[VetTech]

Hi... I was wondering if anyone can give me some suggestions on what to use to allow rats to free range but still keep them in a contained safe area? I have a pretty small home, with two dogs and two cats. I'd like to set it up so that the rats can stretch their legs and explore a little bit. But I don't have a room that I can designate strictly as their "play area" and rat-proof it. Do you have any suggestions - like using some type of short fencing to create kind of a corral, and put different toys and stuff in there?

Deb

 

[CaptainFlow]

Many people let their rats roam in their bathroom, as it's contained, there's usually not much furniture for them to crawl under/behind, and easy to clean.

I personally throw a blanket over my bed and toss on some boxes and toys. I have a long tube that connects their cage and my bed, so I just let them run around like that

 

[A1APassion]

just be careful about unsupervised play time in a bathroom or anywhere else

Bathroom cabinets ( & kitchen for that matter) typically has openings thart allow for a rat to crawl inside of or behind. One member just wrote about this & how it took removing cabinetry in order to retrieve the rats that not only got behind the cabinet but also inside the wall. Builders don't always finish the drywall around plumbing pipes that enter the interior of walls.

So where ever you let them play... thoroughly crawl around & look for escape routes.

 

[Mana]

My rats get play time on my bed/computer desk. It's high enough so none of them have ever been inclined to jump off, and it's easy to set up and take down again when they're done (I just throw stuff onto the bed - boxes, tunnels, etc, and then afterwards I throw it all back into a bigger box ^^; ). I've also let them play on the living room couch and the two end tables and coffee table around the couch.

The problem with any kind of fencing is that rats can easily climb it. They can also jump pretty high, and I've heard of people using chloroplast to block off areas for the rats only to find the rats can jump onto it and then off of it again.

My bed/desk set up has been working well for me for almost a year now, and even though I have a small bed they still have enough space to really run around and play ^_^

 

[VetTech]

Thanks, guys! I wasn't planning on letting them loose unsupervised - I would be there the whole time to interact with them, so that they could get to know me better and spend time with me. So if I let them play on my bed, they wouldn't be inclined to jump off? The bathroom sounds like a good idea too. I could throw a blanket down so the floor isn't so cold, and let them just explore with me there to watch. I sure wish I had a bigger house!

 

[Leala]

If it's too high they shouldn't be inclined to jump off. Some more adventurous little ones might try and climb down the blankets :lol:
If you just watch them it should be fine.

 

[Phoenix]

My son and I take the rats into the bathroom and cram rice filled socks (that were one used as heating pads) into the crack between the door and floor so they don't escape. Of course I still have to watch to make sure they don't try to dig their way out and watch them around the cabinets but so far it has worked great. They don't seem to mind the ceramic tile floors but they are very interested in the loopy bathroom mats.

 

[glindella]

I let the boys run round on the couch and the two adjoining end tables (I'm a college student so the stuff is mostly garbage anyway), they really enjoy rat laundry day, when the liners and hammies come out of the dryer they get dumped on the couch and the real fun begins

 

[Sami]

I let mine run around on the couch, in the bathroom (more often than the couch ever since Gohma realized the couch is low enough to the ground for her to jump off), and sometimes (though rarely) in the small hallway up stairs with all the doors closed, myself at one end, and my Love at the other end watching to make sure the girls don't get anywhere, and also watching to make sure the cats don't sneak up and pounce.

 

[dingosm8]

I made a little playpen out of coroplast. I use it for outside playtime, but it can work indoors too.

Here's a picture of it in use. It's really pretty large and flexible. I can make it any shape I want.

 

[Meliss]

Mine roam the living room-- not on the couch or my chair. We have the couch blocked off with a old playpen fence, and my chair blocked off with another playpen fence. The tv is blocked off by furniutre on each side, and basically I am on the floor with them when they are free ranging all of my guys love love blankets so there is blankets on the fences. Sometimes when I feel like they go upstairs at night with me and play on my bed or they will just sit there while I pet them

 

[jellybeanqueen]

i personally believe that a bed/ couch is the perfect play area if you don't have a room just for your ratties.
they can run around, and won't jump off because they know they could injure themselves.

i tried a few times to get my girls to play in the bathroom/ on my bedroom floor (barricaded), but they HATED it (shampoo/humidity/fear of being caught by an eagle or something?? xD) and constantly tried to escape.

i felt so bad, that i moved the play area back to the couch and now they're very pleased. :3

 

[CaptainFlow]

Generally they won't jump off... I've never discovered how she does this, but every once in a while when I'm out of the room (brushing teeth, etc) and the girls are out, Belgie will just wander into the bathroom! I'm always like, how did you get in here?! And then have to chase her around because who wants to be caught and sent back to the bed?

 

[VetTech]

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! I love that play area from coroplast. I'm not exactly sure what kind of material that is... I don't think I've heard of it before. Can it be found in the United States?

Deb

 

[Rattiegma]

Thanks for all the wonderful ideas! I love that play area from coroplast. I'm not exactly sure what kind of material that is... I don't think I've heard of it before. Can it be found in the United States?

Deb

Yeah, we have it in the U.S. It's that plastic/cardboard material that those politician's signs are made out of! You know...the obnoxious ones that are everywhere right now!? lol I've never bought any, or priced it, but I think someone on here said it costs quite a pretty penny. I'm not sure though, but I know you should be able to get it at places that make signs and things.

 

[ratadoption]

we use a baby playpen, but we have to watch them to make sure they dont climb out.