Litter training my ratties!

[PrinzeBurnzo]

I really want to litter train them, especially when they are out of the cage! I know it is nearly impossible to train them to pee in a place, but I know they can poo in a place. I have bought a box ot litter training pebbles, that apparently have a smell to them to make them poo in it. I put it in a little box, they kept knocking it over, so the pebbles would go everywhere. Then I tried a corner of a cardboard box, then they knocked it over again! even with these in place, they just poo around it. I have tried putting their poo in it aswell. I have put it in the place they usually poo in. So is there something else i need to do?

 

[TorachiKatashi]

How old are they? How many? I just started litter training with my two eleven-week-old boys (you can probably see my post about it below yours under the same heading), and I'm learning very quickly that it isn't really training like I would do with my dog so much as it is leaving lots of clues, sitting back, and hoping they figure it out on their own.

I'm not really sure what "litter training pebbles" are, or what kind of smell they have, but ideally whatever you're using shouldn't have any type of smell or dust, since rats are very sensitive to that kind of thing. If they have Yesterday's News or something similar in England, I would suggest that. But make sure you get the unscented bag; I have a scented bag for my cat, and there is a big difference.

I use a plastic triangle-shaped litter box that snaps into the corner so they can't move it, but I know a lot of people here just use a small plastic container. If you're having issues with your guys tipping it over, I'd punch a few holes in the side/s against the cage bars, and zip-tie it to the bars. If your guys have access to their cage during outtime, they should go back there to use their litter box, but if not, you can just get a second box.

My boys are doing that as well at this point, the magically missing the litter box and pooping all around the outside thing. Give it time. Keep picking up the poop and putting it in the litterbox. As Jorats explained to me in my thread, they don't usually become reliable at their litter box until around six months old, so if you have babies like me, you just have to wait, or if you have oldies, they might not have 100% control of their bowels anymore, so it might be more difficult.

 

[Ollie]

Thanks for the thread! I keep putting the poop in the litter box

 

[PrinzeBurnzo]

TorachiKatashi, thank you for the post! Yea, my boys are about 13 weeks, so i guess it will take time! I need to get a litter tray though, we do have those triangular things here, I still need to get one! But is there anything I can use for the meantime? I dont know what yesterdays news is, but this litter stuff is the same stuff people use for hamsters and mice lol.

 

[handmeafish]

Le sigh. I gave up on potty training... I keep thinking about going back to it, but my boys never picked it up. I then just waited for them to poop in one place, and they never did that, so I don't have any clue where to put the box. So I just poop scoop every day.

 

[handmeafish]

Le sigh. I gave up on potty training... I keep thinking about going back to it, but my boys never picked it up. I then just waited for them to poop in one place, and they never did that, so I don't have any clue where to put the box. So I just poop scoop every day.

 

[TorachiKatashi]

TorachiKatashi, thank you for the post! Yea, my boys are about 13 weeks, so i guess it will take time! I need to get a litter tray though, we do have those triangular things here, I still need to get one! But is there anything I can use for the meantime? I dont know what yesterdays news is, but this litter stuff is the same stuff people use for hamsters and mice lol.

You can use pretty much anything as a litter pan. I know a lot of people here don't have actual litter bans, just tupper wear/storage containers. Some people cut the wall lower on one side of make an entryway. Well, what you're looking for is something with little/no dust, little/no smell, and something that won't make them sick if they decide to eat a little of it (which they will). Yesterdays News is made of recycled paper. The only other litters are corn cob litters, but my understanding is that those can be bad for rats if injected. If all else fails. you can always use shredded paper, though it's probably (if not very likely) they'll steal most of it to stuff their hammocks with.

Don't give up! Some catch on really quickly, some don't. My boys have only had the litter for a little over a week and they're already about 90% reliable (about as reliable as I ever expect them to be). I suspect it will take a lot longer to train Whiskers once he's in the same cage as the boys, simply because he's older and has a lot more experience at pooping everywhere.

 

[odduckOasis]

I actually read that one really good litter box stuff is peat moss! I thought that was interesting because when they poop in it, you can just toss it out into the garden, it makes a great mulch and fertilizer. I was going to try that myself. It's not easy with the 'training' but from what I understand, it takes patience. My older one keeps changing corners every time I moved the tray to the other side, he'd just go to the opposite like a stubborn sod. xD;

Good luck!

 

[little rat]

I've litter trained my rats, all I ever did was place the box in the same spot all the time. When it needs changing I would just give it a wipe out with a dry cloth removing any poops and wetness, then add new litter. It took some time but I think the smell of the box encouraged them to use it. Now the rats use the box most of the time, especially for poops. You can also try changing the litter and add a small amount of urine and poop from the old box. They will still occasionally go outside of the box especially during playtime but I think they use it at least good 75-80% of the time. God luck and be patience one of my boys took months to learn

 

[rattyattie_14]

I've thought about litter training my boys since they poop every where. They have a corner in their cage that they seem to like best. Have you tried to put the box in the corner they use most? Maybe if you put the box in their corner they'll be more attentive and use the litter box as you wish. Better to go along with their plans!

 

[Cinderwolf]

Don't give up! That's one main thing I've got to say.. for a long time I was sure that my rats would never get the litter box thing, then one day, almost over night.. they pooped in there religiously. Now I only find one or 2 around the cage, and usually just in front of the box from them kicking it out. I also found that while they will use it if I put it in a different corner, they don't like it as much and will still poop in the potty corner ( for a whiel they didn't have a corner but now they do). Another tip, for peeing. While they will ALWAYS pee out of the box ( oh well) I find they will pee in the box more often if you put in a "pee rock" Just go outside, find a decent sized rock.. aboutt he size of your fist i would say.. just big enough for them to sit on. Then boil it for a good while maybe5- 10 minutes and then dry it. It kills off anythign that might be living on it. Then voila, plop it in the box. Rats love to pee on rocks so while they will still mark the cage, I find they will do a majority of the peeing on the rock. Every time you clean the littler box ( I do mine when I clean the cage once a week ( Its a big box and I have only 2 girls.. it stays pretty clean ) ) Just take out the rock and scrub it off with some soap. It also helps with the sharp nails.

Good luck and keep at it.

 

[odduckOasis]

That is an awesome idea with the rock Cinder! I will def have to try that one! I'll have to wait when the new cage comes in a couple of days, but I will be trying that, sounds good. I have a rock in there right now, but the cage they're in isn't fit for an actual litter box (again, waiting...) so I'll probably just stick that rock in there. I might have to boil it though, I didn't even think about doing that >>; I cleaned it off in hot water and a little bleach tho- but boiling might do go the extra mile. =D

Tah for the tip!

 

[Cinderwolf]

That is an awesome idea with the rock Cinder! I will def have to try that one! I'll have to wait when the new cage comes in a couple of days, but I will be trying that, sounds good. I have a rock in there right now, but the cage they're in isn't fit for an actual litter box (again, waiting...) so I'll probably just stick that rock in there. I might have to boil it though, I didn't even think about doing that >>; I cleaned it off in hot water and a little bleach tho- but boiling might do go the extra mile. =D

Tah for the tip!

Bleach will do the trick as well haha ; ) and congratz on the cage I LOVE new cages haha so fun!