# Potty training: myth?



## furbaby (Jul 14, 2008)

I've been reading about potty training rats and it seems like (especially with the other posts around) that it's hit-or-miss with rats whether or not they get potty trained, and you can't train them not to pee wherever they wish. I've heard rats are very intelligent and can learn their name or simple tricks-- so why is potty training so complex?


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## ratlover4everrr (Jan 31, 2008)

well its defenitly easier to potty train females because males insist on marking territory throughout their cage saying "fear me this is mine!" otherwise i think it can be done with contstant training. i dont think its that complex. if you do want to start potty training them i would start right when you get them espcially if they are babies, because then they can learn right off the bat. i hope i helped. =]


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

A lot of people are successful with potty training. A lot of times it only works for their raisins though from what I have read, not their pee. I did try with my two boys and it did work. However they insisted on sleeping in the litter tray and kicking most of it out so it wasn't really worth it for me lol.


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## Kathleen (Jul 1, 2008)

I never potty trained my boys yet they go in the litter box about 95%+ of the time, both pee and poop. Every now and then, they'll poop elsewhere but I've yet to see any pee lying around. *knocks on wood*

I use a ferret/rabbit corner litter pan. I then occupy all other corners with food, water bottles or bedding, which discourages them from using them as bathrooms. It really seems to work so far.


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## radlations (May 24, 2008)

I would be so thankful if I could get them to poop in their litter tray. 

But it hasnt worked now for 2 months and I might just give up.


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## triffeh (Jun 3, 2008)

My boys use their litter pan, no real training required. Both of them will still mark with tiny drops, and one of them likes marking everyone (he'll leave a little trail on me and his cagemate whenever he feels like it). However, when it comes to actually relieving themselves they use the pan or the area around it due to the fact that one of them likes to dig some of the litter out and kick it around. They only poop on the litter, whether it's in the pan or not.

-mark


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

Gals mark too, guys! Trust me... I'd know


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## paralistalon (Mar 5, 2008)

My 2 females made a "raisin corner" on their own. 

Now if I could only get them to stop dribbling pee on my furniture when I have them out...


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## Siwain (Feb 25, 2008)

Out of my four rats, two are potty trained; one is just a baby, and hopefully will learn it soon; and only one of them has given me problems, pooing everywhere.

Sometimes i believe that he can learn it too, though..


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## Mana (Apr 22, 2007)

My rats sort of taught themselves to poo in the litter box. I admittedly was not very diligent about teaching them, but it only took a few months for them to decide the litter box was a better place to poo than in the places they sleep :roll: If you're serious about training them though, you need to remove all of the poo you see in the cage frequently, and leave some of them in the litter box. Eventually they'll realize that that's where the poo goes.

Usually it's difficult to teach them to pee in the litter box because (at least my rats) pee pretty much anywhere. And not just little dribbly scent marking pee like they'll do on you and your furniture XD One thing that seems to be helping though is that for free time I have a smaller cage I put out and leave open (to give them a place to rest, drink, go potty, etc). I used to just have fabric in the bottom but recently I put litter in the entire bottom of that cage. After free time I scoop out some of the pee soiled litter and put it in the litter boxes in the big cage. I'm not sure if it'll work very well but yesterday I did catch one of them peeing in the litter box so it might be a good strategy (or just a fluke)


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## SILENTbutRATTIE (Jul 26, 2008)

im potty training my rats and whenever they poop i pick it up with tweasers and put it in the litterbox


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

If you want to train them you need to get them a big litter box. Something they could climb in (at least 2 or 3 of them) and wrestle in if they wanted to. This way they have enough room in there. You will need to change all the bedding in their cage to one thing and in their litter box to something totally different. Now the fun begins. At least twice a day go through their cage and scoop up all the raisins and put them in the litter box. When you clean out the box make sure to leave some in there so it smells like a ratty bathroom. Continue until they get the clue basically. 

To pee train them, this takes ALOT of work and even so they will still mark every now and then and especially outside the cage! I have my boys for the most part pee trained and my one girl is trained. You will literally need to go through their cage every 3-4 hours day and night and wipe it down with a baby wipe. Then wipe it down with another scented baby wipe (I put a drop of vanilla on it). You will need to change out the hammocks daily so they no longer smell like pee. My boys have basically given up. They know if they mark that I will find out (my cage has pee traps so it's super easy to see) and start to keep their cage super clean again and re-mark their cage. Honestly when I clean their cage with the wipes and then my scent of choice they get upset. They just stare at me like "hey now why are you marking up my cage with your stupid scent lady". They always mark outside the cage, they mark me, they mark all around the bottom of the litter box, so it's not exactly 100% potty trained, but it is so much nicer if your rats cooperate and you have the time. I had an infant in my home that woke up to eat every 3-4 hours so it was easy for me! I fed the baby and then went to clean the cage so while it did work the average person doesn't have the time to do this.


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## Angry_J (Feb 3, 2008)

Kathleen said:


> I use a ferret/rabbit corner litter pan. I then occupy all other corners with food, water bottles or bedding, which discourages them from using them as bathrooms. It really seems to work so far.


That's a good idea. I also use a corner litter pan on the lowest level of my 4 girls' cage, but their food is in only 1 other corner in the bottom level. Maybe I'll try some food or water bottles in the other corners. 

Regarding training: I got my girls at 8 weeks old first 2, then 2 more a few days later. It took about 2 days for the first girls to used the litter pan. The second 2 just did intuitively, I think after seeing the first 2 use it. My girls do pee in their cage, and their hide boxes (yuck), but they rarely, if ever, pee during their free range time on the floor or our furniture. Guess I'm just lucky.


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## rattielvr (Aug 4, 2008)

My rat Justin (R.I.P) was very easily trained just to go to the bathroom in his cage. I'd let him run around my room and when he had to go hed jump into his cage. He would still mark me but he never peed more than a dribble or pooped outside the cage until he got really old and had troubles making it to the cage. I raised him from a baby though so I trained him young. Don't know if itd work for an older rat.


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## KayRatz (Apr 5, 2007)

ratlover4everrr said:


> well its defenitly easier to potty train females because males insist on marking territory throughout their cage saying "fear me this is mine!"]


Bullcrap, females mark too.


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