Every pet owner wants to give all the joys and privileges to their treasured furry friend. Rat guardians are no different. These small, fluffy, and inquisitive beings are always up for a challenge. And keeping up with their never-ending energy is quite a difficult task!
This is where having the right kind of toys can take some significant burden off your shoulder. Providing them with the best pet rat toys will keep them engaged for hours.
If they are high-quality and designed smartly, they can improve your pet rat’s life in other significant ways too.
So which toys are the best for your pet rat? What kind of activities will help it the most? We answer these questions and more here to help you make an informed decision.
Do Rats Need Toys?
It may not cross our minds at first, but small rodent pets like rats do need toys for a myriad of reasons. The best pet rat toys can help with their physical health, mental health, and growth. Let’s shed some light on that in brief here.
- Exercise. Toys that allow activities like swinging, climbing, and running, motivate pets to exercise. Doing so is very important for these small animals. Adequate exercising contributes to their muscular and skeletal development, especially if they are young and growing.
- Dental Health. The cute little teeth of pet rats can benefit from chew toys. It provides their growing teeth with the necessary grinding and improves their appetite. As a bonus, it also keeps them from biting your furniture.
- Digestion. Chew toys that are made from pure natural fiber can improve your pet’s digestion. It can also help with alleviating intestinal inflammation and preventing urinary tract stones.
- Mental Health. It’s great to be able to play with your pet rats whenever you can, and I highly recommend you play some games with your pet rat (as we mention here). But when you are not at home, your rodent friend may suffer from loneliness or anxiety. A toy can help with resolving these issues. It can keep them busy, entertained, and happy even when they are alone in the house.
- Intelligence. Toys like tunnels and swings help small pets to promote their coordination and balance skills. Since they have to strategize how to use them without falling off, their intelligence also gets a boost.
Best Store-bought Pet Rat Toys
| Name | Activity | Price | Amazon Link | |
| 1 | Kaytee Perfect Chews for Rats | Chew | $4 | Check Kaytee Perfect Chews For Rats Price on Amazon |
| 2 | MQ Pet Hammock | Sleep, Swing, Climb, Chew | $15.89 | Check MQ Pet Hammock Price on Amazon |
| 3 | Niteangel Suspension Bridge Toy | Climb, Walk, Chew | $10.99 | Check Niteangel Suspension Bridge on Amazon |
| 4 | TRIXIE Small Animal Suspension Bridge with Hammock | Jump, Climb, Chew, Sleep | $14.74 | Check Trixie’s Suspension Bridge With Hammock on Amazon |
| 5 | Niteangel Small Pet Fun Tunnel | Walk | $10.95 | Check Niteangel Small Pet Fun Tunnel on Amazon |
| 6 | HOMEYA Hideout Play Tube | Walk | $19.99 | Check HOMEYA Hideout Play Tube on Amazon |
| 7 | Niteangel Natural Fun Hay Grass Balls | Chew | $9.99 | Check Niteangel Natural Hay Grass Balls on Amazon |
1. Kaytee Perfect Chews for Rats
Kaytee is a brand that specializes in innovative products for small pets and birds. It has been putting the animals first since its inception over 150 years ago. Now it is here to bring you this amazing toy for your pet rat to munch on now and then.
The perfect chew toy consists of balls, logs, and cheese wedges with wood and loofah texture. Along with the variety of shapes and textures, its bright color palette comprising yellow, red, and purple also adds to the fun. They are colorful kabobs placed on a wood skewer that your adorable pet can play with for hours.
They also come at a very economical price point. If these disposable chew toys are not usable anymore for your rat, you can just switch to a new one. That is why it would be more convenient to invest in multiple pieces at a time.
Designed for indoor use, it comes with a clasp on top which you can use to attach to your pet’s cage. This way, the rat can play with it even when you are not around to guide him.
Features:
- Consists of wood balls, logs, and cheese wedges
- Bright color palette of red, yellow, and purple
- Disposable toy designed for indoor usage
- Clasp for easy attachment to pet’s cage
This kind of chew toys is great for digestion as we mentioned before. But first, your pet rat must have a healthy pet rat diet, which you can read more about here!
2. MQ Pet Hammock Hanging Toys Set
This set of hanging toys provided by MQ will be enough to keep your fluffy companion engaged for hours. There are three wooden components here which include a hammock, ladder, and swing. The cylindrical hammock also comes with a small mat where your small pet can lie down, feel warm, and sleep peacefully anytime.
For playing, it can climb up and down the ladder, or just move back and forth on the swing. Both of these items are adorned with colorful beads of different vibrant hues.
Each piece comes with buckles so that you can easily install these hanging toys inside your pet’s home. It is conveniently designed to fit in any cage meant for rodents. Especially the ladder is flexible enough to be placed vertically or horizontally at your chosen spot.
All of these elegant items can also be chewed by your pet. So it will get to enjoy all kinds of activities from this one set of toys.
Features:
- Colorful set consists of three hanging toys
- Hammock comes with a small mat for warmth
- Can be used to sleep, swing, and climb
- All pieces come with buckles
- Suitable to fit any rodent cage
3. Niteangel Suspension Bridge Toy
Founded in 2013, Niteangel is focused on creating high-quality products for small pets by using natural and healthy materials. One of them is this suspension toy that your rat can climb or walk on. It depends on how you install it in their habitat – either vertically as a ladder or horizontally as a bridge. Because of its material, your pet can also chew it and trim its teeth.
Its bendable structure is made of durable hardwood sticks. There are two flexible metal wires with hooks on each end so that you can place them anywhere conveniently. Along with a toy, it can also be used for bedding or as a sand area divider.
The width of its hardwood sticks comes in three sizes – 2.8 inches, 3 inches, and 3.15 inches. So you can choose the one that best fits your pet rat. No matter which size you pick, the wooden bridge will have a length of 25.6 inches.
Features:
- Comes in three width sizes of 2.8-3.1 inches
- Bendable structure made of hardwood sticks
- Durable, chewable, and easy to assemble
- Two flexible metal wires on each end
4. TRIXIE Small Animal Suspension Bridge
The German pet brand Trixie creates accessories for all kinds of animal companions and all their possible age groups. Some of these items, like this suspension bridge set, are directed toward smaller animals like rats.
It consists of three pieces – ladder, hammock, and ring. The ladder consists of wooden steps and polyester rope, whereas the polyester ring has a wooden block. Both the ring and the hammock have a vibrant appearance with soothing hues of green and blue. All three pieces come with solid clips and hooks so that you can attach them easily to the rat’s cage.
Your pet can get a lot of exercise while jumping on the ring and climbing the ladder. After playing with these two, they can sit on the comfy hammock and relax for the day. If they are bored, they can also chew on these pieces whose textures and materials are chew resistant.
Features:
- Colorful suspension bridge set
- Includes ladder, hammock, and ring
- Made of wood and polyester
- All pieces are safe to chew
5. Niteangel Small Pet Fun Tunnel
Another fun and easily usable rat toy from Niteangel is this adorable tunnel. It comes in seven vibrant colors – blue, green, dark green, pink, orange, red, and purple. So you will have plenty of options to choose from, depending on your pet’s favorite colors or your decoration preferences.
It can be contracted and expanded according to the rat’s size requirements. Its length is measured at 9.7 inches while fully contracted and at a whopping 39 inches while fully expanded. Thus your fluffy friend will have a long way to crawl within this tube and get its daily exercise goals fulfilled.
The width of this tube stands at 4 inches, which provides the pet plenty of room to explore. Even the chubby ones can move comfortably in this tunnel.
Since it is made of durable stain-resistant plastic, you don’t have to struggle much to keep it clean. Tubes like this are considered among the best pet rat toys since they satisfy the natural tunneling instinct of these rodents.
Features:
- Comes in seven vibrant colors
- Made of durable stain-resistant plastic
- Tube is expandable in length up to 39 inches
- Width of 4 inches for easy movement
6. HOMEYA Hideout Play Tube
Similar to the previous toy, this hideout play tube from Homeya gives rats an option to experience their natural tendency of crawling through tunnels. Each tube comes with three openings so that your pet can experiment with its entrance and exit points. To accommodate the three openings, its structure is designed in T-shape.
This play tube comes in three color palettes to suit all kinds of pet aesthetics. These varieties are Rainbow, Gray Star (gray and white stripes), and Sky (blue, purple, and pink). So, you can choose from vibrant rainbows, chic elegance, and a starry sunset sky.
Its body is made from a soft and durable fabric of high quality that keeps dust particles and wrinkles away. So your fluffy friend will feel comfortable here no matter how many times they want to pass through the tube. The exterior and the curtains are made from fleece. They can also just hide or stay there for privacy.
To maintain the shape of its entrances, there are steel rings placed at each opening. As a result, they will not get deformed because of scratching or fast movements of your pet. You can fold it with elastic straps in seconds and carry it around in a bag no matter where you go.
In terms of length, the longest tunnel is 10.8 inches and the shorter one is 4.7 inches. Both of them have a width of 4.5 inches. You can easily wash it with a machine and air dry it afterward.
Features:
- Comes in three varieties of color palettes
- T-shaped design with three openings
- Steel ring on each entrance for durability
- Portable, dust-resistant, and machine washable
7. Niteangel Natural Chew Fun Hay Grass Balls
Niteangel brings in aesthetically pleasing balls for your pet to play with or chew on. It comes in sets of 2, 3, or 4 balls.
Each ball has a different texture and they are designed in various shades of brown or tan. They are made from different natural hay grass materials like cornhusk, seagrass, water hyacinth, and rattan. You will not find components like metal, plastic, or glue here.
They have been carefully woven and tied by the makers. These hand-knitted balls have a durable and sturdy structure that your pet can nibble on. They also have an extra deep base within so that the rat can tunnel and burrow as much as they want. Each ball is 2.9 inches in diameter and weighs around 3 ounces.
Features:
- Comes in sets of 2, 3, or 4 balls
- Made from natural materials like hay grass
- Hand-knitted, durable, and sturdy structure
- Extra deep base for pets to tunnel and burrow
Best DIY Pet Rat Toys
Now that we’ve talked about store-bought pet rat toys, why not DIY (Do It Yourself)?
It’s always a good option and it can be quite cheaper to make your own pet rat toys.
You can even make a few where you can hide some tasty treats (we recommend these healthy ones).
| Name | Activity | Required Materials | |
| 1 | Hanging Egg Box | Swing, Catch | – 1 egg box – 20-inch cotton string – Small treats or food – Sellotape (optional) |
| 2 | Newspaper Wand | Chew, Catch | – Newspaper sheet (safe to chew for rats) – Scissors |
| 3 | Pringle’s Tub Perch | Swing | – 1 Pringles tube (with lid) – Duct tape – 2 5-inch garden wires – Scissors |
| 4 | Castle | Walk | – Multiple cardboard boxes [different sizes] – Packing Tape – Craft Knife |
1. Hanging Egg Box
Required Materials:
- 1 egg box
- 20-inch cotton string
- Small treats or food
- Sellotape (optional)
Process:
- Take the base of your egg box and find a couple of balanced points there. Then make holes in those two spots. Some boxes already come with holes placed between the eggs. If you own such a box, you can skip this step and just start working on it from the next step.
- Now make similar holes in its lid. Try to make them coincide with the holes already placed in its base.
- Knot one end of the cotton string. You can wrap some Sellotape on the other hand for stronger threading. Put it upward through the left hole of the base and its corresponding hole on the lid.
- Take this string and put it through the right-side hole on the lid. Bring it down through the base’s respective hole and tie the two ends, so that a loop is created.
- You can put some treats or small food items inside the box now. Just close the lid and hang it in an appropriate place to make playing with it more fun for your rat.
2. Newspaper Wand
Required Materials:
- Newspaper sheet (safe to chew for rats)
- Scissor
Process:
- Spread the sheet on a flat surface, Fold along its longest axis so that it results in a long strip that measures around an inch in width.
- Now twist four inches of one end to make a handle.
- On the other end, cut lengthwise along its folds with a scissor as much as you want. There should be some space between this section and the twisted part.
3. Pringle’s Tub Perch
Required Materials:
- 1 Pringles tube (with lid)
- Duct tape
- 2 5-inch garden wires
- Scissor
Process:
- Wrap the entire tube in duct tape lengthwise.
- At its mouth end or lid end, make a total of four holes. Each pair should be opposite to the other pair and be at a distance of half an inch from each other.
- Put one wire through one pair of holes so that it sticks out of the tube’s side. They will be used to attach the perch to your rat’s cage.
- Place it in the cage in such a way that its lid presses against the bars.
4. Castle
Required Materials:
- Multiple cardboard boxes [different sizes]
- Packing tape
- Craft knife
Process:
- Place your chosen boxes next to or on top of each other in a way that looks like a series of rooms.
- Now cut holes in the appropriate places with your knife so that the rat can move through them comfortably. You can check if they are big enough by putting your arm through them.
- Secure them in place with the packing tape.
There are many pet rat toys that you can very easily make at home. They also use very simple materials that you might have at home, so you don’t need to spend much money on these either!
Here’s a very neat and handy video by Shadow the Rat, showing how to make 10 Fun DIY toys:
Entertain Your Pet Rat With Toys!
Now that you know the best pet rat toys available online, you can start shortlisting which of them will serve your prized pet the best. Make sure to measure its size so that the new toy fits properly.
Once it gets its tiny hands on the new toys, you will finally be able to enjoy your alone time and focus on your work without feeling guilty. You also don’t have to worry about your rat damaging any furniture or valuable item since it will be busy chewing on the brand-new soft or wooden toy.
Remember that toys not only entertain your pet rats but are also very important to keep them happy and healthy. They need constant exercise, both physical, and mental as well. And toys are the best accessories to just do that!
If you’re still looking for more accessories for your pet rat’s cage, here’s a handy list that you can use!
