and BAM, just like that... all six litter trained?!

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6GirlMischief

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
49
Location
Peterborough, ON
I'm still quite new to having rats, and learning new things constantly (this board REALLY helps!) Our girls blew my mind this morning, thought I'd share and ask if anyone else has had this experience.

I got a used FN cage very recently, and love it. I discovered very quickly though that these cages aren't really designed to have litter throughout the bottom tray; this is how we kept our girls in their first 'starter' (rabbit) cage, and then the parrot cage we used once we had a bigger group. We tried several things, even zip-tying 4" high fabric 'walls' around the bottom, to keep the litter-flinging to a minimum, but every day there was a horrible mess all over the floor. Litter, poop, and food bits were everywhere. Not okay with me, and REALLY not okay with my husband, who isn't too fond of the ratties (they're officially my son's pets, and I do the cleaning/training since he's only four -- he just loves them and helps feed them).

I have learned from lurking around here that lots of you use fleece to line shelves, and often cage floors; I figured at worst, they'd chew holes in it and poop all over it and I'd have to launder fleece daily, but we would be rid of the litter mess so it was worth a try. I had some fleece around since I've been making them hammocks and toys since day one, and we hit the fabric store for some remnants to add to our supply. Then we went to the pet store for a litter box, in hopes that they might be able to learn to use one. I also picked up some new litter (made of wheat straw but much like Yesterday's News in size).

Last night I emptied the cage, cleaned it out the same way I always do (they get a good clean every day, and a thorough scrubdown at least every 48h because the six of them make such a mess I can't stand to leave it longer than that; I like my house clean and tidy, and I don't want anything less for our girls!)

When I put the clean tray back in, I lined it with fleece instead of putting down litter or paper (which we did try; they just shred and stuff the hammocks with it!) I added the litter box, a rabbit-sized corner one, in the back corner so it was a bit 'private' for them. I lined all their shelves with fleece, added in some clean hammocks (we have about 20 homemade ones, I launder them after two days because they get peed/shed on), fed/watered everyone, gave them treats, and said goodnight.

This morning I greeted the group, opened the cage as usual (whenever I'm in the living room the door stays open so they can climb up to their play yard on top of the cage; they never go down to the floor, they just bounce from cage to play area and back again). Then I noticed something. NOT ONE POOP on the fleece ANYWHERE. They used to poop on the shelves, in the hammocks, all through the litter on the bottom... it was never just in the litter; they were like mice, just pooing as they ran around. I can't believe it, but it seems like a miracle. The litter box was full of poo. I took it out, emptied it, washed it, added fresh litter, and BAM, two of the girls used it again. They're like cats now! They do pee on the fleece, but NO poops. What on earth is going on?! Are they so brilliant? I've been telling them all day how amazing they are, they ALL got extra yogies this morning, I'm so proud of them.

So... the Tl;DR version of all that goes something like this:
- Litter on the bottom of a FN cage was a bad idea that just didn't work. Sheets of newspaper, shredded office paper, YN and other bigger-grained litter, small-grained litter, aspen shavings, all a big nope. Crap everywhere, litter everywhere, mess in my living room of epic proportions, with smell to match.
- Changed to fleece-lined shelves and bottom tray with a rabbit-sized corner litter tray
- The result of this? Overnight, self-taught, beautifully litter-trained rats and an owner who is still pinching herself.

Bonus pictures of today's ridiculously pink cage design :D



 
:joy:
Yay well done ratties. I found my group were the same when I made the switch to fleece, it was almost like a natural instinct to poop in the litter box lol!
 
It's day two, and I did find a few (and only a few) stray poops near the litter, but other than that we had a CLEAN cage again this morning. It's clear from what you said Eeper that all our rats are brilliant! I guess they don't want to wreck their pretty fleece :)

My group got two yummy chicken bones from our roast chicken tonight, they're in heaven. I've never been so pleased with them, it's ridiculous how happy their clean habits are making me feel :D
 
Very nice cages .. yes poop they don't seem to have too much trouble with - its getting them to pee in the litter boxes that never really happens!
 
Hehee you're right about that, for sure! I have seen a few wet spots in the litter box, but the hammocks and shelf-covers are super-stinky with pee after about 48h; that's the absolute longest I can stand to leave things before tearing them all off and doing a load of laundry. Poor girls, they're pretty much accustomed to having all their hard work re-arranged every day or two, but it still frustrates them when I toss a box full of shredded tissue paper or a well-chewed cardboard tube. I have a ridiculously sensitive nose, though, so if the cage is even a bit dirty it makes me gag. What a surprise they would get if they DID learn to pee in their litter! They could keep their decor just the way they wanted, AND we'd have a clean cage. *sigh* if only... :D
 
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