A few months ago I got a new baby rat to join my other 2 males. They are now ages: 1 year, 10 months, and 4 months. The 4 month old rat, Farris, is a little escape artist and just so wild and curious and full of energy! My other two have always been super chill and never escaped from their cage. This little one escapes every night, climbs in the bed with me and explores the bedroom. Now this might not sound so bad.. but he does poop and pee everywhere, he made a nest in a box in my closet, he has chewed some of my clothes in drawers and he collects things and chews them up, including important papers and books. I wrapped the cage in mesh wire and this stopped him from escaping for a while.. but now he has chewed a large hole through the bottom plastic of the cage! Any advice/ suggestions on how I can fix this hole and make it to where he can’t chew through the bottom again? I can’t buy a new one right this moment. They have plenty of toys and enough space, they play together and get along well and they get play time outside of the cage..
Advice for escape proofing cage?
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Have they been chewing holes in the cage
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Both of them
Yes, he chewed a hole through the bottom corner big enough to go in and out through
Just the youngest one. The other two are content with being in the cage
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Is the cage old because that would make it very easy to escape
Nope, just bought it a little less than a year ago
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Do you have any chew toys
What brand of cage is it? Maybe wrap the entire bottom with hardware cloth and secure it to the upper part of the cage? Rats can chew through electrical cords and that is a safety concern for you if something sparks and starts a fire when you try to use it.
Can you look for a used cheap or free Critter Nation or something similar on FB Marketplace, NextDoor, etc?
Can you look for a used cheap or free Critter Nation or something similar on FB Marketplace, NextDoor, etc?
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I’ve seen various sized metal trays on Amazon for various prices, get good measurements and compare them to see which would work for your cage. They also have plastic trays. You could sit a plastic inside a metal one if it works that way too. I have to remake my bottom cage because one of mine chewed 2 holes, one then about a month after the other one. I temporarily covered the holes using a corner litter pan and a big plastic bin that fits tight enough it doesn’t move. I can’t get a replacement for it, bought it just over a year ago and it happened a few months ago. Luckily I’m fairly handy so I can make one myself, just need the materials and a free day to build it.
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