# How do you get a rat to stop peeing on you?



## ATez

Pickle has a thing for peeing on our hands and arms and it's really getting annoying. I mean it's not even when we're holding him or picking him up. He'll be free raoming or exploring us and out of the blues take a pee on us. Like if my arm is in the way he'll keep walking but once he's on me he'll pee no matter if I move or not.

I've also been wondering if he does to mark his property since we give him food and all.

Right now he's peed on me 3 times within 5 minutes. The two first times I picked him up like 2 seconds after he did, put him in his cage and made sure he could smell what he just did and told me "No! We don't pee on people! Bad Pickle! Bad little monster!". I washed it off and put him back where he was. Then he did it again so I repeated. Then a third time! Put now he's in there and not coming out.

If I do this 2 seconds after he did it and make him smell it should he eventually make a connection?
I'm wondering if it's gonna work or if there's something else I should do. I got no problem with poop tho! No matter where he is he'll run back in his cage for a poop. I know it's harder to make rats go pee in the potty but can you make them stop peeing all over yourself?


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## 3pidemic

Male rats mark their territory and for them that includes you. It's like when a cat rubs its cheek on you to that you're their human, just messier. My boys have pretty much stopped marking me and the boy, but I think they've peed on us enough by now that they don't bother with it anymore. 

As for trying to "correct" the behaviour I have no idea. If it's just little dribbles while he walks across you, then he's probably marking and as gross as it is it's his was of accepting you as one of his rattie buddies. If it's big puddles, then it is him just using the bathroom on you. I don't think verbal reprimands will do anything for him, besides confuse him. If he's marking give him time and be patient with him. I know it's gross, but punishing him for showing weird rattie affection won't do much good.


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## Stace87

This is normal and "punishing" him is going to do nothing, apart from confuse him. Many male rats to urine mark and some females do too. Just keep some kitchen roll with you to wipe the dribbles off you. 

From your post it does sound like he's urine marking and not weeing on you (it sounds like small amounts when he walks over things etc).


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## adoraluna

My more adventurous girl does this. Just little dribbles as she walks across us. I just give her kisses because as gross as it is, it is her way of saying "I love you". My boyfriend doesn't give kisses, he just says "oh, man, not again...silly girl" but doesn't do anything that would be considered punishment (unless picking her up and putting her on his chest is considered punishment). The other girl has done this a few times but she's still wary of being handled too much (though she is getting better about it. She doesn't struggle as much, only when we get close to the cage). It's just something you have to get used to when you are a rat parent. ::shrug::


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## Maple

how old is he??? does he have a cagemate that pees on you too??


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## ATez

Really?? I had no idea it was a sign of affection! I'll make sure to let him roam about next time he does it too. I'll let my boyfriend know too. Thanks everyone! BTW I've only punished him once so I think he'll be fine.

And yes he has a cage mate who doesn't like to come out. He's on medication right now so he sees "outside" as being forced to take nasty tasting meds. He'll come to the door tho and take treats but that's about it. Pickle pretty much goes everywhere... this time he's even find his way behind the microwave. Argh! He's such a monster but I love him!


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## binkyhoo

My rats pee on my hands and feet. I think that it is when they walk over something warm. I just keep a tissue and mop it up as it happens. Its the price we have to pay for the Joy Of Rats.


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## Stace87

binkyhoo said:


> My rats pee on my hands and feet. I think that it is when they walk over something warm. I just keep a tissue and mop it up as it happens. Its the price we have to pay for the Joy Of Rats.


They probably mark other things too, but you perhaps haven't noticed. Remotes, phones, books, ANYTHING lol.


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## adoraluna

Stace87 said:


> They probably mark other things too, but you perhaps haven't noticed. Remotes, phones, books, ANYTHING lol.


I have a blanket that I made for my SO. It's our favorite to snuggle under when we watch Tele. Apparently it's the girls' favorite too. They've marked it like crazy, which wouldn't be a big deal except they marked it on the white part. Oh, and they've chewed a hole in it. 

We don't mind though. It washes and still keeps us warm.


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## littlematchstick

Stace87 said:


> binkyhoo said:
> 
> 
> 
> My rats pee on my hands and feet. I think that it is when they walk over something warm. I just keep a tissue and mop it up as it happens. Its the price we have to pay for the Joy Of Rats.
> 
> 
> 
> They probably mark other things too, but you perhaps haven't noticed. Remotes, phones, books, ANYTHING lol.
Click to expand...

my girls mark my cell phone and laptop ALL the time..no harm done yet..lol. And the boys mark all over my bed..


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## Stace87

littlematchstick said:


> And the boys mark all over my bed..


Yep, the bed too. Spike doesn't as much now since he was neutered because of the testicular tumour. Gizmo is a piss machine though.


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## adoraluna

littlematchstick said:


> my girls mark my cell phone and laptop ALL the time..no harm done yet..lol. And the boys mark all over my bed..


My girls are afraid of my lap top They stepped on the keys and when they moved it frightened them, but try to steal my cell phone.


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## littlematchstick

my girls have a fascination with my laptop...they walk all over it.. try and look over the screen at what Im doing, and balance on the top of it and walk around..its annoying sometimes when I'm trying to do something lol


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## this_wallflower

Haha, I've established my laptop as "no go" territory. Odie knows this well now...he just spent two hours out on the couch with me and never once put a foot on my laptop but he marks me a lot.

I don't mind the marking so much. Everything washes and doesn't smell after that. He's only peed completely once and that's the first time I had him downstairs on a friend's lap. I think he was scared, more than not being good about toilet training.

He's not toilet trained inside his cage, but he never pees completely or poops outside his cage. 

sorry for hijacking: basically, my unneutered male rat does that too.


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## Lea

I'm starting to get really tired of being peed on. One of the babies in particular does it constantly, every time she gets on me. If it's just marking territory, why keep doing it over and over? I think it might be a habit that has gotten "stuck". I think I will try removing her from me each time she does it and maybe she will learn that when she pees on me she doesn't get to stay on me, and see if that cuts down on the frequency. The other girls do it too, but not nearly so much.


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## Stace87

Lea said:


> I'm starting to get really tired of being peed on. One of the babies in particular does it constantly, every time she gets on me. If it's just marking territory, why keep doing it over and over? I think it might be a habit that has gotten "stuck". I think I will try removing her from me each time she does it and maybe she will learn that when she pees on me she doesn't get to stay on me, and see if that cuts down on the frequency. The other girls do it too, but not nearly so much.


Is it a little dot/dribble each time? If so, she will be marking. Some rat just do mark a lot. Although it's more likely for males to, I've heard of females marking too.


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## littlematchstick

Stace87 said:


> Is it a little dot/dribble each time? If so, she will be marking. Some rat just do mark a lot. Although it's more likely for males to, I've heard of females marking too.


3 out of 6 of my girlies mark--was weird at first, but I take it as a compliment now


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## Lea

Stace87 said:


> Is it a little dot/dribble each time? If so, she will be marking. Some rat just do mark a lot. Although it's more likely for males to, I've heard of females marking too.


Yes it is. Sometimes 2 or 3 drops. Actually all 3 do it, but the mom does it only every once in a while; the more dominant of the 2 babies does it more, and it's the smaller, more submissive baby that does it excessively. 

Don't know if pecking order has anything to do with it. I've now tried taking her off me each time she does it, but she seems oblivious that it's a consequence of her marking me, so that was a useless idea, lol. Now I'm hoping that as she gets older she might not feel the need to do it so much.


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## Stace87

Lea said:


> I've now tried taking her off me each time she does it, but she seems oblivious that it's a consequence of her marking me, so that was a useless idea, lol.


Yeah that's never going to work as she isn't doing anything wrong - it's natural behaviour.


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## Kinsey

haha, mine does it too. a LOT. I think it means he likes me a lot  sometimes he does just pee though...but he's not littertrained yet


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## Sketchy

Lea said:


> I've now tried taking her off me each time she does it, but she seems oblivious that it's a consequence of her marking me, so that was a useless idea, lol.


This does actually work sometimes with some rats. My friend had one that every time it peed on her, it went back into its cage and playtime was over for a few hours. Eventually it got the idea.
Mine however, have not yet caught on. Though when Cow pees on me and I say "Hey! No! Don't do that, silly" she'll go and lick it off. =S
*Shrugs* Each rat is different.


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## Stace87

Sketchy said:


> Lea said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've now tried taking her off me each time she does it, but she seems oblivious that it's a consequence of her marking me, so that was a useless idea, lol.
> 
> 
> 
> This does actually work sometimes with some rats. My friend had one that every time it peed on her, it went back into its cage and playtime was over for a few hours. Eventually it got the idea.
> Mine however, have not yet caught on. Though when Cow pees on me and I say "Hey! No! Don't do that, silly" she'll go and lick it off. =S
> *Shrugs* Each rat is different.
Click to expand...

Perhaps the rat your friend had was actually peeing and not marking? In that situation it could probably work. Their cage probably shouldn't be used as a punishment area though, it's meant to be a place they enjoy and feel safe in. I've heard a debate about a cage being used for punishment on this forum before.


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## MissHinasaki

I was wondering if the urine marking was smelly. I don't mind the pee being on me (I've had quite enough animals to not care about this kind of thing) but I was wondering how bad rat pee smelled (wow, that's a silly question). Are people going to walk into my room (or by me) and think, "wow, it smells like pee in here" from the marking?

My mice are probably the worse smelling pets I've had but they aren't marking when they do it and they don't do it too often. Although they require having their cage cleaned about twice a week to remain pleasant.


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## Stace87

MissHinasaki said:


> Are people going to walk into my room (or by me) and think, "wow, it smells like pee in here" from the marking?


If the cage is cleaned frequently enough there shouldn't be any problems with smell and it's more likely for smell to be from them actually peeing and pooping, opposed to urine marking. Urine marking is never tons on you and can smell a little bit, but it's nothing anyone should notice. If you're concerned about it you can always wash your hands/areas marked, change clothes, etc.


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## maddy

i'm quite lucky in that both my girls have never pea'd on me
they've scent marked but i don't count that


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## teresaisaacs

both my girls scent mark, especially the back of my hands... violet will pin my hand down so she can mark my clean hand!!!! she will only do it if i have freshly washed my hands though!!!


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## thyme

My girls usually tend to mark my hands, arms, and feet. It doesn't really bother me anymore, I just keep a tissue handy. It doesn't really smell, and it's only a very small amount after all. As for actually peeing, they've done that a couple of times, but only if they've been out for a while, or have just woken up. I've found that if I pop them into the litter pan before I take them out they usually take care of their business. Or if all four of them are out running around on my bed or in the bathroom, I'll put their litter pan out with them so they can go in there no problem.


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## Drasar

Huuum....I was thinking that turnabout might be fair play...so maybe they will get the idea if I started marking them whenever they do it to me


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## Amelydia

lol my 2 ladies have been marking me since I got them. I able to mostly potty train them and I've only been seriously pee'd on 1-2 times and that was because I'd taken them out for a pretty long time. It used to be kinda gross but now I've learned to just keep a napkin or something in my room so I can wipe it all off.


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## Lea

Yes, I always have to have a paper towel with me to wipe off the constant dribbles. : But Coco always tries to run off with it, lol. I don't buy the idea that it is a compliment -- if it is, then I am apparently considered on the same level as the remote control or a book. :


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