Good Rat Information?

[RubyDG]

That's a good point actually Piebald! Going to keep that in mind

I like the Savic Royal Suite the only thing is the price as it's £200. I can justify £160 for the Liberta and then another £40 on initial supplies but once I start hitting that £200 mark my wallet is going to hurt a little but. I want to make sure I have a decent vet fund put away just in case.

I saw your pics of their new cat tunnel - the one picture looked like they all tried to pile in at the same time . Have you thought about getting one of those portable small non-electric washing machines. You can get ones you crank by hand or foot pedal ones. I've used the hand crank table top ones before and they work extremely well. It's worth a look maybe.

[hrl20100]

Originally Posted by RubyDG

That's a good point actually Piebald! Going to keep that in mind

I like the Savic Royal Suite the only thing is the price as it's £200. I can justify £160 for the Liberta and then another £40 on initial supplies but once I start hitting that £200 mark my wallet is going to hurt a little but. I want to make sure I have a decent vet fund put away just in case.

I saw your pics of their new cat tunnel - the one picture looked like they all tried to pile in at the same time . Have you thought about getting one of those portable small non-electric washing machines. You can get ones you crank by hand or foot pedal ones. I've used the hand crank table top ones before and they work extremely well. It's worth a look maybe.

I had a look at those hand washing machine things. There was one in the caravan we stayed in for a few nights last summer! Ones I found were over £100 so I am avoiding that for now. I think i'm just going to have to buy some sputniks, and plastic houses.
I might sacrifice some of my old vest tops and rip them up a little to tie them to the cage to use as temporary hammocks at somepoint. I did that when I first got rats. Worked well, but 8 rats... thats a lot of vest tops to ruin!

[RubyDG]

Pity they're so pricey!! 20 years ago they were dirt cheap (at least in South Africa), it seems silly they should cost so much. It's just a plastic container with a good seal and a handle!! Probably best to stick to the plastic washable stuff for now. Maybe keep an eye on gumtree for a cheap second hand one though.

I suppose you could always raid the charity shops for old t-shirts and hand towels and things for hammocks and save your vests from destruction. I bought an old double duvet cover from a charity shop and sometimes I take it out and let Spike run around inside like a giant tent/tube thing, I stick all sorts of things in there too! I am a huge fan of charity shops and will get lost in one for hours!!

[Pebbles82]

I think I read somewhere that these are good for making hammocks - then you can use all kinds of material and have secure fastenings for them.

Curtzy TM Revolving 5-Hole Punch Plier Tool Press Set for Leather, Paper, Sewing Crafts: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

[hrl20100]

Originally Posted by RubyDG

Pity they're so pricey!! 20 years ago they were dirt cheap (at least in South Africa), it seems silly they should cost so much. It's just a plastic container with a good seal and a handle!! Probably best to stick to the plastic washable stuff for now. Maybe keep an eye on gumtree for a cheap second hand one though.

I suppose you could always raid the charity shops for old t-shirts and hand towels and things for hammocks and save your vests from destruction. I bought an old double duvet cover from a charity shop and sometimes I take it out and let Spike run around inside like a giant tent/tube thing, I stick all sorts of things in there too! I am a huge fan of charity shops and will get lost in one for hours!!

Thats a good idea! I hate buying things from charity shops, but maybe if its just for my rats then maybe I might! I avoid them at all costs normally! My mum loves them so when she is browsing (for ages!!!) I stand by the door and just go on my phone until she's finished haha

I used to do the very same thing with my old hamsters! I used an old blanket and they loved running underneath it and borrowing into it.

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

I think I read somewhere that these are good for making hammocks - then you can use all kinds of material and have secure fastenings for them.

Curtzy TM Revolving 5-Hole Punch Plier Tool Press Set for Leather, Paper, Sewing Crafts: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

I've seen things similar to this before. We have a hole punch at the stables where I work (to make holes in leather) and it looks like this!
My girls are so destructive (well actually, its only Ebby) I put a new hammock in their cage yesterday and already they have completely destroyed it.

[RubyDG]

Oooooh I got one of those when I first got Spike. I had assumed that I would be making loads of hammocks for my little guy . I went for a really little cheap one and while it works it's a bit fiddly, worth paying a bit more to get a nice sturdy one. Definitely going to buy another when the time comes . I agree with Serendipity, they're good as a quick way to make hammocks. If you're not worried about edges fraying and whatnot because you're pretty much going to be throwing them away you can just cut up some fleece or strong material, whip one up and when it's done toss it. The metal rings are cheap enough too .