# Essential Oils?



## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

So, my boyfriend is always complaining about the "rat smell" in my room when he comes over. I clean everything in my room with vinegar once a week (walls and hard surfaces), and I sprinkle the whole carpet with baking soda and let it sit for half an hour before vacuuming. So not much else I can do on the cleaning front to try and keep him satisfied, that I can think of. Today, I got the idea of using an essential oil diffuser in my room along with some jars of baking soda to help absorb any smells. Would the essential oils hurt my rats in any way, though? I don't want to use them if they'll irritate the rats' respiratory systems. D:


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I would try the baking soda first for the rat room and go from there. Essential oils are very powerful and constant exposure to them can be very irritating.

I get the "fridge packs" of baking soda that are designed to plop in the fridge to absorb odors. I find that they work really well and aren't expensive. Grab a few of those to put around the room as a first stop and see if that doesn't help. Shake them every few days.


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

Be very, very careful with aromatics around rats. Some essential oils diluted are fine, but many are toxic to household pets, especially ones with noses as sensitive as a rat. If it smells strongly enough to us to cover their scent, imagine how overpowering it would be to them!

What, exactly, is smelling? Rats have almost no odor by themselves, even marking males, unless old urine is sitting or the bedding otherwise smells. My husband complained about our hamster previously and it turned out it was the smell of Carefresh he didn't like, not the animal. Regular substrate changes and wiping down the surfaces of the cage on a daily basis (wet paper towel or baby wipes should work) should control almost all odor from your pets.

Take inventory - what might be causing the odor? I'd fix that before adding any scents or deodorizers to the room or furnishings. And certainly before using essential oils. Aromatherapy is not necessarily dangerous, but you must be aware of the respiratory impact of diffusing oils and it really depends on the oil used. Rats have delicate enough lungs and noses I'd proceed with extreme caution.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

I've been using lavender in one of those diffusers that you light a candle underneath and it heats the oil ( pure, real lavender) diluted with olive oil... Just a couple drops. I read online that its fine for rats' health, as long as they aren't allergic to it, start sneezing a lot, etc etc... The smell is not very strong, but it makes a difference for sure... When you walk in my room, now it smells slightly floral  


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

Oh good, lavender is the scent I was going for. :3 Though I'm wary of using the candle diffusers since my girls can literally reach every surface in my room. XD And I have no idea what he's smelling, because I don't smell it. >_< Near cage cleaning day I will smell a little bit of "animal" scent, but it doesn't smell like urine or ammonia or anything. :/ And I wash literally everything they have a chance to pee on or mark once a week (well bedsheets are usually every other week) so his complaining is driving me crazy! lol


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

Is the bedding in the cage fleece? Litter? Like I said, sometimes the smell of the bedding, itself, can be an issue. 

In the case of fleece bedding it can hold dinginess like nobody's business because more than a cursory amount of laundry soap will take extra rinse cycles to get out of it (we do cloth diapers - to get half a normal dose of detergent out of those covers requires three extra long wash cycles, or they stink. It's kind of insane). And as already mentioned, things like Carefresh have their own odor that can be unpleasant. Bedrooms, in general, can get stuffy/dingy smelling for no reason other than a lack of air circulation.

It doesn't sound like it is your husbandry habits or animals, themselves. I'd have your boyfriend be more specific or tell him to put some perfume under his nose and get over it!


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

Yeah, I keep mine next to me... Usually I supervise them closely when I let them out... But sometimes if I'm watching a show or something, I just put it in the bookshelf right next to me so i know if they go there ( which they never ever have anyways ) 


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## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

Zero Odor Pet is a lifesaver when it comes to pretty much any smell - it even removes cat urine smell with just one application. You can use it on any surface, but I don't know if you'd want to use it directly in their cage. You might want to check about the ingredients to make sure they aren't too harsh. It's not in many stores, but they have it at Bed, Bath & Beyond as well as some Target stores (plus online).


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

Well I use yesterdays news in the litter pans, so I could have him smell it and see if that's it. XD And I use rewashable puppy pads on the floor of the cages (I have a DCN with 3 girls and a DFN with 2 boys), but those have been washing out really well and I put vinegar in the laundry cycle to make sure all the odors get out. My room can get stuffy just because I have the door closed when the rats are out (which is a lot XD), which could be part of it, but I try and open the window when it's warm enough out to help with that. :3 I'm also working on rigging up a mesh door (out of doubled up C&C cage parts ) to put against my door frame instead of my actual door, so I can get some airflow in my room when I'm playing with everyone to see if that helps at all. I guess we'll see if that helps at all...

But I've also been reading up on essential oils (mostly due to my curiosity since I never knew they were good for so many things XD), and I read Eucalyptus can help with respiratory infections. Is that something that would be beneficial for rats with sneezies at all, do you guys think? Diluted a lot of course.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

I don't know about using them for medicinal purposes... And some oils are toxic to rats. I know for sure that real vanilla and real lavender are not toxic, but I'm not sure about eucalyptus... I know cedar oil and mint are not able to be used... 

Oh ya, lack of air flow is the problem! During the Christmas holidays, my ratties stayed in a normal room with closed window and door... They definitely had a scent I'd never smelled before! Right now they are in my studio apartment. The window fixtures are so bad theres a constant breeze... Which I guess is also the reason why they don't really smell here at all! That and lavender oil.... 

Could you possibly crack a window by half a centimeter if your place is warm anyways? If its constantly open like that, then your smell problems might go away! 


OHHH another thing that worked wonders... My girls used to pee in their hammock. So I put a second litter box on the second floor... It works amazingly! 

Anyways... Air flow + a tiny bit of lavender oil diluted with a carrier oil + more litter boxes and maybe a litter change= hopefully less stinky ratties  


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah my window is usually cracked a bit to help keep air going through. xD I just smell outside air but my boyfriend apparently doesn't. -_- Sometimes it's too cold though cause I live in the midwest and it was like 2º all last week. >_< It's above freezing now though, so the window is cracked! XD

I did see Eucalyptus Oil recommended on the Rat Report when I was doing some research a bit ago but I can't really find any other sources saying whether it's safe. >_<


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## Laura Gene (Nov 13, 2012)

Dogs



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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

I have a super sensitive nose my boyfriend has nicknamed me "The Bloodhound" because I can sniff out the slightest oder in my house. After exactly 1 week I can start smelling my ratties. I use "Whip-It" natural Eucalyptus cleaner that is concentrated. I dilute it with water and put it in a spray bottle and scrub the DCN pans and then let them sit to dry. This stuff is amazing! My co-woker uses it for her bird also and it cleaned up old hard crusty bird poop off her floor with no problems. This helps a lot with the smell and its all natural. My rats have had no problems with it all I even think the Eucalyptus scent helps with their breathing. Ask what he is smelling exactly? Is it urine smell? or just an Animal smell? If its urine maybe your pans have been wee soaked for awhile and the vinegar is just not cutting it. Try a baking soda with water paste and scrub them. Also maybe its time your ratties get a bath?


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

If you dilute the eucalyptus oil (I'd say 1 drop aromatic per tablespoon of carrier oil) that should be plenty mild. But do be careful on aromatics like that when we know rats are sensitive to menthol and phenols from wood. I'd recommend something like bergamot, chamomile, lavender, or calendula instead. Those will NOT irritate the mucous membranes of most sensitive humans and animals, and smell lovely without possible respiratory contraindications.

I generally trust The Rat Report, but I might email a rat expert specifically on this issue before trying it with melaleuca or eucalyptus oils. I'm super cautious, though


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

Flora said:


> I have a super sensitive nose my boyfriend has nicknamed me "The Bloodhound" because I can sniff out the slightest oder in my house. After exactly 1 week I can start smelling my ratties. I use "Whip-It" natural Eucalyptus cleaner that is concentrated. I dilute it with water and put it in a spray bottle and scrub the DCN pans and then let them sit to dry. This stuff is amazing! My co-woker uses it for her bird also and it cleaned up old hard crusty bird poop off her floor with no problems. This helps a lot with the smell and its all natural. My rats have had no problems with it all I even think the Eucalyptus scent helps with their breathing. Ask what he is smelling exactly? Is it urine smell? or just an Animal smell? If its urine maybe your pans have been wee soaked for awhile and the vinegar is just not cutting it. Try a baking soda with water paste and scrub them. Also maybe its time your ratties get a bath?


I have a very sensitive nose, too, though in my case it is pregnancy induced (baby number four due next month, yay!). It is definitely handy for detecting pet odors.

I also dilute a cleaner, in my case it is Simple Green, for deodorizing and cutting through deeper grime when just unscented baby wipes aren't enough. It hasn't bothered the ratties at a 1:30 dilution with a rinse, afterward. The smell is very mild and goes away after it dries.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

Oh wow, bergamont is on the safe list? For sure? I love it's smell- I will go with that next. 


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

Also... I use vinegar to clean with a tiny bit of dish soap if needed, but not usually.. De stinkifies reallllyyy well. 


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## Bernardo (Jun 29, 2013)

Hi feinds I like making my own natural cosmetics and lotions but many recipes call for essential oils. I'd prefer not to buy them online but I'm unsure of what kind of store sells them (like the grocery store, bath and body works, etc any body Help me please i am looking for your replys ........


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