My rat is bored with free roam. How to enrich their playtime?

First, you should have her examined by your veterinarian to rule out illness or injury. Second, feed a healthy diet of a block or pelleted diet for rodents supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. Provide plenty of chewing toys to keep her teeth trim. Once all this has been done, you can use positive reinforcement (treats and praise) to get her to answer to her name or perform tricks. It will take patience and consistency. http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/training_playtime.php

Thanks for reaching out about Dimounds. Positive reinforcements (treats) could work best. A simple treat that is only given when returned to the cage. Rats are very intelligent, and perform well with these methods. Good luck.

If she will allow, check her teeth. Rats need to chew to keep their teeth from becoming overgrown. If necessary, have your veterinarian trim the teeth then provide plenty of chew toys to prevent recurrence. Feed a commercial pelleted or block diet supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also offer food such as pasta, beans and boiled egg in small amounts. Take her out of her cage for some playtime several times daily. This will give her a break from a small cage as well as provide a bonding experience for the both of you.

There are a variety of creative ideas for Rat toys/enrichment that can be made from many things that are commonly laying around the house. Below are a couple of links with some great ideas and information about rat enrichment. https://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm http://www.afrma.org/enviroenrich.htm I hope that helps and all is well with Yuki.

Try encouraging your guinea pigs to play with interactive toys, give them things to chew on, and offer them treats, like baby carrots, when they are out of their cage. This will help them associate being out of the cage with something positive. You may also want to try taking them to a different room from the one the cage is in. This may make them more curious and more likely to want to explore instead of them wanting to go back in the cage. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Your rabbit may be bored. Rabbits are playful, energectic animals that require a sizable enclosure that contains a nest box, toys, a toileting area, feeding area, and room to play. Toys can include cardboard boxes, cardboard toilet paper/towel rolls (basically any cardboard shape), wooden chew toys, hard plastic baby toys, cat toys, and dog toys, metal measuring spoons, bowls, and small cups (as well as many other options). Many toys designed for parrots are also suitable for rabbits. Recommendations for appropriately sized enclosures range from 8-12 square feet (or 4-6X the size of your rabbit), with a larger exercise area. Your rabbit should also have unlimited access to Timothy or mixed grass hay. Hay stuffed into boxes, bags, or other types of toys makes for an enjoyable treat. Fresh vegetables and the occasional fruit should be a regular part of your rabbit's diet. Rabbit pellets/chow should be limited. For additional information on toys you can give your rabbit, see: http://rabbit.org/faq-toys/

Not many rabbits play with toys, the best thing you can do to help keeping them entertained is to let them outside the cage for at least 2-4 hours a day, they will roam around and keep themselves busy.