Our Furry Friends
Step 1: Most rats will choose one corner of the cage to use as a bathroom. Watch them for about a week to find out which corner they use the most. Put a corner litter box (big enough for them to completely fit in) in that corner. If your rats are under 6 months old, they may not be interested in using the litter box and you will have to train them when they are older.
Tip: You can discourage your rat from using the other 3 corners by placing a bed/sleep area in one corner, water bottle in another corner, and food dish in the last corner. Rats should not use the bathroom where they sleep, drink, and eat.
Step 2: Place about 2" of litter in the litterbox. Lock the litterbox in place so it cannot be moved around the cage. Yesterday's News cat litter and Super Pet Critter Litter are both great products. DO NOT USE REGULAR CAT LITTER.
Tip: During the training process, so that the rats recognize the litterbox as a toilet, place some of their soiled bedding and feces into the litterbox on a daily basis. You will also need to keep the cage extremely clean during training. This may mean duing full cage cleaning every other day and spot cleaning several times per day.
Step 3: Once your rats are trained and no longer use the rest of the cage as a toilet, you will need to clean out the litterbox 1-2 times per week. Some rats can get very picky about it though, and you will need to change the litter every other day or else they will not use it.
Tip: Do not use odor neutralizing cleaners or strong detergents to clean the litterbox. Your rat must recognize the scent of the toilet.
Tip: You can discourage your rat from using the other 3 corners by placing a bed/sleep area in one corner, water bottle in another corner, and food dish in the last corner. Rats should not use the bathroom where they sleep, drink, and eat.
Step 2: Place about 2" of litter in the litterbox. Lock the litterbox in place so it cannot be moved around the cage. Yesterday's News cat litter and Super Pet Critter Litter are both great products. DO NOT USE REGULAR CAT LITTER.
Tip: During the training process, so that the rats recognize the litterbox as a toilet, place some of their soiled bedding and feces into the litterbox on a daily basis. You will also need to keep the cage extremely clean during training. This may mean duing full cage cleaning every other day and spot cleaning several times per day.
Step 3: Once your rats are trained and no longer use the rest of the cage as a toilet, you will need to clean out the litterbox 1-2 times per week. Some rats can get very picky about it though, and you will need to change the litter every other day or else they will not use it.
Tip: Do not use odor neutralizing cleaners or strong detergents to clean the litterbox. Your rat must recognize the scent of the toilet.
