# Air Fresheners and Ratties



## RattieLove* (May 1, 2013)

As all of you already know, rats can really stink up a room. As you also know, our little critters also have sensitive respiratory systems. I have sprayed air freshener in my room twice before while having my rats, both times as far away from the cage as possible, and never really had any problems, although I still try to refrain from it unless absolutely necessary. My question is, will this hurt them in the long run? None of them seem to have any respiratory issues, only the odd sneeze here and there which is normal. I probably here it from one of my three girls once a day or few days. So should I be worried? One of my biggest fears is one of my girls getting a URI or any illness, not just because I'm a young student with no job or money to pay for the vet and whose parents would jump at the chance to get rid of my girls, but also because I cant bare to see them ill and I want the best and healthiest life for them. So is air freshener okay to use sometimes in the room? It's my bedroom by the way. Their cage is intop of my dresser. Or is there maybe an air freshener that is guaranteed to be safe around pets?


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## cccgina1 (Nov 11, 2012)

I have the solid type air fresheners. My girls are fine.


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## Reikiru (Apr 9, 2013)

Sorry i don't really have an answer, I know personally i try to stay away from aerosol air fresheners(they make me choke never mind my rats! lol) Mind you i'm paranoid and don't use perfumes or deodorant in my room, that's what my spare rooms for. Also sorry for sneaking in with this but what about the Glade Plug-ins? I've got one on the other side of the room from the rats(roughly about 13ft from where their cage is (I've a very _long _bedroom) , its pretty much plugged in and on all the time but with my window open for most of the day. I've the hottest room in the house all year around during the day so the temp isn't an issue with my darlings just in case anyone was worried about a constantly open window in Scotland, haha! I'm gonna keep an eye on this thread as i really want to know if theirs something safer. The solid ones and gel ones i looked at were normally lavender, patchouli or a very bland vanilla all of which stunk to high heavens - stupid sensitive nose of mine! cccgina, what solid ones do you use?


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I've used the wall flowers from bath and body works before with no problem but that was before I knew not to do that. I'd keep it to a minimum and stay away from aerosols and strong scents like lavender

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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

I use vanilla mint & a slew of natural things normally & a ceiling fan & regular rat laundry help. I get migraines so I use that natural nausea to vet what may bother them, as for long term health effects im not sure but I know some dog colognes are all natural & safe but I tend to use them across the room.


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

I use vanilla mint & a slew of natural things normally & a ceiling fan & regular rat laundry help. I get migraines so I use that natural nausea to vet what may bother them, as for long term health effects im not sure but I know some dog colognes are all natural & safe but I tend to use them across the room


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## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

I burn incense sometimes but I don't know if I should? What about air freshening beads? Anyone know how safe those are? I found some natural options on yahoo answers:
Set out a dish of cut lemons or baking soda to absorb odours. 
Simmer (on the stovetop or in a slow cooker) water, slices of ginger, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice, vanilla, and almond extracts. This also increases humidity in dry heated homes during winter. Never use Teflon or other non-stick cookware or kettles for simmering. 
Stick whole cloves into an orange, grapefruit or lemon and place near heater or cold air return vent. 
Decorative containers of cloves and cinnamon sticks can be set in areas where fragrance will be appreciated. 
Fill a saucer with vanilla extract and place near the air intake register of heating system. 
Fill a spray bottle with a pint of water and a tablespoon of vanilla extract. Use as a room freshener spray to eliminate cooking and pet odours. 
To keep pet areas fragrant, keep an open box of baking soda, a bowl of charcoal, or cotton balls dipped in vanilla extract nearby and out of the reach of children and pets. 
Many plants are said to be indoor air fresheners, but you have to check to see if the plants you have in your house are toxic or not."
Also a bowl of vinegar left out can help apparently.


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## PurpleGirl (Oct 12, 2012)

Incense isn't ideal for a rat room, the hazy smoke and strong smell is likely to bother the rats. Lots of people use block air fresheners but the main one I've heard from people that works the best is having a cup of baking soda beside the problem cage, it seems to absorb the smell in the air very well. Spot cleaning their pee areas also helps loads.


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## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks. I'll only use the incense away from the babies.  still wondering if the beads are as safe as other solid fresheners? It's not something you spray into the air so immediately that takes away a lot of the problems.


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## YellowSpork (Jul 7, 2012)

I use those baking soda things you get for fridges and suction cup them to the window between my rat cages and switch it every 30 days, it works pretty well but does work less as it gets older. I also have heard that you can put a couple drops of an essential oil onto a few cotton balls and place them around the room out of reach and it will help your room smell nicer.  I do that with patchoulli sometimes because it's my favorite. And now I have an air purifier in my room so we'll see if that helps at all. But really a regular cleaning schedule is what keeps my room smelling best. And I've found that most of the smell from rats comes not from bedding or litter boxes, but from hammocks they've decided to pee on, so maybe have a few versions of the same hammocks so you can switch them out if they start to stink.


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

Chemical plug ins are well know to cause cancer. So do natural.


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## RattieLove* (May 1, 2013)

Famous Amos said:


> Chemical plug ins are well know to cause cancer. So do natural.
> 
> 
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Cancer in rats or humans?


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

No chemical air fresheners!

I use a fridge/freezer pack of baking soda near the cage as an odor buffer, though healthy and well maintained rats should not be overly stinky. For a little bit of scent, a drop of essential oil in the baking soda is alright.


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

They cause it in animals. Probably us too but they haven't been around for 80 years to test that.


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

I like to cut apples and put that on the stove in water with cinnamon and cloves and allspice. Boil it. Smells like pie. And is natural.


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