my rats what can i do to stop chewing?

Question

ok well i have two adorable pet rats but one is extreemly annoying i love her heaps but basically whats happening is . theres this little space between the bars and the cage door and she sticks her nose in there and grinds her teeth on the bars whenever she wants to come out of the cage it is extreemly irritating and annoying and its like OMG... so basically is there and type of food that wont harm her but tastes fowl that i can put on the bars to stop her chewing it . and no lame answers like ratsack, thanks heaps guys =D xx

My rats are constantly out in my room running around and as soon as i put them back in the cage they wnt to come out straight away as soon as they've eaten and had a tiny bit of rest., lol there only babies sorta

Answer 1

Chewing is nature's way of keeping the size of the teeth down, give the rat something else to chew on that's hard a nut shell or something.

Answer 2

Bitter apple is foul tasting and a good way to teach animals to stop biting/chewing things. But you should really let your rats have more play time. And don't give them play time when they're annoying you either.

Edit: Maybe they get bored in their cage. Is there anything for them to do? Like a wheel or chew toys? I remember my ferrets could get pretty annoying when they wanted to come out and I didn't have the time. So I got them another cage and linked the 2 cages with some tubes.

Answer 3

Im just going to take a guess because i have had gerbils before. Since their teeth are continually growing maybe that helps them make their teeth shorter. My gerbils used to do the same thing but then i bought these wooden sticks and they just kept chewing that instead of the bars. I also sometimes used to put in the cardboard cylinders used for paper towels in the cage and they loved to bite on that. Although it did make a big mess in the cage. I never really had a rat so i dont know if gerbils and rats are the same in behavior and things :)

Answer 4

Rats don't pay much attention to flavors, they'll eat almost anything (including apples, so bitter apples won't work). Don't put tobasco on anything, they don't produce enough saliva to wash it from their mouths, and they don't know enough to drink water to clean their mouths. Hot sauces can cause chemical burns on their mouths, and can get in their eyes as well.

Rat teeth grow constantly, some rats need to chew something to keep them a managable size. It's natural that she'll chew whatever works best, so my suggestion is to put them in a large fish tank rather than a cage, so there aren't any bars to nibble on. It'll be expensive to buy one big enough to give them room, but it's the healthiest choice for everyone. Make sure she still has something to chew on - the cardboard from toilet paper rolls work well, and she can nest in it as well once she's shredded it.

Answer 5

try some wood to chew on instead, you can buy the special stuff at the pet store or you can get a limb off a fruit tree, like apple or something but nothing that has pits (they could poison your animals).

Also, sit next to their cage and whenever they start chewing tap them on the nose, not hard enough to hurt them just hard enough so they don't like it and will stop. It is like training a dog, you just have to keep doing it and they will learn.

Ps the wood is to keep their teeth down which could be why they are doing it and the tapping is so they learn not to do it on the wire.

Answer 6

Nightflight is correct. Rats need to chew. It keeps their teeth size down. If they don't chew, their teeth will grow too big and they will not be able to eat. Try getting them something to chew on. I used to throw whole ears of corn (from a field) in my rats cage. They loved it and it helped their teeth.
My rats chew on their cage too. It's annoying yes, but unless you can get them something else to chew on, they will continue to do it. It's a normal thing for rats to do.

Answer 7

There is a spice called Alum, used for pickling. It is VERY bitter, so I hear. Make a paste with that and spread it on whatever you don't want her chewing on. I've been told that it is effective EVERY time.

You DO have other things for her to chew on in the cage, right?

Good luck!

Answer 8

Try bitter apple and as well try to include some extra play time for your rat. if she is chewing it's because she's bored so she needs something else to do. If you don't have the time to play with your rat, then add some new chew toys as well as using the bitter apple and hopefully she'll get the idea.

Answer 9

Something that might help would be they same stuff that is sold in pet stores to keep squirrels off birdseed. It's made from hot peppers and can be sprayed on things.

Answer 10

Try bitter apple