladders & bridges  in the cage. Cotton rope comes in thick widths. Just make sure the ropes don't post a strangulation risk & that your rats are not unraveling the threads.  I sometimes use a shoelace as well.  I tie knots in it at various intervals.

* Tunnels 
You can make great collapsible tubes out of fleece or other sturdy fabrics. Just sew a ring cut from a plastic bottle or wide cardboard tube into the ends to help hold it open. Sleeves cut off old sweatshirts or sweatpants are also handy tubes/sleep sacks.

Check the thrift stores and yard sales for kid toys that would be fun for your ratties to play or hide in.  Keep safety in mind first!

Hope you and your precious ratties have a fun time playing together and please take time to vote below.

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