Rats and other rodents need to gnaw on things to keep their teeth sharpened down, so they don't go through their head. If your rat(s) need something busy to do, here is a guide to help you make toys that are cheap, easy and rely mainly on objects found around the house.
1Get three to four skewers/popsicle sticks and set them down
2Now get the carrot and slice it in half if it's a large one and get two if it's a baby carrot
3(If you're using the skewers) Cut off the tips of the skewers on the sharp end
4Poke the carrot through both sides of the skewers/popsicle sticks having them close together, but in a line
5Add peanut butter, if desired, but beware the warnings below. Take the butter knife and rub peanut butter all over the skewers/Popsicle sticks to make a coating.
- Beware that peanut butter has been known to choke rats, because of its stickiness. If you don't want to risk this, skip this step.
6Give it to your rat, and have them enjoy!
1Take a sheet of plain printer paper, or any non-shiny paper printed with nontoxic ink. Cut it into quarters.
2Square off the paper by folding one corner down diagonally, leaving you with a double-thick triangle and a skinny rectangle 'tail'. Cut off the tail.
3Follow the steps on how to Make-an-Origami-Balloon using one of your paper quarters.
4After blowing up your balloon, gently unfold one half of it, exposing the inside.
5Place a small treat or two inside, and carefully fold the balloon back up.
6Place inside your rat's cage and watch them try to get the treat out!
Toilet paper mix-up
Questions and Answers
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- The balloon does not need to be perfect, as your rat will be destroying it very quickly. So don't spend too much time getting it just right.
- If you're using popsicle sticks,when you are putting the popsicle sticks onto the carrots, you may want to cut a small hole in the center so it will stay.
- Be very careful about feeding your pet rats peanut butter if you don't want to use a different sticky coating. Rats have been known to choke and die on peanut butter. You may want to mix the peanut butter with some water (or better yet- juice!) to make it thinner.
- Make sure the pointy part of the skewer is dulled or clipped off, in case your rat hurts him/herself with it
- Use only paper printed with soy ink, or a similar natural-based ink. Conventional inks can be toxic for your rat. If you're not sure what it was printed with, stick to plain paper!
Things You'll Need
- A few wooden skewers that you would use for kabobs or a cleaned popsicle stick
- Peanut Butter
- A carrot
- A butter knife
- A sheet of paper
- Small treat(s)
Toilet paper mix-up:
- Empty toilet paper roll