Chewing Bars

[LA]

OK, here I am sitting late at night, can't sleep, out in the living room where the girls cage is. There is Lily chewing on the bars like a cob of corn. Why in gods name do rats do this. Hazel does it occasionally and Ruby doesn't except for when I put Lily's cage next to theirs in the beginning. They only seem to do it on the corners where the wire is rounded.

Any thoughts?? Is she trying to get attention? They have stuff to chew on in the cage. I don't get it.

 

[mamarat2]

I tedn to think it's boredom. The nights that Luke starts his bar chewing tend to be times when I have cut their playtimes short for some reason.

 

[jorats]

I believe it's boredom too and also wanting to be let out to play.
My poor Radar does this all the time, even though, he comes out up to 5 hours a day, but he is alone right now so he must be pretty bored and lonely.

 

[chicky82]

my Coal just started doing this he's been doing it at night but when he does it during the day I try to find some way to distract him but it doesn't last long :evil: he just wants to sit on me

 

[mamarat2]

I try to give Luke extra enrichment in his cage. I've made sure he has lots of extra chewing stuff to keep him occupied and I have taken to giving him an early snack when everyone else gets dinner and then he gets dinner when they get their snacks (later in the evening). Keeps him occupied a bit longer when I am trying to get to sleep and he settles down for a nap right after his "big meal". Switching his mealtimes doesn't seem to have bothered him any because right after his "snack" when others are eating dinner he is ready to come out and play!

 

[Bronwyn]

Also with the boredom thing. Fortunately I've never had bar chewers but my sister's rats did it all the time...small wonder. Though come to think of it when I just put the girls back in the cage after a few hours out, Brie will nibble for a tiny bit but will stop when she realizes I'm not opening it up again. :roll:

 

[Ratmom]

I have that problem right now with with some rescues I took in. I've tried everything even bitter orange she eats off the bars lol. I can't complain though they are the sweetest girls

 

[anita1216]

Fergus is the only one of 7 rats that does this. I know he wants my attention, so I generally just poke a finger or two through the bars, he will cuddle with them and be quiet. This is all fine and dandy, sweet as can be until my arm cramps :doh:

 

[Lise]

I have found the biggest improvement in the bar chewing here to be when I moved the rats into a cage far too big for them.

When I 4 - 5 rats in a Martins R-695 ("holds" 5 rats) they actually chewed a lot of the powdercoating off of the bars. Sometimes it would be a bar chewing festival in there it sounded like. I also put in a kitty litter box and all of the sides were chewed off of it in 1 week!

Without changing anything else, moved the 4 - 5 rats into a Ferret Nation ("holds" 12 rats) and they now only occasionally chew on the bars, and haven't chewed even a small piece out of their litter box.

I'm now a firm believer that extra general living space makes a huge difference...

 

[jorats]

I totally agree with you Lise. Bigger is better and the rats seem more comfortable and happy.

 

[LA]

I agree with that Lise, but I do have a fairly large cage for them.

I think with Lily it's a matter of wanting attention and having the two doors open. They love it when I open both doors and they can climb around and I think that's what she wants. They love their cage, but they also love climbing on the outside.

HEHE but she's so funny when she does it though.

 

[Lise]

Yes, I think with some rats you are just never going to win.

 

[jorats]

Same with Radar, he's lonely and craves attention. I'm sure one of these days, he's actually going to chew through those bars.

 

[Melissa]

fftopic:

My Hamster likes to chew on his bars when he wants to run in his ball.

 

[anita1216]

Someone might want to mention to Fergus that he lives in a FN...quit chewing the bars!!!!

 

[ratswentberserk]

Our Lily used to chew the bars a lot even when the cage was open! She was definitely looking for attention!

...and that was her :heart:

 

[Melissa]

LOL! That is too funny!!

 

[ratswentberserk]

She used to look like a toothless lady

 

[mamarat]

What a little cutie, she looks so funny.

 

[LA]

HEHE that's what my Lily looks like.