Diy toy ideas, post yours!

I am over joyed! I ordered my first CN today!!!!I plan on putting my ladies in it.. Now for the hard part, furnishing! Since I just spent a chunk of change on the cage I'm looking for some cheap but cute and fun DIY toys. I'm really not down for the pet store rip offs (catch a good deal here and there) I know you guys have a bunch of creative ideas! Andddd Go !

Also DIY hammocks ? And baby rat toys? !

My rats spend forever shredding newspaper! I like to tear it into strips, then poke a shower curtain ring through all the strips and hang it in the cage. You can also get them those cupcake paper baking cups, since they are used on food they are completely safe! Same with paper straws. I use the cups and straws to decorate the cage with color.

Also, try going to a dollar store (like dollar tree) and pick up one of these: http://www.dollartree.com/household...ns/500c541c541p307331/index.pro?method=search

I find my rats love em. Also, there are a variety of plastic bins that you can use, just imagine what they would be like tipped upside down. Or, get a mesh plastic bin and zip-tie it into the cage to make a level! Ratties love sleeping in them.

Hope that helped

Hang toilet paper and put in kleenex boxes they love them and they will leave you a wonderful mess!

Here is a photo I took of a DIY toy I recently made for my elderly boy Achilles. Note: This toy is definitely made for an elderly and lazy boy, so it is totally made to be VERY easy for him to get to the treats inside! :mrgreen: He gives up on toys quickly! So, that being said, here is the "party pinata" I made for him, and of course, he loves it and it interests him, which is all I can ask for!

I took a toilet paper tube, stuffed both ends up with some crumpled brown lunch bag paper to plug up the ends, cut some holes (waaay too big on that main hole...I will make it a bit smaller next time) in it with scissors, then added a few little treats inside that he likes. That's it! He paws into the holes, pulls out the ends, fishes out treats and does some toilet paper nibbling, etc. All good fun for him. Of course, for younger, more active ratties, cutting much smaller holes would probably be better, for more action on the "getting to the good stuff" stimulation! Maybe I should call this the "Senior Citizen Easy Toy". :wink2:

But hey, anything that interests my baby, keeps him occupied and that he spends time on and has a lot of fun with....I could not ask for more, right?

I actually posted this on another thread earlier today, but this is the tutorial i use for my hammocks. Bonus - it involves no sewing!

http://www.ratchatter.com/rat-toys-treats-and-more/no-sew-reversable-rat-hammock/

One of my (and my ratters) favorite homemade toys is I take an empty cardboard egg carton and put yummy treats in each egg cup (nuts, raisins, a few pieces of dog kibble etc.) and then close it up. The first time I gave this to them, they spent HOURS tossing the entire thing around their cage and trying to open it. They never actually managed to open it, but they just chewed holes in all the egg cups and got the treats that way.

(edit: rest of my post got deleted because I used an accented N in pinata.. whoops!)

Also pinatas are lots of fun. I take a few layers of paper towel, put in some treats and then tie it up and hang it from the top of the cage.

Marissa, that is a great idea with the egg cartons! My husband and I are both vegan so we never have egg cartons in the house, but I could probably come up with something similar with a different type of cardboard container with individual sections, maybe! Good toy idea!

I found that my boys love a tissue box that has been emptied (by them of course) then opened on one side and stuffed full of fleece. They spend lots of time playing with the fleece inside and arguing who gets to actually sit in it.
I found a toilet paper tube cone is hours of entertainment for Bubs. I cut it along the seam, then twist it, push the ends in so it cant unravel and then let him chew on it.
Im sure you could throw treats on the inside and make it more fun.

Vladina: I don't actually eat eggs either, but my brother gives me his empty cartons. Maybe you could collect some cartons from some non-vegan friends? For me at least, my friends have gotten used to my strange requests for random things for my rats haha

Mouse, yes, I have used that method before as well, with the toilet paper tube, it is great!

Marissa, yes, good idea, I could get some egg cartons from my mom or sister (just ask them to save the empties for me).

You know, I also put a piece of walnut and a raisin in my treat toys for Achilles..that was neat that your fur kids like the same things as my baby!

I gave my boys an egg carton tonight with a few very special treats that they don't get often, including some dog kibble, nuts, etc. and I've recorded it for everyone's viewing pleasure! This is after about 15 minutes of rolling it around and chomping it from every angle.. they managed to pop the top open and each get a little surprise! But because I'm a mean mommy, I closed it again so they have to go to all this effort again! hahaha

Facebook video (everyone should be able to view this)
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152668058281407&l=2283288108925485759

Made this the other day.

Braided three strips of t-shirts together. Repeat until you have 3 separate braids. Then braid those three together and tie the ends. Then I put shower curtain hooks through both ends.

I give mine empty toilet paper rolls. They love shredding paper, too. Recently, I found a turkey box that I put in as a hidey house, since they're in a sort of temporary cage until the critter nation gets moved over to the new house, and they adore it. They learned that there are handle holes in the sides and they widened those and crawl through them a lot.

Yep, ratties LOVE cardboard boxes and it is so easy to make a quick hidey hut with one.

Steph said:

Made this the other day.
View attachment 1268
Braided three strips of t-shirts together. Repeat until you have 3 separate braids. Then braid those three together and tie the ends. Then I put shower curtain hooks through both ends.

Click to expand...

Wow that came out so pretty!
I tried to make a rope exactly the same way before, but it came out too flimsy.

Aida said:

Wow that came out so pretty!

I tried to make a rope exactly the same way before, but it came out too flimsy.

Click to expand...

You just need to braid really tight. [emoji4]

Steph said:

You just need to braid really tight. [emoji4]

Click to expand...

I think it was the material I used. :/
Too stretchy? IDK.

I can braid really well, my hair is to my buttcrack, so, I've learned...

Ok so tonight was a night where I could not give each group lots of out time....I'm working doubles and OT!
So I had to make lots of bordom butster toys.
I figured it'd be easiest to do in picture form.
I start with these items: you've got some dried (no sugar added) fruit, some low protien dog treats (only use once a month as a treat), yogies, shredded paper, egg cartons, paper bags and newspaper (contact your local producer to ensure its vegetable based ink) can also use nuts/seeds


One toy I call the "surprise sac lunch"
Put some shredded paper (or strips of newspaper) in the bag

Add fruit/nuts/treats etc

Top with more paper and roll up or tie up with rat safe string like sisal rope

And hand it to an eager group (videos to be uploaded when photobucket starts behaving

This one is egg cartons. Pretty self explanatory. Same idea, fill with treats and shredded paper and close.


Add rats


And the "cherry bomb" or "snack bomb"
Newspaper, add shredded paper or lots of layers of newspaper, treats and twist it up or tie it.


Toss it in with a feisty group of ratties

Yeah!! These are great DIY toys, rocking!

I have made the treat bombs before but the others I have not tried, thanks! Cannot wait to see that video you mentioned when you can load it up! :mrgreen:

I need a different photo hosting site. Photobucket has been slooooow. Like I started at 130 trying to upload and now its 330 and I need to go to bed and not even 1 video had uploaded. Booo
So tomorrow I will try something new