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If you’ve only recently bought a pet rat, you may have noticed that he/she dribbled some urine on your hand when being handled. This can be very disgusting at first, but there is actually a very logical explanation behind this type of behavior and once you understand why it happens, you will be able to implement many things that will help to prevent this from happening again in the future.
So, How To Stop Your Pet Rat From Peeing On You? You can prevent your pet rat from urinating on you by introducing them slowly and gently to your household, not holding them too tightly, not picking them up when they are in a deep sleep, adding a litter box and “pee rock” to their cage, and in some cases, neutering them.
Apart from wondering why pet rats urinate so much and how you can prevent this, you may also wonder how often and how much pet rats urinate, what color pet rat urine should be, if pet rat urine is dangerous and how you can set up your pet rat’s cage so that it smells fresh for longer and that it is much easier to clean?
If yes, then make sure to read on as I’ll be going into depth on each of these questions so that you will be able to better understand your critter’s strange behavior and that you can find a way to make it work for both of you.
How To Stop Pet Rats From Peeing Everywhere?
First of all, it is impossible to completely get rid of urine marking in rats due to their strong instinctive nature. However, rats are very intelligent and respond well to positive feedback.
Here are a couple of things that you can consider to help reduce the chances of your rat peeing everywhere:
Adjust their environment
Rats have sharp noses and do not like the scent of unknown animals or strange rats in their territory, so either make sure they get used to your other pets or if this seems too dangerous, then rather keep these pets away from your pet rats to try and reduce their likelihood to try and mark everything.
Neutering
Neutering your pet rat has its pros and cons and it is important to do your own proper research so that you can feel confident in your choice. There are mixed results with regards to whether or not neutering helps to eliminate or at least reduce urine marking, but it won’t typically eradicate the problem completely.
Male marking is influenced to a certain degree by testosterone as a dominant male will mark more when they smell a female on heat nearby. So neutered male rats tend to mark less than intact male rats.
Litter Box training
The most effective way to stop your rat from peeing everywhere is to litter train them. Rats are extremely intelligent and will quickly learn through repetition.
When first introducing your pet rat to its cage, it will most probably choose a specific area or corner of the cage to use as a bathroom. You can utilize this behavior to encourage the rat to use a distinct litter box as a bathroom instead by placing the litter box on that same spot. The earlier rats are introduced to litterbox training the better they will adhere to the idea.
It is important to fill the litterbox with different contents to their bedding on the cage floor in order to differentiate the area, as this will help the rats identify their new “bathroom”. You may also add some fecal balls into the fresh litterbox so that the rat can realize that this will now be the new appropriate place to waste in.
Your pet rat may not get this at first and may continue to soil in different areas for a couple of weeks. But if you consistently tidy their cage every day by transferring all soiled material into the litterbox, they will eventually get the message.
Here are a couple of suggestions on types of material that you can use as litter:
- Shredded paper: There are a few different varieties to choose from with most of them being 100% recyclable and dust-free, but you will have to change it frequently at it does tend to turn to mush when wet.
- Pellet bedding: These are made from 100% recycled paper, fiber, or compressed kiln-dried wood fibers which will expand and absorb upon exposure to moisture.
- Cloth: If you or your pet rats show any allergic reaction to other types of bedding, then you might want to try to use pieces of cloth that do not easily unweave as this can cause injury if caught on your rat. Remember to use hypoallergenic laundry detergent when washing any cloth bedding and give it an additional rinse to ensure that all the cleaners have been removed for good.
NB! Do Not use cat litter for your rat litterbox as this is too dusty and scented and may cause severe respiratory problems to your rat!
Add a “Pee Rock”
Pee rocks are litterbox accessories that help encourage marking, therefore encouraging pet rats to conduct their business wherever the rocks are placed. The rock stands out from the litterbox and therefore draws their attention to deposit their markings during each litterbox visit.
A pee rock should ideally be about one-third of the size of your rat and have a flat, smooth surface. Only add this rock after the litterbox has been used a couple of times.
Why Do Pet Rats Pee Everywhere?
It is quite normal for your pet rat to mark areas with small droplets of pee, but sometimes this can be problematic and become a cause of concern. It is important to first understand the difference between the causes of urination (“peeing”) and urine marking (“pee marking”).
Causes of urine marking in rats
If you see small droplets of pee or trails of dribbles, don’t worry too much, as this quite a common behavior trait for pet rats in which they try to mark their surroundings.
Urine marking is an evolutionary instinct that pet rats inherited from their wild counterparts through which they exchange information with other rats, which mainly include: Species, Age, Sex, Health, Social and Reproductive Status, Territory and Ownership rights, and even stress levels.
Male rats tend to mark more when they smell female rats, and female rats tend to mark more the night before they go into heat (roundabout every 4 days).
Rats also mark simply because they like things to smell like them as this may comfort them and help them to become familiar with a certain area. They will likely mark a new object that was placed in their cage as well as when it gets moved around.
Pet rats have poor eyesight but extremely sharp noses, so they use marking to help them navigate where they are going by following the scent of the urine trail.
Note that urine marking is not a result of incontinence or unwillingness to use their cage or litterbox.
Causes of urination in rats
A rat that is frightened, nervous, anxious, or in pain may urinate larger amounts which will appear as puddles of urine outside their cage. Unless a rat is abruptly woken up from a deep sleep with a full bladder, they usually won’t urinate in large puddles without proper reason.
If you see that your pet rat is anxious, be sure to comfort him by placing him back in his cage or providing him with a safe zone away from any possible danger.
Why does my pet rat urinate when he is playing?
Rats that are peeing when playing is displaying typical marking behavior which is rather common in especially male rats. This urine marking does tend to be only small amounts, but the smell could warrant proper precautions, such as putting a towel on the floor when playing with the rats.
This kind of behavior is more often seen during the teenage phase of a rat’s life (between the ages of 6 and 12 months) and does typically decrease after the rat is neutered.
Why does my pet rat pee on me?
There may be one of three reasons why your pet rat will urinate on you:
- Your pet rat really needs to actually pee.
- Your pet rat is marking you as part of their territory.
- Your pet rat is anxious, nervous, or stressed out.
Start learning your rat’s cues on when he needs to urinate and do not force him to play with you if he repeatedly tries to get off of you. Keep paper towels close by for them to use as litter boxes and place them on these towels every 30 minutes to see if they need to empty their bladders. If they dribble small amounts of urine on you, immediately remove them and place them in their litter boxes.
If you have a very young rat that has only recently been introduced to your home, he may simply still be uncomfortable in your presence and may not yet be used to the idea of being held by his owner. Focus on the way you approach and hold them. Use a treat to lure them towards you, but only pick them up if they seem open to it. Never force yourself onto your pet rat and do not hold them too tightly.
Rats are smart and will quickly learn that it is not okay to urinate on their hooman, but it is important to be strict with these rules and apply them consistently so the rat does not get confused.
Why do pet rats pee on food?
Rats are able to eat a large variety of different food types, but there are certain things that can kill them if they are not careful due to their inability to vomit.
Rats thus developed the instinct to first take small bites of new food, wait a while to see if it makes them sick, and if nothing happens, they will mark that specific food type to signal to their future selves and others that it is safe to eat.
Young, inexperienced rats like to make use of this strategy to eat only at sites that were marked safe by older rats. Rats do not, however, appear to mark bad or poisonous foods with an aversive signal that keeps other rats away.
Why do pet rats pee on each other?
Female rats tend to mark the males they like most with more urine than those they don’t like. These are typically the most aggressive males who have the highest levels of testosterone, as they reckon that these males will make better mates due to having higher fecundity rates than nonaggressive, low testosterone males.
Juvenile rats also tend to mark older rats in order to prevent attacks from these adult males, but this decreases as young male rats approach puberty due to the increase in social tension between the adolescent and adult male.
A dominant male rat will mark subordinates almost three times more than they mark him, due to the alpha rat’s ability to crawl over his subordinates when displaying dominance.
How Often And How Much Do Pet Rats Urinate?
Depending on the situation, rats could pee every few minutes, which may give the idea that they are incontinent. But contrary to popular belief, rats can control their bladder and are well aware of how much and how often they pee.
A big, full bladder might produce a tablespoon or two worth of urine, but this is only really seen after a nice long nap.
They tend to dribble small amounts of urine everywhere and this is mostly seen when they are in new, uncharted territory or when a new cage mate or object is introduced.
What color should rat pee be?
Rat urine, similar to human urine, can vary in color. Under normal circumstances, the urine of a rat that is healthy and active and who drinks a lot of water will have a light yellow color.
Older, dehydrated rats may have darker urine and this could indicate potential disease and should be investigated by a vet sooner rather than later.
If your pet rat’s urine is cloudy and has a horrible, fishy odor, your rat is most likely suffering from a urinary tract infection and will require veterinary attention and appropriate antibiotics as if left untreated, the condition can become worse and claim your pet’s life.
If you notice any red urine, this should be very alarming as it may indicate that there is either an injury to the rat’s genitalia due to playing or fighting or more serious, damage to the urinary tract which may include the kidneys all the way through to the bladder. If your rat’s urine continues to be red and bloody for more than 60 minutes then he will definitely require immediate veterinary attention.
Is Pet Rat Pee Dangerous?
Pet rat urine should, for the most part, not pose any health hazard risks, but this is only if your rat is healthy, well taken care of, and cleaned regularly.
But any urine, or feces, has the potential to carry viruses and bacteria and can make you sick when ingested. So always wash your hands thoroughly after your rat has peed on you and after you played with your rat. Do not cross-contaminate towels and items that your rat may have peed on and only use specific towels around your rat that are cleaned thoroughly and regularly.
If you ever suspect that your pet rat may be ill, make sure to contact your veterinarian immediately as he/she will be able to advise the appropriate next course of action.
How To Keep Your Pet Rat Cage Smelling Fresh?
By having a proper setup, it will only take you about 5 minutes a day to keep your pet rat’s cage clean and fresh and about 1 hour every seven to ten days to give it a decent scrub.
Daily cleaning routine
Fresh rat urine does not smell, but if left overnight ammonia will develop and start to build up, which does have a distinct bad odor and can become a risk to your rat’s respiratory health.
This is why it is really important to wipe down surfaces where urine can accumulate every day. Soak heavy-duty paper towels in diluted white vinegar and use these wipes to clean the cage daily, both on the floors and the wall.
Setting up a cage to make daily cleaning easier
Your pet rat will likely mess in and around its cage, so make sure to add urine and litter guards such as plastic protectors on your carpet or on the piece of furniture that the cage will be placed on and wipe these clean every day.
If you have a multi-level rat cage of which the levels comprise of wire shelves, they do tend to get dirty very quickly when rats urinate at the top and the urine travels down to the bottom. And having an exercise wheel on the bottom of the cage can easily become a source of odor accumulation which can make things more challenging as it is not something that is easy to clean.
What you can try is to wrap the different levels in puppy pee pads, clip the levels with fleece linings, removing the levels and replacing them with hammocks, or going full DIY and installing solid levels.
How often should a pet rat cage be cleaned?
The best will be to fully clean the whole cage at least once a week with spot cleaning the cage several times during the course of the week.
Pull out the shelves, toys, and cage bottom, soak them properly in vinegar and add bleach to disinfect it. Wash all the bedding, including rags and hammocks in a tub of diluted white vinegar, and then run it through the laundry machine. Make sure everything is rinsed well and totally dry before putting your rats back into the cage.
Try to adhere to a consistent cleaning schedule to prevent any foul smells to build up in your pet’s home and to help make your rat used to the routine so that they don’t get frightened every time you try and clean the cage.
Conclusion
Having pet rats who take part in urine marking is kind of part of the experience of owning pet rats. This is not really supposed to lead to foul smells as long as the pet owner is diligent enough to keep the cage and assorted accessories clean.
And by implementing the above strategies, you should be able to train your pet rat in no time to reduce the chances of these incidents happening.
