How to Create a Rat House

Rats love to hide out in little, cozy places. You can create one of those places when you create a rat house. The main thing to watch is that your rat house does not have any sharp edges or contain anything the rat can get sick from when he chews it up. A few simple steps will help you create a rat house and give your furry friend a happy home.

Things You'll Need

  • Wood pieces
  • Hammer and nails
  • Plastic piece
  • Reptile hideout
  • Bird box
  • Metal debris
  • Terra-cotta pot
  • Nesting material
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Instructions

    • 1

      Build one out of wood. Use 5 square sheets of plywood, with 4 as the walls and 1 as the ceiling. Use small nails that fit all the way into the wood to secure them. Nail the four walls together by overlapping the edges. Nail the roof on once the walls are in place. Saw a small opening for the doorway.

    • 2

      Give him a plastic abode. Your rat would also like hanging out in tough plastic, dome-shaped houses. Just make sure the plastic is very thick and difficult to chew through--no cheap stuff. A part of a thick pail, broken salad bowl or other rounded dome will do.

    • 3

      Use reptile logs or hideouts. The reptile section in most pet stores have an array of hollowed out logs and other hideouts that also work for rats. Note they are pretty expensive. Check them out to get ideas on how to make a similar item from your own wood.

    • 4

      Find a bird house or bird breeding box. Sturdy birdhouses will work for a rat, as long as they are big enough for the rat. Check out the supply at your home and garden store to see if any of them work. Remove thin perches or other small object that can get easily chewed off.

    • 5

      Use metal debris. Parts of thick metal pipes, large springs or other very thick metal that cannot be bent or chewed through are also good items from which to make a house. Make sure there are absolutely no sharp edges or thin metal pieces on which a rat can hurt himself. This has to be heavy-duty metal, 1/4-inch thick or thicker.

    • 6

      Give him a terra-cotta pot. A small terra-cotta planter placed on its side also works well for a rat house.