Odor

[Riana]

I know I've asked this question to death, but I'm still finding it difficult to get a handle on the odor of my boys. I don't think they smell particularly bad, but because the weather is still too cold out to allow for me to open my window for any length of time, my room does smell quite strongly of pee.

I've also noticed that even after scrubbing the plastic levels with the vinegar solution, they still smell like pee if I bring them right to my nose and take a whiff. Like, really bad!

Is there anything else that I may be able to try that could cut down on the odor? I'm more worried about their levels, because if I can still smell pee, then I'm sure they can too, and I don't know if that would affect their health or not. For my room I use the hepa air filter, but it gets so cold so quickly! I can't wait for warmer weather!

 

[Moon]

I guess I can only reiterate the usual advice:

Wipe down levels etc every other day at least. Are you doing daily wipedowns or so? You may need to scrub the levels with dish detergent first, and then neutralize with the vinegar/water. I have personally prefered to put the fleece down, even on solid plastic super pet shelves. I pinned it in place with safety pins.

I have also used unscented flushable wipes on the girls if they seemed nastier than usual. But that's not often.

 

[jorats]

Is that the superpet levels? If so... yep, I couldn't stand the smell either, no matter how many times I tried washing them.

 

[MumsyRat]

Have you tried litter training the boys? My house smells much better now that my boys pee in their tray. (Well, most of the time anyway. :wink: )

 

[Riana]

Well, the boys do use their litterbox most of the time for the poo, but never for the pee. They choose to do that all over their levels and then sleep on it >_<

Maybe I'm not doing things right with the littertraining...

 

[SQ]

I have quite a few litter boxes in my cages. Having lots of litter boxes placed around the cage helps as they are convenient for them to use ....
But unneutered males will urine mark. Hopefully as they get older they will not do it so much.

I find that I need to clean my cages daily.

 

[jorats]

Not only does having lots of litter box help, but just the fact that you have more litter in them like Yesterday's news really helps with odour control.

If i have a spot in the cage that smells stronger, I'll add a litter box with yesterday's news in the spot in which I think they are using and it really does help.

 

[PiedPiper]

Have you tried litter training the boys? My house smells much better now that my boys pee in their tray. (Well, most of the time anyway. :wink: )

How do you train a rat to pee in a litter box? Our boys are wonderful about using their litter boxes to poop in, but they haven't quite made the connection that they're supposed to pee in it too.

 

[user 78]

I wouldn't say that you can train a rat to pee in a litterbox. Some rats do it, and most rats won't. I've only had one rat who was rather OCD about things that knowingly peed in the litterbox.

That being said, rats will go in a corner more often than not. If you put enough litterboxes in the corners they like to use, they'll eventually wind up peeing in it by default. They're very much creatures of habit, so if you put a box where they go, they'll use it.

As for the original question.. Riana, have you ever soaked the levels? I remember seeing you say you do wipe downs and scrubbings, but what about soaks? I will say there seems to be something about the SP shelves that they just keep the smell somehow. Even only having used an SP for a QT and temp cage, the smell seemed to linger even after cleaning day. I found if I soaked the levels and base in a bleach/water mix in the tub, then rinsed everything in a vinegar/water mix, then rinsed with clean water it seemed to work okay.

 

[PiedPiper]

I wouldn't say that you can train a rat to pee in a litterbox. Some rats do it, and most rats won't. I've only had one rat who was rather OCD about things that knowingly peed in the litterbox.

That being said, rats will go in a corner more often than not. If you put enough litterboxes in the corners they like to use, they'll eventually wind up peeing in it by default. They're very much creatures of habit, so if you put a box where they go, they'll use it.

I wouldn't think that you could either . . . at least not judging by my boys behaviour - they seem to pee anywhere and everywhere - whenever the mood strikes them. But I'll keep an eye on it to see if there's a corner they favour more above the others.

Maybe I don't have enough litterboxes in there for them? I've got two in mine - one on the upper level and one on the lower level and they seem to use them both equally as much. Okay - question to those of you with double FN's - how many litterboxes do you have? Are two litterboxes enough?

 

[Moon]

I have two litter boxes in my single FN.... one on the big floor and one on the smaller level. Both get used quite well. I noticed a big difference when I added the second box.

 

[user 78]

It'll never be 100%, but it may be more like 70%-90% instead. Worth the effort in my opinion. :wink2:

I've got 2 girls in a Martin's 690 [30x18x24] and I've got two litterboxes on the bottom level. As soon as I find somewhere that carries the medium sized corner litter pans, though, I'm getting a dozen. Tupperware doesn't fit on the Martin's shelves so well.

 

[PiedPiper]

Sooo . . . are you guys suggesting that maybe I should add more litterboxes, then? They just seem to take up so much floor space. Kat - which are the medium sized corner litter pans? I think those are the ones I'm using and I dunno, they seem kinda big to me.

 

[user 78]

It's the corner pans I'm talking about, which only take up the corner. Not so usable space in a Martin's sometimes, because of the positions of the ramps. Anyroad, it's the one between the itty bitty hamster one and the big ferret one. I think it has a 10" front? I'll have to see if I can track down the measurements online.

And I always say the more the merrier. In your spiffy new FN, you'll have lots of room to put a medium sized pan on the shelves.

 

[PiedPiper]

And I always say the more the merrier..

I was afraid you were going to say that!

In your spiffy new FN, you'll have lots of room to put a medium sized pan on the shelves.

LOL! I knew I'd have lots of room, I just thought I'd be filling the cage up with fun stuff, not a toilet in every corner! Oh, well, I've got to pick up another corner pan for the Martin's for the new boys, I suppose I'll just pick up a few more for the FN while I'm at it! :roll:

 

[user 78]

You don't have to put one in every corner. Just find the ones they use more often and pop one in there. Having atleast one on each main level would be the minimum. Popping one on one of the shelves wouldn't hurt.

The more the merrier goes for everything, though! More rats, more toys, more cages..

 

[PiedPiper]

You don't have to put one in every corner.

I know. I was just joshing with you!

Just find the ones they use more often and pop one in there. Having atleast one on each main level would be the minimum. Popping one on one of the shelves wouldn't hurt.

I never thought I'd have a doctorate on rattie toilet habits, but I've been observing them very closely . . . keeping journals and taking field notes and I think I've got a handle on their "preferences" now. And (as usual) you're right, Kat. I'll have to add one more to one of the shelves for sure, possibly to each one of the shelves.

The more the merrier goes for everything, though! More rats, more toys, more cages..

Yes. That is how a mere three months after getting into this whole rattie thing (and let's not forget this was supposed to be my daughter's idea). I find myself already upgrading to a double level FN (more cages!), anxiously waiting to adopt FOUR more baby boys that are coming to me out of the Maritimes via a "Rat Train" no less (more ratties!), driving clear across town for just "that" particular brand of rat food while I wait for a bulk order of that other even better brand to come together (someone want to tell me what I'm going to do with over 50 lbs of rat food?) (more rattie food!), trawling dollar stores for bedding (more fleece) and enrichment ideas (more sponge blocks, more stackable bins, more baby toys, more shower hooks, more, more, more!) . . . Shall I go on? :laugh4:

 

[user 78]

I like to wear a little safari hat while I observe the domesticated rat's habits in their natural environment. The proper way to stash food, how to roll a liner completely around one's self to make a rat burrito, the intricate art and skill of unpicking stitching so no one notices they've completely detached the lining from a decker.. Utterly brilliant! We're setting up cameras for the migration season.

They don't like my Crocodile Hunter impersonation, though, and will go hide in the pocket hammock so I can't see them.. Spoil sports! :wink2:

ps : put the 50lbs of food in your big freezer. With blocks as a sole diet, they eat aprox. 1lb of food per rat, per month. If stored in the freezer, in airtight containers, the blocks will stay good for about a year. 6mo if put in an airtight container.

/end highjack

 

[PiedPiper]

I like to wear a little safari hat while I observe the domesticated rat's habits in their natural environment. The proper way to stash food, how to roll a liner completely around one's self to make a rat burrito, the intricate art and skill of unpicking stitching so no one notices they've completely detached the lining from a decker.. Utterly brilliant! We're setting up cameras for the migration season.

:laugh4: I am just killing myself laughing here. That was too funny, Kat!

ps : put the 50lbs of food in your big freezer. With blocks as a sole diet, they eat aprox. 1lb of food per rat, per month. If stored in the freezer, in airtight containers, the blocks will stay good for about a year. 6mo if put in an airtight container.
/end highjack

:thumbup: Gotcha! Off she goes to raid the Rubbermaid section of her local Canadian Tire.

 

[Bronwyn]

Speaking of odor...I know the galvanized cloth we use to modify FN's is porous and whatnot but how soon do you guys notice the change? I believe I modified the cage about two weeks ago, and now I'm washing the fleece every other day and scrubbing the levels twice a week. And it REEKS.