# How often do you clean the cage?



## Phoene (Dec 21, 2017)

I have two female rats rat in a cage with fleece bedding on all the floors and have a litter box that they sometimes use. I find that I have to clean the cage out every other day. Is this how often most people clean their cages? I will not change the cleaning schedule because one of my rats has a respiratory infection and I do not want the cage to smell at all (which it does a little at by cleaning time) I am just curious as to weather my girls are stinkier than most or if it is the normal amount of smell for a rat. The cage does not smell unless you put your nose to the fabric (though my sister claims she can smell them from her room down the hall).
So what is your cleaning routine? Do you use cloth or litter?


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

Fabric requires more frequent cleaning, as the under layer must be washed to rid it of urine. The top fleece layer won't absorb any urine, which is actually why people use it. This way, the urine will go through it to an absorbent layer placed below, and thus leave the top fleece layer clean and sanitary. If you aren't using an absorbent layer, I strongly suggest you start doing so.


I myself have a single critter nation with 4 girls, and clean it fully every 2-2.5 weeks. It doesn't even start smelling until near 2 weeks, and I use yesterday's news bedding. Absolutely love the stuff, as even if I can't do spot cleaning for some reason the cage stays odor free. I've even had the rats housed with one litter change for up to a month (pet sitters in my area will watch the rats but not change their bedding while I'm on vacation) and come back to it being relatively odor free.

I can't use fleece myself, as its just too much work for me. The one week I tried it my cage stank within hours, and had to be hanged every day or so. People who use fleece effectively need to have litter trained rats in my opinion, as my girls were not litter trained (thy usually poop in a corner yet will pee pretty much wherever) and fabric just wasn't absorbent enough for my needs.


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## OscarandAxel (Dec 6, 2017)

I use a mixture of fabric and bedding, and I clean their cage usually once a week. They have a pretty large cage and are pretty good about going to the bathroom in the same place, so it doesn't even smell bad until about a week.


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## Phoene (Dec 21, 2017)

Thanks for sharing. I just got a bigger cage and my girls are getting pretty good at using the litter box. Hopefully it doesn't smell for longer now. I don't really mind cleaning so often though. Gives me a change to change everything around then watch them explore the new arrangement.


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## Cookie34 (Dec 7, 2017)

I use aspen bedding and I spot clean every day or every other day depending how much time I have so I put on a rubber glove and literally poo pick lol. And lift out any urine soaked areas. If I need to replace a little bedding then I do this once a week or so, as that’s as frequently as required. Then I do a full clean (i.e whole cage emptied and bedding changed etc) once every 2 weeks. There’s no smell  and cage always looks good


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## Nieve5552 (May 20, 2014)

I use recycled paper bedding for the bottom level with the pan, and coroplast floors to cover the upper levels which are wire. My 2 latest rats were good enough with litter training for me to not have to clean the coroplast floors, just litter changes when needed  I also would find fleece difficult to maintain! Coroplast floors are very easy to clean if rats are well litter trained, as they can be quickly wiped with baby wipe. Having 2 litter trays also helps hugely too as theres always one nearby, and they dont act as lazy


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