Im a new rat owner we have only had syrian hamsters before. We got 2 female pet rats 5 days ago they are lovely friendly animals but they smell so bad I don't know what else to do I've cleaned their cage and everything in it daily but I think it's them that smell not their urine and poo. Has anyone else had this problem and got any useful tips? Thanks.
Help my rats smell!
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Mel_V
Guest
I might be able to help you (since I’ve had four boys at once) but I have some questions if that’s ok.
What kind of bedding do you use?
How often do you clean the cage? How?
What kinds of shelves are you using?
What cage do you have?
I’ve gone through several products and cages unit I could find oug how to keep them clean. No one wants smelly rat cages lol
What kind of bedding do you use?
How often do you clean the cage? How?
What kinds of shelves are you using?
What cage do you have?
I’ve gone through several products and cages unit I could find oug how to keep them clean. No one wants smelly rat cages lol
M
Mel_V
Guest
Maybe if you try cleaning starting every other day, then to every two days it’ll start helping. Rat cages will pretty much always have at least a bit of a smell but if you want to reduce it, the rats may be trying to constantly mark their territory more and more since the cage will never smell like home. I also found that adding more nesting material in places they only use for sleeping and nesting helped me quite a bit. The rat guru on YouTube has a video on this but I also like to watch her cage tours to see how she sets it up. U could also try litter training and it may not be too hard since the rats are new to their home. Hope this helped
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M
Mel_V
Guest
Oh ya, when I clean the boys cage, whenever the shelves need a good wipe down I use unscented natural baby wipes then let them air dry, or you could wipe them down afterwards with water 
Maybe wipe your girls down with unscented baby wipes, and then clean their cage with vinegar and water. Don't clean too often (maybe every 4-5 days, with spot cleans everyday) because they will start over marking. If you wipe their tail, make sure you only go rump to tip. Girls usually don't get stinky. Boys will pee on everything, and each other, plus buck grease holds in pee smell in my opinion. I have 4 boys, and 3 girls, and I sniff the girls all the time to check if someone needs a wipe down, but rarely have to do it. BUT, if someone fear poops (it's more watery, and super smelly), and they get that on one of them, then forget it! That's awful smelling, and needs to be cleaned. If they are new, or really young and not used to humans, I find they will fear poop more often. But they shouldn't be smelly otherwise. If you are cleaning their cage, and changing bedding on a normal time frame, you usually won't smell them. Way less stinky than hamsters in my opinion as well. Rats are generally clean animals. It's their urine, or like I said fear poops that usually smells.
ViciousCurse
Well-Known Member
If the smell is absolutely awful, try looking to find what their poos like. I know you said it may not be pee or pee, but it never hurts to check. If they're firm and have a shape, then they're healthy. If they're greenish, squishy, and absolutely smell, it's diarrhea. Too many "junk foods" (things like treats, which is what I use in moderation for trust building) and fruits cause serious diarrhea. Try giving them whole grain cereal such as Cheerios or corn flakes to firm their poos up. Vegetables high in fiber can help harden poos as well.
If they, the rats, smell absolutely horrible, try bathing them with unscented, baby shampoo. I use Johnson and Johnson's unscented baby shampoo. Never had a problem with any of my male, unaltered rats. And they even smell kinda good (even though my shampoo isn't scented). Also, check their genitals, see if there's any urine or fecal matter build-up.
As mentioned before, I'd be careful about cleaning their cage every single day. That's too often and too stressful, in my opinion. My huge DCN gets cleaned once a week, and the rats are bathed the same day. Deep cleaned with Dawn dish soap once a month.
Any cardboard or wooden hides may smell as well, especially if the female rats urinate on them. I usually give cardboard boxes a week in my rat cage, maybe two if it's in really good condition.
I don't recommend putting rats in an airy room, but don't be afraid to get the fan going to keep air circulating. Sometimes stagnant air is the worst enemy with rats, especially if the cage is a little closed off. That's why fish tanks make terrible cages for rats.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted out!
If they, the rats, smell absolutely horrible, try bathing them with unscented, baby shampoo. I use Johnson and Johnson's unscented baby shampoo. Never had a problem with any of my male, unaltered rats. And they even smell kinda good (even though my shampoo isn't scented). Also, check their genitals, see if there's any urine or fecal matter build-up.
As mentioned before, I'd be careful about cleaning their cage every single day. That's too often and too stressful, in my opinion. My huge DCN gets cleaned once a week, and the rats are bathed the same day. Deep cleaned with Dawn dish soap once a month.
Any cardboard or wooden hides may smell as well, especially if the female rats urinate on them. I usually give cardboard boxes a week in my rat cage, maybe two if it's in really good condition.
I don't recommend putting rats in an airy room, but don't be afraid to get the fan going to keep air circulating. Sometimes stagnant air is the worst enemy with rats, especially if the cage is a little closed off. That's why fish tanks make terrible cages for rats.
Good luck and I hope you get it sorted out!
Lookup
Member
Hello and welcome! Don’t worry, your rats will be less smelly than a hamster once everyone gets settled a bit. As someone mentioned, fear poo smells horrible and is very possibly a cause. It takes a little time for them to relax and the fear poo to stop. Definitely smell the girls carefully, as already mentioned, to be sure there’s no infected ears, abscess, or anything like that. And definitely clean less often as mentioned, so they don’t have to keep marking everything! Definitely set up litterboxes with peerocks and diligently put all poos in the boxes, wiping all puddles found outside the box. Once they’re litter-trained, the cage will be much cleaner. Then scoop the boxes every day or two and deep- clean whenever it smells, no more than once a week. Congrats on the ratties! Soon you’ll love them lots.
Congratulations on your new rats! I have not been in the same situation as you as my rats just smell like rats. You said that it may be the rats themselves that stink and not their pee or poo, If they stink bad enough, you could bathe them. You can use baby wash/shampoo or cat or dog wash without any flea or tick treatment in it, but baby wash/shampoo is best. I do not suggest bathing your rats to excessively, i only bathe my boys if they have poo mushed onto their fur or something (which is uncommon for mine). If you do decide to bathe your rats, be careful as to not get water in their ears and do not just dump water on them, be gentle and if they resist, just take it slow. Warning: they will most likely poo in the process.
I think that you may be stressing them out by cleaning their cage daily. I would try limiting it to only once a week or so with spot cleans everyday. What I do is I do spot cleans every day (picking up their poo that didn't make it to the litter box and picking up food that fell out of the bowl), surface cleans every week (clean bedding, litter, accessories and such), and deep cleans every month (full wash of the cage, everything gets washed) and it works for me. I use fleece for my boys as it is easier to spot and clean up any pee and/or poo that doesn't make it to the litter box.
I think that you may be stressing them out by cleaning their cage daily. I would try limiting it to only once a week or so with spot cleans everyday. What I do is I do spot cleans every day (picking up their poo that didn't make it to the litter box and picking up food that fell out of the bowl), surface cleans every week (clean bedding, litter, accessories and such), and deep cleans every month (full wash of the cage, everything gets washed) and it works for me. I use fleece for my boys as it is easier to spot and clean up any pee and/or poo that doesn't make it to the litter box.
ViciousCurse
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's been mentioned, but if you adopted the rats or bought them from a breeder, do you know what was being fed to them before you got them? Switching food too suddenly is known to upset stomachs. This can contribute to a smell as well, especially if the rats have been walking in their own feces and urine.
If anything, use unscented baby wipes on their feet, tails, and their genitals, just to clean off any urine or feces that may be on them. Stress and fear can make some stinky poos. This may happen during bath time.
Fleece is a good thing for rats, the only problem is the urine sits on top of it and doesn't generally get soaked in. Bedding just soaks it up, but can also smell after a bit of time. I still primarily use fleece because it's easier to clean and it's easier for potty training. While some resources may argue otherwise, male rats can learn to urinate in their litterboxes, save for marking. I'm sure the same is for females.
If anything, use unscented baby wipes on their feet, tails, and their genitals, just to clean off any urine or feces that may be on them. Stress and fear can make some stinky poos. This may happen during bath time.
Fleece is a good thing for rats, the only problem is the urine sits on top of it and doesn't generally get soaked in. Bedding just soaks it up, but can also smell after a bit of time. I still primarily use fleece because it's easier to clean and it's easier for potty training. While some resources may argue otherwise, male rats can learn to urinate in their litterboxes, save for marking. I'm sure the same is for females.
SQ
Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
Welcome to the forum
You will find the Reference thread helpful https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
Pictures of your cage and info on the type of bedding and what you are using in their litter boxes would be helpful
As others mentioned, you will want to do a large cleaning once a week and spot cleaning daily.
All rats mark their territory but rats that are spayed or neutered will mark less
(if you have access to a good vet with the knowledge and experience to safely spay rats, you will want to consider getting your girls spayed - this is very important for health reasons https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/why-spay-or-neuter-rats.35402/ )
Please do not bath your rats or wipe them down unless they are elderly or ill and can not groom themselves.
Rats are like cats, they groom themselves and bathing disrupts the natural oil balance in their skin
As others mentioned fear poop is extremely smelly. Diet can also cause poop to smell very bad
I have rescued rats in the past that smelled so bad I thought I would need to stay at a friend's home as I couldn't stand the smell! They had come from a situation where their environment was filthy and according to my vet the filth was into their hair shafts …. my vet said that the smell would disappear over time as it grew out of their hair shafts. He was right. In this particular case, the smell was so bad that I made the mistake of bathing them - it made them smell worse.
Eating a bad diet can also make rats smell really bad ……. but that will slowly change as they eat a healthy diet. (See the Reference Thread for info on diet)
You will find the Reference thread helpful https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
Pictures of your cage and info on the type of bedding and what you are using in their litter boxes would be helpful
As others mentioned, you will want to do a large cleaning once a week and spot cleaning daily.
All rats mark their territory but rats that are spayed or neutered will mark less
(if you have access to a good vet with the knowledge and experience to safely spay rats, you will want to consider getting your girls spayed - this is very important for health reasons https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/why-spay-or-neuter-rats.35402/ )
Please do not bath your rats or wipe them down unless they are elderly or ill and can not groom themselves.
Rats are like cats, they groom themselves and bathing disrupts the natural oil balance in their skin
As others mentioned fear poop is extremely smelly. Diet can also cause poop to smell very bad
I have rescued rats in the past that smelled so bad I thought I would need to stay at a friend's home as I couldn't stand the smell! They had come from a situation where their environment was filthy and according to my vet the filth was into their hair shafts …. my vet said that the smell would disappear over time as it grew out of their hair shafts. He was right. In this particular case, the smell was so bad that I made the mistake of bathing them - it made them smell worse.
Eating a bad diet can also make rats smell really bad ……. but that will slowly change as they eat a healthy diet. (See the Reference Thread for info on diet)
