What are the Best Toys for Pet Rats? Top-Rated Rat Toy Brands Review for 2020
So, are you planning to have a rat as a pet? In that case, it is quite important that you try and gather as much information as possible about rats. How they prefer to stay entertained, what they like to eat, and things that are dangerous for them are some of the questions that need to be clarified before you can fulfill your desire of having a pet rat at home.
Staying in the same place day after day without any form of entertainment can be extremely boring and stressful. Whichever animal you talk about, whether a cat or a dog or a tiger or a monkey or even a human being, this statement holds true. Try and keep yourself at home for a couple of days without any form of entertainment with you. Chances are that you will crave to get out of your home. Similar is the case with rats. A rat will constantly try and seek some form of entertainment. However, it is up to you to provide some sort of entertainment to your pet.
Let us tell you a fact about rats which is no longer a secret. These rodents love tunnels. Whether it is to remain hidden from others or to run around, tunnels are a rat’s best friend. There are some tunnels that are especially designed for rats to sleep in and some are meant to play. Those for sleeping purposes will have fleece interiors, whereas, those meant to play will make a funny kind of sound. However, when you talk about the entertainment for a rat, there are different solutions to it. The best would be to opt for suitable rat toys.
Top 5 Toys for Pet Rats
Types of Activities Preferred By a Rat
When you talk about rat toys, these are available in different forms. Even before you decide to buy your pet rat a suitable toy to stay entertained, it is rather important that you understand what rats normally prefer to do. We have reviewed a few rat toys, which are mainly targeted to the different activities that rats usually enjoy.
Ask any rat owner and you will come to know that these rodents prefer to dig at some point. Although rats love to dig, sometimes they may need a little bit of motivation to do so. There are some toys that can easily be buried in your pet’s cage. Whenever your rat digs at these toys, it gets rewarded that literally encourages your pet to dig more in the future.
You will also come across rats that love to climb as a favorite activity. There are also rat toys that can fulfill such activity requirements of your pet. You can simply install a ramp in your rat’s cage for your pet to climb up or down as it wants or a hammock which will allow your rat to climb into. You will also find small sized stairs that your rat can use to ascend. These toys will keep your rat entertained and active.
It should not surprise you to know that rats love to eat. However, eating all day is not good for rats. Nonetheless, there are certain ways to turn eating into a healthy and fun activity for your pet. You will come across toys that will let you hide rat food inside. This will make your pet really work hard in order to get its favorite snacks. Apart from consuming a lot of your pet’s time, it will also encourage your rat to think. It is needless to say that rats are rather smart creatures. Thus, enrichment activities with various rat toys will help exercise their brain.
Last but not the least, rats simply love to gnaw and chew on things. This is such a habit of rats that sometimes they can cause various levels of destruction at home. It is true that the chewing habit of rats may destroy their toys within a few weeks. In order to prevent this from happening, you will find rat toys that are especially designed for chewing. These toys are rather durable and can easily withstand the powerful jaws and sharp teeth of your pet.
Best Rat Toys List
By now you must be pretty confident about the types of activities your rat would normally prefer and enjoy. This will help you a lot when you decide to choose the most suitable rat toy for your pet. Rats that love to chew should get a chewable toy, rats that love to climb should he a small sized stair and so on. It is important that you keep your pet’s preferences in mind while shopping for rat toys. Even if you have never seen your pet rat climb, it does not mean that you cannot gift it with a climbing toy. The motive is to give your rat a chance to try out new things to keep itself entertained and engaged.
① Kaytee FerreTrail Flex-E Fun-Nels
These are long tubes that will provide your rat with a proper chance of exploring a tunnel system. However, unlike other types of rat tunnels, this one is not straight. As the name suggests, it is flexible in nature and you can easily twist and bend the tunnel the way you want. Apart from being able to bend or twist them, you can also shorten or lengthen them as you wish. If you stretch it to its maximum limit, one tunnel can stretch to almost 8 feet. However, you have the advantage of adding more tunnels to make it longer.
Pros
- Since this product is a part of the FerreTrail series, you have the privilege of connecting it to any other products from the same series with the help of a FerreTrail ring.
- With the help of a few more toys, you can easily create a playground for your rat.
- You can change things up a bit to allow your pet explore new areas and territories each day.
Cons
- It is very simple for your rat to chew on this product and make holes.
- The material of this product is not durable enough.
② Kaytee Crinkle Tunnel
Rats love to play or even stay in tunnels. However, when it comes to Kaytee Crinkle Tunnel, things get more interesting for your pet. Apart from providing a great hideaway for your rat, this product also makes the playtime fun for your critters. There is a crinkle paper inside the tunnel due to which it makes a loud noise every time your pet decides to crawl inside the tunnel. Most of the rats love reaction and they tend to run more through tunnels that make noises. The Kaytee Crinkle Tunnel comes with a length of 23 inches and a diameter of 6 inches. Although it may sound like a small tunnel, it is large enough to allow your critters enough room to move around freely. The diameter is also small enough to give a cozy surrounding to your pet.
Pros
- The Kaytee Crinkle Tunnel is small enough to fit inside your rat cage.
- You can easily wash the toy in your machine, which makes cleaning quick and simple.
- You can easily connect this product with other tunnels to make a longer one for your critters.
Cons
- The noise from the tunnel may sometimes seem quite irritating for you.
- Rats can easily chew onto this product and make holes.
③ Living World Teach N Treat Toy
It is needless to say that rats are rather intelligent creatures. However, people do not give them a chance to display their intelligence. Thankfully, the Living World Teach N Treat Toy will allow rats to show off their smartness and also put their mental abilities to test. Unlike other toys, this one has nothing to do with crawling or chewing. It is all about teaching your critters and giving a chance to their brains to work. This product is suitable for different types of small sized animals. The best part is that it is very simple to setup. All you need to do is place the rat treats in the holes and then cover up some of the holes with the given blue pegs. These pegs slide into place. Your rat has to figure out how to slide the pegs the right way in order to get to the treats.
Pros
- This toy comes in 3 different ways to set up, which allows your rat to get different challenges in order to get to its food.
- You can also test the memory of your rat by going back to the past set up after a few days.
- It is a great way to strengthen the bond between your pet rat and yourself.
Cons
- You cannot leave your rat alone with this toy and only use it under your supervision.
- Your rat can easily chew onto this toy and destroy it.
④ Natural Wood Unicycle Dumbbell Bell Roller Chew Toys
This toy is one of the chew category type of toys for rats. However, it is much more than a mere chewing toy. The shape is basically a combination of everything that is mentioned in the name. The Unicycle Dumbbell Bell Roller Chew Toy looks like a dumbbell and comes with spokes on the sides. There is also a bell inside that jingles every time it is moved by your pet rat. It is very simple for critters to move this toy. The size of this toy is just 6.9cm x 4.9cm. This makes it small enough for rats to use it with ease. However, it is also big enough for them to work for it. There are smaller versions available of the same toy measuring merely 5cmx3.7cm. The small one is suitable for smaller sized rats and those who find it tough to push the bigger one.
Pros
- The round shape of the toy helps it to roll smoothly.
- The bell inside produces a noise that helps your rat remain entertained and on the move.
- Rats can also chew on this toy without damaging it due to the wooden construction.
Cons
- The noise from the bell can sometimes make you irritated.
- It may not last forever if your rat chews on it regularly.
⑤ Niteangel Small Animal Activity Toy, Rat and Ferret Cotton Rope Nets
If your rat loves to climb, then the Niteangel Small Activity Toy will be the most suitable toy for your critters. It is basically a combination of an entertainment center and a climbing activity toy. Although it is a rope net and may sound like a very simple toy to you, you are certainly not wrong at thinking like that. The construction of this toy is indeed rather simple and so is the installation. The use of this climbing toy is also rather simple. However, the benefits of using it is pretty high. It helps your rat enjoy some entertainment, indulge in an activity, and also socialize at the same time.
Pros
- It is made of cotton so no chance of harming your pet.
- Provides a great physical activity to your rat.
- Large enough for multiple rats to use it at the same time.
Cons
- Continuous chewing may damage the net.
- May not fit inside a small cage.
⑥ Kaytee Medium Knot Nibbler
This toy is a great chewing toy for your rat. It is made of wood and vegetable dyes that is safe for your critters. There is a small ball in the middle that rattles and makes your rats remain entertained. The size of the toy is 4x4x3.25 inches that makes it large enough for some serious chewing.
Pros
- The wooden structure allows it to withstand some serious chewing for a long time.
- It shifts the attention of your pet from things not meant to eat to things that it can eat.
- Helps to make the teeth healthy.
Cons
- Small sized rats may get entrapped inside the wooden maze.
- The continuous rattling of the ball may sometimes get irritating.
Conclusion & What are the Best Toys for Pet Rats
Here is the list of some of the best rat toys for your critters. The Flex-E Fun-Nels, Crinkle Tunnel, Teach N Treat Toy, Unicycle Dumbbell Bell Roller, Rat and Ferret Cotton Rope Nets, and Medium Knot Nibbler will make a great set of toys for your rat. However, the Ferret Cotton Rope Nets will be the best as it is a combination of three different activities into one. Your rat will get the much-needed exercise and remain entertained with this toy.
