I got two sister rats three days ago. They're just over 6 weeks old. I got them from a breeder so they were very well socialized from the get-go and I would say we have already bonded well. One thing that is irking me is that the girls poop ALL over their cage. I don't use normal bedding, just old comfy t-shirts, and I can see poop literally everywhere. I keep trying to put it all in one corner of the cage so they ' ll get the idea, but it isn't working. I have read that rats like to keep their poop contained ... will they get the hang of this as they are still young, or is there something I can do?
You can get little potties that are triangle shaped and go in the corner for them to use, but honestly you'll be lucky if they use it some of the time. It would probably be easier for you to clean them out if you used ordinary bedding as you would just need to take out the bedding where it has been soiled if you spot-clean their cage. Don't expect them to be toilet trained and you won't be disappointed. If they are in their cage it shouldn ' t be that much of a problem.
Some rats go to the restroom in a single place & some dont. If I were you I would invest in Aspen Wood Shavings, use that as a main bedding, & then buy a ferret corner litter box and hamster sized litter or shredded newspaper to use as litter in the box. Rats can be litter box trained but for some going everywhere that is a nesting area is natural. I hope this helps.
Rats aren't like other animals, they can't control when they use the bathrooms. And to the people saying rats are stupid I can guarantee they are a hell of a lot smarter than you. You can not make a rat use one bathroom spot because they can 't control it or hold it so really they just poop while they walk. I would try using regular bedding for most of the cage and use the shirts for like a bed. That way you can clean out the cage and just wash the shirt.
Uhhmm they are Rodents.
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They probably will never use one corner of their cage, that's only when they urinate.
I had 2 male rats and they peed everywhere - I'd rather have them poop everywhere personally. It is possible to litter train them but that can be hard with Rats, it never worked for mine.
Good Luck ~
theyre animals, living things, its their cage theyre going to poop in it, where else do you want them to poop, in your house???
Rats really don't potty train. We use shredded paper in the bottom of the cage. When you put 3-4 inches of shredded paper the poop tends to sink to the bottom and away from your eyes and the ratties feet. I use fabric to make hammocks for them to sleep in. Get some carabineers (sp?), those climibing clips that they sell at home depot and all sorts of places these days, and hook squares of fabric on the bars of the cage. I usually make at least 2 so they can have their choice of places to sleep. These will have to be washed or replaced fairly frequently but they LOVE them. Back to the bedding, find someone who uses a paper shredder at work and you get FREE litter. Yea!
