Playpen ideas?

[Grey_Whiskers]

I've been struggling to find a way on how I was going to let all the ladies out for their playtime in my new place.

Here, it's been a struggle to do it in a way that's easy for me to clean up and keeps them from chewing on things they shouldn't (including my rented apartment lol).

First: the girls are monster chewers. They ate through the pans in my CN (which now has the upgraded metal pans), chewed on their igloos and litterbox...and this is all with tons of chewy toys at their disposal.

So far: we tried 'rat-proofing' our living room (essentially taking everything with wires etc out and blocking off the kitchen). Which was great fun to watch them running around and I'm sure was super great for them...but as a physically disabled person on my own? Not happening on a nightly basis. They also did start nibbling on baseboards and etc.
Then I've tried all sorts of 'well if I cover the bed/futon with old blankets or even one of those waterproof vinyl fitted bedsheets' which led to them either chewing up the bedsheet or burrowing under the blankets.
I love my girls and I'm not opposed to rattie laundry, but I can't be washing my bed linens etc every night due to rattie pee.
At the current moment we've given up lol and they have free range of the futon since we're tossing it out when we move. Doesn't matter if they pee or chew it up.

So essentially, I need something that'd be easy to implement/carry etc and something that wouldn't have me doing laundry nightly as well as might work for monster chewers.

I was debating either a coroplast playpen (generally, if it's straight vertical they won't chew it...if they can get a hold with their teeth though...game over) or perhaps one of the commercial 'small animal' playpens.

 

[Steph]

A lot of people use those baby playpens.
I use a bathtub that nobody uses... But that's not really portable...

 

[Grey_Whiskers]

Having a brain fart---but you mean those mesh sort of raised off the ground playpen cot looking things?

That might be an idea. I was also going to debate the wire marshall small animal type playpens.

 

[SQ]

It depends on what you want.

If you want a wonderful larger area for them to play in without needing supervision, I highly recommend the powder coated martins large rat plan pen.... It folds up flat for easy storage.
It has a top so they can not climb out and you can hang things from the sides and hammocks from the top.
I have found this to be a wonderful investment (powder coated or will rust, needs to be large) Large Playpen measures 44" x 44" x 24"
I put a large piece of linoleum covered with a fleece blanket under it to protect the floor/carpet (see picture below)

http://www.martinscages.com/products/cages/rat/

If you want a play area where you can interact with you rats but they will require your supervision, Then the use of chloroplast is great.
I use large pieces of chloroplast cable tied together or fastened using stick on Velcro.
When I have had an apartment, I have made my living room into their play area, containing their cages so they can choose when they want to go back home.
I have covered the floor/carpet with large pieces of thick linoleum (I used duct tape to connect pieces) making sure the linoleum extended past the play area and if near a wall, went up the wall a few inches so that any fluids would not leak.
The walls are lined with chloroplast to protect them and a section attached with the stick-on Velcro made an easy to use entryway.

I kept their toys set up in this area, and also kept my futon inside the play area, mattress was encased in a thick plastic commercial mattress bed cover, then a futon cover, and then a large fleece blanket was tucked around it and a smaller fleece blanket thrown on it for them to tunnel under. I also put a piece of chloroplast between the frame and mattress (back and seat) of the futon to prevent any creative ratties building a nest in the mattress.

Anything I didn't want them to have access to was kept outside the play area .... like my TV and TV stand, which I could watch from sitting or lying on the futon inside the play area.
You could set up a variation of this that works for you.
Chloroplast sides need to be at least 2.5 to 3 feet high or they will just jump out to go exploring

Here is a previous post I made with pictures of past play areas I had. At present I am renting a room so the chloroplast play area is not as large or as nice

Here is a picture of my large martins playpen.
I have half on the top flipped back for the picture.

It makes a great play area for the ratties, has a lid that prevents anyone from escaping, and allows them to have a play area they can enjoy without supervision. Hammocks, etc can be hung from the sides and the top.

Here are a couple of older pictures of my cloroplast free range area

rats need to be supervised but there is plenty of room for me and furniture.


Both can easily fold up for storage

 

[SQ]

A few more older pictures

Ash/Kris exploring

Cadillac and Caramel

Ash/Kris

 

[Grey_Whiskers]

Hmm...I was originally looking for something to box them in and keep them out of trouble while I sit with them and interact, but I like both of those!

 

[SQ]

I had their cages in the play area as well so when they were out, they had access to their home.
They seemed to like the control of being able to go in and out - but only when supervised, of course

 

[dspch911]

I made this for my Peanut (RIP) when he had to have an e-collar on after eye surgery. This was his cage for a month. Just chloroplast sheets binder clipped together with foam pieces for flooring. We use the chloroplast sheets still, but put a fitted bed sheet under it so they cannot get out. Not that they could just extra insurance.