Rat safe materials?

[Mizzely]

So I must be going crazy. Before we had Jingo, we had two adorable ratty girls for a couple years, Penny and Juno. I have been wanting more for a long time but the timing hasn't been right for a number of reasons. Well, I am finally getting around to securing a new cage, new stuff to fill it with, etc, before finally bringing home a pair (No, I don't have any rats picked out; we're going to see what comes along) and I am trying to see if I can use a lot of what I already have for bird toys for them.



Those of you with rats, can you help me sort this all out?


So far I think I know the following are safe:

Hardwood beads
Loofah
Vine
Willow
Apple
Cardboard
Paper
Popsicle Sticks
Seagrass
Cork
Coconut shell
Cottonwood
Cotton
Acrylic
Cholla
Stainless Steel

And unsafe are:

Pine (fresh)
Balsa
Soft Plastics
Rubber
Small Plastic beads (pony, etc)
Yucca


What I am unclear on are:


Leather
Bamboo
Pine (kiln dried) (I've heard it's okay if they can't pee on it??)
Pinecones
Palm


Anything else I am missing?

 

[SquawksNibbles]

I don't have rats but I have learned quite a lot about them. I don't have any other suggestions other than what you've put, so sorry I can't be more help. But I just wanted to drop by and ask you to please post pictures whenever you bring your pair home? I love seeing pictures of rats!

 

[Mizzely]

I don't have rats but I have learned quite a lot about them. I don't have any other suggestions other than what you've put, so sorry I can't be more help. But I just wanted to drop by and ask you to please post pictures whenever you bring your pair home? I love seeing pictures of rats!

Just try and stop me!!

 

[Mizzely]

 

[Mizzely]

Okay so it seems as though Yucca is actually safe after all according to my research, and vegetable tanned leather should also be okay. I've also seen a lot of rat toys with palm.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong at all!! My new friends need to be safe

 

[faislaq]

I know you're talking about toys, but your mention of pine made me think of our problem with different beddings.
We've lost so many females to mammary tumors over the years. So far as I know, the oils in the wood were to blame. I don't know about kiln dried pine, probably fine as a chew toy, not sure as bedding. Of course we stopped using cedar chips first, then I learned about pine (didn't know there was kiln dried pine) so I stopped that and moved on to kiln dried aspen which is supposed to be very low in oils. Eventually I gave up on that too and switched to paper bedding which never smelled as nice as the others, but I felt better about it.

 

[tka]

I'm not sure that pine alone is to blame for mammary tumours - the rat forum I used to be part of suggests shredded cardboard as a substrate and lots of us used it, but still had problems with mammary tumours. I think the genes for it are really widespread in the pet rat population Avoiding the use of pine bedding does seem to reduce the incidence of respiratory problems though. I'd personally only use cardboard, paper or hardwood (usually aspen; it's sold as reptile substrate) as substrates.

@Mizzely: this is the rat forum - you might find it useful: Fancy Rats • Index page

 

[Macawnutz]

Well, I know zero about rats but I always tell my interns at our petting zoo that do rotations through my birdroom.. If it's safe for a bird it's probably safe for any other animal.

 

[Mizzely]

I had one of my girls get a mammary tumor. We used carefresh paper bedding and they never saw pine. :/ This time we're doing fleece absorbent fill.

Well, I know zero about rats but I always tell my interns at our petting zoo that do rotations through my birdroom.. If it's safe for a bird it's probably safe for any other animal.

I know this is mostly true, but not for all things! I know that males in particular can't have oranges or mango! So I just want to be 100% sure.

 

[Macawnutz]

I know this is mostly true, but not for all things! I know that males in particular can't have oranges or mango! So I just want to be 100% sure.

I was not really thinking of it for diet. More along the lines of toys, cleaning supplies, environment. I would not have a clue what a rat eats.

 

[Mizzely]

Look what came today!!

Double might be overkill for 2 rats LOL

 

[Jenphilly]

I love ratties!!! No such thing as overkill for space for them!! You can even work on litter training them with corner boxes!

We've had ratties on and off for more than 20 years, not exaggerating. We've not had many rats recently because we did have 3 in the past couple years, but two of the girls were exceptional bird aggressive, I know all rats will eat a bird toe, but one was literally like a dog wanting to chew thru the fence to eat the bratty kid next door.

We were very active with the Luna Rattie Rescue, long long long ago dissolved, the two girls that ran the rescue, split up, but Victoria as a kid growing up always had ratties. We at one time had a rat named for about every cast member of Charmed

Anyway, suggestions, experience...

Be careful with soft plastics like rubber duckies type soft rubber, it can be mistaken as food versus a toy. Hard plastic general is fine, just be careful with hard plastic toys that shatter, but that's a logic I think you have already!

I avoided pine all the time just because... there has long been the pine debate, my option was always just avoid it, not like you won't find a crapload of other toys that are safe. We would use harder wood, so if you get a box of like Casey wood which is usually hardwood, those are great teethers. And if you need some, PM me your address, I ordered a box of Casey wood's leftover specials when Max came home, not knowing that I had a macaw that didn't like wood! So can send you a box of hardwood for a welcome home present..

oh wait, let's plan a 'Rattie Baby Shower'!!!

General rule of thumb, outside of pine and rubbery soft plastics, if I give it to Max or Ivory, the ratties would get it. I also admit to offering the ratties leftover birdie food not their primary diet, but hey, fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts, are fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts!

I cannot wait to see who comes home!! Are you going with standard or are you a fan of dumbos, rex, double rex? If you take votes, blues, dumbos and double rexes are my loves!

Congrats and look forward to pics!!

 

[Mizzely]

omg this cage is so giant!!



I do get some hardwoods from caseys and similar, and I do have quite a bit of "safe stuff" i found for them Jolly Ball house, some flagstone and rope perches too!

We found a small breeder about 1.5 hours from us that we are considering. She'll have standard ear rex babies next month. I think all the rats are adorable; I don't have a preference.. except I love when they have little masks on their faces

Nothing set in stone; we just want well socialized boys.

 

[Mizzely]

What I have so far... slowly acquiring everything else!

 

[TikiMyn]

So exciting! Can’t Wait to meet your ratties! I had two mouses, and a friend of mine had rats. They were absolutly darlings and slept in her pockets. One day... I am going to welcome a few into my home

 

[SquawksNibbles]

Wow! Those are going to be some spoiled ratties! I'm sure they will love the cage and their new people!

 

[Mizzely]

Wow! Those are going to be some spoiled ratties! I'm sure they will love the cage and their new people!

Spoiled is how we do things around here

 

[tka]

Looks great! I had a Savic Royal Suite for mine - it's pretty similar in design. Lots of space for them, plus you can be mean and make them work for their food by feeding them on a different level to where they sleep. I liked scatter-feeding so they have to forage. It's more challenging for them and they got so excited when they found something tasty!

The fabric you've got hanging over the cage is pretty but it *will* get pulled through the bars by little ratty paws and chewed

 

[Mizzely]

Looks great! I had a Savic Royal Suite for mine - it's pretty similar in design. Lots of space for them, plus you can be mean and make them work for their food by feeding them on a different level to where they sleep. I liked scatter-feeding so they have to forage. It's more challenging for them and they got so excited when they found something tasty!

The fabric you've got hanging over the cage is pretty but it *will* get pulled through the bars by little ratty paws and chewed

Oh yeah that much i know lol. it's just a cheap fleece blanket to keep stuff off the wall behind it. Saw the idea on a rat forum. My girls somehow managed to pee on the walls a lot so I am planning ahead LOL.

I definitely intend to make them forage. Cats and birds already have to, rats don't get a free ride

 

[WallyLoopey]

Can’t wait to see them! Cage looks great!