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Cheap & Easy Rat Toy & Treat!

This is a great toy for rats that will amuse them, give them exercise, help them wear down their teeth, and feed them all at the same time. And it's easy and very cheap to make!

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Step 1Materials

The materials are simple:

-1 small cardboard tube, such as one from a toilet paper roll (I prefer the ones from fax paper rolls as they are good and thick

-nuts and/or dried fruit

-paper towel

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22 comments

Oct 5, 2008. 9:48 AMemr71 says:

those wood chips will give your guy a respiratory infection, tho

Oct 5, 2008. 10:28 AMMahekun (author) says:

My rats' bedding is made of hemp, not wood. It contains no oils or chemicals that are harmful to rats, such as those in cedar or pine.

Nov 19, 2011. 10:10 AMvettech88 says:

That's a great alternative to commercially available beddings! However, careful with the quantity of paper towel/TP rolls you give your ratty. The glue isn't particularly good for them. Once in a while shouldn't be a problem, however.

Dec 1, 2010. 10:41 AMCloset_RAt says:

Been using this one for some time now - just wish there was a way to make the game last longer (my kids are crazy & will get the treats in normally LESS than 5 minutes...).

But I wanted to leave a comment & suggest you pick up some cheap plastic placemats to floor the upper levels of your rat cage - the wire floor is hard on their feet & mine seem to really dig have a solid layer to sit on. The biggest benefit is, the plastic placemats are flexible - so you can remove them & wash them very easily AND they're easy to cut, so you can cut them to fit the small stairwell sections...

Dec 1, 2010. 12:25 PMMahekun (author) says:

Glad your ratties are enjoying the treats! And thanks for the suggestion, that's a great idea! Will definitely be much easier to clean than scrubbing pee off the wires!

Feb 20, 2010. 9:18 AMstetson nall says:

nice cage

Aug 9, 2008. 2:52 PM

jany says:

Gosh, great idea for the rat! My Elmer loves it. Hey, I love the cage, too. What does the bottom sit in?

Aug 9, 2008. 6:07 PMMahekun (author) says:

Thanks! I ordered the cage from Martin's Cages. Google them and you should find their site. They are cheaper than most cages because you assemble it yourself. They're designed just for rats. The bottom is a thick plastic container, similar to a cat litter pan. I've had the cage for 5 years and it's in great shape still.

Oct 17, 2009. 12:53 PMtnielsenhayden says:

Martin's cages are great -- cheap, durable, attractive, well ventilated, and easy to clean. Also, if you pay attention to their footprint dimensions, you can bash them together to expand your current setup.

I'd definitely recommend their hamster cages for hamsters that have gotten too big for Habitrail tubes.