# Tips on Litter training?



## HylaW (Mar 14, 2008)

Does anyone have any tips on litter training the young rats? Ive got potty training litter in a box and fleece along the bottom of their cage. I will pick up the poop on the cage floor and put it in the box. Any other ideas, as they dont seem to be catching on?


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## rat_ratscal (Sep 23, 2007)

what you're doing is good, but some rats refuse to be litter trained. try seeing where they go the most and put a litter box there, also make sure the litter box is a decent size so it's harder to miss (a large tupperware container from the dollar store works good actually, you dont need one of them expensive ones) good luck


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## S-Harkey (Feb 13, 2008)

First of all, make sure they aren't afraid to get in their litter box. If they are, get something with shorter sides.
What worked for me was to put their box in the corner they went in most and then putting their water in one corener, their food in another, and one of their fleece pockets in the fourth. MOST rats are fairly clean and don't want to poop in their bed, near their food, or near their water. They'll naturally just go to the corner they prefer anyway (hopefully).
But, as said, not all rats will go in their box. And don't expect them to pee in it... most rats will only poop in their litter box and will pee wherever they please.


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## nakedsushi (Mar 6, 2008)

My rats don't seem to have a designated poop spot. When their cage floor was full of litter, they'd just go anywhere. But last night, I changed their litter out for fleece and put a corner litter box with old litter and some poop in the corner.

I was so happy when Sheldon got off the 2nd floor, sniffed around the litter box, and then pooped in there!

But when I woke up in the morning, there was poop all over the fleece =( I moved them all to the litter box, so maybe the two rats will get the idea soon.


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## S-Harkey (Feb 13, 2008)

My girls are still learning. They never poop on any of their upper levels, and mostly poop in or around their litter pan, but there are still some strays here and there on the first floor. They'll learn.


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

I have never had a huge problem litter training my rats. I use a huge litter box for them though. (Think small cat litter box) and they got curious and went into it. They seriously dislike anything smaller, I think it just gets too dirty too fast for them because they also pee in there (which is so weird for a male rat). Now they have decided that one side is for the potty and the other side is for digging!! lol I just kept on putting all of their poop into the littler box, cleaned it several times a day so they got the clue. If I saw a rat poop I would pick him up and put him in there. I also spot cleaned the spot where they pooped in the cage so it didn't smell like that anymore. I think they just caught on that the stinky stuff goes on the bottom of the cage! lol They caught on in about 1-2 weeks.


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## BowlTipper (Mar 21, 2008)

I am curious, would a Ferret Litter Pan suffice for two females?


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

I don't think a ferret litter pan would work unless you cleaned it every day basically. It's just a bit too small and rats really don't like stepping in their own poop ya know. Also, mine hate corner litter pans! It just doesn't give them enough room to move around in.


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## BowlTipper (Mar 21, 2008)

How about a rabbit one then?


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## Junior (Apr 2, 2008)

I think my two boys need two litter pans.... Frankie happily took to the litter tray they have and uses it all the time, but Junior does his business anywhere. Actually he does wee and poop his hammock, and when he does he moves into poor Frankies hammock and Frankie has to go find somewhere else to sleep.


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## melon (Mar 27, 2008)

i`m having problems litter training mine as well, i have a large corner pan for them with paper based cat litter in it but they just seem to take their bedding in there and sleep haha


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## nakedsushi (Mar 6, 2008)

I'm having trouble as well. They do poop in the litter box, but they don't EXCLUSIVELY poo in there, which is the problem. They also like taking their food in there to eat.


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Well the keys to my successful litter training are these. 
-Get a big litter tray and not a corner one. One with deeper sides so they can't just push the litter out of it. 
-Keep food far away from litter, farthest place you can put it.
-Anytime they go outside the cage put the poo back in the cage. If their is urine outside the cage use a paper towel or napkin and soak up the urine and put it in their litter tray. Then use a baby wipe with a dab of vanilla to clean up the offending spot so it doesn't smell like them anymore. 
-Try to put the litter tray under a shelf, for some reason they like doing their buisness in private (kinda like human's) 
-Clean the cage constantly! I'm talking 2-4 times per day until they figure it out. If you walk by the cage and see anything in there put it in the litter box. 
-If they are going in their bedding then put the wet or soiled bedding or hammock directly in the wash an clean it. It can't smell like a rat bathrooom anywhere else for it to work. 
-Make the litter in the litter box anything that you know they don't like sleeping on! Mine dislike my recycled newspaper bedding to sleep on because it isn't soft. It's hard pellets. Then I use regular soft bedding everywhere else. 

Also keep in mind that some rats just refuse to be litter trained! My friends rat is that way, even I tried bringing him to my house and constantly keeping up with the cleaning and such and he had no part of it! He does his business where he pleases!


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## yogurt_fairy (Mar 30, 2008)

I must be really lucky. My two little boys are using the litter pretty regularly. They still like to poop in their hammocks though. I am using the scatterless/covered litter pan from Petsmart. I have two in the corners where they were pooping the most. 
I think they like the grating on the top. I also have a plastic box covered by a cookie cooling sheet. On the bottom level.
I only use carefresh in the boxes and my cage floors are lined with plastic. They have plenty of hammocks and fleece lined hideaways for comfy spots. I like the corner pans because they secure to the cage. Here's the link. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752717


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

I havent had much luck litter training them, but Carrot WILL NOT do her business outside her cage (except when she was heavily dosed with painkillers I might add, but i'l let that pass).

When she was a baby and she had been out for 2-3 hours she fell asleep on me, then woke up, perched her butt over the edge of the cushion and peed on the floor lol. But I have to give her credit for not wanting to pee on me.


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## Jingles (Feb 2, 2008)

gesticulator said:


> I must be really lucky. My two little boys are using the litter pretty regularly. They still like to poop in their hammocks though. I am using the scatterless/covered litter pan from Petsmart. I have two in the corners where they were pooping the most.
> I think they like the grating on the top. I also have a plastic box covered by a cookie cooling sheet. On the bottom level.
> I only use carefresh in the boxes and my cage floors are lined with plastic. They have plenty of hammocks and fleece lined hideaways for comfy spots. I like the corner pans because they secure to the cage. Here's the link. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752717



Thats the pan i have...but only two of my 4 don't want to use it...


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