sleeping/stashing food in litter tray?

[lansauce]

is this normal? i picked my two boys up on sunday evening, and was told they were litter-trained .. for the first day they used the litter box. now they're just stashing food in it and sleeping in it - and doing their business everywhere BUT the tray. i make sure to praise them when i see them going in their litter tray, and take the escapee poos and put them back in the tray, and constantly un-stash the food but it doesnt seem to be working. am i doing something wrong or is there something else i could try to reinforce their litter training? or is this just something they do when they're settling in until they feel more comfortable in other parts of the cage?

 

[xxchelle]

What is your normal bedding for the cage? What litter are you using?

 

[Godmother]

It's pretty normal for them to stash food in the litter box and to take naps in it. If they are not used to the litter you have, you might have to start by covering the bottom of the cage with litter and then go back to litter boxes once they associate the litter with pooping.

Good luck!

 

[lansauce]

i have yesterday's news in the litter tray, and a very small amount of carefresh scattered over a linoleum sheet for bedding since my guys are fleece eaters (so i'm told .. it's getting to the point where i'm tempted to see if that's true).

It's pretty normal for them to stash food in the litter box and to take naps in it. If they are not used to the litter you have, you might have to start by covering the bottom of the cage with litter and then go back to litter boxes once they associate the litter with pooping.

Good luck!

thanks, i'll try that! what should i do with the litter tray when i do that? keep it where it is and keep the same stuff inside?

 

[jorats]

if it's warm at your place, they'll lie in the litter, it kind of keeps cool. But the stashing is normal. Animals will often time pee and poop near their food so they can mask the smell of the food in order to hide it from the others. This may stop eventually.

 

[MomRat]

If you know what kind of litter they had before, make sure you are using the same thing(unless it was a pine/cedar). If they seem to be going in one particular place in the cage more, move the box there - I've been finding my boys like to go potty somewhere hidden, like behind a box back in the corner, even if it isn't where their litter is. And I say try some cheap fleece. Fleece chewing can be dependent on a lot of things, especially lack of other entertainment(ie, enough other things to do/chew on) and also on how the fleece is attached. If there are lots of loose edges/bunchy places, its more tempting to chew, whereas if its pulled smooth with no flaps hanging around, they tend to ignore it.

 

[lansauce]

if it's warm at your place, they'll lie in the litter, it kind of keeps cool. But the stashing is normal. Animals will often time pee and poop near their food so they can mask the smell of the food in order to hide it from the others. This may stop eventually.

oh, that makes sense, since they used to live with three other very pushy rats who would chase them away from/steal food. they looked very harassed and scruffy when they got here sunday. also i would assume the carefresh holds more heat than the yesterday's news .. they're in my room with me (second floor of the house) and with the warmer temperatures, no a/c (old house on the lake surrounded by trees, we usually survive summers just fine as long as the house is closed up tight) and a window that's stuck two thirds of the way shut, yeah it does get a little warm. i really need to fix that window, even i overheat sometimes and i'm not covered in hair! even though i was told they're fleece-eaters i'm wondering if they did that out of stress or hunger, because the hammocks and cube that i put in their cage with them haven't been nibbled once, but i guess we'll see.

oh, and would putting their food and water closer to the litter tray perhaps make them feel less like they need to hide it within their droppings? like, if it's close enough and the general area smells like excrement? (to them at least, once i can start to smell it the litter gets changed :lol: )

If you know what kind of litter they had before, make sure you are using the same thing(unless it was a pine/cedar)

actually, the litter in their litter box was the sandy, clumping kind of cat litter, and their actual bedding was the yesterday's news - i wasn't ecstatic about the sand litter but i kind of figured that is probably also leading them to sleep in the tray. i filled the entire cage bottom of their 'vacation cage' (i have to clean the big one, messy boys :emb: ) including the litter tray with yesterday's news (as per godmother's suggestion), and i may leave them in that cage for a few days before switching back. that way i have some time to go crazy with the old sewing machine so i can make fleece covers for the floor that won't shift, and some other fun things to keep them busy when they go back in the tower so they'll be distracted from the yummy floor :lol:


thanks so much for your help everyone! i'll let you know how this litter re-training goes

 

[MomRat]

A nice trick if they are hot is to get some ceramic floor tiles( you can usually buy small packs of one foot squares at home supply stores) and freeze them, put one in the tray and rotate them out when they warm up. They are easy to clean and won't flood your cage like a frozen water bottle will. You can make a little fabric pouch for them to keep little toes off the too-cold surface, or put them under your fleece floor liners. =)

 

[lansauce]

A nice trick if they are hot is to get some ceramic floor tiles( you can usually buy small packs of one foot squares at home supply stores) and freeze them, put one in the tray and rotate them out when they warm up. They are easy to clean and won't flood your cage like a frozen water bottle will. You can make a little fabric pouch for them to keep little toes off the too-cold surface, or put them under your fleece floor liners. =)

thanks for the great idea! that also reminded me that somewhere around here i have a hot water bottle .. i might try turning it into a cold water bottle :idea2: i just have to get a better cage for them so i have an easier time meeting their adorable rattie needs, i can't fit anything through the microscopic doors of the vomit tower (converted bird cage with an ugly-as-sin greenish finish on it). i have to take the top off to move anything and it's almost taller than me!