|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/22/2009 7:47:08 PM
Posts: 35,
Visits: 48
|
|
Anyone else here have fun decorating the rats' cage? Decorating is one of my favorite parts of cleaning day, right after watching the ratties enjoying their clean enclosure (and of course cleaning is my least favorite part of cleaning day?) How do you decorate your rats' cage? Post pictures and show off your decorative skills and your ratties' appreciation.
And to get this topic started, here is my girls cage: It is a Ferret Nation 142 and is the absolute most easiest cage to clean in the world! I currently have four girls living in this cage but this cage is big enough for 10 rats.
Can't wait to see everyone else's cages and ratties :3
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/20/2008 1:11:49 PM
Posts: 7,
Visits: 14
|
|
I'm not trying to be rude or mean, I think you have a pretty cool set up for your rats, but the more toys and "stuff" you have in your cage the more distressing it is to your rats. I agree that rats need adequate space to run around and things to climb on. I've spent 4 years working with and researching mouse and rat behavior. It's my career. Rats use scent to mark their territory and leave messages for other rats. When we clean their cages, which does need to be done frequently, we screw up their territorial boundaries and erase their scent messages. It's kind of like someone coming into your home and tearing up your love letters, deleting your email, and moving your furniture around. It may seem like the rats enjoy their clean cages and new toys, but they're really freaking out trying to put things back in order and reestablish boundaries. Having more stuff in the cage is more of an enrichment for us than the rats. I'm not saying your cage has to be bare of enrichment, but sometimes less is more. If you disagree with me, that's fine. I'm not trying to make you mad. I'm sure you love your rats as much as I love mine. I just wanted to give you a little insight to your rats' behavior. Check out this website for more info. http://www.nc3rs.org.uk/news.asp?id=395 and read under the heading Refinement through beneficial enrichment.
Have fun with your girls!
Angela ~">
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/16/2008 8:45:37 AM
Posts: 7,
Visits: 6
|
|
So, this is only one of my cages. It's a rat manor that I keep three little girls in. It's plenty big for them right now, but, I'm going to upgrade when they get bigger, hopefully splurge on a FN, or possibly the Critter Nation they've had in development for a while now, when I get a look at it.
That's when I first got that cage, so, fortunately, all the wire floors are covered with felt now. No twisted, caught feet!
I also have a frankencage, that I connected two super pet cages together to make a bigger version. That one's got my three bigger girls in it. If I had my camera, I'd snap a picture. 
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/22/2009 7:47:08 PM
Posts: 35,
Visits: 48
|
|
| Hotaru you have a nice set up! I have always thought about buying one of those bird things, but never got around to it. How does your girls like it?
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/16/2008 8:45:37 AM
Posts: 7,
Visits: 6
|
|
| The yellow thing-y? They love it. <3 They like it much better than any hammock I've gotten them. They seem to like to be enclosed.
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/22/2009 7:47:08 PM
Posts: 35,
Visits: 48
|
|
I guess I'll be investing in one soon 
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/22/2009 7:47:08 PM
Posts: 35,
Visits: 48
|
|
Angela: I am afraid I do disagree with you because I have never seen any stressful behavior in my rats after cleaning their cage and I know what a stressed out rat looks like as my little girl, Charlotte used to be a very nervous and stressed out rat. She now shows no sign of being stressed, even after the cage is clean, and neither do any of my other girls. They run about that cage happily exploring their new set up along with finding treats that I've hidden.
:3
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/22/2009 7:47:08 PM
Posts: 35,
Visits: 48
|
|
Here is a video by NOVA on how environmental enrichment is a good thing
--> http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/02.html
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/20/2008 1:11:49 PM
Posts: 7,
Visits: 14
|
|
| It's alright you disagree with me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I do agree with you that enrichment is necessary to keep your rats happy and healthy. But research has shown that environmental enrichments need to be beneficial. Not just any toy can be put in a cage and be called enrichment. To be perfectly honest, research has shown that rats are most happy in a cage filled with dirt or some other burrowing substance. I'm sure your rats love their fleece, mine do too, because they can nest in it. A great nesting material and being able to burrow is all the enrichment a rat needs to be perfectly happy. Adding several toys and other items is just money being wasted on our own personal entertainment. My rats are happy and healthy in their aquarium. They have a deep layer of bedding to burrow in, fleece to nest in, and I clean it frequently to prevent the build up of ammonia. I take them out of their cage daily so they have ample space to run around and climb on things. To each their own. By all means, I'm not telling you how to house your rats or not to buy toys for them if that's what you want to do and it makes you happy. I'm just saying not all enrichment is beneficial and most of the toys marketed out there for pets is targeted towards us humans. Have fun with your rats! Be happy! Angela ~">
|
|
|
|
|
Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 7/22/2009 7:47:08 PM
Posts: 35,
Visits: 48
|
|
I will admit that the stuffed animal hanging are unnecessary but they love to tare them apart and use the fluff as bedding (and I never by a plushy for them that is over $3 because I know it will just end up destroyed. They usually are clearance items when I get them XD )
But the other hanging toys are either chewable or require them to figure something out for a treat. If you're interested the "Barrels of Fun" bird toy (the green barrel looking one) requires the rats to figure out how to open it to get a treat thats inside. The other one (which can be seen in the last picture with Tex already working at it) is a little treasure chest that requires the rats to lift and turn side ways so that a treat falls out (or they can grab a treat with their paw if the hole is big enough, but I don't think they have figured that out yet). I always put that one yellow and pink ball in there as I can but treats (Like yogies) inside it and they have to roll the ball around to get the treat. (but I do not always do this because Yogies can be a litte high in sugar, so I do it this in moderation). Most the things in their cage are the same things just moved around (while boxes are tossed when beyond peed on XD ). If there is any stress at all in my girls I am sure it isn't harming them and for the most part the out come is beneficial rather than detrimental to their health, as their environment is kept clean and somewhat new (=environmental enrichment).
Thank you for sharing your information. I am always curious to know what other people think.
|
|
|
|