What Types of Toys Do I Give to My Pet Rats?

Rats are active and highly intelligent animals. While you may provide entertainment when you interact with your pet, your rat still needs something to occupy its time when left alone. Toys that allow a rat to exercise and indulge in its natural inclinations to chew and dig will keep your pet busy for hours on end.

Exercise Toys

Rats need to stay active to be healthy. A good mix of exercise toys will keep your rat moving and stimulated. One of the most common toys in a rodent cage is a running wheel, although wheels made of wire, as well as those with exposed axles or gaps in them, are not recommended. A rat can be seriously injured using one of these types of wheels. A better alternative is a climbing rope, which gives you opportunities to create games and tap into a rat's natural curiosity. You can hang food or another toy at the top of the rope to give your rat an incentive to climb. You can also make a homemade rat pinata as an exercise toy. Place a few pieces of rat treats in a paper towel, then tie up the paper towel to create a pouch. Next, tie the pouch to the top of the cage with a string. Your rats will smell the treat and actively try to find a way to reach the pouch by climbing, jumping and problem solving.

Digging Toys

Rats are natural diggers, so tap into this inclination by providing a digging box. You can purchase one at a pet store or create your own from a small cardboard box filled with dirt, shredded newspaper or wood chips. If you use soil, you can also plant a few grass seeds before placing the box in the cage to replicate an outdoor environment.

Chew Toys

Rats love to chew on things. You can provide limitless entertainment by tossing a few rat-friendly chew toys and household items into your pet's cage. There are rat-specific chew toys you can offer your pet that are perfectly safe. If you don't have time to go to the pet store, pieces of cardboard, paper towels, cooked beef and chicken bones, and nut shells are rat favorites. A rat can chew on these items for hours, and they are not harmful. When the weather is hot, consider keeping your rat cool by placing chew toys at the bottom of a "wading pool" made from a heavy plant dish or shallow bowl.

Hiding Toys

Rats enjoy playing where they can be seen, but they also enjoy playing in private. Creating an environment with multiple enclosures gives your rat the option to play in the open or hidden away. PVC pipes or homemade cardboard box enclosures (created by flipping a small box upside down and cutting a small hole near the bottom as an entryway) are common hiding toys that have proven successful. Pet stores will also have small enclosures with different themes, like stone caves or hollowed wooden logs. As long as your rat can hide from view, the enclosure will likely work very well.