Why did Daisy do this? - Paw Talk

Tessa83 · #1 06-30-2008, 05:58 AM

So last night I was hearing noises, but I thought it was just Daisy playing with the ferret toy that rattles. When I looked in this morning, I found two of the hammock straps chewed through and she pulled a plastic bag that was next to the cage almost entirely inside the cage... and she carries the bedding (CareFresh) to her food bowl (she does that all the time, but i don't know why).

I don't know why she chewed thru the hammock straps though!

fezzik · #2 06-30-2008, 09:03 AM

Ours did that when she was nesting. Chewed the edges of the hammock to use it as nesting material and pulled anything that got within arms reach and a few things that didn't (still trying to figure some of those out) into her cage to build a massive rattie fortress for baby laying. If you are sure she isn't pregnant she may just be a nester. Some of them just do that. Really it kind of is their nature but some seem to do it a lot more than others. Though they also sometimes just are looking for something to do and pulling stuff in just seems like a good challenge.

pinkie1205 · #3 06-30-2008, 09:23 AM

Get used to it, a lot of rats are just like that. They get bored and chew to occupy themselves. Be prepared to go through a lot of hammocks. There isn't really anything you can do except offer more toys but sometimes that doesn't even work.

And make sure there is nothing around their cage that they can get a hold of. If there is you can bet that that it's going inside the cage. Like I said, they get bored.

mtmaughan · #4 06-30-2008, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkie1205


	And make sure there is nothing around their cage that they can get a hold of. If there is you can bet that that it's going inside the cage. Like I said, they get bored.

Haha, yeah, I learned that the hard way when they chewed holes in one of my coats.

mulder · #5 06-30-2008, 11:30 AM

yeah like they said, some ratties are just nesters. my petey (rip) was a total nester, he'd build huge fortresses! timmy knows nothing lol he just lays on what he can find

laydeerodentzz · #6 06-30-2008, 12:02 PM

haha, yeah, I've had to replace hammocks because Husky went through a stage where he chewed the straps of the hammock, but it seemed like that was a faze he had when he got to the early maturity stage, now he's more or less grown out of it, but I'm still more carful with the wires than I ever was before this started happening. Mine will use anything they can find to fill up their hammock with, I put old shirts, newspaper, cloth, tissue and all sorts in the bottom of their cage to be comfty, but they drag it all the way up the bars and put in inside the hammock instead LOL

luvboyrats · #7 06-30-2008, 12:30 PM

It's the rattie law of physics #1. Anything that can be will be chewed!!

Oh and rattie law of physics #2. You will have reason to ask yourself "why did I think it was a good idea two own rats again?" at least twice a week.

fezzik · #8 06-30-2008, 12:49 PM

I swear though sometimes they have some sort of rattie force that they call on to pull stuff from across the room into the cage. Just be glad they haven't developed the mind control thing. "These are not the ratties you seek". "Move along. Those aren't the ratties we seek"

Tessa83 · #9 06-30-2008, 01:28 PM

Okay. I was just wondering because she's never done that before. Neither of them have. The hammock's been in there since I got it and Daisy always loved sleeping in it and now it's gone. Her own fault. The hammock came with the cage. I don't know what I could get to fit the cage.

clairebee1 · #10 06-30-2008, 02:00 PM

Well you said you had to seperate them ?
Maybe shes lonely ? because shes not with her sister anymore ?

laydeerodentzz · #11 06-30-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clairebee1


	Well you said you had to seperate them ? Maybe shes lonely ? because shes not with her sister anymore ?

I noticed that when Husky was chewing he was attention seeking because I realised that I was picking up all the others and stroking all the others a little more than Husky, I'm not sure why, I think it was my automatic reaction not to go to him until last because when we first got Husky he could't control when or where he pooped and he had diariahha, but he is extremely cuddly now so it's all good; oh, and he can control himself now so they all get the same attention, but as we all know a certain few manage to grab or hearts LOL

Kendalle · #12 06-30-2008, 04:17 PM

she's probably bored i used to give my rats a box and lots of stuff to fill it, such as kleenex paper towels newspaper sometimes cloth chew sticks hay all that stuff

You could get her some wood chew toys maybe she just wants to chew

Tessa83 · #13 06-30-2008, 10:50 PM

I already have some chew toys in there... and a big ferret rattle toy and two plastic jingle bell cat toy thingies.. They have toys.

fezzik · #14 07-01-2008, 08:58 AM

Yeah sometimes it is just more fun or more challenging to pull stuff in. LOL. Also rats are big gatherers. If it appeared useful it will find its way in the cage. Really I guess just keep stuff away from the cage as much as possible and pull out the plastic stuff as soon as you spot it. Really that is all you can do. Good thing no one got hurt though. Plastic bags can be a choking hazard. We had to pull plastic shopping bags out of ours somehow one got close enough and she got her hands on it. Instant nesting material. Not sure why she liked that stuff so much it didn't seem like it would be comfortable.

rat freak · #15 07-03-2008, 03:53 PM

Ya my rats will pull anything into their cage that they can get a hold of. lol