Litter Box Train your Rats!

I have an organic resistance to keeping a domesticated animal companion in a cage for his life. And yet, I have an equal resistance to fecal matter all over my home. When I got Ick! I intended to make life as free for him as possible. I inquired and was told they can't be housebroken. I did it anyhow and here's how:

I use Hartz Ph5 clay cat litter. You can't use clumping litter. Sometimes they nibble on the clay and you don't want it clumping in their mouths.

You have to sift the litter. Even if it says 100% dust free. I found a window screen in the trash and I put it over the garbage can to sift. I lose TONS in dust. Sift that litter or the dust will kill your rats: no shortcuts.

I use a small, shallow metal baking pan as the litter box. Put some litter in it. Then put a few drops of ammonia on the litter. Then go find some rat raisins and put that in the litter. Put the box in the bottom of the cage.

When you see them using it, lots of praise. When you see them pooping somewhere else, say, "NONONO!" pick them up and toss them in the box. If they poop outside of the box and you don't catch them, don't bother correcting them: just pick up the poops and put them in the litterbox. Often, rats want to poop or pee right after they wake up. So if you wake them up to play with them, first put them in the box for awhile.

Oh, life is nice sometimes. The first time you visit the cage and see fresh raisins on top of that litter, your heart will leap for joy, I promise you. The first time you see them use that box, you will glow with ratty love, pure and strong. The first time your rats are playing and they race back to the cage just to poop, you will feel as proud as if they just got accepted to Harvard. That cage will stay so much cleaner. And things will be so much easier for you: every morning you just scoop the poops and the big wet spots with a plastic soup spoon. Add fresh litter whenever.

I even have a little travel litter box: when I take them to work, they will generally sleep all day. But they will wake up and walk over to use their litterbox

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