This article is from the WSSF 2014 AFRMA Rat & Mouse Tales news-magazine.

By Laura Tukey, ME

Swaying Planks for the rats—it’s a cage favorite. You can either take a board and drill holes or get a bendy prefab flexible plank [or try a bird ladder or plastic ramp, Ed.] from the pet store and attach pipe cleaners at the corners, the longer, the more sway. My rats love to really swing the planks. Twist ties and chain or rope would work but I fancy pipe cleaners over twist ties for the sway. The rats love to nap on the swinging planks when they don’t want to be out-of-site out-of-mind around dinnertime, tail swaying lazily to touch the plank.

My rats have exceptional balance even into the elderly and infirm. I account it to the swaying platforms. When they get elderly, I add cushions, hammocks, and lower the planks and they still love to rock and sway on them.