# Why do my rats sleep in their litter boxes?



## Bomileloed

I have a ferret corner litter box and a cat litter box.. I use litter.. and still my rats sleep in them. I have their ladders leading into the litter boxes but they will even sleep behind the ladder @[email protected] They have tons and tons of sleeping hide aways... just why ; ;


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## Little-Fizz

I have a huge litter box for rabbits and ferrets, my girls poop in that one. But then I have a little john (lol) and it's for mice and hamsters, they push all the litter out of the little one and then sleep in it. I gave up on putting litter in it, it's now a suspended rat bed. Do they poop in their litter box?


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## Bomileloed

Little-Fizz said:


> I have a huge litter box for rabbits and ferrets, my girls poop in that one. But then I have a little john (lol) and it's for mice and hamsters, they push all the litter out of the little one and then sleep in it. I gave up on putting litter in it, it's now a suspended rat bed. Do they poop in their litter box?


Yeah they are litter trained and poop and potty in it.. I even had to give Edward a bath because he had poop on the back of his coat and I didn't want him licking it off in a cleaning session >< It's so frustrating lol


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## Little-Fizz

That is really weird, maybe try getting them one for sleep and one for potty? Just don't put litter in the sleep one?


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## Bomileloed

Little-Fizz said:


> That is really weird, maybe try getting them one for sleep and one for potty? Just don't put litter in the sleep one?


Yeah I have been looking at the corner litter boxes with wires over them: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752717&lmdn=Small+Pet

But then I wouldn't be able to put their ladders into them x.x


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## Little-Fizz

Bomileloed said:


> But then I wouldn't be able to put their ladders into them x.x


Haha, do they like to go to the bathroom at the bottom of the latter or something? That's where my girls went but then once I got the FN and put the bigger litter pan in... I didn't even train them to use it... they just did :-\ 

That litter pan may be your best bet though, only because I have no idea how to make them not do that.


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## Bomileloed

Little-Fizz said:


> Bomileloed said:
> 
> 
> 
> But then I wouldn't be able to put their ladders into them x.x
> 
> 
> 
> Haha, do they like to go to the bathroom at the bottom of the latter or something? That's where my girls went but then once I got the FN and put the bigger litter pan in... I didn't even train them to use it... they just did :-\
> 
> That litter pan may be your best bet though, only because I have no idea how to make them not do that.
Click to expand...

I've noticed that the rats poo and potty in their boxes the most when they are at the bottom of their ladders. I moved their top litter box to the side and they just ended up pooping anywhere and sleeping in it lol I have the FN too maybe they're just high maintenance lol


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## Lea

I found our pretty quickly that they like to go under the ladder, then I noticed in all the pictures that everyone has a litterbox under all the ladders, LOL. 

Mine don't sleep in their litterboxes, probably because I use the Yesterday's News litter, which is hard and so I doubt it would be very comfy. Before that I was using the Critter Litter, which is also hard pellets.


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## Bomileloed

Lea said:


> I found our pretty quickly that they like to go under the ladder, then I noticed in all the pictures that everyone has a litterbox under all the ladders, LOL.
> 
> Mine don't sleep in their litterboxes, probably because I use the Yesterday's News litter, which is hard and so I doubt it would be very comfy. Before that I was using the Critter Litter, which is also hard pellets.


That's a good idea, I use a ferret pellet litter type, I'll search around for something harder that won't hurt them but they won't sleep in


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## Little-Fizz

Lea said:


> I found our pretty quickly that they like to go under the ladder, then I noticed in all the pictures that everyone has a litterbox under all the ladders, LOL.
> 
> Mine don't sleep in their litterboxes, probably because I use the Yesterday's News litter, which is hard and so I doubt it would be very comfy. Before that I was using the Critter Litter, which is also hard pellets.


I use that litter as well! it's awesome!! I love the rockin grandma on the bag lol.


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## notscaredtodance

I use washcloths to line tupperware (the lunch sandwich container size) and they have started sleeping in one of them, but just one. I thought it was because I moved my girls to a new cage that was bigger, and they don't really know how to adjust to the size.

Did you recently move yours?


I'm actually concerned about my own girls, because they don't just poop, they pee in their litter boxes, and I'm worried about them inhaling it while they're sleeping and getting sick from it.


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## Stace87

I doubt a harder litter will make the slightest bit of difference - rats will sleep anywhere regardless. 

I tried a litter box when I first got rats, but gave up as they just kicked the litter out to sleep in the litter box.


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## Crasher

Ha, I think they just have a penchant for sleeping places that look uncomfortable to us humans. For instance when I got my two the only soft thing they had to lay on (aside from shavings) was a teeny cat-bed looking thing. So I go get fleece and cover the levels, sew up a cube and where do I see them sleep? On top of a wooden hide. ^_^ I second the wire insert for the corner litter pan, I've got that and they don't sleep in it. At least that I've seen.


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## Lea

Stace87 said:


> I doubt a harder litter will make the slightest bit of difference - rats will sleep anywhere regardless.


Yeah, I was just guessing that is the reason why mine don't sleep in it. It might be worth a try, though. 

Mine do, however, sometimes EAT in the litter box :, usually when running off with a treat to get away from the others. Yuck!


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## adoraluna

Stace87 said:


> I tried a litter box when I first got rats, but gave up as they just kicked the litter out to sleep in the litter box.


The girls kick the litter out of their box, but they don't sleep in it. They use it more as a digging box. No matter how often I put the little raisins in it.


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## Bomileloed

I went out and bought the wire one and they sleep on it.. but not in their poo lol And I totally agree.. they sleep anywhere that isn't meant to be slept in or on XD


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## mghemm437

Well, I'm about to bring back a really old thread, but oh well, haha. My new rats sleep in their litter box as well, even though they have hammocks and hide boxes. There are two pee rocks in the litter box, too. Doesn't matter to them, they'll sleep on top of those too. The two of them have a single CN all to themselves, and the litter box is in the back corner under the shelf, so maybe they like it so much because its sheltered? They are starting to smell like pee, though, after only a day and a half.


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