Homemade Things for Pet Rats
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I Love Homemade Things...And So Do Rats!
I absolutely adore rats and I love to pamper them. However, I found that store-bought cages, beds, toys, accessories, food, and treats can be very expensive and limited. The hammocks and beds I find in pet stores tend to be quite plain and often not the best quality (they fall apart immediately after ratties start to chew on them). Little by little I have learned how to make all kinds of homemade things for my pet rats, and now pretty much everything I have for my rats is homemade. Making things yourself will not only save you money, but is also really fun and you get to customize your cage.
I've written basic instructions for most of the items pictured, however the purpose of this page is more to give you ideas of what things can be made rather than complete step by step directions for everything. I tried to give detailed instructions for one of each type of accessory so that it can be generalized to the others.
However, if there is something you wish to make that is unclear, please leave a comment and I would be happy to give more explicit directions.
I've written basic instructions for most of the items pictured, however the purpose of this page is more to give you ideas of what things can be made rather than complete step by step directions for everything. I tried to give detailed instructions for one of each type of accessory so that it can be generalized to the others.
However, if there is something you wish to make that is unclear, please leave a comment and I would be happy to give more explicit directions.
Don't know how to sew and don't own any tools? Check out my other lens.
Fabric Accessories
Traditional Square Hammocks
Hammocks are one of the easiest accessories to make, and are one of the most loved by rats. Simply cut two squares of fabric and sew them together with the right sides together, leaving a small gap so that you will be able to pull the right sides out after. Then sew up the gap and you are done! To make your hammock easier to hang you should pin in small loops of fabric in the corners before sewing the two squares together.To make it fancier you can cut a hole in the top layer so that your rats can snuggle inside. When I do this I use three pieces of fabric instead of just two so that the bottom is still thick when the rats go inside.
If you are not a sewer, simply cut a square of fabric and attach it with strong safety pins to your cage.
Loki and Koko enjoying their new hammock
Corner Hammocks
Triangular hammocks are a great way to make use of the corners in your cage. Make these hammocks the same way as the square ones; just use triangular pieces of fabric instead of squares. Honeycomb Hammocks
Honeycomb hammocks look so cool and are so much fun for rats, and all they are is just three regular hammocks sewn together. Rats can lounge on the top or snuggle inside either two bottom layers. Surprisingly these hammocks are quite easy to make. First, sew three separate square hammocks of different sizes. Then, sew the corners of the biggest hammock to the sides of the second biggest hammock, and the corners of the second biggest hammock to the sides of the smallest hammock. Finally, hang the honeycomb hammock by the corners of the smallest hammock. You could sew the corners of each hammock to each other (instead of to the sides) for a different look but i like the look of this one better. 
Couple rats jammed in the hammock
Hanging Beds
Hanging beds are a cozy alternative (or addition) to hammocks. There are many different shapes you can make, but i recommend trying the cube ones first, because once you know how to sew these you can pretty much figure out how to sew any other shape. I did not make up the design for the cube bed myself, so click on the picture to the right to go to a great website for instructions.The only thing I do differently than what is described on the other website is sewing a thin strip of fleece around the door. I have also tried using more than one color of fabric on the outside to make it more interesting.
Tip: smaller cubes hold their shape better. I find that cutting 6 inch squares of fabric makes a good sized cube for 2 full grown rats.
See the photo gallery below for other ideas for hanging beds.
A cylinder shaped bed. I sewed two hard plastic rings into the ends to help maintain its shape.
This house has two levels, which are connected by a small hole on the inside.
Cube-Hammock Combo
This cube was the first one I sewed. It turned out to be way to big, so I turned the top into a hammock. The rats can crawl from the cube up to the top, and can snuggle under the top layer of fleece.
No-Sew Hanging CubeThis has exactly the same pattern as the regular hanging cubes, except that it is tied together instead of sewn. Also, it is only one layer thick.
This is a great way to make a cozy bed for people who don't like sewing, or if you just like the look of the fringe (which I do).
See my other page (coming soon) for detailed directions: http://www.squidoo.com/workshop/simple-and-easy-ways-to-accessorize-a-rat-cage
Or just click on the picture.
Cushions, Beds, Blankets, and Tents
Hanging beds are awesome, but it's also nice to have some beds that sit on the levels. To make the bed pictured on the right, sew together two circles of fabric, with the right sides out. Then cut two long rectangles of fabric; you want the length of the rectangle to be a bit longer than the circumference of the circle, and the width of the rectangles to be a bit more than you want the height of the bed walls to be. Sew the long sides of the rectangles together with the right sides in. Then turn it right side out so you have a long tube. Sew this to the edge of the circle and then stuff the tube (i like to use all my scrap bits of fabric for stuffing). Finally, sew the edges of the tube closed. You may also want to stuff the bottom circle if you fabric is not very cushy. If you do this, stuff it after you have sewn on the rectangular tube. 
I made this bed the same way as the one above, but I made the sides taller and did not stuff them. 
To make this bed I sewed together two circles for the bottom, leaving a small gap for stuffing later. I then sewed together two other larger circles for the roof, again leaving a gap for stuffing later. I cut a hole in these two larger circles for the door. Next, I sewed the larger circles to the smaller circles, sewing with the right sides together so the seams would not be seen. After the bed was pulled right side out, I stuffed both the top and bottom of the bed and sewed closed the gaps. This bed is so warm and cuddley. 
Here's another very cozy bed. Click on the picture to go to a site with excellent instructions. 
To make this no-sew blanket, simply cut two squares of fabric (fleece works best), cut off the corners (about 2 inch squares), make snips about two inches in all along the edge, and then tie the fringe of the squares together.To make a cushion simply stuff the blanket before completely tying the two pieces of fabric.
Tip: These can be hung up as hammocks. You can cut a hole in the top layer so that the rats can crawl inside.
This tent was one of the first things I made for my rats years ago, and they still use it (although now there is a small rat-made hole that one of my rats likes to spy out of). I made the frame from coat hanger and wooden dowels. Then, I just sewed a piece of fleece around the frame. 
I made this tent in a similar way as the hanging cubes. To keep the tent upright I used wire from 2 coat hangers.Click the picture to go to a page with step by step instructions on how to make it.
Tunnels
Fabric tunnels are very easy to make, are versatile, and the rats love them. They can be used as beds, ladders, and walkways. To sew a tunnel cut a long rectangle of fabric. Fold over and sew the edge of the shorter sides so that no rough ends of fabric are visible. Then fold the rectangle in half (like a hot dog, not a hamburger) so that the right sides are together and sew along the long side. Then turn right side out and you're done!To make a hanging tunnel, pin in loops of fabric before sewing the rectangle along the long side.
For the tunnel on the right I sewed in hard plastic
rings so that the tunnel would stay open, but
this isn't necessary.
A very long, multi-fabric hanging tunnel
This 4-way tunnel has loops so it can be hung up. The centre is big enough for a rat to sleep on top or inside. Hanging No-Sew Toys
I made this ring by following the excellent directions at http://www.suzsugargliders.com/nosewringtoy.htmYou can click on the picture to go to the site.
I made this chew/treat toy the same way as the ring above, expect that I used a square piece of cardboard instead of a wooden ring. I also tucked in some treats as I was tying the fabric closed. 
I made this treat toy by cutting out two circles of fabric and tying them together (using the no-sew method). I stuffed it with shredded paper and small dry treats. 
This is a mini no-sew cube, which I stuffed with shredded paper and dry treats. Bean Bags
Bean bags can be used to help cool down rats in the summer or to warm up rats in the winter. They are especially useful if you have sick or lonely rats because you will want to help them stay warm. Simply sew together two squares with the right sides together, leaving a small gap for filling. Turn it right side out and fill with dried beans, rice, or other grains, and sew the opening closed. The bean bag can be heated up in the microwave (or oven) or cooled down in the freezer.*If your rats like to chew you might want to double the thickness of the fabric.
Bonding Pouches
Bonding pouches are very useful. They can be used to help socialize baby rats, to comfort sick or lonely rats, or to just spend more time with healthy rats. When rats have a cozy bed to sleep in close to your chest they will feel safe and comfortable. If you have baby rats to socialize, or sick or lonely rats to keep company, consider making a rat carrier. You can click the picture to go to my detailed lens on how to make them.http://www.squidoo.com/workshop/how-to-make-a-pet-rat-carrier
Rope Ladders
To make this ladder:1. Cut long strands from a pair of jeans and braid two long segments for the sides of the ladder.
2. Sew three unbraided strands of jean to one of the long braided segments.
3. Braid the strands to the width you want your ladder to be.
4. Sew the ends of the three strands to the other side of the ladder and cut off the excess length (which you will use for your next rung)
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for each rung of the ladder.
If you dont like sewing you can probably find a way to just tie the rungs on. You could also try using other fabrics, but braided jean is probably the sturdiest.
I made this rope ladder by following the directions at http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rope-Ladder. Just make a mini version! However, because you need a lot of rungs you still need a fair amount of rope (i think I used about 35 feet to make this one).Click on the picture to go to the website.
Here are some more climbing rope toys. The one on the left is just a thick piece of rope that I twined and knotted. The one on the right is all a monkey fist knot. Click on the picture to go to a video tutorial on how to tie one. Mini Teddy Bear
Rats like teddies too! Ok, so rat owners probably like rat teddies more than the rats do. But its so cute to see a rat hold a teddy bear. To make one, draw the outline of a simple bear on paper. Cut it out and trace it twice onto fabric (fleece or felt). Then, cut out the two pieces of fabric. On one piece sew on a face. Next, put the two pieces together (with the wrong sides together as its too small to turn inside out) and sew along the edge leaving a gap for stuffing. Stuff the bear and then sew up the gap. Your rats will probably want to chew it up buthopefully you can get a few cute pictures before
it's completely destroyed.
Ice Cream Bucket Houses
Ice cream buckets make great, simple houses for rats. Just wash them and cut an entrance. If your rats are into chewing/eating plastic you can just use these in your rats free range area.For more ideas on setting up a free range area for your rats, check out my lens "creating a pet rat play area" featured at the bottom of this lens.
I like to sew simple covers for the ice cream buckets because it makes it darker inside, which the rats like, and it looks nicer. Paper Mache Hideouts
To make a paper mache hideout:1. Blow up a balloon to desired size.
2. Make the glue by mixing together water and flour. I used about 1 cup of flour and 1 1/2 cups of water. I also used a few drops of food coloring in mine.
3. Cut strips of white paper (the ink on newspaper is probably toxic) about 2 inches thick.
4. Dip the strips of paper in the glue one at a time, squeeze off excess glue, and then smooth the strips onto the balloon, leaving a small opening where the balloon is tied.
5. Once you have covered the balloon with a couple layers leave it to dry for a day.
6. Pop the balloon and remove it.
7. Cut a bigger entrance hole. You could also cut extra doors and windows now.
8. Punch holes in the top with something sharp, like a nail, skewer, or pen, and hang it up with rope.
9. Fill it with crumpled strips of paper or fabric to make a cozy nest.
Cutting a full balloon shape in half makes two different kinds of hideouts. 
Wooden Accessories
Chew Toys
Pretty much everything in a rat cage is a chew toy, but you can make specially flavored toys that your rats are actually meant to chew on. To make a chew toy cut clean pieces of wood, drill holes through them, and then soak them overnight in apple juice with food coloring. Next, bake them in the oven on a low temperature. The baking not only dries out the wood but also kills anything that might be living in the wood which is really important. Finally, I strung the colored pieces of wood onto flexible wire.*Note: This same method of soaking wood in food coloring and then baking it can be used for anything wooden in your cage that you want to add a little color too (eg ladders and domes as seen below). The food coloring will come off a bit when scrubbed and washed but it should last for a while.
I strung some wooden blocks, pieces of fleece fabric, and nuts onto this chew/treat toy. 
To make this chew toy I braided strands of fabric and threaded on pieces of wood (which I had previously soaked in apple juice) as i went. My rats especially like it when I tuck in little treats between the strands. This can also be used for climbing. 
My rat, Koko, loves this one (I put it up a couple days ago and she is still working on it). I drilled holes through a couple blocks of wood, some nuts, and some dried fruit. Then I strung them, along with a bell, onto a piece of ribbon. I hang this one up high so she has to work at getting it. Ladders
There are several ways to make wooden ladders. For this ladder I soaked the wood in water and food coloring, baked the pieces, and then strung them onto two pieces of coat hanger wire. Ladders can also be made by screwing or zap-strapping rungs onto two long pieces of wood (as shown below). Ladders can also be made out of fabric or rope (see fabric accessories above) 
Houses
Simple wooden houses can be made by tacking pieces of wood together. If you use wood glue instead of nails you may want to use the house only in your free range area where you can make sure that the rats don't chew and ingest any of the glue (This is what I do with the popsicle stick house shown below). 
My artistic boyfriend wanted to add a chimney and door trim to this house. 
This wooden house doubles as a staircase. 
This house was made by gluing colored popsicle sticks to a basic wooden frame. Because of the glue and dye, this is not a house that I would leave in the ratties' cage. I only use it in their free range area where I can keep an eye on them to make sure they don't eat it. However you could dye the popsicle sticks yourself with food coloring and then use a nontoxic glue if you did want to use it in your rats' cage. Domes
Wooden domes can be made by cutting pieces of wood to a desired length, drilling holes in them, baking them to disinfect them, and then stringing them onto pieces of coat hanger wire. Domes can also be hung upside down to be used as tunnels or perches, however they will probably get dirtier this way. To brighten up a cage try soaking the pieces of wood in food coloring and water prior to baking. Driftwood
Rats love climbing on pieces of driftwood. They can be used in place of ladders to connect levels or just as fun climbing toys on their own. Make sure that you scrub and wash the driftwood well and then bake it to disinfect it first. 
Koko likes the driftwood
How to Hang Accessories
Cheap store-bought hooks
Hammocks, beds, ladders, etc can be attached to your cage using mini carabiners, shower hooks, strong safety pins, or perhaps strong paper clips (although I have never tried this one). If you use safety pins make sure you test that they can take your rats' weight because you don't want them to pop open and poke your rats. Zap straps (cable ties) work very well to attach more permanent features in your cage, like driftwood, and are very cheap. If you want to attach something to the bottom of a wooden level or roof try screwing in small eyehooks (which can be done by hand) and then pinning
your carabiner to the eye hooks.
Homemade hooks
Of course, as this page is all about homemade things, why not try making your own homemade hooks? Just cut a small piece of coat hanger with wire snips and bend it with pliers into an s-shape as shown to the right. Hook the smaller top part of the "s" to your cage and the bigger bottom part to the loops on your accessory. Make sure that you bend the wire up enough that the loops on your accessory wont slide off.This is a great way to use up leftover scraps of coat hanger after making wooden domes or ladders.
Food
Staple Diet
You can try making your own rat food mix. It's cheaper and healthier than store-bought mixes (but you need to make sure your rats get all the nutrition they need; you can't just throw together a bunch of stuff that looks healthy). I use a recipe similar to suebee's rat diet and supplement it with a good quality weight-management dog food (since I don't have lab blocks). Click on the picture to go to suebee's site: http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html Baked Treats
My rats love these peanut butter banana oatmeal biscuits. I got the recipe from http://www.ratsrule.com/recipes.html but i baked them longer than it says to make them nice and crunchy. If you make a bunch you can store them in the freezer.Click on the picture to get to the site.
Wrapped Treats
Try wrapping up treats in paper so the rats can have fun unwrapping them. You can also take a sheet of paper and put a treat in one corner and roll it up a bit, add another and wrap it up a bit more, and so on until you have a paper ball with lots of treats rolled up inside. For something more difficult for the rats, you can put treats inside a toilet paper roll and fold in the sides so they have to chew their way through. 
Here's a toilet paper roll with the ends folded in and wrapped in paper. Hanging it up makes a fun rattie pinata. Spool Treat Toy
Find an empty spool of thread, and put a few small treats inside (eg. cheerios or rice krispies). Lay it on its side so that it will roll and add rats. The rats will have to roll it or dig inside it to get the treats to come out. Paper Mache Treat Ball
This ball has a small hole in it so that treats can be put inside. The rats can smell them and then have to roll the ball (or chew through it) to get the treats to come out. It can also be hung up in a cage like a pinata.How to make:
1. Blow up a balloon to the size you want (mini balloons work better, but regular ones work too)
2. Cut thin strips of white paper.
3. Make the glue by mixing flour and water in about a 1 to 1.5 ratio. If you want the balls to be colored mix in some food coloring.
4. Dip the strips of paper in the glue, squeeze of excess glue and smooth onto the balloon. Continue until the balloon is covered with a couple of layers, but leave a very small hole where the balloon tie is.
5. Allow to completely dry (which takes about a day)
6. Pop the balloon and remove it. I found it worked well to pop the balloon with a needle and then to use a tooth pick to peel the balloon away from the walls.
7. Put some treats inside and give it to your rats.
Birthday Cake
Rats don't get many birthdays so you should make them special. Delicious, healthy birthday cupcakes are easy to make. For my rats I make banana muffins (you can cut down on the sugar given in most recipes) and then ice them with yogurt or jam. For sprinkles I use seeds and raisins. 
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My Homemade Cage
This is the cage we have now, which used to be two separate cages. Right now Koko has this gigantic cage all to herself, because her sister, Loki, just passed away.
Other Cages
This is the very first cage we built. It was for Nimble and Mozie. When they passed away it became the bottom part of our current cage.
My Rats
Koko Bean
Koko is the only rat I have right now. She is extremely silky and strong and agile. She loves exploring my house, especially when its messy. She is very friendly and loves playing with me and being pet. She also enjoys snuggling on the couch. Loki Snow
Loki was my fuzzy teddy bear. She had adorable huge ears, and she looked like a baby her whole life. She was such a sweetheart. She passed away very recently, so I miss her a lot. Nimble Thomasina
Nimble was the most agile rat I've ever had. She could climb everything is my room. Because she was such a sweetheart I gave her the middle name Thomasina after my extremely kind and gentle cat, who has since passed away. Mozie Bear
Mozie was my big teddy bear. She was clumsy, goofy, fluffy, and the biggest female rat I've had. She always tried to follow her agile sister Nim, but was not so successful in getting to those hard to reach spots. She was so much fun to play with. Mylu
Baby Lu was only with us for a few short weeks before a sudden and unexpected death. I found her curled up and still warm, just looking like she was sleeping. I was very sad to lose a rat so young, but I am glad to have had her in my life. I think she was the softest rat I have ever had. Milligan and Radigan
My only two boys: Milligan in beige, Radigan in black. I got these two as adults so I only had them for a short time. I am glad I could give them love before they passed on as they spent the whole first part of their lives in a pet store. A special thanks to my younger sister who adopted Radigan when I had to move. Ezmerelda Ratlee (Ezzie)
Ezzie was the second rat I had and loved her sister, Olly, dearly. Ezzie and Olly loved playing in piles of stuffies on my bed. Ezzie and Olly ignited my love of rats! Olyvea Rixlee (Olly)
Olly was my first ever rat, soon joined by her little sister Ezzie. I only have a couple photos of these lovely rats because I didn't own a camera at the time. 
My Other Rat Lenses
Guestbook Comments
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MaryThereseBennett Jun 1, 2012 @ 9:49 pm | delete
- I'm sorry for your loss of Loki. :( Your pictures are neat!
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pinkbellaboutique
Jun 1, 2012 @ 6:58 pm | delete
- It's wonderful that you love rats so much. They are lucky to have you. You give them the most awesome homes. I've never seen rat homes as elaborate as yours. Kudos to you for your passion and your humanity.
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Moonbeam973
Jun 1, 2012 @ 4:47 pm | delete
- Brilliant lens! Kudos to you for having so much love for these adorable little creatures that most people seem to think are creepy.
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Theycallmedramaqueen
Jun 1, 2012 @ 11:47 am | delete
- Congratulations on LOTD. I love ratsies, too, and I love, love, love this lens! Seeing the photos of your rats along with your comments introducing them was incredibly sweet. Thanks for starting my day on such an uplifting note!
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Pastiche
Jun 1, 2012 @ 11:27 am | delete
- WOW! You've got so many great crafty ideas here for rat toys and furnishings. Your rats look like they're lots of fun and they are cute. I have cats that might actually not bother them except to try to play but then again, I wouldn't want to take that chance. I'll send this to my daughter for her little rodent buddies.
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by JessyGene
My name is Jessy and my greatest passion is pet rats.
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