Stinky rat

[rodentmama]

This is a strange problem to me. I know rat poo stinks, but in the past everyone's poo when it dried was generally benign. Now Mr Geronimo...Mo...has the smelliest poo ever. I've had him two weeks now on the foods I always feed my rats and still his cage smells like poo. He smells like poo. I clean the cage and wipe him down and the next day...poo. Has anyone ever dealt with this? He's a bit of a nervous nelly and was a pet store rat so I'm wondering if it is some kind of fear stink that will go away with time. It is just so very odd. I've owned and loved 16 rats over a period of 5 years and no one has ever been so smelly. Rollie and Mr. Bigg were always kind of greasy, but not really offensive smelling.

 

[jorats]

How old is he?
Also, I've noticed certain plastics holds the smell really bad. That might be it?

 

[lilspaz68]

Nervous poop is the stinkiest. It can take over 2 weeks for rotten smelly food to cycle through the rat (I take it his skin smells bad too...like its coming through the skin?)

No veggies, just put him on a bare minimum staple diet until his tum settles.

 

[smalltowngirl]

I clean my boy's corner potties(they have 2) EVERY day! I go through all my critter cages 1-2 times EVERY day. Keep in mind all of our pets are in the living room w/my family and daycare kids so I have to keep them clean for the humans as well as the animals. People tell me they can't even tell I have animals!(Because they can't SMELL them)

 

[rodentmama]

Yeah I don't think it is the plastic. I had four boys in there before Mo and it never smelled this bad. Might be the nervous poo from all the changes and just a matter of waiting for him to settle in. He's such a stinky boy. I do love him so. I'll just have to keep cleaning the cage often and wipe him down if he is stinky.

 

[brittanyfork]

My girl Lucy is the same way!
I never had to deal with such a smelly girl!
I've only had her for about 2 weeks aswell, and shes skiddish too.
I guess I'll have to wait it out until she's not nervous anymore!

 

[ryelle]

what do you feed them?

 

[the-boys]

I'm having this problem at the moment with Wednesday, he's a nervy and vicious rescue... I want to neuter him it's getting to that point :-(

Looking at this thread I didn't realise nervous poo smells?! I just assumed it was baby rat poo that stunk, but I suppose most baby rats are nervous !

Learn something new everyday....

 

[rodentmama]

Mo's poo seems to have settled down. He is in the condo with the Lake Echo boys. I feed them lab blocks free choice and twice a day they are fed a fresh mix. Different every day but has soy milk, yogurt, some kind of fresh fruit or veg. I started them on Debbie Ducommon's "molasses" mix which they don't much like. I think it is the porridge consistency they don't like so the last batch I baked into squares. Seemed to like it better. They want to pick it up and carry it away. I may do the squares again but leave the vitamin sludge out and give it over the top as I wonder if the heat degrades it. They also get oysters as part of her diet plan.

Mo will still have stinky poos though if he is upset. Very soft and smelly. My son was playing with him the other day and he pooed all over the bed and my son laid in it. Had to strip the kid, the bed and do laundry. Sigh. But overall the cage is a bit less smelly.