Where do you let your rats out?

[Knoahe]

Hello everyone,

Lately, I have been really wanting to re-furnish my room, and make it so simple. I am going to take out practically everything, even my bed, and just throw in simple stuff. I am getting a couch to sleep on, a smaller entertainment center [mine's a monster right now], and have the rat cage. I was wondering, with me getting new rats this coming week or so, do you think if I remade my room simple so I can see everything, do you think I could let them out in there? My folks are so worried about them chewing up the place, but would they really? They are going to be old [1.5 and 1 year old], so would they really run around and cause chaos?

On that note, where do you guys let them out to play? I use the bathroom generally because there's no places, but do you let your's out just anywhere in the house? [of course after rat-proofing] I see a lot of people let them out in their yards, too.

[Nienor]

My rats run around in the living room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kLBfDuitR4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUG_FMLhCiQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWlojMeqSgg 
But yes they chew the furniture and the wall especially the older ones .. they started when they were about one year .. But you just have to keep an eye on them .. if they get to a place where they chewed an sniff there pick them up and give them something to play. The more toys they have and use the less boredom and the less they chew on your stuff or you install some walls to prevent them from gettin to your stuff ..

[Knoahe]

My rats run around in the living room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kLBfDuitR4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUG_FMLhCiQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWlojMeqSgg 
But yes they chew the furniture and the wall especially the older ones .. they started when they were about one year .. But you just have to keep an eye on them .. if they get to a place where they chewed an sniff there pick them up and give them something to play. The more toys they have and use the less boredom and the less they chew on your stuff or you install some walls to prevent them from gettin to your stuff ..

Thanks for the info :] I could layout toys everywhere so forth to keep them entertained as well. From what I've heard, they are calmer laprats also, so they might just want to hang out and sleep. xD By the way, your rats are beautiful and stunning! Who did you get them from?

[lml8787]

I just close my door and let my rats run around my room.  Of course only while I am in there so I know if they get quiet (that's when they usually get into trouble lol) then I need to start to look for them.  Their favorite place to go plunder around is under my bed.  My bed sits up high so I just have a bunch of empty cardboard boxes, empty shoe boxes, etc under there for them to play in.

[Nienor]

Who did you get them from?

Unfortunately I bought the hooded in a pet store .. I did not inform myself to well how they where breed. It is just horrible over here .. Big "ratty mill" just like puppy mills poor wee things ..
The berkshires are rescues from a shelter and the huskies are offspring of rescues who where pregnant when rescued. All my future rats will be rescues to

Oh yes, when you don't see them anymore, they get in trouble ^^ but mostly when they chew you hear it
So try keep an eye on them, as long as you see them and they feel watched they will be good rats

[yunafonfabre]

We've got a nice big bed with a couple of adjacent nightstands. We pile up some sheets so they have someplace to tunnel around and explore in and let them run! They really love it. ^.^

One of the cages is also on my desk, and when I'm sitting there I'll frequently open the cage and just let them explore around a little. (My desk is ratproofed.) It's not much room so I don't really count it as exercise, but it lets the girls in their stretch their legs a little bit and it's great for bonding.

[Knoahe]

Who did you get them from?

Unfortunately I bought the hooded in a pet store .. I did not inform myself to well how they where breed. It is just horrible over here .. Big "ratty mill" just like puppy mills poor wee things ..
The berkshires are rescues from a shelter and the huskies are offspring of rescues who where pregnant when rescued. All my future rats will be rescues to

Oh yes, when you don't see them anymore, they get in trouble ^^ but mostly when they chew you hear it
So try keep an eye on them, as long as you see them and they feel watched they will be good rats

Ah, well they are all very beautiful! You're a very lucky rattie owner! 

I could let them roam the couch and go wherever they liked if I let them out once I re-furnish my room, not quite the same as a bed but I could pile some covers and pillows up for them. 

I feel like I could let them out constantly if I re-made my room, I don't hang out in there hardly ever [heck, I don't even sleep in there! I sleep on the couch] expect to take in-and-out cages for cleaning, feeding, and to take my pets somewhere else like the bathroom to let them out. Of course if I cleaned it up and all, I would spend a heck of a lot more time in there [and maybe even sleep in there  ] and I could always let them out while I'm in there doing my own thing, of course after all the rat proofing.   

[lilspaz68]

Depending on the rats, they run in a coroplast corral, the livingroom, the computer desk or the couch.

If you want to avoid any damage or chewing, your best bet is to only let them out for 1/2 an hour at a time, they are spending that time running and checkign things out.  Its when they are a bit bored that they start getting into trouble.  Try taking out your rats for 1/2 an hour then an hour or so later, another 1/2 hour.  Might work if you want them to run in your bedroom

[Knoahe]

Depending on the rats, they run in a coroplast corral, the livingroom, the computer desk or the couch.

If you want to avoid any damage or chewing, your best bet is to only let them out for 1/2 an hour at a time, they are spending that time running and checkign things out.  Its when they are a bit bored that they start getting into trouble.  Try taking out your rats for 1/2 an hour then an hour or so later, another 1/2 hour.  Might work if you want them to run in your bedroom

I'll try that  and I'll keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't cause mischief during their times out. I hear that males are generally more laid back, but I am sure they can still have some naughty in them. 

[Nienor]

Some days my boys go and chew on the wall when they only where 10 minutes out -.- keeping a close eye on them is really the best safety for your stuff ..

[Margar]

I let my boys out on the couch and they also have a play pen. I have to put the top on the playpen and clamp it down with binder clips, though, because Frankie likes to climb to the top!!

[Leesha]

I let Gingerale, Jude, Nadja, Nina, and Nemo run on the bed and couch. Nibbler and Noelle also run on the couch and bed, but they get to run around our room and living room as well. They're older and a bit more well behaved, so I can trust them not to get into too much trouble

[stephaniec]

I let Ratacus and Splinter on the couches when I settle down for the night to watch TV. My biggest problem is them pooping everywhere.

[TamSmith]

I used to let them out in my room but my girl Sadie doesn't do well in big spaces so she was terrified and hid the whole time in my desk. I was using the bathroom for a while but I didn't like it because every now and then they would find soap, or rust, or something else they shouldn't be eating. Now I have a grrreat wall and I just put it up in the living room and let them play in that. All of them love it. But If I'm not sitting in it with them, Gypsy will wait till I walk by or she see's where I'm sitting and she'll jump out and jump on me. She's crazy.