How To Build a Rodent Maze

Building a rodent maze is an easy and fun thing to do for just about any age.  It can serve as a science project or as an entertaining tool for pet rodents.  No matter what type of rodent maze you build, placing your pet in the maze will surely be an exciting experience.  Rodents use their decision making skills in these mazes and you may be surprised just how smart they can be.

In building a rodent maze, choose the design or layout for your maze.  For ideas, you can go online or look at books on rodents.  Some designs are relatively simple and are ideal to start off with if this is the first time your rodent will be using the maze.  Other designs are more elaborate and will require your rodent to use more of their decision making and memory skills.

Next choose how large you want your rodent maze to be.  More elaborate designs will require a larger scale rodent maze, which will also involve more work.  Keep in mind that you can always start off with a smaller sized maze and add to it over time.  Purchase your wooden base in the size you’ll see it fits.  Make sure that it is sturdy and free of any debris or wood shavings.

Now you will need to plan for the walls of your maze.  Your walls should be about four inches wide so that there is enough room to move about and turn around if needed.  Also be sure to make the walls tall enough, at least four inches, so that your rodent does not jump out of the maze.  Then cut out a variety of wall pieces using wood or cardboard.

Wood is ideal for building your rodent maze because it is sturdy and will stand up well to chewing or waste done by your rodent.  If you do not want to cut wood however, you can use cardboard instead.  Remember that cardboard will not last as long and will need to be replaced over time.  If using wood, you will need to seal the wood using a nontoxic wood sealant.  Seal the wood pieces as well as the base to ensure that it is safe for the rodent.  The sealant will also keep the wood from soaking up your rodent’s waste, as this can become a distraction when trying to go through the maze.

Use hot glue to glue the pieces of the walls together and complete your rodent maze.  If you want to reuse the pieces and rebuild different wall combinations, you can use small connector pieces to connect the walls together.  Place a small piece of food or treat in the maze so that there is a reward for your pet.  If you are worried about your rodent jumping out, place some chicken wire over the top.