I have 3 rats that I have gotten all within the past year. This is my first rat experience and so I am still learning. After lots of trial and error I found that it is best for my allergies as well as theirs to line their cage with fleece. These girl have PLENTY to chew, wooden blocks, toys, etc. However, they still chew the edges of their pan liner to go underneath the fleece. This is a very expensive habit! I have to keep replacing the liners and do a complete pan cleaning every 3 days because of the urine etc. They are litter trained, but only number 2. My girls have plenty of additional snuggle materials with hammocks, sleeping bags, and old scraps of cotton and fleece to tear up and make nests. I am wondering if there is anything that I can put on the corners of their cage liners to keep them from destroying them so quickly? I obviously don't want anything hazardous to their health but I cannot afford to keep replacing these liners so often! I love my girls but nothing irritates me more than spending a lot of time/money to make their cage nice and give them plenty to chew/snuggle and then watching them immediately chew the ONLY THING I do not want them to chew. Any suggestions help!!! I was thinking along the lines of something that tastes or smells bad to them, but will not hurt them at all.
Chewing
- Thread starter meheavil
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kathleenford
Well-Known Member
it used to drive me crazy, too. they even went under the fleece and messed it right up, tipped all the toys, etc, but i've learned that it makes them happy, so i just don't care anymore. but you could always try putting the smaller red bricks in. they also help with nails! my rats chew the base pans and everything. they just like to chew.
Lucky4LeafClover
Well-Known Member
I just use fleece blankets on the pans. I used to cut to size, clip them in, sew,etc but it was frustrating to have them ruin it all to burrow under the fleece and chew holes. I stopped caring, stopped clipping the fleece to the pans and now just put the fleece in loosely. They love to go under it. We're all happier now.
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Lucky4LeafClover
Well-Known Member
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Have you tried placing newspaper under the liner? It will absorb urine and also keep the rats busy. They love to tear at the paper and carry it all over the place. Might be worth a try.
dspch911
Senior Member
jorats said:
Can you put regular newspaper under there with the ink? If so, that would be great for our destructo seven!!
SarahA
Senior Member
I'm intrigued about the newspaper thing too I was always concerned about the ink?!
My 3 are fleece destroyers too!
I've tried lots of different ways to try and stop them chewing fleece, I'm currently using binder clips, plastic chopping boards as a kitchen area in two of he corners, placed their litter pans in two of the other corners and use flat stones in the others its helped a little with the chewing.
I hope you can solve your chewing issues!
<:3 )~~~
My 3 are fleece destroyers too!
I've tried lots of different ways to try and stop them chewing fleece, I'm currently using binder clips, plastic chopping boards as a kitchen area in two of he corners, placed their litter pans in two of the other corners and use flat stones in the others its helped a little with the chewing.
I hope you can solve your chewing issues!
<:3 )~~~
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
Almost everywhere now they ink is vegetable base but you should call the newspaper to find out. Ours here I believe was soy base. My mom puts newspaper down on all her pans, then fleece on top. It seems to keep the cage dryer and keep the rat busy going after the newspaper and rearrange it's placement. lol
