Potty Training Rats, Litter Training Rats
- Moomoo Rattery
- Feb 24, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 24
Did you know that you can potty train your rats? Rats are very intelligent and it is easy to teach them to go in a litter box! The benefits of potty training rats is you can extend the period between cleaning the entire cage because you can just empty out the litter box for mid-week or daily cleanings, and then deep clean once a week if you use at least an inch of bedding such as kiln-dried aspen, kiln-dried pine, or hemp. Potty training rats also keeps the smell of the cage down because once the litter boxes get emptied, the majority of the cage smell goes away!
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Buy a small animal corner litter pan. I like to buy the ones with grates because it keeps the poo from sticking on my rat's feet. I have never had an issue with rats spraining their feet on the grates or getting bumblefoot. Set up your litter box in a corner where they seem to enjoy going. Sometimes rats will be really tired and not make it to the litter box. If you notice that they are going somewhere other than the litter box, the litter box may be too far away from their favorite sleeping space. Try moving it directly under or next to their favorite sleeping spot.
Products:
(Litter Box)
(Large Litter Box)
(Litter box no grates)
Chose a litter different from your main substrate to put in the box. For example, if your main substrate is kiln-dried aspen, put paper pellets or kiln-dried pine pellets in your litter box. Remember that paper has no ammonia control and is very dangerous to a rat's sensitive respiratory system so remember to change out the litter box at least twice a week. Pine pellets control ammonia better than paper, but they turn to dust when wet so still need to be refreshed at least twice a week. You may change the boxes as often as daily depending on use, though less often is better when training so that they can smell where you are trying to direct their waste.
Products:
(Litter)
(Litter)
Pine Horse Pellets, Tractor Supply Company
At least twice a day, spot clean any poo that doesn't make it into the litter box by scooping it into the litter box. I sometimes to use one of those plastic sporks you get from take-out for the scooping. You can use gloves, though many rats if you leave them in the cage for cleaning will attack a glove. Remember that consistency is key here, aim for at least twice a day for at least 2 weeks. Eventually, they will get the message and start to go where they smell themselves.
Add a pee rock if they aren't peeing in the box. A pee rock is a smooth flat rock that is at least 1/3 the size of your biggest rat. Adding a pee rock encourages your rat to pee in the litter box because rats naturally like to scent mark flat surfaces (kind of like dogs peeing on fire hydrants!). If you find a good pee rock from outside, make sure to boil it in water for 10 minutes or wash it really well with bleach water to disinfect it.
When doing weekly deep clean, set aside a few poos and a little bit of soiled bedding. Deep clean the entire cage with vinegar water to eliminate ammonia and other odors, add fresh bedding and litter, then finally place the saved waste into the litter box. This way the entire cage smells clean except for the litter box. Naturally they will want to go where they “have gone before.”
Consider purchasing extra litter boxes! I recommend at least 1 litter box per level of cage. So a double critter nation would need at least 2. When I first litter trained my boys I put 3 litter boxes in my single critter nation and as they became potty trained, I removed the one they used the least! You may also want an extra boxes in their free roam. During free roam, they will seek out a litter box to do their business instead of leaving it around their free roam space.
More notes-
If you ever catch them actively using the litter box, as soon as they are done, tell them good job and reward with a treat!
If you still notice a smell and it is bothersome, buy Sweet PDZ stall refresher and sprinkle it in your substrate to eliminate ammonia. It is also beneficial to buy a small air purifier and set it near the cage, far enough that they can't access the cord. I upgraded to the air purifier that sends readings on your phone so that you can monitor the air quality level, and it can auto-shutoff when the quality is good. The air purifier with PM2.5 sensor by Govee has been the best investment to our rat room!
Products:
(Ammonia absorber)
(Air purifier)
Cleaning considerations-
Stay on top of cleaning and remember that kiln-dried aspen, kiln-dried pine, hemp, and bio-active substrates are the best at controlling smell and extend the length you can go between cleanings. You should never be able to smell the waste in the rat cage because they have a better sense of smell than you and it is a lot more irritating to your rats to be living in those conditions. Remember that ammonia from the breakdown of their urine causes respiratory diseases and infections which can be fatal and chronic to your rats.
Our baby rats begin potty training before they go to new homes and should either be fully trained or understand the concept by the time of adoption!
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