What do you do about the smell of your rats?

[pseudorocknroll]

Is there anything you guys do to minimize the smell of your rats?

[halogen]

My rats don't really smell at all. Well, they do if I don't clean the cage, but I usually clean it every day or every few days and that minimizes the smell to pretty much nothing. I'm a bit of a neat freak, so at the first sign of rat droppings I pretty much spot clean it.

[Vladina]

Same here. My boys don't really smell at all. Rats are so clean and such excellent groomers that they don't develop any kind of odor. (Well, of course boy rats, in my opinion, have sort of a corn chip smell to them that I love, but that is just a natural smell, not a smelly or poopy smell. Their natural scent.

Halogen was right though, if you do not clean their house, the rats can start to smell and of course not having a clean house is so bad for their health...the ammonia from their urine can build up and it is awful for their respiratory systems. I do the same thing Halogen does...I spot clean their ratty house daily, get all the stray poops cleaned up, replace any funky smelling fabrics/fleece, wipe down the platforms, etc.

As the saying goes..."If it gets to the point where you can smell bad odors on the rats or in their house, it is already way past due for a cleaning."

[Vladina]

P.S. on my last post...something I forgot to mention. Once in a great while (not often) when our boys are out playing, I have noticed a funky smell and I can immediately tell that one or both of them have "rolled in something funky" as I say, and I know that one of them might have slept on top of some poop or something, before I had a chance to spot clean, Soooo.....I always keep a plastic tub of baby wipes handy, the kind that are unscented/no perfumes, etc. that they sell in the baby supplies aisle at the grocery store or drugstore.


Having baby wipes on hand is one of my staple ratty supplies, because on the rare occasion that one of my boys smells a bit punky for whatever reason, I can just use a baby wipe and give him a good wipe down, right from the top of his head down to his rump. Easy to do, the rats don't seem to mind it, and it is done fast. No stress on ratty and they smell better afterwards.


Baby wipes are also excellent for wiping down their platforms, toys, etc, in their house. Just make sure they are unscented with no dyes or perfumes. Very inexpensive and I use them almost daily.

[breyer08]

I agree with Vlad! Baby wipes (the non-scented kind) are the best!

[halogen]

Vladina, that is the most genius thing I have ever heard. As soon as I can, I'm buying baby wipes.

[Vladina]

Yay! I am glad the advice helped! Wish I could take credit for the genius of baby wipes (unscented, remember!) but I got the tip from someone else on the forum awhile ago.

[lilspaz68]

I adore baby wipes...go to the big bulk type stores and buy lots for cheaper. I even spray water and vinegar on them for extra cleaning.