[Kathryne]

My two new ratties are actin' rather peculiar. Both are 6 month old PEWs. They've been doing this thing since I've got them from my friend... they chew on the cage. ... I can't imagine it gnaws their teeth down any... It's plastic coated metal. :/ I've given them chew sticks ... but they just sniff them and ignore them >.< I'm not sure what else to do ... I've tried giving them other stuff .... Small pieces of cardboard, popsicle sticks ... no good. :/

If anyone has any idea or wether this is normal please tell me. :/

~ Very Worried ~ >.<

(Also I've only had them for 4 days tops ... so it may still be stress)

 

[Zach]

Mine do that a lot too. They like me to feed them through the cage, once I give them enough food they'll scurry off and play. Maybe that'd work for you?

 

[Pomperella]

my rescue boy used to do that a lot but his cage used to be left open and he'd sit at the top ni his old house. however, he was never handled. in my house i don't keep the cage open all the time but handle him a lot, play with him a lot and free roam. until he realised that he was going to be let out lots he used to chew the cage wire as if to get out.

maybe it'll just take your new ratties a few days to feel secure, then they should stop!

 

[DonnaK]

How big is the cage?

 

[Vixie]

Mine do that a lot too. They like me to feed them through the cage, once I give them enough food they'll scurry off and play. Maybe that'd work for you?

This is strongly avised against. It may lead to biting if a youngster-- or anyone, really, sticks their finger through the bars and the rat will lunge and chomp down thinging the end of the finger is food.


I really don't know how to handle that, my Meromi did that in her old cage and it drove me insane at night. I wuld be wary, though, because once she gets through the coating the wire may poison her(not really clear on this, advise looking it up).

 

[Inesita]

My little sister's hamster does this all the time. We used to have a plastic cage for him, but he managed to gnaw through the hard plastic and escape. It drives my little sister insane.

 

[Nazarath]

I had the same problem with one of my old girls, I took her to th vet because she was in a metal cage (this was WAY WAY backk when lol) and it was making her gums bleed :'(. My vet said she seemed bored... so I went out and baught her a junk load of toys and stuff. So when any of my guys start to chew I know it's time for new toys, sometimes I just clean their cage and hide little treats around and they stop chewing. I've just made new toys for everyone so I have no chewers and I shouldn't for a ffew months now lol. Maybe your hunny is just bored??

 

[ratvocate]

I have a new problem with my babies. I have an FN and use towels to line. Suddenly one of them has decided to start chewing the crap out of the towels. She must do it late at night when I am sleeping so I dont see who is doing it. I removed all towels today , as I am now very worried about them choking on it.
I thought I had lots of things for them to chew on and have fun with. Hmm I am stumped as to what to do now.

 

[Forensic]

I don't think they'll choke. Normally they don't eat things like that. They just like to redecorate. My boys chew my towels a bit, but I always find pieces.

 

[Poppyseed]

You should give her a dig box ratvocate. Or a box in the cage full of small pieces of fleece (nothing threaded) and paper to play in. I bet she would like that if she likes chewing on the towels.

 

[ratvocate]

hmm a dig box.. just a cardboard box filled with fleece , paper and goodies? thnaks I am going to try that tonight. The towels are really getting shredded badly. thanks poppyseed.

 

[Nazarath]

Maybe you can try to wrap some towel around one of the toys and maybe they will just chew that instead? I just thought of this now so yea lol.

 

[Kathryne]

How big is the cage?

Not big enough :? I know that .. although I didn't know it at the
time I bought them. As soon as the $$$ comes in I'll get them a
much bigger one ... hmm ... hiding treats and giving them stuff to do
(besides ya know .. hide in their little chewable cubby and play with
empty cardboard tubes) might help. >.<

 

[DonnaK]

How big is the cage?

Not big enough :? I know that .. although I didn't know it at the
time I bought them. As soon as the $$$ comes in I'll get them a
much bigger one ... hmm ... hiding treats and giving them stuff to do
(besides ya know .. hide in their little chewable cubby and play with
empty cardboard tubes) might help. >.<

That could be what's doing it. When I clean our girls out I put them in an old old cage that is way too small for them for any length of time, and they chew at the bars like that in there.

The only other time they do it is when they know it's playtime, and our youngest starts chewing on the bars in excitement (they know it's playtime because they see/hear me putting towels on the sofa and putting a sweatshirt on :lol

Can you try and let them have more free time out of their cage, until you can get a bigger cage, maybe?

 

[Kathryne]

That could be what's doing it. When I clean our girls out I put them in an old old cage that is way too small for them for any length of time, and they chew at the bars like that in there.

The only other time they do it is when they know it's playtime, and our youngest starts chewing on the bars in excitement (they know it's playtime because they see/hear me putting towels on the sofa and putting a sweatshirt on :lol

Can you try and let them have more free time out of their cage, until you can get a bigger cage, maybe?

That was the other thing I was curious about. I'm not exactly certain how I can let them out of the cage and let them have more free-time outside. :s Usually when I let them out, it's one at a time and they usually hang around on my shoulder. I'm not really keen on them going much else where (My room's got all kind of cracks and crevices I'm afraid of them hoppin' off me and slippin' into >.<). They have roamed around my lap when I was sitting, and I can tell they want to explore more ... once again it's a safety issue for me ... :? I'm happy to hear to any advice though.

 

[OnlyOno]

you could have play time with them in the bathroom or a small room that you can close off and be sure that they can't get anywhere. walk-in closets work great for that as well, and i know many of the people here have closets dedicated to rat playrooms!

ratvocate: i'd use fleece instead of towels cuz towels can be chewed up and shredded, but i haven't noticed my girls doing the same to fleece. also, towels that have any loose ends will get shredded even worse in the wash. my friend kayla had a guinea pig die from a blockage caused by yarn in her intestines, and although i agree that rats don't usually actually eat the towels, i wouldn't risk it, it's happened before.