# I want to let my rats free range but...



## Charlotte1990 (Jul 5, 2013)

I want to let my rats free range in my bedroom but I'm worried they will wee all over my carpet & my room with start to stink?

Is there anything I can do?


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

They probably will. I do a good vacuum after free range every night. I also take the cage out the room once a week and put down the carpet deodorizer - I don't know what it's called, but it comes in a can and you shake it out.
For smaller areas, I lay out a sheet or old blanket that I can pick up and wash.

You can also put out a dish of baking powder.


----------



## Daniel (Jun 24, 2013)

Peeing beyond dribbling seems to stop over time, at least with my boys. When they are still under 2 months old or new to my set up, they will pee alot but eventually I stop seeing it.

As far as play time goes, I am more concerned about pooping outside of the cage - mixed success on preventing that -- the older ones never poop outside of the cage after awhile, by and large.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

There are actually some good threads on housebreaking rats here. I housebroke my first like I did my dogs, and one rat taught another... 

But I've been informed my house breaking methods are too old fashioned and as this is a progressive site, so I'll let someone else explain a more progressive method.


----------



## Roxy the Rat (Apr 7, 2013)

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm dealing with the same thing and I'd love to hear how you did it Rat Daddy! Personally I don't care how old fashioned it is, so long as it works.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## JBird (May 23, 2013)

Rat Daddy, any chance you could slip in a brief description as to how you housebroke your rat? I've housebroken dogs before like a piece of cake, but my typical methods are moot on rats. Curious to hear what you did. As of right now, I just immediately remove a rat as SOON as s/he makes a mess and place them in their litterbox. 

OP, my rats wee all over everything. Just the girls, though. I found that there is just honestly not much I can do. It may be a personality thing, a gender thing, it may be how they were raised, etc. I don't know why they do, but they don't even control their urine in the cage. 
They dribble while they walk and, to me, it is not worth ruining my carpet. I live in an apartment and have had traumatizing experience with animals pissing all over carpets (bad elderly kitty... ). Can't go down that road again. What I did for my girls was use an area rug. Like a crappy cheap one that I got for free from one of my buddies moving out of his dormitory. I placed a pen around that rug and let them have at it. The rug was portable, easier to clean, and there was no permanent damage to my real carpet.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I actually just addressed this in a PM and hadn't intended to post this on a thread because first I figured that there were better more modern methods and second I really don't need the flames for rat abuse...

So to begin with, if there's a better more modern method go ahead and use it. I know my methods are old fashioned and they date from well before the days of touchy feely 21st century ethics. So if you prefer, just read this as a history lesson. I'm only writing this for people that apparently are having difficulty with potty training their rats and for people that want to know another method... seriously I don't need the flames....

There are two steps to old fashioned potty training...

Step one: You have to provide your rat with a place to go that they can get into or onto and reach without your assistance. Rats don't bark and it's hard to know if they want to be taken to potty or if they just want a skritch. A travel cage or deep pan with bedding in it should do. In the case of the travel cage they already know they can go there, if they travel a lot. In the case of the deep pan, use the same material they use in their cage so they recognize it... Note everyone in your house is going to kick over the pan and your rats might just dig in it too... So it's not always the best option, in fact I can almost guarantee you are going to get a mess, an enclosed space will also give your rats more privacy.

Part two.... Your rat has to learn that peeing and pooping anywhere is wrong. With dogs we used to put the dog's nose by (not into) the mess and shout NO and some folks reinforced this with a light smack with a newspaper... With rats it's pretty much the same procedure, except a finger bop rather than a newspaper smack is likely to not hurt your rat.... So when you catch your rat messing, show it what it did wrong... this is communication, not intended to be abuse, punishment or retribution and take it to it's potty. When your rat does use the potty, you should make sure your rat knows you are happy. Like when you child went to the potty for the first time.... You parent's know the joy! It's also a good idea to use some lightly soiled bedding with a few rat raisins in it so they get the idea.

So again... two steps..

First make sure your rats have a place to go they can get to or into that looks and smells like what they are already using in their cage.

Step two.... communicate to your rat that going anywhere is not an option... 

The training method for dogs was so prevalent in my time.. way back when... that the expression "rubbing your nose in it" came from it. It worked because the dog could understand why you were so freaked out, not because of the harm you were doing to him. Associating your emotions with something your rat can understand is important, otherwise you are torturing your pet by yelling or punishing them for something they don't understand...


This method has likely worked on dogs for hundreds of years, it works on rats just as well... but... if you find something more progressive and more touchy feely, PLEASE feel free to try that first.


----------



## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Rat Daddy said:


> I actually just addressed this in a PM and hadn't intended to post this on a thread because first I figured that there were better more modern methods and second I really don't need the flames for rat abuse...
> 
> So to begin with, if there's a better more modern method go ahead and use it. I know my methods are old fashioned and they date from well before the days of touchy feely 21st century ethics. So if you prefer, just read this as a history lesson. I'm only writing this for people that apparently are having difficulty with potty training their rats and for people that want to know another method... seriously I don't need the flames....
> 
> ...


Rat Daddy I do not think that is abuse at all we had done that with are dogs as well and I'm sure if I had to do that with my rats I would but switching out the newspaper for a finger bop haha. I think some people may look at it has a mean thing but to me it is a way to communicate and get them to understand that you don't like what they just did.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

When I started out, I knew nothing about rats. As a shoulder ratter with a true shoulder rat, Fuzzy Rat and I pretty much got instantly banned from most rat sites as the topic was rat heresy and they still most likey burn shoulder rats and their owners at the stake elsewhere.... I'm honestly thinking by not helping us they did us a favor... still I've successfully trained dogs before and when in doubt I just pretended I was working with a puppy. Usually it worked a treat.

Still most old fashioned things have been improved on, so I don't want to turn the clock backwards. I recently heard about a method where you train your dog to use a litter box and then move the litter box outside. I suppose you still have to teach the dog to use the litter box, so I don't know if it's much of an improvement over just teaching the dog to go outside in the first place.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

That's so bizarre. I could never imagine training a puppy in any other way other than the nose-thing. I mean, I've used pee pads as well but I provide those as an option for my older dog in case of accidents and miscommunications.


----------



## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

With my dogs they just got the hang of going outside without any training.
We put in a doggy door and boom, they started going outside (we got them right after they were weaned so they were not trained prior)

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## JBird (May 23, 2013)

With dogs, I've found it MUCH easier to communicate when training. Rats have a very different body language and mannerism that is not as "instant" with many people, especially those who are used to different animals. Especially when it comes to potty training and other such issues. Training a dog by rubbing his nose in it may "work", but (like Rat Daddy said sort of) there are much more effective and reasonable methods with which to train your dog to go to the restroom where you want him to. Positive reinforcement and responsible ownership takes care of it(like taking your dog out when you know it will have to go, therefore preventing any problems inside... pretty easy stuff, tbh. With the proper precautions there should never need to be a "rub your nose in it" moment. With puppies, it's human error causing indoor accidents.) But anyways, I could go ON about R+ dog training for ages, but that's not what this is about.  Sorry for the tangent! 

Thanks Rat Daddy. I may have to try harder to see when my rats need to go, and maybe the fuss & rub your nose in it method IS more effective for rats. I may give it a try and see if it works for them!!


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I never said it was best, just that it works combined with a reasonable and better option for them than your carpet. To be truthful in nature rats are careful about where they poop and pee so as not to give away the location of their dens and the presence. If you have mice you often find mouse droppings around the house, if you have wild rats you usually only figure it out when your house is already overrun. Rats instinctively know there are right and wrong places to go potty, basically you have to teach them where they are and where they aren't.

I pride myself on being innovative and finding new and better ways to do things with rats through communication... but sometimes I just don't have the time or the patience to re-invent the wheel. Never be afraid to improve anything...

Best luck.


----------



## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

And by the way, if it helps rats are metacognative unlike dogs. Dogs simply respond to you giving you direct feedback. Rats are moderating their behavior to try to make themselves better understood... This means two rats can be telling you the same thing in two different ways, because they think you will better understand. 

If you assume they are trying to tell you something you will get it more quickly, but if you base your response on assuming they are just reacting to you like a dog would you are going to get really confused.

I know, by trying to make it easier for you sometimes they make it harder. Once you know dog-speak, you can pretty much understand every dog, with rats doing half the translating it can get complicated.


----------



## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

rat daddy is right about how rats communicate, & each rat speaks a different "language" w/each other&their people. as for potty training methods, mine were happy w/litterboxes in the room&going back in the cage to go...sometimes I think we work so well together because they tried to train me too. they likes shallow pans in covered places like soft side carriers or boxes, I swear I have the only poo shy rats!


----------



## Sydandmason (Apr 30, 2013)

My rats like to pee under things (dressers, bed, etc) so I put old rags and blankets under them. They only like going under there for some reason. Maybe you're rats are the same. They don't actually go a lot they just make a few markings to mark their territory. Usually If they had to go they'd go in the cage.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

