My rats aren't allow to have free run of our house as it isn't safe for them to do so. Instead, I have a 6ft x 4ft playpen which they go in every night in thier groups and I get each rat out for some individual time during their hour of exploring.

The Playpen has been made from 6mm MDF board which has been cut down to 2ft x 2ft panels. Each panel has had "spilt pin" hindges attached to allow me to change the size and shape of the pen as required.

I have had a mesh roof made for my pen as my girls were using the toys to escape. I also have a piece of Lino which I bought from a local carpet shop to protect the carpet as they like to "dig" in to it.

Another idea to make a playpen can be found here! This one is a lot easier to make than the one I have.

Kittens from the age of 3 weeks go in to the pen without toys to being for
5-10 minutes a day and then I increase this time and add a few toys for them once they are comfortable.

I also use my pen for intro's.