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You can use your foraging toy in a variety of ways, with different levels of difficulty for maximum enrichment.
Round foraging toys can be hung against a wall of the cage by one of the 5 holes in the rim around the base. When hanging, only half-fill the pockets otherwise treats may fall out! When hanging the round toy offers a different challenge than when it is placed flat. When placed flat in the cage, the rim around the base of a round toy can be dug into the litter to help keep it in place while your rats work the sliders.
The hanging toy can also be placed flat in the cage, offering a different challenge than when it is hung.
We cycle our rats through a few different styles of foraging toys every few days to keep things interesting for them, and change the contents between their regular food, treats and vegetables.
To make filling the pockets easier, try using a small measuring jug or any vessel with a small spout.
The sliders on round foraging toys are designed to be removed for ease of cleaning.
Single Slider Toy
Multi Slider Toy
We recommend cleaning the toys between each use. A scrub with warm water and detergent or disinfectant is the best way to keep your toy clean.
Allow the toy to air-dry completely, or use a thin towel to dry each pocket before filling with food or treats again!
Don't put your foraging toy in a dishwasher or using scalding hot water as it may warp.
Multi Slider Toy
Single Slider Toy
Hanging Toy
We've found the highest risk of chewing is in the first few weeks of introducing a new toy to your rats. They can smell delicious treats inside and they're eager to get to them. Before they figure out how to slide the sliders and lift the lids they think the easiest way in is with their teeth!
We strongly recommend only introducing the toy to your rats during free-roam or supervised play at the beginning. This way you can move the sliders, or lift the lids to show them the treats inside, and they will eventually learn there's a better way than brute force. We had a serial chewer who used to gnaw at the edges of the sliders instead of moving them around, but now she is our most skilled foraging toy operator!
Once your rats start to learn to use the toy properly when supervised, you can start leaving it in their cage for them to work at while you're away ππ§
All our products are 3d printed from 100% recycled PETG plastic from GreenGate3d.
The recycled plastic we use is not toxic to rats, however it's not ideal for rats to chew and possibly ingest any type of plastic. If you notice your rats are chewing at the toy have a read over our tips to reduce chewing.
In selecting a material to make our toys from, we considered many factors with a focus on sustainability, safety, and ease of cleaning. PET is a non-toxic plastic often used in food and beverage packaging. By using recycled PET we avoid directly contributing to the creation of new plastics, and we repurpose what was a single-use item a enriching toy for ratties.
While the ultimate material would be one that does not ultimately come from an un-renewable resource, the compostable and plant-based plastics accessible to us are quite porous. We found they tend to absorb liquids and other substances within the rats environment, and we were not satisfied with the inability to clean the toys after use.
All our products are designed, tested, and 3d printed by us in house. We use 3d printing as a manufacturing method as the costs involved to move to more efficient methods, such as injection moulding, traditionally only begin to become feasible at much higher volumes than we are currently producing.
3d printing isn't an ideal manufacturing process. It's slow, the material is relatively expensive, and the final finish of the product isn't as refined as other methods. 3d printing builds up an object layer by layer. For our products, each layer is about 0.2mm thick. You may notice these layer lines in our product photos if you look closely.
We take multiple steps to ensure that our 3d printed products are safe, durable, and easy to clean. We use a high quality, 100% recycled PETG plastic which is non-toxic and food safe. We ensure the first layer is squashed completely flat and smooth into the bed. We over-extrude during printing to ensure there are no gaps or holes which would make cleaning difficult. These steps combined with regular cleaning greatly minimise the chance that bacteria could grow in imperfections in the plastic.
If you have access to a 3d printer, you can make and modify your own foraging toys using our 3d models available on our Print@Home page. Recommended print settings and printing tips are available in the product detail of each item.
Please take the time to research the filament and other materials you are using to make toys for your pets. We strongly recommend using only Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3d printers, we do not recommend using Stereolithography (SLA) printers as most of the resins available are toxic. We recommend using PLA or PETG filaments. Other plastics or resins may be toxic or may otherwise harm your rats.
No warranties or guarantees are provided for the items you create yourself from our 3d models. However, we do guarantee that the 3d models are up-to-date, accurate and fit-for-purpose. We are more than happy to help if you have any issues with the 3d models, print settings, or assembly - contact us with your questions.
Please remember that the 3d models are our intellectual property, and the fruits of our many years and months of designing, testing and refining. Familiarise yourself with the terms of the license granted upon purchase of the 3d models. Details about the license are in the product detail of each item.
All orders are sent from Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. We ship anywhere within Australia, and to 90 countries worldwide, you can check if we ship to yours below. To enquire about shipping rates to countries not listed here, please contact us.
Shipping rates vary based on the weight of your order. To see the shipping cost for your order, add some items to your cart, checkout, and put in an address. You will see the shipping cost before any payment is required.
As a guide, the shipping cost for an order of 1-3 toys is AU$8.90 within Australia, AU$14.80 to New Zealand, AU$23.10 to USA & Canada, AU$27.40 to UK & Ireland, and AU$29.00 to most of Europe. Of course this will vary depending upon destination and order weight.
Your order may take up to 10 days to prepare before shipping. This is because we only keep a small amount of stock on hand, and we make some items on demand to reduce plastic wastage.
Orders within Australia usually arrive within 7 business days from the date they are sent. Orders outside Australia usually arrive within 14 business days.
We use Australia Post to ship all our orders, you will receive a tracking number when we've shipped your order. You can see the latest estimated Australia Post delivery times for domestic shipping here, and international shipping here.
Environmental sustainability is at the forefront of our decisions. Which is why we use recyclable paper and cardboard packaging. The shipping boxes we use are from Heaps Good Packaging and they are made in Australia from 99.9% post-consumer recycled material. A paper-based bubble-wrap alternative called hex wrap is used to protect your order on its way to you. We print your shipping labels on 100% recycled label sheets, and we use paper tape to seal the box.
The whole box including the fill, tape and label is made from paper or cardboard and can be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin.
To further extend the life of the packaging, you can turn your mailing box into a temporary hide or enrichment activity. We stamp a cutout guide on each end of the box where you can cut out little doors to enter the hide β Additionally, the paper fill can be shredded into smaller pieces and put back into the box. Then scatter some dry treats in the box amongst the shredded paper and you have a fun foraging activity for your rats! π
We will happily replace any item that arrives incorrect, damaged, or defective.
If you have any issues with your order, however small, please get in touch, as we'd much rather fix them than leave you disappointed! π
Several weeks after an order has been fulfilled, we send a email to customers with an invitation to leave a review for the items they ordered.
We strongly encourage customers to include images of the items they received, this helps future customers decide which item is right for them, and gives them more of a sense of what the product looks like and how it works.
Once submitted, reviews will become public within 48hrs, after screening for viewer safety.
If you have any issues please get in touch, as we'd much rather fix them than leave you disappointed! π