How do I stop my rats rearranging their cage?

Question

I put the feeding bowl, toys ect where I want them and the rats keep moving them to new positions that do not suit me.

Answer 1

The same way your mom stopped you putting things where you wanted them in your room.

Answer 2

At least they're not depressed and bored in the corner! I'd give them more to do, like give them an empty house (cardboard box, igloo) and loads of newspaper without tearing it up. They'll almost certainly get into shredding the paper, though it might take them a few days to realise it's a good idea to line the house with it.

Have a look at http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk and join the forums. It's the biggest site on rats, and it's international.

Answer 3

you need to use a pavlovian conditioning technique. rats usually respond best to a small pain exposure to induce the desired behavioural modification. so............take them out, set the cage how u want it. put one rat in. when it moves something it shouldnt, slap it with a ruler. do this until it no longer moves stuff. then introduce the next rat and do the same.

Answer 4

it doesnt matter where you want them, lol. rats want things to be where they want them, afterall they have to live in a cage!

Answer 5

The rats will move them to where they want as its their home and need to feel comfy in their surroundings. Maybe you have placed them where they can't move around the cage easily.

They only way to stop them doing this is to glue everything down, which would be rather mean.

Answer 6

Just let them set it up, or you could glue/drill there stuff to the bottom.

Answer 7

They're animals. they basically do what they please, and that includes redecorating their cage. >:l

Answer 8

You sound like a control freak to me, next you'll be asking them to wash their paws before eating.

Answer 9

I'm not trying to be rude but it's there home.  You make your room the way you want it, well.  Fish move the gravel around in there tanks.  Everything likes to decorate its home the way it wants it.  If you just cant stand it you need to take the rat back to the pet shop.  It wont change.  Good luck 2u.

Answer 10

if you want your rats to be happy, then you will let them move the toys where they want. you could trying buying bird toys (rope toys) which will attach to one part of the cage, my rats have a few parrot toys and they cant move them, as they are fastened to the cage

Answer 11

My rats have a wonderful time redecorating their cage! Come on, it's not like they have that much to do all day. And it's fun to watch them do it.

Answer 12

If you were spending 24 hours in a cage, with nothing to read, no TV, you couldn't go out, had NO entertainment whatsoever...  you'd probably move some SH**around too!  

If your animlas movements don't "suit" you, take them back to the pet store.  If they aren't allowed to move around, what the heck are they supposed to do??

Answer 13

When i had hamsters they would always

rearrange its cage but i mean its normal

because the hamster does not feel as if

its at home so they make it homier

so don't worry & since you don't like the

way he arranges everything then try to move one thing

at a time like one thing every few hours and see

what happens XD

Good Luck And Best Wishes

Answer 14

it's either superglue everything to floor or just let them do it.. in all honestly it's there home so.. yanno.

Answer 15

Since rats usually stay most of their lives in a cage,  they want to move stuff around so that everything feels comfortable for them. I'm not trying to be rude like the other people, but sometimes I think they are right.

Answer 16

haha, aww, let them do as they want. its their home! you cant stop them anyway! =)

Answer 17

Jeez, let them do it!!! And take notes maybe about just what they are doing and ask a local zoology professor what is going on.   Maybe they are trying to tell you something.  Rats, by the way, are a very, very intelligent mammal and very social.  They are beloved of Ganesh, the Hindu diety of prosperty so, please, take me seriously when I tell you to step back and drop your human species supremacy notions and just observe.   Wisdom, grasshopper, will come to you.  ( LOL--relax I am not dissing you)

Answer 18

Honestly? Rats are creative and everything and you should let them BE!

Its just a cage! Let them design there own home for god shakes! qoets "it doesnt suit me?" COME ON!!!!