[raqathta]

Hi, everyone! I got my Boys, Beauregard and Marcellus, in April '15. The pet store told me they were about 2 mos. old. They behave mostly as expected, except for a few things. One of the most puzzling is that they steadfastly ignore virtually all chew toys. I've tried applewood sticks, balls of twig, wooden toys, lavender twigs, rosemary twigs, plain doggie chews, ferret chews--I even sewed wooden buttons onto their hammock when I caught MarMar chewing a button on the quilt cover I was using to protect my bed during their "outside time." What they do love to chew is plastic: I was trying to use an old toothbrush to brush them, and they just wanted to chew on the handle! Once I gave them a plastic applesauce cup to lick, and they licked it all out and then started chewing on the rim. Same happens with yoghurt containers. Beau chewed holes in my laundry basket, even though the sides were already openwork that he could climb!<br><br>Since I'm new, I have to make three posts. I have more questions I'll put in new threads. Maybe people who know more about those things can answer those.<br><br>I can't believe how cute ratties are! I never thought I'd want one as a pet, but I love them!<br>Thanks for reading!

 

[Aqua]

Hi, I don't know how helpful I can be, since I am new to rats myself. I also have a couple of very young rats, and so far they also have not shown any interest in the wood chew toys that I have given them. My guess is that it is a too hard for the little guys? I've been giving mine a lot cardboard to chew on, and that seems to go over pretty well.

 

[ratatat17]

Hi! I've had rats for a while, and my girls have never been real big on wood chews. I do give them some willow sticks (sold at petsmart and probably petco) and cardboard, and they only really chew on them in order to make nesting material. I've been lucky that my girls so far aren't too bad with plastic, but if I have them free-roaming they love to eat all my Nerf gun darts and crayons. Do you have any concerns with their lack of interest in chews?

 

[raqathta]

Thanks to you both! My concern is that they are bored if they don't have something to chew on. But I've tried so many things--dingle balls, a climbing rope, I even made a ladder with chew sticks and string. They play with it for 5 seconds and then nothing. But they will spend a lot of time chewing the bottom out of a yoghurt container!

Today I simmered some doggie chews in chicken broth, which a pet/feed store owner suggested. We'll see how that turns out. It just seems like they want to chew on things I don't want them to chew on. Yesterday, Beau took a bite out of my dress, for no apparent reason! When I first got them, I used an old beach towel to give them darkness during the day, and they hated it--chewed large holes in it. They do like to chew on fabric. Maybe I should give them some clean cotton rags!

One day, I was cleaning the bottom of their cage. I just shifted the whole cage, with them in it, onto some newspaper. Beau went to to town tearing the newspaper into 6" strips! So I might go to the art store and get them some clean newsprint! They don't seem interested in nesting material. I gave them a bunch of timothy hay, and they ignored it. My ratties are weird.

 

[clareabrilla]

My girls absolutely LOVE plastic, I had to buy a new cage because they chewed their way out of the last one. Mine too have had NO interest in the store bought chews, so I have tried a bunch of things and I've found that the only things they will chew that are things I would be okay with them chewing are popsicle sticks! Plain, un died craft sticks from a craft store, and occasionally on a wood bridge that I bought from PetCo, but not as much as the popsicle sticks! I got the idea from a friend of mine who lets her bird chew on them and it's been working pretty well!

 

[clareabrilla]

OH! And uncooked pasta, it's good for their teeth and they love it! I just added a bunch to their seed mix

 

[Nickle]

Hi!! I've heard that cardboard is good for chews, its cheaper than store bought ones. Honestly all rats like different things, maybe you just haven't found the right material yet

 

[KennaBoo]

Hello! It's funny you posted this question actually because I was wondering the same thing with my two girls. They love plastic, cloth, and metal (from the bars of their cage) yet they'll only occasionally chew on the toilet paper rolls I give them and rarely ever touch the nice assorted chews I've bought them. I guess every rat is different though because I've heard of others I've met who's ratties absolutely love their chews, and of course others that don't. However I've found that if I put a few treats in their chews (if they have big enough holes, or if I make holes in them) that my girls will chew them a bit before taking the actual treat out, so I guess it really all depends, haha. Plus, I wonder if the colored chews affect their preference at all regarding if they like them or not, because I've never seen my rats (or even my gerbil) touch the colored chews.