Rat-Proofing Your Home

Rats belong to the family of rodents. The word rodent actually comes from the latin word rodere - which means gnawing animal - and rats do love to gnaw! Before you allow your rats time out of their cage, be sure to rat-proof and make safe any areas or rooms they will have the run of. Each rat is different, and has different gnawing habits. Some love wires, some don't. Some like to gnaw on fabrics, others prefer wood. Best to be prepared, for safety sake.

Check List

• Check for holes in floors, walls and skirting boards. Rats can squeeze through the smallest of spaces. If you have a gas fire with a ventilation hole beneath it, cover the hole with chicken wire. Fence off fireplaces and check that radiators are safe and your rat can't become stuck or burrow into the hole in the floor.
• Make sure all windows and doors are secured. You could construct a barrier out of a piece of wood, and place it across the doorway to prevent escape should the door be left ajar.
• Electrical wires and cables - including phone lines - should either be taped to walls or furniture - out of reach of teeth and claws - or encased in hose-piping or wire covering, which you can buy from electrical shops very cheaply. It sticks to the wall and you encase the wires inside. A great invention for rat friends! You could hook a bundle of cables up onto the wall. Thick, curly extension cables can be used to keep smaller wires up on the desk or TV.
• Waste bins should have a lid, or be covered with a heavy object such as wood. Many items that you discard are lethal to rats - e.g. nail varnish remover pads, cleaning fluids, nicotine patches, gum etc.
• Keep plants and flowers on high shelves. Rats love to dig into the soil and gnaw at the leaves. A large number of household plants are toxic to rats.
• Never leave handbags or school bags on the floor or where they can be reached. We often carry dangerous objects around, like paracetamol, medications, inks, batteries etc.
• Cover soft furnishings with a heavy throw. Rats love to gnaw and burrow into chairs and sofas, and those with loose cushions are great fun.
• The legs of any wooden furniture can be protected by taping cloths, wood or cardboard around the base.
• A brick, or block of wood can be placed on the corners of carpets and rugs. Round blocks seem to be of no interest to most rats. But if it has a corner … it’s asking to be gnawed!
• Remove candles (rats love chewing the wax!) and any ornaments which could be damaged during play.
• Keep books, CDs, important papers and videos well out of reach.
• Always keep the toilet seat closed. Once in - your rat will have no way out, and could drown.
• Keep tablets and medicines, cleaning products and toiletries safely locked away, as you would with a small child in the home.

Set your boundaries, and make sure your rats don’t have access to "taboo" areas e.g.: desks and computer tables, TV, video and stereo areas - they all have acres of wires to gnaw!

If, like me, you like to keep internal doors open to allow in air and light, you could construct a Rat Gate. I made quite a few mistakes to begin with, and didn't realize just how high my baby does could - and would - jump to see what was inside the other room. Eventually, I worked out the sizing and height needed. 

This is not the way to construct a permanent Rat Gate, although it can be a good way of keeping your rats out of a room temporarily. To construct a permanent rat-gate - have a piece of wood cut that is around 36" high and the width of your door. Attach hinges, which was far simpler than I thought, screw to door frame outside room and add either gate hooks or sliding locks.

Obviously, Olive (seen her on the left) had no trouble getting over this pathetic attempt at a rat-gate!