RatPalace.com - Pet Rat Care and Discussion

Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:36 am

My parents say my room stinks. I say so too. The problem isx, the room smells disgusting the day after I clean it. I know they say you get used to it, but my parents won't and they are the ones who say if I can get any more rats or not.
Their main argument is "Your room already smells, you can't handle it" Soooo, Help!

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Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:47 am

How many do you have now?

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~~Dawn~~

Thu Dec 15, 2005 7:48 am

Only 2. I use eco-bedding.

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Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:31 am

I have 4. in a 1-BR 650 Square-foot apartment. clap

I got this stuff from a pet supply store in the rodent section called: Halthy Habitat.
It's 100% natural, "Effectively clans and elimnates strong odors in reptile and small animal environments. Safe for resptiles, hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits, etc. You can use it as a cleanser, but what's great about it-is you can use it on the cage even when the rats are in there!!! it is 100% sfae-it uses natural enzymes that break down organic waste. Biodegradeable, hypoallergenic. i love it-I find it really helps between cleanings. Just spary/mist it over the entire cage. I also use it to clean the cage too. I use carefresh now but have used yesterday's news too, and it works well on both. What's even better: it's made in Canada!! cheerleader

Here's the link: http://www.naturalchemistry.com/pet/StorePlus/Store/viewConsumerItems.asp?idProduct=101

Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:09 am

I would check with a few vets before buying that stuff. I can't find anything on that site about it being vet-approved, and they state that it has an added citrus scent.

Also, they don't answer concerned questions fully: http://www.naturalchemistry.com/pet/InfoPlus/IBViewItem.asp?ID=225

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:18 am

Have you got the full ingredients list?

I'm wary about spraying anything around my rats, regardless of what it is (unless it's plain water). It might be ok to spray in the cage, let it settle/dry and then replace the rats (though I wouldn't be convinced without knowing what's in it), but I'd be wary about spraying it while the rats are in the cage - they're respiratory systems can be incredibly delicate and sensitive.

amazing_tat - what kind of stink are you talking about - urine, poop, ratty musky smell or what?
I've heard that the eco-bedding isn't particularly absorbant or odor controlling, so you may want to consider perhaps mixing it with something more absorbant like YN to increase odor control and absorption, but keep costs down. How often are you changing the cage out?
Have you any wood products in the cage? Have you any solid plastic bottomed things like igloos, or solid shelves? Is urine puddling and going stinky very fast?
What kind of cage do you have - is it galvanised?
How often do you wash the cage, do you scrub the bars down, the shelves (top and bottom) and all the contents? How often do you change out hammocks and the like?
Do you have a "storage" bag in your room for dirty rat laundry? (That caught me out once - I couldn't imagine why the room smelled so bad, then I figured it was the bag for collecting rat laundry Yuck

)
Does your room have any fresh air flow, or is it sealed?
Have you thoroughly wiped down any surfaces, walls, and washed any bedding or blankies they play/pee on?

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:06 pm

What LW said --- and ditto on the rat laundry. I change out Eugene's hammocks every other day (because he insists on peeing in them) and leave them in the laundry to be cleaned. This morning, when I came home from working out, I noticed a stanky smell in my apartment. I don't think it was Eugene's cage, but I do think it was his laundry (which has been sitting for awhile). I never thought it could smell that much.

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Lydelia and the Critters
... and now they are five Mr. Green

Kitties: Miss Kitty, Catbot
Ratties: Eugenuis, Ralph and Elliott
RIP Oliver -- We love you and we'll miss you!!! Cry

Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:20 am

Have you any wood products in the cage? Have you any solid plastic bottomed things like igloos, or solid shelves?I have a igloo without a bottom and solid shelves, but I wipe them down every day. Is urine puddling and going stinky very fast? No, not really
What kind of cage do you have - is it galvanised?No, it's a powder-coated SuperPetz
How often do you wash the cage, do you scrub the bars down, the shelves (top and bottom) and all the contents?I dump twice a week, and try to scrub 2 times a month How often do you change out hammocks and the like?I usually do every 3 days, but they just chewed down one of them
Do you have a "storage" bag in your room for dirty rat laundry?No
Does your room have any fresh air flow, or is it sealed?I have 2 windows, and leave them open at night to let air flow through, but it is freezing so not in the day
Have you thoroughly wiped down any surfaces, walls, and washed any bedding or blankies they play/pee on?Yeah

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Fri Dec 16, 2005 4:26 am

My mom and dad says my room smells too much too...and it doesn't even smell that much!! That's why I can't have more than two rats... Sad

Anyway, I use Tap-A-Drop, which you can get from Kim's Ark, and it works pretty well on odors. Good luck Sara!!

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EMILY-------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace, Violet and Isadora. <3

Fri Dec 16, 2005 6:33 am

I found some sani-chips! Well, kinda. I am going to contact PJ Murphy to see where I can get it. Are those as good as Harlan Teklad?

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Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:06 am

I have heard that they are great for odor control, but whenever I see them they are insanely expensive.

Have you tried Yesterdays News? It works great for me.

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Sat Dec 17, 2005 2:34 am

I use YN in the litter box, so that's out of the question. These sani-chips are PJ Murphy, so they aren't the ones at Petsmart. They come in big bags.

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Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:14 am

*interjecting* Just an FYI that the citrus-stuff that was poitned out above is NOT the smae stuff as I use. The citrus stuff is a de-flea product. Shocked

I wouldn't use that on my rats. Just wanted to clarify b/c I don't want anyone here to think i would use something unsafe on my rats. Good Vibes

Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:06 am

	Houdini wrote:
	interjecting Just an FYI that the citrus-stuff that was poitned out above is NOT the smae stuff as I use. The citrus stuff is a de-flea product. I wouldn't use that on my rats. Just wanted to clarify b/c I don't want anyone here to think i would use something unsafe on my rats.

http://www.naturalchemistry.com/pet/InfoPlus/IBViewItem.asp?ID=152

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Sat Dec 17, 2005 2:38 pm

hmm.. what kind of bedding do you use?
I noticed that when I use carefresh, it gets stinky pretty fast. But with Yesterdays news, it doesn't get smelly. X3

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Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:11 pm

I already said I use eco-bedding.

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Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:09 am

	Quote:
	Houdini wrote: interjecting Just an FYI that the citrus-stuff that was poitned out above is NOT the smae stuff as I use. The citrus stuff is a de-flea product. I wouldn't use that on my rats. Just wanted to clarify b/c I don't want anyone here to think i would use something unsafe on my rats. http://www.naturalchemistry.com/pet/Inf ... asp?ID=152

Hmmm...well then Itake it back...it doesn't smell like citrus at allthought, so there can't be much in it and they seem fine with it so far (note that I use it mostly for cleaning). I will ask my vet about it...

Also-I have switched back and forth between yesterday's news and carefresh...I don't notice a difference between smelly-ness, but the rats do seem to like the carefresh better (they seem to spend more itme on the ground with it). I find I need to wipe down the shelving every day with a baby-wipe (all natural) and change the hammocks every 2 days or so, bedding every 3-4 days.

Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:17 am

I had read somewhere on that site that some people put it in their pets' drinking water. Bad idea, IMO. At least, not until they start disclosing all of their ingredients.

Perhaps you got some before they started adding the citrus scent?

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:55 pm

What kind of floor do you have? I found that with wood in my old house, and with carpet and cement in the new house, my room smelled horribly. NOw I have linolium down, and everything smells much better.

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Thu Dec 22, 2005 5:53 am

I agree... even just the little bits that they kick out of their cage onto the carpet start to stink horrible. Plus I'm sure the girls pee on the carpet too and I just can't tell.

I now vacuum weekly, but the trick is before vacuuming I use Fresh Scent Baking Powder. Sprinkle the baking powder on the floor and let it sit. Then vacuum it all up as you vacuum. The room keeps a fresh smell for a couple of days even, which is a huge accomplishment when you have rats.

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Lise...

& Molly, Nora, and Tevy

Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:00 am

I am not going to let my rats on the floor.
We have a pool table that I cover with a blanket.
In fact I wont use the blanket anymore now that I bought
a fabric water resistant shower curtain.

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~~Dawn~~

Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:04 am

Heheh. Its good that you have a pool table Dawn.

Every since my rats learned that there IS a floor that they can explore, they will not stay on a bed, on the couch, or anything. They head straight for the floor. My rats are even crazy enough to try diving off of the kitchen table.

Sigh.

The days when I could just sit on the couch and have them run around and explore the couch only were so nice....

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Lise...

& Molly, Nora, and Tevy

Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:09 am

Ya, maybe they wont stay on it....but it is a large table and I will be able to do cool play things with them.
What seems to work about it is that the kids can all stand around it.....so everyone gets a turn because the rats have to go meet everyone. (granted we have only used the pool table twice so far, but it seems perfect.

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~~Dawn~~

Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:31 am

A pool table would probably work great! It is high, so ratties probably wont try to jump down, and like you said, all your kids can see the boys

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Rosie

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I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:25 am

I put them on my bed, and some litter gets kicked out. The smell has gone down a bunch, I put a layer of YN under the eco-bedding and ouila! barely any smell for half a week1

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