# Huge problem with the smell



## Patches (Dec 22, 2013)

Hello all, I posted this earlier in my introduction but figure it may get more noticed here. I rent a single room in a house with my boyfriend and just yesterday I got 3 male ratties from Petsmart. They hardly ever cleaned the cage, it was obvious and absolutely reeked when they opened it. I could smell the boys on the way home, they all just smelled like they bathed in urine. 

So I brought them home and put them in their cage and could still smell them but figured it was from the lack of cleaning in their old cage and that it would wear off. Well I went to bed and this morning my room smelled like a pee bath. It was terrible, even my boyfriend couldn't take it. I took some advice I got earlier on here and wiped them down with baby wipes then I sprayed them with the furret deoderizer spray. I then completely cleaned their cage and changed out their fleece. Yesterdays fleece smelled absolutely terrible and it was less than 24 hours! Their cage was cleaned 2 hours ago and it is already beginning to smell again. 

I know that males scent mark but I feel like it shouldn't smell so potent. Worse than any hamster or gerbil I ever had even after a full week. This morning it was so bad that you would think I hadn't cleaned it in a month! I even got a bad taste in my mouth from it. I just don't know what to do, I want to keep them so badly but I live in an enclosed room with my boyfriend and I can't have it smelling like a pee bath all the time. I can handle having to thoroughly clean the cage every few days but I can't keep cleaning the entire thing every 15 hours. I want this to work so badly. 

I have 3 boys who are at least 6 months in a Petco Rat Manor with fleece lining the bottom and shelves.


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## NuclearMuse (Nov 26, 2013)

I'd try using actual bedding; Planet Petco Aspen is supposed to be really good. It will absorb odors better. I have awful luck with fleece, even when I use stuff under it to absorb the urine. You can also put open baking soda around the room to absorb the smells. And I wouldn't keep 3 males in a rat manor--it's going to smell very quickly, as it's not suitable for more than 2 rats in my opinion. I know people have kept 3 rats in them before but I wouldn't do it. Other than that... get them on a good diet and they will start to smell better. All of my rescues have come to me smelling AWFUL--they stink, their pee/poo stinks, it's awful. After about a week on good food (Oxbow or HT is best) they will start to smell phenomenally better.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I think three males in a petco rat manor is too many and that's why the smell is probably coming up so soon. Males tend to get a bit big and need more space. My Toast is so big he looked like a giant in the rat manor. I agree with NuclearMuse, switching to Oxbow from other rat block foods helped my ratties smell less as well. The difference was almost day and night. I had three rats in a rat manor once, but they were two girls and a boy. The boy was neutered so he wasn't as big as most male rats. I use cage liners in my cage, but all my ratties are litter trained (except the 9 babies).


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## Minky (Apr 4, 2013)

If they were kept in a dirty cage, their fur and skin has probably soaked up a lot of the smell. When I adopted my rats from a shelter, they smelled like urine for about 3 weeks. Gradually the smell went away, and your boys will gradually smell better if you keep their new environment clean. 

I'm on the fence about bathing new rats. It can be a frightening experience for them, and if you've just brought them home you need to give some time for them to learn to trust you and associate you with good things.


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## zombiesrkewl (Nov 28, 2013)

If you think it's the rats that smell but you don't want to freak them out by bathing them, I would suggest going to the pet store and picking up pet safe wipes (they usually sell them for cats and dogs). Take one or two of those and gently wipe the ratties down. Depending on how comfortable they are with you, you might need someone to help hold them.


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## Crezzard (Jul 20, 2013)

My 2 newest girls smelt gross when I first got them it kinda wore off in about 2 weeks. I put it down to their diet and the breeder having dirty cages x


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## MrsTefee (Dec 1, 2013)

bad diet and dirty environment has a ton effect on the way ratties smell (males OR females) it might take a few weeks for them to get back to normal. Also, I dont suggest using fleece either. it gets dirty so fast and it will smell ALOT. Having fleece through out the cage isnt really necessary. I have a rat manor and house two boys in it. The bottom is filled with the petco softwood blend bedding (does so great at soaking up pee odor) and I lined parts of the shelves with regular white computer printer paper (cardstock works great too!) that I clip to the shelf with binder clips. This way when it gets dirty I can just throw it out and put new paper down : ). My boys sleep in a homemade fleece hammock at the very top that hangs and they do alot of their pooping in it so I just switch it out with a fresh one every few days. My boys dont have any bad smell or anything, infact they are cleaner than my girls!!!! 

Fleece throughout a cage is really only good if you have rats that use a litter box otherwise, its too much maintenance and it WILL hold in odors. Laying paper down has the same effect in keeping their feet off the bars and its less expensive and you can just throw it away when its dirty instead of cleaning it all the time.

: ) Hope this helped! Let me know if you want a pic of my set up.


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## Patches (Dec 22, 2013)

Well I got some wipes and tried to wipe them down as best I could and furret sprayed. They weren't socialized at all, at the store I asked if I could touch or hold one and the guy actually flinched and said no holding or petting, I could only stick my hand in and let them smell me. He said they don't handle them and feel like it is their future owners responsibility. So they didn't want much to do with getting wiped down. One fear pooped themselves, another peed themseves, and the last one bit me and drew blood. And of course they squeaked the entire time. I feel so bad for them and that I forced them to be cleaned like that.

I changed their bedding to Kaytee and I am hoping it helps. They are definitely still stinky but it is too early to tell if they will still make the place smell like it did. 

My Aunt used to own a ferret in a Critter Nation who passed away and she is saying how she wants to take them if I think I can't handle the smell. I want this to work and have no problem doing what I need to do but it was pointed out that the Rat Manor may be too small for 3 boys? I want them to be where they are going to be most happy and I don't have room for a larger cage so I don't know if I should actually consider her offer? I actually already feel a bit attached even though it hasn't been very long.

I am used to rodent stink due to my variety of other critters so as long as I can get this to a normal level I am fine. I just don't want to force them to be cramped when there is another loving home where they can have all the room they need..


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

The cage is a little small for three boys. You could always keep two, give one to your aunt, let her buy a buddy for that one and see how two works out. If you have the space you could ask her for the Critter Nation too. The Critter Nation is plenty of room for three boys! =P


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## MrsTefee (Dec 1, 2013)

Patches said:


> Well I got some wipes and tried to wipe them down as best I could and furret sprayed. They weren't socialized at all, at the store I asked if I could touch or hold one and the guy actually flinched and said no holding or petting, I could only stick my hand in and let them smell me. He said they don't handle them and feel like it is their future owners responsibility. So they didn't want much to do with getting wiped down. One fear pooped themselves, another peed themseves, and the last one bit me and drew blood. And of course they squeaked the entire time. I feel so bad for them and that I forced them to be cleaned like that.
> 
> I changed their bedding to Kaytee and I am hoping it helps. They are definitely still stinky but it is too early to tell if they will still make the place smell like it did.
> 
> ...



I dont think 3 boys is too small for the rat manor. If you provide toys and an extra hidey spot and keep it clean I think they will do fine in it (and assuming you take them out to play as well!) I would defiintely not do more than 3 though. I think for the rat manor it holds 2-3 boys or 3-4 girls is recommended! Also you should be feeding them laboratory rat blocks, they are the most beneficial for rat health. Try to avoid the "fancy" type of food mixes with seeds and other stuff in it. Im almost positive its because of the way they were housed before from the store so try to be patient. Im sure it will go away eventually! BTW it will take some time and patients to get them socialized. I still have a rat I got in october that hates being held but we are slowly working on it.. her sister however warmed up real nicely and she loves to cuddle..every rat is different!


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## Mouse&Bun (Dec 24, 2013)

You might want to try Bi-Oder. I had used a different brand for my rats that worked well, but have heard great things about this brand in particular.

"Bi-Odor is a revolutionary product that internally deodorizes pet`s waste, urine and body odors. A few pumps of Bi-Odor added to pet`s water makes litter box odors a smell of the past!-100% natural-Contains a patented blend of amino acids and enzymes derived from mushrooms-Used once daily, proven to internally deodorize feces, urine, gas and bad breath-Suppresses the putrefaction of food in the gastro intestinal tract thus reducing ammonia and urea nitrogen levels in the blood-World`s first clinically proven internal urine and feces deodorizer-Veterinary tested and approved"

Here is a link, but I'm sure you can get it other places. I have heard that they sell them in gallon containers as well, so if you like it and want to repurchase, that might be a wallet-friendly option 
http://www.petstore.com/marshall-pet-goodbye-natural-waste-deodorizer-8oz

If you end up trying it, let us know how it works!


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## zombiesrkewl (Nov 28, 2013)

I used that Bi-Odor stuff when I first brought the girls home (they smelled pretty bad). Within 3-4 days of putting that stuff in their water, you could barely smell them.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

bad diets are a big factor in smell. get them on a good healthy diet like oxbow rat food. I think you will have to bathe them to fully clean them the wipes will only get the surfac fur and not whats under neath. I think a rat minor is only big enough for two adult male rats. I would look into getting a bigger cage.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

maybe turn the bath into a game put frozen peas and carrots in the water and let them dive for it. Also some people are more sensitive to the rats smell then others. 

I would also litter train them so you can dump the litter box out everyday or every other day to help with the smell.


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## Patches (Dec 22, 2013)

Thank you for all of the great suggestions everyone! This forum is really so helpful. Unfortunately, yesterday morning I was forced to give the rats to my aunt. My boyfriend was up all night coughing and is convinced it was the extreme ammonia that was in our room. At that point I couldn't take any chances with his health and knowing that my aunt is great with animals, I took them there. 

I really miss them already, it didn't take long to love their company. I wish I had been able to predict this, I feel terrible and a bit heart broken over this whole thing. My boyfriend grew a bit attached too and wants to rearrange our room so we can get a Critter Nation and try again with just 2 rats from a breeder. As badly as I want rats though, I feel like it is a bad idea. I can't gaurantee that will change anything and since he was coughing so badly I can't guarantee it won't happen again. The ammonia smell in the room was absolutely unbearable so I can understand that he reacted, and unfortunately we do not have windows we can use to air things out. 

So now I am torn, I want rats so badly and it would be great if we can figure out a way to get the Critter Nation in here but would that be irresponsible and too risky? I can't be greedy and have this happen again. 

Thanks again everyone for all of the help, I am glad you all care for the ratties so much.


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## JapaneseDolly (Nov 14, 2013)

I would give it a break and then get a critter nation, I would also get your rats from a better source my boys came from a breeder and do not smell bad at all just musky rat smell. I have also not cleaned them out since I've had them almost 6 days and the cage doesn't stink the room out. I also use something called tap a drop which gets rid of ratty smells ( works wonders in my rabbit room ) It would be shame to give up rats forever considering you've grown to love them so I would highly research breeders in your area.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

He could be coughing due to developing an allergy... I also live in a studio apartment and luckily have a tiny bit of space where I can keep the rats in the bathroom. I also have an allergy to their urine; keepin them in the bathroom and taking allergy meds faithfully daily (10mg certrizine (sp?) ) makes it so that I have no symptoms  . I also have a puffer for emergencies , which I thankfully have never ha to use...

Anyways , your boyfriend may also be allergic to them. Unless you have a place to put them that's not near your bed, it's probably not a good idea...  


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## Sylver (Sep 5, 2013)

Rat Manor is a big pain for keeping the bottom clean with fleece, or at least it was with my boys, because they want to live UNDER the fleece, where nothing soaks up their pee, except for them. They would become quite fragrant. Baby wipes would do nothing for this, they had to have a full on, Dawn dish soap bath. We were all tired of baths, so now I have the bottom with paper bedding they can run around in. It takes away a bit from their litter box training (they still use it a bit, but now the whole bottom is litter), but they stay much cleaner. They don't sleep on the bottom now, but on their nice covered levels. Mine also came with those horrible plastic, wave-shaped shelves that are a huge pain to cover. I've recently sewed some fitted covers for them that work well, but that's been a recent development. I'm actually learning to sew specifically because I have a terrible rat cage that takes forever to clean and I can't find anything to buy that is specifically fitted for it. Once I figure out what to cover the bottom with that I can wrap in fleece and they won't go under it, I'll get rid of the paper again, which will be nice.


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## zombiesrkewl (Nov 28, 2013)

Sylver, it might help if you used a different litter in the litter pan than you do of the rest of the cage. That way, they can differentiate between litter and cage.


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## artgecko (Nov 26, 2013)

I'm sorry this happened to you.. I had to give away my guinea pigs about 7 months ago due to an allergy to their hay. From what you described, I think your boyfriend may have an allergy to them (or their bedding, etc.) I don't think high ammonia levels would cause coughing like that. My allergy was shown by a rash on my hands and increasing headaches / stuffy nose. Although I miss the piggies, I'm glad that I don't have the allergy symptoms anymore and I'm glad they went to a good home. The tough thing about allergies is that you can't predict if they will get more extreme, etc. Mine escalated from nothing to a severe rash that was getting worse. If your boyfriend has good insurance, he could get allergy testing done. The prick testing only took one visit for me and they tested for about 40 things. 

I also think the amount of odor you describe is unusual... The two males I have in a rat manor get stinky after about 3-4 days, then I change out the fleece on their small levels and any "rags" I've given them to nest in. I change out my fleece every week, but I also use absorbent Uhaul pads under my fleece liners and my boys are litter box trained (note they still pee everywhere but they poo mostly in the box). It very well could be residual odor from bad diet and an unclean cage. I think that a rat manor would be plenty big enough for 3 male rats... my two only ever use half of their cage, but decked out with hammocks and houses, it would give enough room... But as others said more animals in a smaller space = more odor faster. 

In your situation, as hard as it is to hear, I would wait. Wait until you can at least rent a 1 bedroom apartment and then you can keep the rats in a room other than your bedroom.. That will help with smell and allergies. I also find that air movement helps. I keep the ceiling fan on in the room with the rats and it helps a lot. I would also agree with those suggesting getting babies from a breeder or from a rescue litter when they are still small and have been handled. I just adopted 4 pups and it's a world of difference temperament wise... They show no fear and climb on me and want to be picked up whereas my two petco boys are still shy and won't seek attention.


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