Rats like cage toys. Young rats use them for play and adults think they are ideal for sleeping in or on. Loads of different things make good toys. Because rats are highly intelligent animals you should provide them with stimulation by creating challenging and intriguing toys.

Shop bought cage toys

Hamster toys are good for baby rats. Some rats will run on wheels, but most aren't interested in them -- probably because they are too intelligent. If you do get a wheel, do not buy one with spokes. Rats can easily be hurt in them. Toys aimed at ferrets and parrots are generally ok for rats.

Home made toys.

A fun (and green) way to keep your rats entertained is make toys and cage furniture from ordinary household objects. You just need to keep an eye on safety. Don't use glues (which will be eaten) and check that there is no way the rats can get toes, legs or other body parts stuck.

Milk bottle lair: Cut the end off a large plastic milk bottle (making sure there are no sharp edges) and stuff it with paper.

Toilet roll challenge: Fill a toilet roll tube with a mixtue of treats and stuff wadded paper at both ends. Hang it with string from the cage for an added challenge.

Egg box delights: Fill each compartment of a clean empty egg box with food (e..g. pieces of fruit, cooked pasta, left over mash potato) and close the lid before giving to the rats.

Rats will have great fun using and abusing any features you put in their cage, from places to sleep to items they can dodge, over, under and through in the games they play with each other.

Hammocks: make great beds ? especially for new or shy rats you want to socialise. Hammocks can be made from more or less any item of clothing you are willing to cut up. Old towels and t-shirts make great hammocks.

Climbing ropes: cut some material into strips and plait them into a rope. Hang these about the cage or set up as runways at the top of the cage for rats who like to climb.

Boxes: rats can never have too many boxes to hide in, nest in and keep that emergency food pellet in (just in case). If you can find a largish box, fill it with smaller boxes and shreded paper to let your rats carve out their own fort or cave system.

Digging box: In the wild, rats naturally dig tunnels in the soil. Yours will still have the same instinct. Fill a plastic plant tub with clean soil (eg sterilised soil from a garden shop) sprinkle in some edible seeds and put it somewhere easy to clean, like a shower base. Then let your rats have at it.