[MagicalLobster]

So here's the deal. I have four lovely male rats who like to make their cage smell horrendous. It smells so bad that I don't even like going in my room sometimes. I've tried numerous times to make them use a litterbox, it just doesn't happen. The other day I completely deep cleaned their cage and within a two days they had it smelling nice and vibrant again. :roll: Does anyone have any ideas for how to keep the smell off? The problem that I can see is that they are peeing on the cage wire, thus making it smell so bad. Grrrr...anyone have any solutions?

P.S. The rats themselves actually smell sort of pleasing. However, I'm always afraid one of them died whenever I go in there because it smells like a dead rat in my room. :?

 

[Forensic]

Is your wire galvanized or coated? Are they peeing on the walls, carpet, furniture, etc? What are you using as bedding?

 

[MagicalLobster]

Currently the wire is...or was coated until they decided they were having none of that. (They just tore the towel off the wire and nestled in it.... :/ )The aren't causing anything to the walls or carpet and aren't too bad of chewers. I currently use aspen but usually I use carefresh.

 

[Forensic]

I meant like powder coating or vinyl coating or somesuch... And they may be peeing through the bars without you noticing...

 

[Lesath]

Try getting some baby wipes and wiping the bars of the cage down everyday. My boys never have odor problems, but I replace the towels in their cage everyday, clean the litterboxes everyday, and do a complete spray down of the cage once a week. Vinegar and Peroxide are some of the best urine fighters I've ever seen!! I've even started using it instead of fabric softener for my own clothing.

 

[MagicalLobster]

Try getting some baby wipes and wiping the bars of the cage down everyday. My boys never have odor problems, but I replace the towels in their cage everyday, clean the litterboxes everyday, and do a complete spray down of the cage once a week. Vinegar and Peroxide are some of the best urine fighters I've ever seen!! I've even started using it instead of fabric softener for my own clothing.

Thanks, I'll try that.

Oh, and forensic, I'm almost positive they're peeing on the bars without me noticing. :wink:

 

[OnlyOno]

picasso likes to pee in the top corner of her wire cage and plenty of it runs down the side of her cage and ends up on the table that the cage sits on. awesome, no really.

are the wires of the cage itself plain steel or are they painted? plain steel wires (galvanized) hold the urine smell indefinitely and the only solution is a new cage.