Rat chewing everything that she shouldn't, nothing that she should

[GrayLightNewDay]

I never had this problem with my other rats, but my girl Matilda is a trouble maker. She will only chew on the cage bars and the litter boxes, she refuses any wood and cardboard I put in the cage. I tried putting fresh fruit juice on the wood (I read that it can help), and she was only interested until she realized that it's not food. It seems like she wants to chew on very hard things, like the hard plastic and metal. What would you all recommend for such a chewer/gnawer?

 

[Luna&Ralph]

I had a real power-chewer at one point that completely ruined one of the hard plastic pans of the Critter Nation type cage and loved to chew on the litter box. She was different though because she loved to chew on absolutely everything, including fabric. Hammocks and ramp covers had to be replaced quite regularly with her around. I had a small plastic hamster hut in her cage and also gave her things like yogurt containers to destroy, maybe you could try something like that.

I have never had experience with a cage bar chewer until I got one of my two most recent boys. He chews the bars of his cage when he wants to be let out, and he always wants to be let out unless he’s being medicated. Maybe she’s trying to get your attention and just wants to run around or sit with you?

I hope someone else can give you some better suggestions or that maybe these will help a little bit. Good luck with your little chewer!

 

[Synchro246]

I love those ideas.
I have rats now but I used to have a southern flying squirrel. They need extra calcium and a recommendation was cleaned and boiled (and cooled ) clan shells. My boy would never bother them except for teeth maintainence. He preferred the softer tums and cuddle bone I provided. My point is, though I don't know if it's appropriate for rats and I do have some prepared shells waiting for approval my theory is the rats won't be overly jazzed to chew on it unless they feel benefit from it.

If he needs something more robust than wood... idk I'm curious to hear more options.

 

[SQ]

Rats wear down their front teeth by bruxing ……. their teeth only become overgrown if they are misaligned and in that case their teeth will need to be regularly trimmed.
They do not need shells, cuddle bones, wood etc
But they do enjoy chewing some things …..

I believe that clam shells can be sharp and thus would be dangerous for rats.

 

[SQ]

Many rats will chew plastic pans if they have to opportunity ….. mine certainly have over the years

Chewing cage bars in not good …… does she have friends, a huge cage full of interesting things and get hours daily out to play, explore, climb run etc in a safe interesting play area? …. she may be bored or want out.

Since you are in the USA, you might consider getting a large powder coated martins rat playpen (martinscages.com) …… it will give a large safe, confined play area that can contain hammocks, tubes, toys, etc for unsupervised play so it is a good supplement to the supervised daily play time in a rat safe area with you

 

[Synchro246]

Rats wear down their front teeth by bruxing ……. their teeth only become overgrown if they are misaligned and in that case their teeth will need to be regularly trimmed.
They do not need shells, cuddle bones, wood etc
But they do enjoy chewing some things …..

I believe that clam shells can be sharp and thus would be dangerous for rats.

Good to know

 

[GrayLightNewDay]

Yes, she has a companion in her cage with her, and they live in a critter nation with lots of hammocks and things to climb on, as well as hiding spaces, wood blocks, cardboard, fabric to burrow in/shred, and a flying saucer type wheel if she were interested. They get a large area to play outside of the cage each day (about 8' x 8', with areas to climb), but when she's out she's only interested in escaping this area to explore further.

She has a lot of energy, she never ever stops moving outside of the cage, and she is always searching for a way to escape. She likes playing with people's hands, but she's not wicked interested in people in general, she just wants to explore. She definitely seems bored, but she seems that way no matter where she is or how long she's out of her cage.

I added some different plastic things in the cage for her to chew on, and I have some pieces of cardboard hanging from the top of the cage that she's trying to get to, and it seems to be keeping her busy... but she's certainly a rambunctious rat with a strong desire to escape. I just haven't ever dealt with a rat like this before, all my others have been more relaxed and human oriented.

 

[SQ]

I added some different plastic things in the cage for her to chew on, and I have some pieces of cardboard hanging from the top of the cage that she's trying to get to, and it seems to be keeping her busy... but she's certainly a rambunctious rat with a strong desire to escape. I just haven't ever dealt with a rat like this before, all my others have been more relaxed and human oriented.

When she gets older she will slow down a bit and most likely she will gradually become more people oriented.
I am wondering if something like this would help as it can be unsupervised, has a lot of space for all sorts of interesting things and gives a lot of horizontal space. It has a hinged flip top so they are contained and folds for easy storage (this one is 44 in by 44 in and 24 in high)

 

[GrayLightNewDay]

That is worth a shot. What I do now is push a bunch of furniture together and put fleece over it all, and add tons of stuff for her to climb/hide in, and she's just interested in finding a way onto the floor. I used to push their open cage up to be included in this play area (I did this with my previous colony and they'd go in their cage to use the litter box), but she just climbs that and goes right down the back and tries to leap to the floor. If they were in a playpen on the floor maybe she'd be more happy to explore the area.

Are those pictures of a couple playpens attached together?

 

[SQ]

No, that is one playpen set up in 2 different ways …… as you can likely see in the pictures two sides are hinged so it can be folded flat for storage … It is a large powder coated martins rat playpen (martinscages.com) and could be set up and your rats could be left in it unsupervised for hours as they would be unable to get out.

As for the play area she has with you, you might consider creating a large play area surrounded by cloroplast with all sorts of toys, a and things to explore in it, including you ….. and that way she can get down on the floor and race around

 

[RatsDrawBlood]

It seems like she wants to chew on very hard things, like the hard plastic and metal. What would you all recommend for such a chewer/gnawer?

1) I read about a rat who just did it to get the humans attention, solved by giving him attention before he had a chance to get bored enough to ask for attention (& ignoring him whenever he chewed bars).
2) My 1st chewed on plastic wheatgrass trays, & my 2nd chewed on metal bars of her 1st cage.
They lost the interest they'd had in 4 kinds (using list of safe varieties) of fruit branches, de-tipped bamboo skewers (even shortened to rat-ready lengths), & wood toys sold for rats, but could never get them to shred cardboard.
Date pits might solve it for you (as long as you make sure to not wash off the sweet residue 1st). By the time that stopped working for me, those antlers (which are gathered after deer shed them) I'd ordered'd had the chance to arrive in the mail. I'd start with one of the shapes that looks like a rat-sized slice (not wedge) of watermelon, and for the "fruit" part of the "watermelon" try different shades.
They didn't recognize it as gnawable till I gave them a piece that was of various consistencies/textures/colors in that part of it, but then they took turns gnawing up its "rind" too, till the point when it was no longer fresh enough ... either that or they'd had their fill of gnawing.
Will try offering them another, when I find the bag of them, which is around here somewhere.
But as you see from this photo, that shape is rare. Whoever cuts them doesn't seem to have rats like mine:
"Ideal for mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, and any other small animal you might have. Pieces are unique and the sizes of pieces will vary. Big Bites are perfect if you have multiple gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, or chinchillas.- Long Lasting.- No splinters or odors.- No added chemicals.- Naturally shed & renewable.- Great source of calcium, minerals, and nutrients. American Antler Critter Chew, Large, 4 Ounce"

 

[SQ]

Personally, I would not give my rats hard things to chew that might cause their teeth to become misaligned, which would then require weekly or biweekly vet visits to have their teeth trimmed for the remainder of their lives

 

[Synchro246]

Neato

 

[RatsDrawBlood]

that might cause their teeth to become misaligned, which would then require weekly or biweekly vet visits

Even a rat letting you use nail clippers might not be too neato either, so since they can't have antlers, or the date pits method I'd read about, and I'd heard nut shells are even harder, so could even chip a tooth ....

fruit juice on the wood (I read that it can help), and she was only interested until she realized that it's not food

Have you tried making sure their treats are the hardest you can think of, like carrots (since the juicy wood started to work)?

gave her things like yogurt containers to destroy

I waited till she grew up to use yogurt lids as dishes, since as a baby they had to be clean, for her to not act like she might swallow bits.

she never ever stops moving outside of the cage, and she is always searching for a way to escape.

Soon as I'd had my additional rat for a month, she went from: in my shirts up and down each sleeve (& circling at my waist, shoulder crow's nest, styles my hair for me, dive back in at the neckline) to: deciding my arm is a weird-shaped rat to share this "hammock" with calmly for hours straight as I walk around the house doing things. She will still have me chauffeur her from cage to furniture to floor to cage ... endlessly.

she just wants to explore. She definitely seems bored, but she seems that way no matter where she is or how long she's out of her cage.

If it's not some smell/noise/etc ....
Their deep soil packed tight is for quenching urges to dig their way out.
Also there's a quarter of a mattress pad (on top of the bottom cover) for them to be sandwiched under. The objects weighing it down are just far from each other enough they can squeeze through, light enough to give if the fit is tight, heavy enough to then keep it snug to replicate burrowed tunnels. Looser paths at the edges, a few larger & they choose a play area which she pokes up with her nose till it's as roomy as they need.

Hammocks and ramp covers had to be replaced quite regularly with her around.

One of mine does make her fabric things ratty, but for nesting/sniffing/view/exit route purposes.

I have some pieces of cardboard hanging from the top of the cage that she's trying to get to, and it seems to be keeping her busy

You could make sure her climbing stuff is set up to be just barely reachable, in case the problem is a limited number of challenges to alternate between.

a flying saucer type wheel if she were interested

Mine don't understand about running on it either - guess they might if they'd had it as babies.
Demonstrating with "yellow pages" fingers was like a bad weight-loss program that made them think food instead of exercise. They sniffed it & looked at me like I was a magician ... "Where'd the snack go?"
So now I use it as their salad bowl ... in fact that's what it looks like.
I call their accordion tunnel the "blue hole" since it's hanging where it ends at the entrance of their space pod and begins right above the top of their flying saucer (so have an interesting time getting in and out). It's the sci-fi wing.

 

[RatsDrawBlood]

Thought of something. Have you tried in-the-shell raw sunflower seeds/peanuts? Fulfills their requirements that it be food & hard, but thin with air behind it, so that the give makes it safe.