Easy, No-Sew Ratty Hammocks
You will need the following items, all easily obtained at a fabric and craft shop: polar fleece or other heavy, tighly woven material, scissors, large grommets, grommet pliers, large safety pins or binder rings.
Step One: Measure the space in your cage where you intend to hang your hammock. The fabric dimension should be about an inch or two smaller than the area it will fit. Cut two plies of fabric the same size (you can also just fold a piece that is twice as long in half.)
Step Two: Use the grommet pliers to punch holes in the four corners of the fabric, going through both layers. Insert both pieces of grommet (directions should be on the package) and clamp them tightly together with the pliers. You may be tempted to save some money by purchasing the cheaper grommet punch. I wish I had a photo of my friend's fingernail to show you why you'll be much happier spending more money on the safe pliers than you will be nursing your injured fingers when you miss with the punch. It really is worth the investment as you will use these pliers over and over again producing new hammocks when your little fuzzy darlings chew theirs up or soil it beyond the capability of your washing machine. Trust me on this one! The average lifespan of my hammocks is about 4 - 6 weeks.
Step Three: Using large safety pins or binder rings, or any other method you find workable, attach your hammocks to the cage threading the attachment devices through the grommets. The grommets really do prolong the use of the hammocks as they keep the fabric corners from tearing due to the weight of your little nappers.
Step Four: Gawk at the incredible cuteness of your ratties sleeping in a happy rat pile on their plush new hammock. Bask in the satisfied glow of feeling like a great rat parent.
I just machine wash and dry my hammocks, taking the hanging hardware off first, of course. Other variations on this include using shop rags or, my favorite, old jeans or heavy pantlegs to make tube hammocks. Just cut the legs off into tube sections, punch in four grommets along the top four corners you want to hang it from and you're set. You will also find that your rats may turn your two-ply hammocks into canopy beds by preferring to sleep in between the layers of fabric. For a posher version of this, check out the wonderful Mondo Rat Habitat hammocks by Annie. I LOVE these hammocks and have several hanging in my larger colony cages. It has taken months for my naughty rats to even begin to tear these Mondo hammocks up. They are well worth the splurge for their hand sewn toughness and clever designs.