# How do I stop my rats from peeing where they sleep?



## adolfandnandor (Aug 15, 2021)

Hi, 

So I've noticed me and my rats started a little war on 'where does the tissue live - the litter box or the bed?'. I say litter box, they say bed.
Each time I spot clean the cage, or when once a week I give it a full clean, I keep some stained tissue to put in the litter box in hopes of them peeing there. Then new fresh tissue is scattered around the rest of the cage and in the litter. 

When I first got them, it was clear they peed and pooed in the litter box, and occasionally in other areas of the cage but very rarely on the platform they sleep on. Recently, they started gathering all the tissue from around the cage and the litter and putting it where they sleep. I'd move it, and within 5 minutes it would be back. 
So i went online and found that maybe if I put a bath mat or other material on the platform, it will solve the issue. It has not, same behaviour happening. 
I also found out about pee rocks - got some of those. Nothing. 

Losing hope as they keep on doing it, and their fur is becoming yellow (both rats are predominantly white), and their 'stinky boys' nickname is becoming increasingly more true - they do stink! 

p.s. just as an extra information - I spot clean the cage every two days or so and do a full clean once a week-ish.


----------



## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

It sounds like you're giving your rats nesting materials (tissue) and then getting annoyed when they're using it as a nesting material 

If your rats want to do something, it's not really worth fighting them over it. If they like using the tissue in their hammocks, that's wonderful! Give them more tissue and paper and other things to nest with. To help keep them cleaner, just swap out the tissues daily.

Rats are gonna pee everywhere. I swap out and wash my boys favorite hammock 2 or 3 times a week.


----------



## Morbius (Mar 10, 2019)

Boy rats are stinky little blorbs, and I would say about half the ones I've adopted like to just sleep in the filth. They just be that way. They'll still clean themselves but I've just taken to cleaning the hammocks and litter a bit more often than the mats or substrate. My current batch of rats is like this. Two boys in particular just go where they sleep.

Advice to try: Make sure your pee rocks are biiiig. I used to try ones the size of my hand, did nothing. Got one little sheet of slate from an aquarium place near me about nine inches by seven and hoo boy do they love peeing on that.

Remove the tissue for fleece scraps or something washable. Try bits of other fabrics, see if they continue. It's worth a shot. 

Try placing cardboard boxes, small ones on the mats and see if they enjoy going there. I had one rat that just really liked going on cardboard.


----------

