Rat climbing out of cage - help!!

[Hayleylou]

Hiya, I’m a new rat owner and I’ve got 2 very young girlie rats, one of them is very very confident and getting extremely inquisitive, so much so that she has taken to jumping off my leg onto the floor and going underneath the cage. After I put her back in the cage she then climbed out through the bars and went underneath again, and started making little runs out to explore the area around. I’m a bit worried she will get into the habit of doing this, and show her sister who tends to follow her on behaviour about a week behind!!

I have put a mat thing behind the bottom level of their cage now (which is against the wall but has a gap big enough for them to get out into), so that should hopefully act as a barrier and show her not to do it, is this an ok thing to do? They looked pretty confused when they saw it there. I feel I’ve had to do this for peace of mind because the way our flat is so open plan I can’t shut them in a room, she could run anywhere if she got out in the night.

Hopefully they will grow big enough soon that they won’t be able to squeeze through the bars anymore!! They are in a fairly big cage but we were advised it was suitable for rats. Any advice on what I should do/should I be worried they are getting out of the cage in the night? Do I need to buy them more toys to put inside the cage even though they have a lot already? Can you discipline a rat to listen to you when you say no, or to come when you call? Thanks in advance for any help, I’d really appreciate it!!

 

[MinisterPumpkin]

Rats are very inquisitive. I personally wouldn't rely on just trusting them to stay in the cage if there's any way for them to get out and explore. For now, I'd advise fixing up the cage by affixing some hardware cloth around the outside of it or something of that nature. You might be able to find some inspiration in some older threads. If they're feeling determined, they'll find their way around (or through) the mat eventually.

How big is the bar spacing? Some cages that can hold adult males can't hold adult females because females don't grow to be quite as big. That is to say, there's a chance this will be a lifelong issue if the spacing is too large.

As far as training rats to come when called, that's certainly something that can be done. Honestly, most of my boys learn to do it on their own without any formal training. But I wouldn't rely on that to keep them safe if they're able to get out of their cage at all times. By the time you notice they're out and call, they might've already found something to chew or worked their way under a foot or something! I can't count the number of times I've almost accidentally stepped on my sister's 60-lb dog when I'm over. Thinking of that happening to a little rattie is an absolute nightmare!

 

[Hayleylou]

Thank you so much for your reply. They've been out in the night, and I'm now worried because there was a box with their folded up playpen in it next to the cage and some sellotape's been chewed off it. Will they be okay?

The bar spacing is quite big it seems, I've searched online and found the cage we've got and it says suitable for adult rats, so annoyed we were clearly missold and it's not suitable for babies!

I'm going to go to Homebase and try and find some really small mesh that could get wrapped around and fixed to the cage, as if they grow a fair bit bigger then eventually they won't be able to get out of this cage. They're only 3 months old at the moment!

 

[jorats]

I would find a better cage with smaller bar spacing. Some females stay quite petite. And you run the risk of the rat trying to get through the bars and getting stuck there if they got bigger. That happened to my sister once, thank goodness she was home and saw it happen.
Some rats are naturally curious and adventurist. Those are some of the best and most fun rats, count yourself lucky! I've had a few like that over the years and they are just so much fun and yes, they do keep you on your toes.

 

[SQ]

Welcome to the forum

Small bar spacing is not only important for keeping rats in but also for keeping out small predators that can enter homes. …… so a large cage with small bar spacing that you can fill with interesting, safe things to do, or cover the cage permanently with hardware cloth.
Are you in London England, or London Ontario Canada?

Your ratties sound adorable You will soon need to create a safe, rat proof play area where they can run, climb, explore, play, hopefully access their cage, and interact with you.
You can teach rats to come when you call, but like cats, they will only come when they feel like it. I call out treat whenever I feed my rats anything and they will come running when they heard it. You can also teach them o come to their names using rewards. Rats are smart like dogs and cats …. some people clicker train their pet rats.

The Reference Thread has links you might find useful https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/

 

[Ruthie_is_Rattified]

Her natural/ingrained/unfailing instinct is to keep you - and sister - in immediate reach at all times. Across the room & under a pillow is a split second's dash away, from where she sits. If she got spooked by something she might freeze position for a while but otherwise TRUST ME even if she technically hated you, there is no possibility of her putting herself in a position that might cause her to lose her bearings with relation to where her sister is. If she's in heat she might get a little haywire and boldly yet aimlessly set off on an uncharacteristic quest for that of what she knows not....but even for those small handful of hours she won't

Hiya, I’m a new rat owner and I’ve got 2 very young girlie rats, one of them is very very confident and getting extremely inquisitive, so much so that she has taken to jumping off my leg onto the floor and going underneath the cage. After I put her back in the cage she then climbed out through the bars and went underneath again, and started making little runs out to explore the area around. I’m a bit worried she will get into the habit of doing this, and show her sister who tends to follow her on behaviour about a week behind!!

I have put a mat thing behind the bottom level of their cage now (which is against the wall but has a gap big enough for them to get out into), so that should hopefully act as a barrier and show her not to do it, is this an ok thing to do? They looked pretty confused when they saw it there. I feel I’ve had to do this for peace of mind because the way our flat is so open plan I can’t shut them in a room, she could run anywhere if she got out in the night.

Hopefully they will grow big enough soon that they won’t be able to squeeze through the bars anymore!! They are in a fairly big cage but we were advised it was suitable for rats. Any advice on what I should do/should I be worried they are getting out of the cage in the night? Do I need to buy them more toys to put inside the cage even though they have a lot already? Can you discipline a rat to listen to you when you say no, or to come when you call? Thanks in advance for any help, I’d really appreciate it!!