How long do you keep your rats out?
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Riana
Well-Known Member
I'm very interested in hearing this answer as well! When I had my apartment (and I was away from my parents) I could keep the boys out on my bed for almost 2 hours in one stretch. I'd take them out atleast once a day, but if I could swing it, more. Now it's a slight hassle to take them out, because they're in their own room, but it's too packed with things to let them out safely, so I take them into the bathroom in my mom's room. It's a great little space, but the cats often spend most of their time in my mom's room, so to kick them out, etc, etc, plus having the dogs practically glued to my hips, it doesn't make it easy to take them out whenever I please. They get out atleast once a day still, but I wish I could spend more time with them. It's not an option to bring them into my room, both with the animals having free range of my room, plus my parents refuse to let them in there. 
MumsyRat
Well-Known Member
In my case in depends on the rats. Anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. I leave different cages open for varying amounts of time depending on who gets along with who. Now my boys in the basement have cages that are high and they tend to stay on top of the cages or on the stuff around them. I have deliberately placed various boxes and stuff around for them to climb in and out of. I trust them to come to me so if I'm busy I leave them on their own - they come to me when I come back down. Sometimes they make their way to the floor and get into my laundry (and I have ventilated towels and sweaters to show for it) but that's a price I'm willing to pay.
The guys I have upstairs in my rat room also tend to stay on top of the cages. They'll get from one side of the room to the other via the rat highway, also known as the window sill. They also will make their way to the floor sometimes and I will find them either in one of the boxes I have on the floor or in one of the dresser drawers. Again, I don't worry too much - I know I'll find them.
I have 4 cats and not one of them has ever made any attempt to harm one of my rats. In fact it's the other way around. On more than one occasion I've had one of my rats chase one of my cats around and give them a good nip. I am 100% positive that my rats can roam freely with no risk of being harmed by the cats.
The guys I have upstairs in my rat room also tend to stay on top of the cages. They'll get from one side of the room to the other via the rat highway, also known as the window sill. They also will make their way to the floor sometimes and I will find them either in one of the boxes I have on the floor or in one of the dresser drawers. Again, I don't worry too much - I know I'll find them.
I have 4 cats and not one of them has ever made any attempt to harm one of my rats. In fact it's the other way around. On more than one occasion I've had one of my rats chase one of my cats around and give them a good nip. I am 100% positive that my rats can roam freely with no risk of being harmed by the cats.
Bati
Well-Known Member
Soon I will only have boys and as they have not been so destructive I'll keep them out most of the day, they have a ladder from the floor to the cage and usually go home after a few hours :wink: I have two boys who just don't like to go out, and I allow them to stay in the cage all they want, and just try taking them out for humancontact once a day
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
My old crew get about 1.5 hours a day, my young crew will get anywhere from 1 to 2 hours a day, some days more and Radar and Isabelle will get 2 to 4 hours a day depending on which day it is. Once I'm down to just one cage thus one out time, I'm going to go back to giving them 4 hours a day.
I believe it's important that rats get at least one hour a day of out time but more is always better.
I believe it's important that rats get at least one hour a day of out time but more is always better.
MumsyRat
Well-Known Member
Bati said:
If you think boys aren't destructive keep them away from your laundry!! :lol:
And on a more serious note, you want to make sure there is no wiring that they can easily access. I used to have a couple of free roamers - when I was pulling furniture out from the wall to do some spring cleaning I discovered several chewed and frayed wires. It's a miracle they didn't electrocute themselves and/or burn down the house!
Bati
Well-Known Member
It's compared to girls they are not :lol: my girls can destroy in seconds the boys need minuts to destroy, so I have a chance of stopping them; but yes be carefull of wires
Ktina
Well-Known Member
I don't have a set time, my rats get out for as long as they want. I just wair until they seem to be gettin tired to put them back in their cages. It's usually an hour or so, though, sometimes more with my crazy girls.
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
LOL!! Now there's an idea, putting them to work... mmm, how about we attach tiny swifter dusters to their paws, they could clean the floor.
Riana
Well-Known Member
I wonder if it would be worth-while to invest in a playpen or something that I can keep the boys out in for a few hours at a time, like I originally planned. The time they have out already is strictly time with me, so they like to cuddle and run around, but if I could I'd also like to put them in a playpen where they're still enclosed, but have time outside of their cage (Godmother has that set-up with her rats, and I think it's lovely!)
Can anyone suggest a sort of enclosure that I may be able to track down that would be appropriate for rats? I've looked at the Martin's ferret playpen, but it's not plausible for me to pay the shipping, and I've also looked at Dr. Fosters and Smith, but the prices there are even more outrageous for shipping. Any store products, perhaps, that could hold rats in? (I saw a build-it-yourself storage system that was comprised of individual panels that you put into cubes... maybe something like that if the size was appropriate.)
And I don't mean to hi-jack your thread, Synnove T_T
Can anyone suggest a sort of enclosure that I may be able to track down that would be appropriate for rats? I've looked at the Martin's ferret playpen, but it's not plausible for me to pay the shipping, and I've also looked at Dr. Fosters and Smith, but the prices there are even more outrageous for shipping. Any store products, perhaps, that could hold rats in? (I saw a build-it-yourself storage system that was comprised of individual panels that you put into cubes... maybe something like that if the size was appropriate.)
And I don't mean to hi-jack your thread, Synnove T_T
MumsyRat
Well-Known Member
This is an economical way to build a play area (you'll need to make a lid of some sort though):
http://members.aol.com/bunrabtoo/neatcubs.html
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
http://members.aol.com/bunrabtoo/neatcubs.html
http://www.guineapigcages.com/
starfoot
Well-Known Member
jorats said:
ahahah! cool!!
Because my girls are in the kitchen on the counter top, I leave them out all the time, with a barrier between Jiggs and the babies cage, they roam at their will as they've got an empty counter filled with their toys, houses, chew things, bottles (we seem to have a never ending supply of alcohol, and the bottles make great rattie look out posts!), and the clothes peg basket... And Jigg's roams the whole kitchen.... They are onlt shut away at night, or Jiggs is sometimes if the oven is hot, as she tends to visit it and steal whatever is cooking, and may burn her pawsie wawsies. So yes, they're out all the the time, and get taken into the lounge for runs around their with me maybe 2hrs per day, otherwise tjhey stay in the kitchen, but we're always there, so we're always grabbing them and talking to them, and they're not phased by any noise at all... They're totally social, just like a neighbour sat in the corner of the kitchen for a chat!!
Only occasionally they plop off the top and from the lounge we hear a "DUMMF" and run in the kitchen onnly to find one of them happily exploring the floor and the cupboards they've learnt to open themselves!
x
lilspaz68
Well-Known Member
Coroplast Ratty Corral...cheap, easy to make and it works. Plus you can get right inside with them sometimes Coroplast, zipties and tape are all you really need. oh and something to punch thru the coroplat to slip the zipties thru
If one of the links was for this, sorry I didn't look
Coroplast, zipties and tape are all you really need. oh and something to punch thru the coroplat to slip the zipties thru
If one of the links was for this, sorry I didn't look
jennifervb
Well-Known Member
Synnøve said:Yeah, the question is simple: How much time does your rats spend outside their cage per day?
What do you think should be the minimum for keeping a happy rat?
My boys see between 1.5 - 2 hours a day during the week and between 3-4 hours on weekends. If I am home, I will leave the cage door open all day for them to come and go as they please. :love6:
Melissa's ZOO
Well-Known Member
My girls get any where from 1 to 3 hours a night. I use (4) ply wood sheets 4 feet long and 3 feet high and they are hinged together to fold up. It is rather heavy though and the little buggers have started to chew holes in the corners where it is hinged so, pretty soon I will have to replace it with something else.
mamarat2
Well-Known Member
With being down to 2 or 3 playtimes, everyone gets about 45 min out with me weeknights. Weekends they get a lot longer, closer to hours at a time.
Any of my kids that are by themselves get lots of extra shoulder riding time out.
Any of my kids that are by themselves get lots of extra shoulder riding time out.
Fidget
Senior Member
The time they need out is pretty much dependant on how much time you have - how many groups you have to let out, and how much each individual is in need. But how big their cage is, how it's equipped, and how much they amuse or enliven or comfort each other is a big factor.
I guess your intent is what's the least adequate time to take care of a kid's needs for outtime and time with you so you can go over but not under?
Far as individuals - My old Astoria never comes out with the others when the door is open, I would take her out and have a huggle and she was cool but soon as I put her down - back to the cage, so I stopped taking her out (she's not anti-social - I pet her when she's out of the hidey-houses in the cage and she closes her eyes and loves it.) She just doesn't need or want out-time.
Summer was sick and knew how to get to the bed when their door was closed while the others didn't. She lived on my bed, she needed to be out most all the time.
They need stimulation - mentally always, physically according to their age and capability. The more the space & interests of their cage and their cagemates can cover the the less they need from you. Sometimes you need their company more than they need yours :lol: . But they need you to stay human-comfy.
In all cases the more time you can give them the better, but I've left the cage open all day when I have a bed day and my most energetic kids only do about 3/4 hr. tops before they either go home or crawl under their bed-blanket and nap.
Healthy mid-age kids will have a blast being out but a-ok to go home in half an hour if you have great interaction time with them.
The youngest need the most stimulation and a busy cage - meaning other young'uns and/or lots of stuff to climb and explore. The cage's interests & activity things are more important than the time-out physically, but not emotionally. They just need to enjoy your company, and any that are not human-ok need some individual time, I try to focus on the bonding more than the out-time, they'll get in the raising heck & rough-housing in the cage.
Sick ones or Loner ones always need most. Loners for stimulation, and old or sick for help and/or comfort.
Old and/or sick need you more than they need an interesting environment, they get more emotionally needy of you than the group at that time (tho a cuddly cagemate is the best thing you can give them as you can't be there all the time). They need you for physical exercise & ability & clean-up and special feeding as well as emotional stuff. They need somejust-cuddle time with you after the meds and the clean-ups are done. So they need more time out to fit that all in. And more than one session. At least a couple half-hours a day.
I know, this was a simple question - but it probably is the question that has the least 1-proper-answer that you could ask.
Personally, I start with my most needy and whatever energy I have left I give to the rest. :wink:
I guess your intent is what's the least adequate time to take care of a kid's needs for outtime and time with you so you can go over but not under?
Far as individuals - My old Astoria never comes out with the others when the door is open, I would take her out and have a huggle and she was cool but soon as I put her down - back to the cage, so I stopped taking her out (she's not anti-social - I pet her when she's out of the hidey-houses in the cage and she closes her eyes and loves it.) She just doesn't need or want out-time.
Summer was sick and knew how to get to the bed when their door was closed while the others didn't. She lived on my bed, she needed to be out most all the time.
They need stimulation - mentally always, physically according to their age and capability. The more the space & interests of their cage and their cagemates can cover the the less they need from you. Sometimes you need their company more than they need yours :lol: . But they need you to stay human-comfy.
In all cases the more time you can give them the better, but I've left the cage open all day when I have a bed day and my most energetic kids only do about 3/4 hr. tops before they either go home or crawl under their bed-blanket and nap.
Healthy mid-age kids will have a blast being out but a-ok to go home in half an hour if you have great interaction time with them.
The youngest need the most stimulation and a busy cage - meaning other young'uns and/or lots of stuff to climb and explore. The cage's interests & activity things are more important than the time-out physically, but not emotionally. They just need to enjoy your company, and any that are not human-ok need some individual time, I try to focus on the bonding more than the out-time, they'll get in the raising heck & rough-housing in the cage.
Sick ones or Loner ones always need most. Loners for stimulation, and old or sick for help and/or comfort.
Old and/or sick need you more than they need an interesting environment, they get more emotionally needy of you than the group at that time (tho a cuddly cagemate is the best thing you can give them as you can't be there all the time). They need you for physical exercise & ability & clean-up and special feeding as well as emotional stuff. They need somejust-cuddle time with you after the meds and the clean-ups are done. So they need more time out to fit that all in. And more than one session. At least a couple half-hours a day.
I know, this was a simple question - but it probably is the question that has the least 1-proper-answer that you could ask.
Personally, I start with my most needy and whatever energy I have left I give to the rest. :wink:
Riana
Well-Known Member
Very good response Fidget! :3
Good Karma
Well-Known Member
Great thread guys! I have been wanting to ask this question myself.
My boys usually get 1-2 hours out in their play place every night. And i try to spend time carrying them around with me as well. As i type i have 2 of my boys sitting on me.
Before i moved my boys use to get the whole basement (rat proofed) to run around in but my new house is not set up the same way - plus when we moved my husband found a mountain of rat poop and he said that wasn't going to happen in the new house.
How big is everyone's play place, or you do just let them roam about a certain room? My play place is about 2.5 x 5.5 feet filled with boxes and tubes and different levels. I think i'm going to try the plastic sheet idea i have seen posted here.
My boys usually get 1-2 hours out in their play place every night. And i try to spend time carrying them around with me as well. As i type i have 2 of my boys sitting on me.
Before i moved my boys use to get the whole basement (rat proofed) to run around in but my new house is not set up the same way - plus when we moved my husband found a mountain of rat poop and he said that wasn't going to happen in the new house.
How big is everyone's play place, or you do just let them roam about a certain room? My play place is about 2.5 x 5.5 feet filled with boxes and tubes and different levels. I think i'm going to try the plastic sheet idea i have seen posted here.
