# Why do rats poop in the bath?



## nakedsushi (Mar 6, 2008)

A few days ago, I gave my rats their first bath. They pooped all over. I saw from other people's videos that their rats poop in the bath too. Why do they do this?

If you want to see a video of my rats pooping in the bath, it's on youtube


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## Emster (Dec 9, 2007)

If it's your rats first bath, then it's most likely they poop because they are scared.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Fear, somewhat... or they may have been in there too long and couldn't hold it.

But a very first bath? Most likely fear...


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## Neuroticax (May 1, 2007)

My boys poop every time they get a bath. Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's a bunch.  They don't like baths. =\


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## portkeytonowhere (Dec 24, 2007)

Ive noticed that my rat does it to but only a few. Its not his first bath but his first since winter began.


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## TheFuzzWhisperer (Mar 24, 2008)

scaredy poops


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## nakedsushi (Mar 6, 2008)

I've come up with a new theory. Maybe they just naturally poop when their butt is wet. Kind of like how momma cats will lick her kitten's butt to get it to pee.


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## ipopcorn (Feb 25, 2008)

my rats always poop in the bath i think it scares the poop out of them


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## S-Harkey (Feb 13, 2008)

nakedsushi said:


> I've come up with a new theory. Maybe they just naturally poop when their butt is wet. Kind of like how momma cats will lick her kitten's butt to get it to pee.


Its most likely fear, but I think this might be a possibility too.
I have a friend who puts her rat's cage on the floor of her bathroom when she takes a shower. One of her rats ENJOYS water and will climb out of the cage and into the shower and then jump in and out of the water stream. The rat still poops in there everytime though.


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## Caity (Apr 1, 2008)

When my rats were smaller I used to set them in the bathtub while I cleaned their cage, and this usually caused them to poop wildly all over the bath. They don't seem to be fond of solid opaque walls, like boxes, tubs, etc.


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## calvo88 (Feb 3, 2008)

With my lot, they tend to poop over fear really..lol they don't ha;f squeak their heads off sometimes! bless


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## xampx (Dec 31, 2006)

Mine always poop when they are in the bath. I never put them in there with water though. Rats usually hate water, I wouldn't bathe them unless they really needed it.

Carrot was once running around the bath when I was in and she mistook the bubbles for a solid surface. Im suprised she didnt poop when she 'landed' 6 inch under the water. Poor kid didnt know what hit her. Neither did I for that matter. I had to cut my bath short to dry her off and comfort her. Heh


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## BowlTipper (Mar 21, 2008)

I give Nibble and Brain a short water bath every time I fully clean their cage. They've only had three baths so far since I started doing this, but now they seem not to be so scared and don't poop in the bath anymore.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

nakedsushi said:


> I've come up with a new theory. Maybe they just naturally poop when their butt is wet. Kind of like how momma cats will lick her kitten's butt to get it to pee.


I think that's more to do with the stimulation... you have to rub abandoned pups to get them to relieve themselves, I think...


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## Caity (Apr 1, 2008)

My s/o was letting the boys run around the bathroom while having a bath. Poor Mitch jumped onto the edge wanting to further investigate and misjudged the distance and slid right in. As much as most of them hate watersports (other than pea fishing) they can sure swim when they need to.


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## paralistalon (Mar 5, 2008)

I have two rats. The one that is a few months older poops if she is scared. She pooped her first time in the shower, but she didn't poop at all the second time!


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