# Is there any point in litter training if not using fleece?



## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

I'm getting my rats in 29 days (YAY!!!!). I want to litter train them, but I'm probably going to use regular bedding instead of fleece, at least for awhile. Is there any point in litter training them in that case?


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I think the "point" would be to make cleaning easier on you and reduce their bathroom useage during playtime, but it will certainly be much, much harder if you have the same bedding in the bottom of their cage that you have in the litter box. Your best bet would be to use shredded cardboard as the main bedding and something like Yesterday's News in the litter boxes.


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## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

Rumy91989 said:


> I think the "point" would be to make cleaning easier on you and reduce their bathroom useage during playtime, but it will certainly be much, much harder if you have the same bedding in the bottom of their cage that you have in the litter box. Your best bet would be to use shredded cardboard as the main bedding and something like Yesterday's News in the litter boxes.


Thanks for responding; that makes sense. Just a couple quick questions. If they are litter-trained, will they go back to the cage to use the bathroom? Will I have to change the bedding less? Will it reduce cage odour, do you think?

Also, would it be okay to use kitty litter in the litter box?


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

The only kitty litter that's safe for a litter box is Yesterday's News or its equivalent; recycled paper litter. Everything else is FAR too dusty and will seriously injure your ratties' lungs. 

If ratties are properly litter trained and they have access to thier cage during play time they will go back. I bring one of my boxes out with me to the play area during free range time for them to use.

It might help cut down on the smell if you're cleaning the litter box regularly, but if they still pee in the rest of the cage that will need a regular cleaning as well. Fleece is easy because you can wipe underneath it to cut down on the smell and cleaning time. Other litters would be a little harder to keep clean, but it certainly can be done.


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## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

Rumy91989 said:


> The only kitty litter that's safe for a litter box is Yesterday's News or its equivalent; recycled paper litter. Everything else is FAR too dusty and will seriously injure your ratties' lungs.
> 
> If ratties are properly litter trained and they have access to thier cage during play time they will go back. I bring one of my boxes out with me to the play area during free range time for them to use.
> 
> It might help cut down on the smell if you're cleaning the litter box regularly, but if they still pee in the rest of the cage that will need a regular cleaning as well. Fleece is easy because you can wipe underneath it to cut down on the smell and cleaning time. Other litters would be a little harder to keep clean, but it certainly can be done.


I'll be sure to use recycled paper. The area that they will get to free-range in is the area around their cage, so they will have access. I may also try bringing the litter box out. I plan on cleaning the cage once a week, and emptying the litter box periodically throughout the week. Is that good, do you think? I guess I'll have to see how bad the smell is when I get them.

I want to use fleece, but my mom says she is absolutely not washing rat laundry. Sigh.


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## 3 ratties (Apr 6, 2013)

The reason i prefer litter training is sometimes my girls step in their poo or pee and i have to clean their feet, so i'd prefer them to go in one place and then not wrestle or play by it. 
You can wash fleece in the kitchen sink. Thats what i do. Just take a little laundry soap and warm water and wash them that way. They take forever to dry, unless it's sunny out and you can hang it in the sun. So i have mutliple sets of fleece so i dont have to wait for them to dry


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Litter training is much, much harder when using a bedding substrate rather than fleece liners.

You want to make sure there is as much of a difference between the litter and the bedding as possible. Being able to distinguish the two substrates in their minds is key.


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## Reikiru (Apr 9, 2013)

You might also want to add a pee rock to their litter box, i find with my rats they don't pee as much on anything other than the rock. ^^'


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## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

Reikiru said:


> You might also want to add a pee rock to their litter box, i find with my rats they don't pee as much on anything other than the rock. ^^'


Yeah I saw that thread and there is literally a pee-rock mine in my front yard lol! There are so many rocks that would make good pee-rocks so I'm pretty excited about it.


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## Brookelynn716 (Apr 21, 2013)

What is a pee rock??


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## Reikiru (Apr 9, 2013)

Its a rock they will pee on, my girls got a flat smooth one and my boy has a more rounded smooth one that he likes to sit on top of and wee XD


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## Brookelynn716 (Apr 21, 2013)

Any rock from outside?


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

You want it to be a rock with a smooth, flat surface, otherwise it will start to smell pretty badly. But otherwise yeah, it doesn't have to come from anywhere special.


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## Reikiru (Apr 9, 2013)

Mine were from my pet rock collection...i got them from the sea/beach about 15-16 years ago, and regularly cleaned them soo i assumed they are safe to use, i think though you might need to make sure its one thats new or something? I dont know, someone on the Pee Rock thread might have a better answer lol


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## Reikiru (Apr 9, 2013)

Haha, disregard my last sentence there, Rumy's a step ahead of me


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## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

Reikiru said:


> Mine were from my pet rock collection...i got them from the sea/beach about 15-16 years ago, and regularly cleaned them soo i assumed they are safe to use, i think though you might need to make sure its one thats new or something? I dont know, someone on the Pee Rock thread might have a better answer lol


It doesn't bother you to have your new pets pee on your old ones?


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## Reikiru (Apr 9, 2013)

Lol not at all...rats pee on each other right?


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## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

Reikiru said:


> Lol not at all...rats pee on each other right?


Lol, true. Just so long as your rocks aren't offended...


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## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

3 ratties said:


> The reason i prefer litter training is sometimes my girls step in their poo or pee and i have to clean their feet, so i'd prefer them to go in one place and then not wrestle or play by it.
> You can wash fleece in the kitchen sink. Thats what i do. Just take a little laundry soap and warm water and wash them that way. They take forever to dry, unless it's sunny out and you can hang it in the sun. So i have mutliple sets of fleece so i dont have to wait for them to dry


I didn't think of that!


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

A pee rock is a large-ish rock with a smooth texture that is ideally domed to some extent. A lot of river rocks do very nicely. It is placed in the center of the litter box, which should also be large. Most rats like to walk over it and cover it with urine.

To my research, no one is still quite sure as to the exact reason why this tends to work so well.


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## trematode (Sep 8, 2012)

I have to try that! (The pee rock). My girls were litter trained. Then I switched from fleece to bedding to see if I liked it any better. Even though I had different substrate in the box, it un-did the litter training that was done in one my girls when I went back to using fleece.


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