Nine Things to Use Instead of Ramps
There are many reasons not to use traditional ramps in your rat cage. You may be using a bird cage that didn't come with ramps for your rats. You may hate the ramps that came with your cage (Rat Manor, anyone?). You may just want to challenge your rat to keep them more active-- mentally and physically! Whatever the reason, here is a list of 9 alternatives ramps for your rats:
1. Bird Ladders
As a rat owner, I can say that most things in the small pet section of the pet store are not made for us. But you will learn to love the bird section! Whether you choose a flexible rope ladder style or a more rigid ladder in wood or plastic, bird ladders are a great, easy way to help your rat get from one place to another. And something fun to chew!
Another great option for any sized cage is those bird rope perches. These multicolored cotton rope perches have a flexible wire inside so they hold their shape and have plastic or metal threaded ends which will attach to most commercial bird or small animal cages. The only downside to these is that over time they can fray or trap odors. You can try washing them, but I learned the hard way that the plastic ends don't hold up very well in the dryer!
If you're thinking to yourself that you've seen that multicolored cotton rope somewhere else before, you're right. Its the same stuff they make dog ropes from. Dog ropes are a little harder to hang in the cage, but with some ingenuity and heavy duty zip-ties I have faith that you'll figure it out. Bonus: they are way easier to wash- and cheaper!
These HOFTA drawer dividers are 3 for $1.99 and made of recyclable plastic. You can cut them to your desired length with regular scissors, and they wipe clean, so what's not to love? It may take some zip tie ingenuity to attach them to your cage, but that's part of the fun!
5. Pet Tubes
Do you ever wish that rat cages came with cool tubes like some hamster cages do? In the UK some rat cages do with plastic tubes, but don't let that stop you from getting a tube like the Ware Fun Tunnel, cutting it to length and (you guessed it) poking some holes and zip-tying to your cage. If you put it at an angle, then you've got a ramp!
You can get a heck of a lot more than "2 1/2 feet of fun" for your money. For roughly the same price (at the time of my posting) you can go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get 10 feet of corrugated perforated drain pipe. It is slightly less flexible, not as cool of a color and doesn't squish up as small when you aren't using it, but you do have enough extra to totally trick out your free range area too!
Rats don't need ramps. Many would enjoy an obstacle course made of Lava Ledges or other small perches to climb on. For more on the advantages of lava ledges, check out Ratropolis.
8. DIY Popsicle Stick Ramp
I am not the first person to suggest this, but some Popsicle sticks, and non-toxic hot glue is all you need to make your own ramps! Check out the first DIY on this video from one of my favorite YouTubers, TheRatGuru to see how it is done!
9. Rat Safe Branches
Also, you should definitely wash any branch then bake it on low in your oven to kill any creepy crawlies before you put it in the rat cage. However, a natural wood branch can be an elegant, natural addition to your cage. Many people will wrap the branch with twine, rope or fleece to make sure their rats have something to hold on to
Alright class, I'm going to leave you with some inspiration from Kokoruma on wordpress. If you've been paying attention, your cage could soon be as awesome as hers.
