questions

[Riana]

Tonight I moved the rats into my bedroom. They seem to be doing just fine, they're not scared or anything, and they enjoyed their new play set-up. The thing is I had a problem with odor in the other bedroom, and I'm looking for some suggestions as to what I can do to keep them from getting smelly.

My routine right now is every evening I sweep off their levels with a dustpan to remove any hair, dirt, poo, etc, then I go over that with a baby-wipe to wash off the pee. It gets dirty overnight though. As for the bottom pan, I do the same thing, wiping that off every night.

So I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions that I could do to keep the levels clean. I wondered if baby-wipes were a good option (they're unscented as well as alcohol-free.), or if I should go with something else, like clorox wipes?

I also wondered what I could have in my room in the way of scents, to keep the air fresh. As soon as I'm able, I'm going to be opening the windows, but I want something to use in the meantime. Is something like febreeze okay? Or is there any sort of scented candle or the like that would be good?

 

[Melissa]

Don't use anything scented, it will interfere with their respiratory system and make them sick.

I suggest covering your cage with fleece. It soaks up the smell and you change as often as you need (usually when you start to smell pee). I get mine from the dollar store.

 

[Godmother]

Maybe having Yesterday's News in the bottom pan. You shouldn't have to change it more than twice a week (maybe less; go by the look of it, because it probably won't smell).

Instead of a baby wipe, try diluted vinegar. The acid neutralizes the stinky ammonia smell of the urine. And fleece on the upper levels will help, too... then you'll have smelly laundry to do!

 

[user 78]

Clorox wipes could be very bad for your rats. It's not actually made of just bleach, but out of several very harsh chemicals and a fragrance. None of those are good for the furkids. As Godmother suggested, try spraying some vinegar on the shelves [I dilute mine 50/50 with water] and then wipe with a damp wash cloth.

Scents, no matter how faint to us, can be extremely strong to rats since their respiratory system is so much more sensitive. Keeping up with cleaning is the best option.

You may also want to invest in an air purifier. There are several good brands for smaller rooms. It will help with dust as well as any smell.

 

[Godmother]

Riana, you might want to look at this thread: http://jorats.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3187&start=0

 

[Riana]

Thanks for all your suggestions! I'm glad that I know now what not to try. Mom has an air purifier that I may steal.

I use vinegar when I wash the cage out, but do you think it's really necessary to do it every day? I'll certainly do it if it'll help, but I would think that the vinegar smell, even diluted, would bother them if I used it too often.

 

[Godmother]

If the levels have pee you will probably have to give it a wipe every day for self-preservation. Fleece would absorb it, then you wouldn't have to wipe it daily.

I wipe with vinegar, then a second time with plain water. Then there is little or no residue of smell and they are not bothered. Sometimes pee smell is coming from near to the doors or from the ramps. A bit of vinegar there doesn't do any harm.

Ratties know a thousand ways to make us Molly Maid slaves!

 

[SQ]

I remove the ratties from their cage (to their martins play pen) and wipe down the levels in the cage every day.
I have a spray bottle containing diluted white vinegar and I spray all levels with that. I wipe it off and then spray all levels with water. Then I dry the levels. I do the same with their nest boxes, etc.
I empty and clean their litter boxes daily. I use yesterdays news in their litter boxes and fleece on the full levels.
I change their fleece bedding and hammocks daily.

I also have a Honeywell permanent hepa air filter that has several different speeds. The size of the machine you purchase depends upon the size of the room you have it in.
Hepa air filters really help - but do not get an ionizer as they are dangerous for animals.

 

[jorats]

I have litter pans with Yesrterday's News in the cage, without that Yesterday's News, the smell would be very strong but it controls it.

 

[Redrumwolf]

if you're talking about the old Newspaper, I use it constantly, but you can't let it be in there for like a whole week.
It soaks up pee very good, but it starts to smell bad pretty soon.
.. Unless European papers are different from USA ;3

 

[lilspaz68]

if you're talking about the old Newspaper, I use it constantly, but you can't let it be in there for like a whole week.
It soaks up pee very good, but it starts to smell bad pretty soon.
.. Unless European papers are different from USA ;3

Yesterday's News is pellets of compressed recycled paper and is very good at odor control. Newspaper on its own would start smelling in a day

 

[Bronwyn]

I can also vouch for how great that stuff is. The only complaint I had was it turned the rattie tails grey!

 

[Riana]

Hepa air filters really help - but do not get an ionizer as they are dangerous for animals.

Why is an ionizer one harmful for animals?

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I'm starting to spray it daily with vinegar/water and then rinsing it again... it seems to work pretty well, but I still smell them. I can't ever remember smelling Zoey, but then again, she was one female, and we had her on pine shavings (didn't know any better).

 

[Redrumwolf]

if you're talking about the old Newspaper, I use it constantly, but you can't let it be in there for like a whole week.
It soaks up pee very good, but it starts to smell bad pretty soon.
.. Unless European papers are different from USA ;3

Yesterday's News is pellets of compressed recycled paper and is very good at odor control. Newspaper on its own would start smelling in a day

ours is recycled paper as well. But it has to be changed often :?

 

[Willow Bean]

Hepa air filters really help - but do not get an ionizer as they are dangerous for animals.

Why is an ionizer one harmful for animals?

Yes... Why is it harmful? We have one in the ferret room... should I unplug it? it's the only thing we have found that almost totally gets rid of their horrid stink. We were considering getting them rehomed if we couldn't get the allergins out and that finally worked...

 

[SQ]

I read that ionizers produce ozone in your home, which is not good for your health.

But the permanent hepa filters work really well ....

 

[user 78]

Kinda fftopic:

Ferrets really shouldn't smell bad.. They have their natural musky scent, but it shouldn't be overwhelmingly noxious. Same goes for their wastes - it's bad, but not knock-you-over. As for allergens, though, that would be their dander along with whatever dust is in the room. Grooming them by brushing them often and baths once a month or so would cut that down some.

 

[Fidget]

Newspaper on its own would start smelling in a day

Not to quibble, but I use sheets of it (at least 6 layers thick) and it's actually good for about 3 days - unless they shred a hole right thru it somewhere, then the pee sitting on bare cage bottom smells real bad real fast!

 

[Riana]

About newspaper, I was thinking of trying that to line the bottom of the tray, instead of trying to adhere fleece to it (I may lay a layer of fleece on top), but does one have to worry about the ink being toxic? Does the ink make the rats dirty?

 

[jorats]

And that's pretty too.