I have alot of rats and like to hang a good amount of hammocks. So I have used this same method for a long while now, it is very inexpensive, easy and works just as well as more expensive ones.
1) First get some fleece. You can buy it from fabric/craft stores or online even. What I do is buy fleece blankets at walmart. They have specific blankets that only cost $2.88 all year round. They are full sized. Come in quite a bit of different colors/designs. They may be a bit harder to find as they seem to be sold fairly quickly and not always restocked right away. Check the different bedding aisles. They may be tossed behind stuff lol
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| It looks like this but in different colors/designs |
I do suggest using fleece. I know some people like to use other fabrics. Do so at your own risk. When you cut fleece the edges are safe and smooth with no hanging strings or fraying. Some other fabric will fray even more so after a wash and can be deadly or lead to injury.
2) Buy hooks. You have tons of options here. I have found ebay to be the best bet so far.
I got a pack of 50 pear shaped shower curtain rings for under $7. They were going for $7+ on amazon for a pack of 12... These hooks are extremely popular for hanging hammocks.
I also bought a pack of 50 lanyard snap hooks for under $5. These hooks are what you find typically on normal store bought hammocks.
Personally I prefer the lanyard hooks for hanging. I tend to use both with the shower curtain ring as the "string" part and then the lanyard hook to attach to the cage.
Both were shipped from the US and had free shipping. So for 100 hooks that should last forever since they are reusable I spent less than $12.
The names of the people I recently bought from are there. But you can just search for lanyard hook or shower hook, pear shape hook, etc... they do have people selling different amounts.
3) To make the hammocks, simple cut the fleece into squares. I find they prefer slightly small, At first I had a tendency to cut them too big and even hung taught they seemed to sink too much lol. I don't measure though but you can.
Slit a small hole into each of the four corners a bit of the ways in.
4) Attach hooks through the holes and hang!
What is great is you can be quite creative with this.
Make layered hammocks or a specific size to fit your cage or a space.
I do not like using shelves in my cages as they are messy. Instead I use alot of hammocks. You can cut perfectly measured fleece and make it cover an entire section, from one side of the cage to the other.
You can kindof see from this pic:I also use the hooks to hang lots of other stuff in the cage like boxes, baskets, cheeseball containers lol
Here are some links to other DIY toys & cage accessories.
Pinterest is an amazing resource!
https://www.pinterest.com/shatt3rdx33/rat-toys-diy/
Links to my pet boards on pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/eckokitten/i-3-rats/
https://www.pinterest.com/eckokitten/pet-diy/
https://www.pinterest.com/eckokitten/pets/
You can also try searching ferret DIY, mouse DIY, even some cat or dog DIY, or bird DIY.
Just be careful to try and use only safe materials. You dont want pointy edges, anything toxic, or things that could potentially get a toe or nail stuck.
This site is also a great resource for rat DIY
http://www.dapper.com.au/toys.htm
In the end just be creative!
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