Boys eating fleece

[Rataganza]

I have three male, un-neutered rats in a double Ferret Nation, and I use a fleece lining for the plastic pans. This method has worked great for about a year, but recently, they've taken to eating the fleece.

I first noticed it when my oldest boy, about 2+ years old, injured his leg in a fall. The vet said everything was fine, but the location of the wound meant it couldn't be stitched, bandaged or treated in any meaningful way (though we tried several things). The result was splotchy blood patches where he slept.

I change their bedding about twice a week and can't afford to throw it out twice a day as it got stained. So, I asked our vet, and she said as long as we change it often and wash it properly, it shouldn't be a problem.

This went on for months and after about two, I noticed the fleece would be torn up under whatever house my injured boy slept in. I figured the either he or the other two were eating the bloody fleece. Called vet, vet said nothing to worry about, rinse and repeat.

My oldest's leg is finally mostly healed, though he limps a bit nowadays, but no more blood.

However, the boys are still eating the fleece. And I do mean eating.

I caught the oldest yesterday munching on the fresh fleece only hours after I put it in! The little twerp dropped the Cheerio I gave him and instead went to town on the fleece!

Needless to say, this has increased bedding costs, because where I used to get three or four uses out of a fleece lining, the linings under their houses have become single use only.

But more importantly, I'm worried about the fleece having adverse affects on their stomachs.

My vet says there's nothing to worry about, but in all honesty, she's said that about everything at this point and doesn't get too excited when my boys are in poor health (sinus infections, the leg, a tumor on my oldest eye -- it's always nothing to worry about).

Well, I'm a little worried. We don't have another option for a vet, so I'm wondering if any of you have encountered problems with rats eating fleece or found ways to discourage.

 

[Fidget]

Odd, especially when he's not still bleeding.. You didn't change laundry detergent before they started eating it?
Are they only doing it under the houses? If so, would they still do it if you moved the houses to different locations? If so, maybe try putting a layer of plastic under the houses (like cut up plastic place mats from the buck store) and give them shredded paper or paper towels in there instead, and see how that works out. If they don't chew that maybe in a while you could try it as you have it now and see if they've stopped chewing..
I don't use fleece myself so never encountered this, that's all just a shot in the dark, but figured I'd suggest what I'd try since nobody more knowledgeable has offered ideas.

 

[jorats]

I would remove the fleece at this point or try adding paper over the fleece, hopefully they will tear up the paper instead. Also, add cardboard, rats love to chew cardboard.

 

[random.being]

My ratties keep doing that too although I have no idea why. They have cardboard and stuff to chew on and plenty of places to go but ever since I first got them they've been chewing up the fleece and going underneath it when the hole gets big enough. I'm a bit at a loss. They have a critter nation cage and plenty of room. Every now and then I use bedding so I don’t have to worry about them chewing it and possibly getting sick.