Alternative bedding + litter training - Paw Talk

Snark · #1 07-21-2007, 04:29 PM

I was interested in how people kept their rats on anything other than shavings (tiles, towels, carpet, etc) I did a bit of looking, but couldn't find a site which detailed how to clean those, what to use, why to use, and such.

I'd also love any sources or reccomendations regarding litter training both in the cage and out.

Any help would be great.

mulder · #2 07-21-2007, 04:59 PM

*whew* okay here goes. first, the cleaning. i use torn bedsheets and fleece and any old retired cloth, really. i change it weekly, throw in the wash and use my backup stack. next week, new sheets again! they like the changes.

now the litter training. i wouldn't think a rat's age matters. it just takes effort and time, but isn't difficult. go in the cage once a day and take ALL poop not in the litterbox, and put it there....slowly. they'll sniff your hand and thier poo and watch what you do. they'll watch you go in the box, over and over for all poo. once done scooping poo, contiue there with cage open and play with them in their cage, when someone "goes" in the litterbox, give a treat. repeat. lol

Snark · #3 07-21-2007, 05:08 PM

Thank you! Mine actually do use litter boxes for poop, but they do urinate everywhere. I was more specifically wondering about that. Is it even possible? lol

And if some magical person gets their rats to to *all* their business in a litter box, could this allow you to wash the cloth bedding less than weekly, since it isn't soiled as much?

Vanilla_Rat · #4 07-21-2007, 07:24 PM

Yes,you can train them to do everything in a litterbox.Mine are not litter trained tho.I let them pee and poop anywhere in their cage...it means frequent cage cleanings,but I am okay with that.

I use aspen litter,sometimes mixed with YN (Yesterdays News).But for bedding,I give them fleece and old clothing (t-shirts,sweaters...etc).

Snark · #5 07-21-2007, 10:32 PM

How would one go about urine training?

Mine are also on aspen. I give them old cloth occasionally, too. They tear it to pieces and use it to fill up the inside (which they made themselves

) of their 2 layered hammock.

Vanilla_Rat · #6 07-22-2007, 01:55 PM

Well since I don't bother litter training my rats,I am probably not the best person to ask,as I don't have experiance in it.

I do think that you put pee soaked shavings in the litter box.Check these links out,maybe they could help.

Rat Articles
Fancy Rats | Information | Guides | Litter Training

mulder · #7 07-22-2007, 02:53 PM

the urine part, well my boys are weird. they pee on things, then carry those tings into the litter box lol. i figure it's close enough. I've read that you can, while hanging out with them at their cage, put them in the litter box then hold their tail up (they do this when peeing) and eventually they learn, i dunno, I've never tried it tho

Snark · #8 07-22-2007, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mulder


	they pee on things, then carry those tings into the litter box lol. i figure it's close enough.

LOL Did they start doing that themselves or is this how far you got with training them?

I tried putting peed on shavings into the litter box, but I couldn't get them to notice enough to care or be affected.

luvboyrats · #9 07-23-2007, 12:49 PM

Mine more or less litter trained themselves after I took a few simple steps. And keep in mind this has all happened very quickly as I've only had these rats for a couple of weeks so the website where I found these was great. I don't have it marked on my work computer, but I'll try to post the link later. Anyway. Get a litter pan that fits in the corner. The website recommended the kind that has a grate cover. They make them for ferrets and bunnies. The grate is small enough not to catch their tails and paws and cause injury and it allows them to sit on the litter pan without sitting in their waste. Step 2 is put a different more absorbent litter in the pan than in the rest of the cage. Step 3 is putting all bedding with pee or poo on it in the litter pan. Step 4 is place them immediately in the cage in the pan if they do their business outside the cage while you're handling them. and Step 5 is reward with a treat any time you witness them using the pan. This worked on brand new baby rats in 3 days.

Snark · #10 07-23-2007, 08:03 PM

Thank you for the steps! I would love the link if you find it. I've never seen any sort of grate litter boxes, but I could try to put something together if I don't find any.

I taught my rats just by placing their feces in the original litter box which I placed in their favoured corner, but I did nothing with the urine. Probably because of this little mislead, they switched to another corner, in which I put in another litter box. Now they seem to use both of them to poop in [for the most part] as well as a place to eat, so that sort of puzzles me. I guess both litter boxes serve more as nests rather than bathrooms.

luvboyrats · #11 07-23-2007, 08:35 PM

No actually I think that's pretty normal. Mine use the litter pan for all their business but they also drag their food down and eat perched on the edge of the pan, little weird, but whatever. Can't find the link. I thought I saved it in my favorites but I guess not. I'll keep looking though.

The litter pans with the grates are made for ferrets and rabbits. Because of this I had a little trouble wedging it into the corner of my rat cage (it's a little big) but it works. I found it at petsmart.

Snark · #12 07-26-2007, 04:25 PM

That's alright. And I'll have a look at petsmart.