Fun Stuff!!!

Toys, Treats, and Games for your ratties!!!

TREATS

OUR OFFICIAL LIST OF YUMMY TREATS

by Marigold, Isabella, Nicodemus, Templeton, Rizzo, Oshkosh, Buckwheat and Fletcher

As rats, we are very concerned about the treats that are available to us. ALL rats need treats! But not just anything will do. We rats have very discriminating taste, and we also appreciate healthy treats! Treats like pizza and french fries are so yummy *drools all over keyboard* but they will make us fat and possible shorten our lifespan! Now you don't want that, do you!!! So, not only have we painstakingly tasted over 30 different kinds of treats and rated them on a scale of 1-5 stars, but we also learned how to TYPE so we could tell you about them. We hope you appreciate all our hard work... Here's our list

TREAT STARS COMMENT
Blueberries * * * * Best served cut in half
Grapes * * * * * Ditto
Cheerios (plain) * * * They're like little donuts!
Cheerios (multi grain) * * * * * Great as a reward/bribe
Pineapple * * * * MMM juicy!
Pear * * * Yum yum
Strawberries * * Best cut into smaller pieces
Oatmeal * * * * Good breakfast!
Banana * * * * Banana chips are good too!
Bagels * * * Fun to stash and eat later
Carrot * * * * Cut into different shapes
Broccoli * * * * Fun to play with too!
Wheaties or Total cereal * * * * Crunchy!
Raisins * * * Just the right size
Papaya * * * Mmm... How exotic
Apple * * So many different kinds to try!
Plum * * * * Yum yum a plum!
Prune Juice * * * Has antibiotic properties!
Cereal in Milk or Juice * * * * Rice Krispies are best
Cucumber * * * Yum
Tomato * * * Heeheehee squishy!
Dog Biscuits * * * Good for wearing down teeth!
Peas * * * *

We only eat the insides

Beans * * MUST be cooked!
Peanut Butter * * * * * MMM We're Addicted!
Yogurt * * * * * MMMM SOOOO GOOD!!!
Cheese * * * * * Of course rats like cheese!
Sunflower Seeds * * * * * Yummy but kind of high in fat
Whatever You're Eating * * * * * If you're eating it, it must be good!

BRIBES

By Miranda and Geraldine

Occasionally a rat needs to take medication, and due to the fact that meds taste like doodies, sick rats need to be bribed. Here are some snacks that are ideal as bribes, but wouldn't be heathy as an everyday treat.

Jelly donuts **** Not the whole donut! Just a piece.
Creme-filled donuts ***** Yummmmmmmy!!! *drools*
Any donuts ***** Duh!
Baby food (fruit/veggie) **** We like sweet potato best
Warm gooey oatmeal with sugar *** Sticks to your ribs! :)

TOYS

PVC pipe- PVC pipe is intended for plumbing, but is possibly the greatest rat toy ever invented. It comes in all shapes, sizes, and widths, is easy to clean and nearly indestructible, and will last through several thousand generations of rats. My rats highly recommend it!!! You can probably get it at any hardware store.

Cardboard Box- The cheapest rat toy! They are disposable and readily replacable. Pick a size box that is appropriate for your rattie. Here is what I suggest:

Rat Size

Type of Box

Small (Baby)

Spaghetti box  (Long and narrow)

Medium

Cereal boxes or frozen-pizza boxes

Large

Tissue boxes (remove plastic if there is any)

SUPER SIZE!

Economy-size boxes of anything

Of course this is just a suggestion, based on the type of boxes that I usually have around. Give your ratties a variety of boxes and see what they like best! When it gets all peed-on, just replace it.

Toilet paper rolls- This is more suitable for smaller rats, but bigger rats wil enjoy chewing them up too. All you have to do is put it in their cage! (Note- if your rat is exceptionally stupid or fat, you may want to cut open one side of the roll. That way your rattie won't get stuck in it. Yes, that really can happen.)  For some variety, try paper towel or wrapping paper rolls, and try leaving some paper on them!

Treat-on-a-String- Take a fairly large treat like a hunk of bread with peanut butter, or piece of broccoli. Cut a piece of string. Tie one end of the string around the treat, tie the other end onto the top of your rattie's cage or underneath a ledge (so it hangs down in the cage). Adjust the string so it is just a little higher than your ratties can easily reach. Add rats! Your ratties will stand up and grab at the treat, and have fun trying to yank it down, run off with it, hang off the sides of the cage, etc. Have a camera handy- this could be a photo op!

Rattie Piniata- Similar to Treat-on-a-string... but this time wrap a bunch of little treats (like cereal) in a issue or paper towel. Tie it to a string, tie the string to the cage, and let the fun begin!

Digging Box- You will need a plastic bin, dirt with NO CHEMICALS (like all-natural spaghnum moss) and some cereal. Fill the bin about halfway with loose dirt. Leave enough room so that your rats won't fling dirt out of the box. Sprinkle some cereal on the dirt, and add rats! (NOTE- I have observed that my rats are terrified of being lowered into a container with high sides. I guess they're scared that they won't be able to get out. They prefer to use a side entrance. If possible, cut an opening in the side of the bin.) Your rattie will scamper around collecting the cereal, and then start digging in the dirt! Yes, they will get covered in it, but if it's dry it should brush right off.  

Hammock- My boys LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE their hammock- all six of them try to pile into it at once! To make a simple, cheap, disposable hammock, here is what you will need: 1 piece of felt (about 8x12 inches, can be found in craft stores or possibly dime stores), and 4 paper clips. Bend the paper clips so they are an "S" shape, and poke one end through the felt (about 1 inch from the edge). Use the paperclips to hang the hammock from the top of the cage or underneath a ledge, so it is easily accessible to the rats in the cage. Whe your rats discover the hammock, one of two things will happen: 1. They will sniff it, climb in, pee in it, and fall asleep  or  2. they will chew it to shreds and stash it somewhere- but that's ok, it was cheap!!! If they chew the hammock apart, you should take the paper clips out of the cage so the ratties don't get poked. Once the hammock is thouroughly chewed, pee-soaked, or stinky in general, you can just throw it away and make another! It costs less that 50 cents to make!

Cardboard Thingies- Many rat owners have observed that when they order a nice expensive new cage for their ratties, while the cage is being assembled, the rats enjoy playing in the cardboard shipping box. The ratties may even prefer this box to their new expensive cage. To make cardboard even more exciting than it already is, try cutting and folding it into different shapes! (P.S. If you are notoriously clumsy, please USE SCISSORS when cutting cardboard!!! Box cutters and razor knives are no fun when they're stuck in your hand.) A loop can be made by cutting a long, 4-inch-wide strip of cardboard. Cut notches in the both ends of the cardboard and slip the notches together. You should have sort of a loop (your rats won't care if it's lumpy). A triangle hidie-house can be made by cutting a big wide piece and folding it in half. Ok, now you can get creative because I'm out of ideas.

GAMES

Rat Wrestling- I have had more success rat-wrestling with girls than with boys. Boys are just too lazy to bother with me. You certainly could try it though! To wrestle with one rat- Put your rattie on a soft surface (like the rug or a bed) where they are accustomed to playing. Make your hand bounce all around her to get her attention. Then "tackle" your rattie with your hand! The object is to gently flip your rattie over on her back and tickle her. Let your rattie win sometimes! Remember the rules though- A squeak means "I surrender!" To wrestle with two or more rats- Put your rattie in a place where you have seen them play-wrestling before. My girlies will only wrestle in certain places! Make your hand bounce all around your ratties, then poke one gently and tackle the other. Both ratties should start wrestling, with your hand in the middle! Try to flip one over and tickle her, and of course you should let the ratties win sometimes!

The Tent- You will need a large blanket or sheet, and of course some ratties! You need to be in a rat-proof room where you can sit or lay on the floor (or a bed). Let your ratties out in the room, then sit or lay on the floor and cover yourself in the blanket. Hold part of the blanket up so it is like a tent. Put your ratties inside! They will crawl all over you, through the folds of the blanket, and maybe through your clothes! The ratties should want to stay in the tent because it's dark and cozy, but if they do scamper away, just invite them back in again. The more ratties you have, the more fun this is!

Stash- Get a handful of little treats (like Rice Krispies) and a few rats. Give each rat a treat, and let her eat it. Give them each another, and another, and another. Two things will happen: 1. Your ratties will be thrilled and 2. They will stop eating every treat and start stashing them in their cage. Keep giving out one treat at a time and let the rats run crazily from you to the treat stash over and over again! Offer an open handful of treats and let your rats cram their mouths full of treats! When you run out of treats, take them all out of the stash and give them to your ratties all over again! The fun never ends! And don't worry about them getting fat from too many treats, they'll get plenty of excercise from running back and forth. This game can potentially go on for eternity, and usually the person will get tired before the rats do.

Belly Kissing- Pick up your rattie, make baby noises to her, then kiss her belly! This is even more fun with big squishy boys. They're less likely to try and run away, and they have bigger bellies. Ratties with white bellies are the most fun to kiss, I don't know why.

The Paper Towel Game- Marigold is especially fond of this game, because it's the only time she can tackle something and win. :) All you need for this game is a paper towel and a hyper bouncy rat. Crinkle up the paper towel, and wiggle and bounce it around in front of the rat. The rat will grab at the paper towel, try to pull it back to her cage, tackle it, wrestle with it, and eventually rip it out of your hands and run back to stash it in the cage. Bouncy rats are the most fun to watch, but even lazy rats will usually swat at the paper towel. Thicker paper towels work best because they don't rip as easily.

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