Let’s Get Diggin’! | DIY Rat Dig Box Guide
- May 5
- 4 min read
Why Your Rats Need a Dig Box 🐀
In the wild, rats are natural burrowers and foragers. This means they spend a significant portion of their lives underground creating complex tunnel systems and foraging for their food. When we keep them as pets, that instinct doesn't go away!
Providing a dig box is vital because it provides them with 3 essential things:
Mental Stimulation: It solves boredom by giving them a "job" to do (foraging for the treats you buried for them).
Physical Exercise: Digging works muscles they don't use by running around the cage or climbing bars.
Stress Relief: Foraging and burrowing are calming behaviors that help rats feel secure and grounded.
If you want to see your rats at their happiest, give them a dig box.
What You’ll Need 📦
A Container: A plastic tub (at least 6 inches deep), a large glass dish, or even a sturdy cardboard box (though this will be a one-time-use situation!).
Substrate (The "Dirt"):
Safe Bet: Eco Earth (coco fiber) is the gold standard. It holds moisture well and feels like real earth.
Dry Option: Shredded crinkle paper or sterile topsoil (no fertilizers!).
The "Loot": Uncooked pasta, sunflower seeds, mealworms, frozen peas and other rat-safe snacks (you can refer back to my ‘What Can Pet Rats Eat?’ post for rat safe ideas).
Water: A spray bottle to keep the coco fiber damp (but not muddy).
The "Living" Dig Box: Rat-Safe Grass 🌱
If you want to take your enrichment to the next level, you can plant a "mini-pasture" right in their box! It’s beautiful for photos and delicious for them to nibble on.
Best Grasses to Grow:
Wheatgrass (Cat Grass): The easiest and fastest to grow. It’s packed with nutrients and very safe.
Oats or Barley: These sprout quickly and provide a thicker blade that rats love to trample and chew.
Birdseed Mixes: Check the ingredients for sunflower, millet and flax. You can scatter these seeds in the soil and they will sprout into a variety of safe textures.
How to do it: Simply press your seeds into the damp coco fiber and keep it in a sunny window for 5–7 days. Once it’s a few inches tall, let the ratties in for a garden party!
What to Bury: The Treasure Hunt 💎
To keep them engaged, you want to bury "high-value" items that require different levels of effort to find. Try mixing these in:
The Quick Wins: Mealworms, uncooked pasta, cheerios or puffed rice cereal.
The Challenges: Sunflower seeds that they have to dig up and then work to open.
The Scent Trails: Dried rose petals, chamomile or sprigs of fresh mint and cilantro. This turns the dig box into a sensory "sniff station."
The "Work for it" Treats: Small pieces of carrot or cucumber buried at the very bottom.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Setup
Prep the Base: If using coco fiber bricks, rehydrate them according to the package instructions. Make sure it's cool to the touch before adding your rats.
Fill it Up: Pour your substrate into the container. Aim for at least 3–5 inches of depth so they can actually tunnel.
Hide the Goods: Bury your treats at different depths. This encourages them to use their noses and paws to "hunt."
Add Surface Interest: Toss in some flat stones, a few dry leaves (rat-safe ones like apple or pear), or a cork log for them to climb on.
Release the Ratties! Place the box in their play area or cage and watch the chaos ensue.
⚠️ Pro-Tips for Small Town Owners
To ensure your pocket puppies have a safe time while digging, please remember these tips:
· Supervision: ALWAYS supervise the dig sessions to make sure nobody is trying to eat the dirt instead of the treats.
The Mess Factor: Rats will kick dirt everywhere. If you’re worried about your floors, place the dig box inside a larger, shallow tray to catch the "fallout."
Moisture Check: If using coco fiber, mist it every couple of days. If it gets bone-dry, it can become dusty and irritate their respiratory systems.
Cleanliness: Spot-clean for any stashed fresh food (like peas) so they don't mold. Replace the substrate entirely every few weeks.
· Sensitive Rats: If you have a bald/naked rat, rex or double rex with particularly sensitive skin or eyes, ensure the substrate is kept properly misted to prevent any fine dust from causing irritation!
Providing enrichment like this is one of the best ways to bond with your rats and keep them thriving. 🌿I can’t wait to see your pocket puppies enjoying their new playground! 🐾
Tag @SmallTownRatties in your photos or videos of your rats in their dig boxes. I’d love to share them in my stories!
🛍️ Shop the Small Town Ratties Essentials
To make things easy, I’ve rounded up the exact supplies I use to build these boxes:
The Dig Box: IRIS USA 6.25" Stackable Storage Tubs – These are the perfect depth for tunneling and come with a lid to keep things fresh when not in use.
The "Dirt": Coconut Fiber Substrate – The safest, mold-resistant gold standard for burrowing.
The Treats: Bulk Dried Mealworms and Organic Sunflower Seeds – Perfect for creating that high-value treasure hunt.
The Living Garden: Seedboy Organic Cat Grass Mix – This blend of wheat, oat, and barley is packed with nutrients and provides a variety of safe textures for a garden party.
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