# vanilla added to water bottles?



## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I have read about vanilla added to rat water bottles to help with urine smells I have a few questions about this. Is it safe? Would only.true vanilla extract work? How many drops per ounce? Would this cause the water to need to be changed more often?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

elliriyanna said:


> I have read about vanilla added to rat water bottles to help with urine smells I have a few questions about this. Is it safe? Would only.true vanilla extract work? How many drops per ounce? Would this cause the water to need to be changed more often?


I would imagine you would have to change and scrub the bottle daily if you put any additives in. I have never heard of vanilla being used and would be wary of this.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Yes, any additives in the water bottles requires daily changing.

Never heard of vanilla either, and I wouldn't try it because of the alcohol content, mainly.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Well other than just changing the cage more often what can I do to reduce their smell? Their urine seems to smell after only a few days and I have 4 rats in a tcn


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

What substrate do you use? What kind of things do you have in your cage?


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I have a lot in my cage wheels houses hammocks boxes for chewing hanging toys ... I have a photo thread that I have posted pictures of my cageWe use fleece for liners and cell sorb for their litter boxes. I know technically I need something under the fleece but until recently I never had an issue


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I'd definitely put towels under the liners or sew batting into the liners. Fleece just wicks urine away but doesn't absorb it, so it just lays there and stinks, basically.


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

I've had a lot of success with the vanilla, but unfortunately it does have to be changed every day and vanilla is _expensive_! So in the long run I'm also looking for a better solution for keeping smells down. Aspen seems to be quite good so far. I wish I could be of more use but as you know, I'm having a similar problem with the smells.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

The only real way to deal with odors is to keep the cage clean.

I don't think it's fair to the rats to deny them fresh water. Pure vanilla extract is mainly alcohol. I don't know why anyone would force their rats to drink alcohol mixed into their water.

If anyone absolutely feels the need to get vanilla into their rats, it would be much safer to get vanilla beans, scrap the innards out, and mix it up into a paste to give them a drop of daily.

The fact of the matter is that vanilla is much more expensive than extra bedding or another load of wash.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Well I can't wash them more often I am in an apartment so weekly washing is the best I can do. I can try towels but last time I did it didn't work out. I will try picking up some newspaper. I need to sew true liners for now I clip down their fleece. Why would I just have a problem with urine smells now when I have been using fleece for months if the issue is no bedding under it? I know.how fleece works ... I just have never needed a bedding before so after the beginning when towels didn't work I never tried again

Caged bird have you seen my.cage? They have 6 water bottles for 4 rats they are NEVER deprived of fresh water. 

I do keep my cage clean they just pee and my liners ... the odor never completely comes out in the wash. 

I try to give my rats the best I would never hurt them by denying what they need or allow them to live in a filthy cage. 

I am worried though that my old boy the ammonia is giving him the sniffles since he just sleeps and pees all day every day in one place but I fixed that and that bedding gets changed as needed daily if needed


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

This is my.cage http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?51029-Anyone-have-a-Triple-Critter-Nation


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Your cage is very nice, and it's good to have that many water bottles. However, if you put vanilla in them, it doesn't matter how many you have. It's still no longer fresh water. If you only put it in one or two bottles, it would defeat the purpose and be largely wasteful, not to mention the fact that the jury is still out on the effects of putting it there in the first place.

If you can only wash once per week, I'd suggest getting more liners so that you can change them out every day and put them in a garbage bag before they get overly stinky.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I thought I posted I wasn't going to do the vanilla since neither of you had heard of it and that I was looking For alternate ideas. I think I would just need two sets if I do newspaper under ... changing it twice a week should be OK shouldn't it? I have only ever cleaned my cage once a week


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Sorry I seem to have only posted looking for alternatives I forgot to mention I will not do anything I am not VERY sure of


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## RatMama13 (Aug 20, 2011)

I had a similar problem and started putting newspaper underneath and it has worked wonders! Although if you have rats that like to shred and nest put a layer of newspaper on top of your fleece too..that way they'll shred that rather than the stuff underneath... for a while anyway!!


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I must say i far prefer using a proper substrate rather than fleece cage liners. It does help keep the smells down better and has lots of other benefits such as enrichment for the rats too. I use a mixture of shredded cardboard and something like hemp, bedmax, etc mixed through. I mix them as some are better at absorbancy, some are better at moving and allowing things to drain through (meaning the top layer is kept dry and smell free), also as it improves the rats digging and foraging for there dinner. You may need to make a deep cage base though to do this properly, but it is easily done.

Other useful tips are to wipe down the cage bars with warm soapy water regularly, bars (especially cages with square mesh bars or uncoated ones). If you have uncoated bars then painting them with a kiddy sfae paint like plasticoat helps a lot. Replacing shelves with cat litter trays filled with more substrate also means they don't leave puddles in the wrong place. Finally always having a litter tray next to their fave sleeping places means there less likley to marinade themselves.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I have a critter nation and bass pans are far too expensive so I can't do a normal litter plus my freezer isn't big enough ... I did normal litter at one point and they always got mites. I do need to start wiping down the bars more now that I have bar climbers They have litter boxes they seem to enjoy digging in rather than using properly lol


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

You don’t need to buy one, making your own is quite doable, I know a few people who have and I added deeper kick guards to my SRS myself. 

There are 2 good methods that are pretty cheap. The first is to get some corregated plastic and duck tape. You can either make a tray out of it (cutting the base then taping on deep sides, around 15-20cm) or just cut some deep kick guards and fasten them to the bars with cable ties. The other is to do the same with thin Perspex. Corregated plastic is cheaper and easier to cut (can use scissors), but it is easily chewed and needs replacing occasionally, Perspex is fidley to cut (need a straight edge and a stanly knife, and some patience) and a bit more expensive but is really nice to look at and really lasts.

I went for the Perspex option for my SRS (though I have a big tray now as I had the chance to pick one up cheaply) it worked really well and is now in use in the top half now I’ve split the cage in two for my girly guests.

What substrate were you using if you needed to freeze it every time. I haven’t had an issue with my substrate for several years now and I’ve used a few different types and never had to freeze it. I’m assuming you mean a lice outbreak rather than mites, as it’s pretty widely believed now that pretty much all rats carry mites all the time, but just keep them well under control unless they are ill or stressed.

Mine are fairly good with their litter boxes, I just always make sure they are close to where they want to be and they use them themselves, I’ve never trained them. Saying that there’s not many places other than their hammocks that they could mistakenly use, I don’t have any shelves and most of the things in the cage are branches which don’t make good toilets


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

well we think they were mites they certainly weren't lice but rat mites are supposed to be miscroscopic. 

I use cell sorb now I was using esquisicat and yesterdays news before. I still freeze my litter every time but the little amount used for litter boxes is much more manageable. 

I just dont think bedding is a good option for us ... My old man couldnt get over the edges if I did it how I need to plus I have a TCN there would be no way to clean out the top


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Fair enough, it is your choice. My cage is very similar though (a savic royal suite) so it can work, though tis easier for me as when I use the full cage I prefer to get rid of the middle level to improve climbing. My old man gets around ok, it does take some creative thinking though to help him get around.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I just would rather be safe but I do appreciate it and I may steal that ideal for my hamsters


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## IOVERATS (Aug 25, 2012)

My cousin had your problem, but she just shoved some towels under the fleece and it took the urine and absorbed it so it didn't smell, she could only use them a few times but she bought them cheaply so it didn't matter anyway. 

Have you got a litter box? If not the would be a good idea, if they sell Bio-Catolet in your area that is a good litter for them because it isn't dusty at all and it's good for smells, it's a cat litter which is why it's so good, my cousin uses it and hasn't ever had any problem with it being too dusty, she would never use something at all dusty. My friends all use it (those who have rats, which is 2, not fair everyone has rats apart from me lol, I'm getting some soon though haha ). Good luck, you could try using a stronger cleaner, my cousin uses a really strong smelling shower gel and it works wonders, it doesn't burn their throats or noses like my friends thought it would, and now their using it too haha. I'm not sure about newspaper because I would have thought that the ink would run and be bad for the rats, but I'm not a huge expert, but I do know a fair bit and I have hands on experience with rats through my friends and cousin . Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and I hope your ratties are doing okay . 

BTW: I know that your not using the vanilla anymore, but I asked my cousin a couple of minutes ago and she said that it's okay for them but it is not good for them to have too much of because it's got a lot of sugar in, but like you said its best not t do something that your not sure about, I too would just keep to normal water, but the alcohol in the vanilla would of course make their urine smell much different because it would extract the concentrated molecules (or whatever their called, forgot, will have to ask my cousin or science teacher again) out of their urine. Hamsters urine smells worse though because they are desert animals and their wee has to be more concentrated. Science lesson over, good luck 


A wise t-shirt once said 'my rats think your gross too!' directed at all you rat haters out there!


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I actually never used the vanillaI have 3 litter boxes and cell sorb which works very well and very little dustI had one hamster his pee smelled like corn chips lol I loved that little man ... hamster urine also has a lot of calcium in it ( I have 3 currently) I usually use the new Zealand scent dawn ... but I will admit I don't clean the pan always I smell to see if it needs it ... I really should just clean it weekly. A lot of newspaper here uses soy based ink and they wont be in direct contact with it  Do you have your own rats? They are great  I love mine so much!!!


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## vikram.kush09 (Sep 13, 2012)

water treatment is a process to remove existing contaminants in the water or reduce the concentration Water 
Treatment involves engineering, science, business and art treatment may include biological, chemical, mechanical and physical.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

vikram.kush09 said:


> water treatment is a process to remove existing contaminants in the water or reduce the concentration Water Treatment involves engineering, science, business and art treatment may include biological, chemical, mechanical and physical.


I don't understand how this is relevant to removing odor ... On the bright side I deep cleaned the cage I am using newspaper under my fleece and the new detergent I picked up completely takes all odor out of the rat laundry


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

It's a spammer.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

cagedbirdsinging said:


> It's a spammer.


I thought it probably was


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## IOVERATS (Aug 25, 2012)

elliriyanna said:


> I actually never used the vanillaI have 3 litter boxes and cell sorb which works very well and very little dustI had one hamster his pee smelled like corn chips lol I loved that little man ... hamster urine also has a lot of calcium in it ( I have 3 currently) I usually use the new Zealand scent dawn ... but I will admit I don't clean the pan always I smell to see if it needs it ... I really should just clean it weekly. A lot of newspaper here uses soy based ink and they wont be in direct contact with it  Do you have your own rats? They are great  I love mine so much!!!


Okay, thanks haha, corn chips  and I haven't got my own rats JUST yet, but I'm getting two males soon! I'm really excited  


A wise t-shirt once said 'my rats think your gross too!' directed at all you rat haters out there!


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## vikram.kush09 (Sep 13, 2012)

SCB struggles with illegal water connections

Board launches drive to identify defaulters 


The apathetic attitude of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) in checking illegal water connections and recovering dues from defaulters has resulted in a loss of about Rs.8 crore to the Board besides poor water supply to genuine consumers. 
As per SCB records, there are 15,000 water connections in over 270 residential colonies and 125 slums. Authorities have identified nearly 10,000 consumers as defaulters and served notices asking them to pay the dues or face legal action. 
Everyday SCB requires 60 lakh gallons of water, but the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) supplies only 40 lakh gallons. In addition to the short supply, illegal connections are posing problems for regular consumers. 
With complaints of irregular and non-supply of water, the Board authorities have decided to take up a survey of number of water connections. 
This has resulted in detection of 10,000 defaulters and many illegal connections. 
But why was action not initiated against these defaulters earlier? “There was acute manpower shortage. The Board functioned without a water superintendent for about three years and that sums up the situation,” defends an officer from the water section. 
This apart, notices were issued to defaulters regularly, but not many bothered to respond. But things have changed now as the Board is firm on lodging a police complaint and taking legal action against defaulters.


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## bashfulbyte (Jun 8, 2012)

If you try this, use vanilla essential oil or vanilla absolute, not extract. Extract is crap.


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