Hello. I'm a new rattie owner and I had a question about the free roam area. I have a carpeted floor in my room and I was wondering what to put on it, and if I need to? I have already taken a year before getting them to research about vets, cages, behavior, ect., But never found anything helpful about carpet. Also I'm getting my DCN cage on Monday for my two dumbos Salem and Raven!
First time rat owner
- Thread starter Ashlynn
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SoupChef
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Hi! My HUGE recommendation for free roam as a former carpeted apartment resident is to have a couple sheets that you designate as your rat sheets. Hitting up a thrift store to get some thicker sheets, like flannel or something, that you can drop down on your floor before playtime helps ensure that even if they're a little leaky while they play or they have a wetter stool, you don't have to invest in a carpet cleaner 
Honestly I use the sheets on my couches or basically any surface I let them run around on because my boys aren't awesome with their potty training, so even in my hardwood home the sheets are still useful. If yours take well to being litter trained, you could always bring their litter box out while they play. Mine look at their litterbox outside the cage like it's completely unfamiliar to them, so I usually go for just making sure I don't wake them up and IMMEDIATELY put them on my floor (Stew needs to pee right when he wakes up ) and that I pop them in their cage for potty breaks every ~30 mins.
Honestly I use the sheets on my couches or basically any surface I let them run around on because my boys aren't awesome with their potty training, so even in my hardwood home the sheets are still useful. If yours take well to being litter trained, you could always bring their litter box out while they play. Mine look at their litterbox outside the cage like it's completely unfamiliar to them, so I usually go for just making sure I don't wake them up and IMMEDIATELY put them on my floor (Stew needs to pee right when he wakes up ) and that I pop them in their cage for potty breaks every ~30 mins.
I second that, I use several layers of old thick blankets, comforters and sheets that I get from a second hand thrift store!
you can put the sheet as the top layer and usually you'll only need to wash that one, the lower layers may not get wet that often, but they can discourage rats from getting down to the carpet to possibly chew it up
I had that happen, and oh boy can they chew fast LOL
You can also try an area rug over the carpet, if you're not going to use the whole room. Or even if you are, the more protection the better lol
I had my own carpet cleaner but it didn't help when the little buggers started pulling up the carpet fibers
lucky for me it was a very old carpet so I wasn't charged when it was replaced by the landlord, however I no longer let my rats free range on the new carpet
They have two play tables pushed together plus my bed, and sometimes the bathroom. Not as much fun as having a whole room but it will have to do.
for dig boxes you can use aspen shavings, you can use eco bedding (paper shreds) and /or you can use coconut coir fiber, and probably other things I don't know about.
you can put the sheet as the top layer and usually you'll only need to wash that one, the lower layers may not get wet that often, but they can discourage rats from getting down to the carpet to possibly chew it up
I had that happen, and oh boy can they chew fast LOL
You can also try an area rug over the carpet, if you're not going to use the whole room. Or even if you are, the more protection the better lol
I had my own carpet cleaner but it didn't help when the little buggers started pulling up the carpet fibers
lucky for me it was a very old carpet so I wasn't charged when it was replaced by the landlord, however I no longer let my rats free range on the new carpet
They have two play tables pushed together plus my bed, and sometimes the bathroom. Not as much fun as having a whole room but it will have to do.
for dig boxes you can use aspen shavings, you can use eco bedding (paper shreds) and /or you can use coconut coir fiber, and probably other things I don't know about.
