How to Make a Rat Maze From Cardboard

Rats' ability to solve mazes is legendary. Rats have excellent problem-solving and navigational skills. To entertain your pet rats, try building a simple maze for them as a puzzle to solve. The problem with cardboard is that rats, being intelligent, will spot shortcuts quickly. In this case, they might just climb over the maze walls or perhaps gnaw a hole through them. To get around this, try adapting a maze from the traditional laboratory design to one consisting of boxes and tubes.

Things You'll Need

  • Cardboard boxes
  • Sheets of cardboard or large cardboard tubes
  • Scissors
  • Non-toxic tape
  • Rat treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create several rat-sized tubes from sheets of cardboard, if you can't find any cardboard tubes the right size. Roll into tubes and secure with a piece of non-toxic tape.

    • 2

      Use one box as a starting point. Cut a rat-sized archway as the entrance and another hole to fit the cardboard tubes.

    • 3

      Attach the tube to the first box by pushing it slightly into the hole, and join to a second box.

    • 4

      Cut three holes to fit tubes in the remaining sides of the second box.

    • 5

      Arrange tubes so that one leads back to the start, another is a dead end and the third leads on to the next part of the maze.

    • 6

      Continue until your maze is the desired size. Each box should form a stop with three possible further options. Your rat has to decide which is the correct one.

    • 7

      Use a box with a lid as the end point of the maze. Place some strongly scented food in it. Cat food is a good option; another might be pasta with a garlicky sauce.

    • 8

      Put your rat in the starting box, or let it venture in by itself, and let it solve the maze. Time how long it takes the rat to arrive in the finishing box each time it runs through the maze. Most rats will get quicker and quicker.