# Boys stopped using litter box and poop EVERYWHERE.



## AnyaLyssa (Apr 16, 2018)

I have 4 boys. 2 from PetSmart are 3-6 months age and I've had them since April, and they have never used the litter-box completely. They love people, and are mostly well-behaved enough to be trusted in less rat-proof areas.2 baby boys I've had about a month, gifted from an accidental litter, and they were just old enough to be re-homed. Completely skittish, don't like interacting with us, and constantly hide, but will take treats from us, and get along well with my older boys.The babies used to use the litter box, and the older boys started to do the same. Now, all 4 of them just poop literally everywhere: ramps, hammocks, levels, food trough, and even on the sidewall cage bars????? The babies don't poop in their own preferred sleeping areas, but still lay in the older boy's poop if they join them where they like to sleep.I never see them poop, but I do see them pee.I have a DNC with litter boxes on all 4 platforms/levels, and pee rocks. The cage is fleece lined with the covers made by/for the DNC, and I have moving blankets underneath for liners.The only time they will consistently poop in one spot, is if a rock gets knocked out of a litter-box, and it doesn't matter where or which, that becomes the poop area.So basically a pee rock that's not in a litter-box/is directly on fleece is where they prefer to poop. They are constantly covered in their own filth, they are sticky and stinky ALL the time, even when I spot clean the cage twice a day, and the cage looks like it hasn't been cleaned just 4 hours later.Honestly, I'm convinced that they are using their poop to scent mark. After the $150 extra I've invested into having a fleece lined cage with litter-boxes, I do NOT want to have to switch to just plain bedding, as that will cost a lot more as well.


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## techfool (Apr 16, 2018)

Rabbts use their poop to mark especially when insecure. It stops when they get older or get neutered. You may be onto something.Start them again from scratch. It's very cluttered but put a tray in as many corners as you can. Fill other corners with stuff. Remove stray poops. Put some in the litter trays you prefer to keep. It's boring but with consistency they will get it.My two are v good at using their tray but have taken to sleeping in it as well. They smell gross!I've put a tile in the cage and if i catch them napping in the litter tray i put them on the tile. I think the heat is driving them to seek a cooler area to sleep.


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## AnyaLyssa (Apr 16, 2018)

UPDATE, they also prefer pooping in the 2 inches of space between the wall and ramp bottom, the ramp is covered with fleece. They prefer pooping on fleece. We're going to try taking out the ramps and see what happens. SERIOUS QUESTION:Has anyone tried putting fleece into the litter-box?


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## AnyaLyssa (Apr 16, 2018)

*Rats haven't pooped in 9 hours, since I removed all fleece from the cage.*

Replaced fleece on cage floors with paper bedding, replaced fleece liner on shelf with clean one, litter-boxes left in original locations in the back corners hidden and secluded under shelves. Changed out soiled aspen litter, added fresh poops, cleaned and sanitized pee rocks. Removed ramps, and the only thing on the shelf was a single litter-box, so the only fleece was well in the open and fully exposed.They peed on the rocks in both litter boxes, and have since only pooped in the middle of the fleece shelf, away from the litter box. The ONLY use the litter box to pee on the rocks.In total frustration, and curiosity, I removed all fleece from the cage. I haven't see any new poops in 12 hours. And they HAVE been eating. They will ONLY poop on fleece.


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## Synchro246 (Jun 10, 2018)

I like the idea of using fleece in the litter boxes with the pee rock. Slowly cover fleece in preferred litter over a week or two (or 3, idk) until it's all litter... wait then slowly reintro fleece to living areas - if they poop on it it disappears (to be tried again later) This is just my general knowledge of training other animals I've never actually litter trained a rat on purpose


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