7 replies to this topic

[LaughyTaffy42]

Hey! So, in the process of trying to get Rats, the question of smell has come up.

 

Originally, I wanted to shoot for using fleece, but- does it smell more than normal bedding?

What is the best kind of bedding (Aspen, recycled paper etc) 

Also, do rat cages smell? Like even if you spot clean daily?

 

Any tips on keeping cages clean?

[MerryBB]

 

 

I found this thread from 2016 with some more input that you might find helpful, as we don't have an abundance of rat owners here to answer

[Sparrow]

Hey! So, in the process of trying to get Rats, the question of smell has come up.
 
Originally, I wanted to shoot for using fleece, but- does it smell more than normal bedding?
What is the best kind of bedding (Aspen, recycled paper etc) 
Also, do rat cages smell? Like even if you spot clean daily?
 
Any tips on keeping cages clean?

I'm no expert on rats, so please take what I say with a grain of salt!

I've had Guinea pigs and rabbits on both fleece and bedding before, as well as hemp floor at one point. As far as smell goes, the fleece was by far the worst. It needed full daily cleans or every second day of every day was not possible. If you wait more than that, you're going to get overwhelmed with the cleaning.

Spot cleaning fleece had to be done two to three times a day if I was not doing a full clean that day.

Fleece has no odour control, so the urine smell can become very strong very quickly. As far as I know, rats urinate frequently and everywhere, so be prepared for the fleece being soaked quickly.

I started off with fleece in my C&C cage for my Guinea pigs and outdoor hutch part for the rabbits. I lasted about 4 months before switching to bedding. It was the best decision I've ever made and stuck to it for the longest time now! The only parts that do not have bedding is the main floor area that is covered with hemp flooring.

If you don't want to use bedding, as it can be very messy, but decide not to use fleece, I would highly recommend the hemp flooring! It's reasonably good for odour control, soft and absorbant. You can also go a few days without changing it out and spot cleaning is as easy as just sweeping up the poops.

Fleece is good if the rats are already litter trained, but that can take a long time to teach. Some rats just simply prefer to urinate everywhere though and don't care much for the litter box.

[Taxonomist]

I'm not too much of an expert on smell.  I've never had issues...but that's largely because our apartment is very open-plan.  Our cage isn't in a small, enclosed room like most are.  I don't smell the rat cage unless I'm literally leaning inside of it.  I'm sitting about 5 feet from it as I type this and can't smell a thing.

 

That said, fleece is not the best for odor control.  

 

Now, because I haven't seen this mentioned, I'd like to make it very, very clear - fleece is not meant to be used by itself.  Using just fleece is going to make odors 1000x worse.  It has to be used with an absorbent under layer.  The whole idea behind fleece is that the urine passes through it (so the top of the fleece stays dry), and is absorbed by the layer underneath.  I like U-haul pads for this, but you can also use newspaper or towels (if the rats aren't shredders).

 

Traditional loose bedding is going to be better for odors...but there is a trade-off here.  It's not like hamsters where you can leave the bedding in for months and months on end.  The bedding is going to have to be changed several times a week.  Which means you go through a fair amount of bedding.  I use EcoBedding crinkles for the bottom half of my DCN, which runs $15 for a bag.  I use half the bag each time I clean.  I can get away with once a week, but ONLY because my rats spend 70% of their time on the top half, and don't really go potty down the bottom at all.

 

I like EcoBedding because it seems to control odors well, and has basically no dust at all.

 

Cleaning tips:

 

1) Use a really good, absorbent paper pellet litter.

 

2) Wipe down hard surfaces often (bare shelves, bars).  These are repositories for odor.

 

3) Do at least some cleaning every day.

[PoptartShop]

I don't have rats, so I may not be of much help...but I have guinea pigs, & I use fleece instead of bedding.

What helps with the smell is daily cleaning of course (GP's poop a LOT) but I put puppy pads on the bottom of the cage, then on top of that I put a towel, then the fleece. I wouldn't use fleece by itself, no.

 

You have to wick the fleece first so it absorbs, I usually wash it a few times then it's good to go.

I get my fleece at Walmart for like $2.50 & cut it to the size of the cage. Pretty cheap and lasts long, all you gotta do is shake it out and wash it each cleaning. 

[LaughyTaffy42]

I'm not too much of an expert on smell.  I've never had issues...but that's largely because our apartment is very open-plan.  Our cage isn't in a small, enclosed room like most are.  I don't smell the rat cage unless I'm literally leaning inside of it.  I'm sitting about 5 feet from it as I type this and can't smell a thing.

 

That said, fleece is not the best for odor control.  

 

Now, because I haven't seen this mentioned, I'd like to make it very, very clear - fleece is not meant to be used by itself.  Using just fleece is going to make odors 1000x worse.  It has to be used with an absorbent under layer.  The whole idea behind fleece is that the urine passes through it (so the top of the fleece stays dry), and is absorbed by the layer underneath.  I like U-haul pads for this, but you can also use newspaper or towels (if the rats aren't shredders).

 

Traditional loose bedding is going to be better for odors...but there is a trade-off here.  It's not like hamsters where you can leave the bedding in for months and months on end.  The bedding is going to have to be changed several times a week.  Which means you go through a fair amount of bedding.  I use EcoBedding crinkles for the bottom half of my DCN, which runs $15 for a bag.  I use half the bag each time I clean.  I can get away with once a week, but ONLY because my rats spend 70% of their time on the top half, and don't really go potty down the bottom at all.

 

I like EcoBedding because it seems to control odors well, and has basically no dust at all.

 

Cleaning tips:

 

1) Use a really good, absorbent paper pellet litter.

 

2) Wipe down hard surfaces often (bare shelves, bars).  These are repositories for odor.

 

3) Do at least some cleaning every day.

Thanks! 

Do you think fleece with absorbent layers is okay at odor control? Or are other beddings better?

Also, last question, is it okay to use aspen? 

BONUS QUESTION- Do you think that If I am allergic to CareFresh paper beddings, I'd be allergic to paper pellets? Or crinkled paper?

Do you have a personal favorite bedding?

[Mandematos]

Hey! So, in the process of trying to get Rats, the question of smell has come up.
 
Originally, I wanted to shoot for using fleece, but- does it smell more than normal bedding?
What is the best kind of bedding (Aspen, recycled paper etc) 
Also, do rat cages smell? Like even if you spot clean daily?
 
Any tips on keeping cages clean?

In my opinion and experience, yes, they are stinky boys. Much like ferrets.

I preferred using unscented recycled newspaper cat litter for betting in the bottom level, they had a litter box with sand which helped. But they loved to pee and scent mark e v e r y w h e r e. With daily spot cleaning you can control it but the smell of rats reminds me of stinky dogs lol.

If I could do it again, I would probably opt for the largest cage available to me in hopes that a larger enclosure would host less of a concentrated smell. I would also probably go with males as I found females scent marked with urine much more than my males. They even will scent mark you as they sit on and crawl on you.

All in all, I think attentive spot cleaning should be fine and using odor eliminating products like vinegar to wipe hard surfaces daily.

The next time I have rats I definitely won't be using fleece on the floors of the cage as they just soil them all immediately. I always wondered how other folks got away with that.

Also, bathing your rats helps them not be stinky! Mine looooved to swim and when they heard the bath running they would get super pumped and think it was for them, waiting by their cage door to see if I would come and get them and basically jumped into the water before I could let them in properly.

Good luck!

[Mandematos]

Oh, and, as someone who is asthmatic my best advice when dealing with substrates you may be allergic to is to wear a painter's face mask while doing cage cleaning. It works wonders.