How to potty train a rat

Many owners wonder how to toilet train a rat. The arrangement of a special place for the tray will allow you to change the filler less often, and simplify the cleaning of the cage. Animals themselves avoid contact with contaminated wet bedding, so they are at less risk of disease. Decorative rats are distinguished by a developed intellect, they lend themselves well to training, so they are easy enough to train to go to the tray.

Teaching methods

Rats are clean animals, so they usually choose a permanent place to relieve themselves (most often this is the corner of the cage). The owner can only put a special plastic or ceramic container there, which can be bought at a pet store. You can also make your own toilet for a rat – just take a small container with sides made of plastic or other washable material. In order not to scare away the rat with an unfamiliar smell, a little used filler should be added to the new toilet. At first, you need to watch the animal, encouraging each use of the tray for its intended purpose with the help of a treat.

It happens that the animal goes to the toilet every time in a new place. Even in this case, it is possible to accustom a rat to a tray if you have patience:

1. Before installing the toilet, the filler is removed from the cage – you can replace it with cloth or paper).
2. The cage space is thoroughly washed and disinfected to remove the odor.
3. A mixture of new and used filler is poured into the toilet container.
4. The animal is launched into the cage, immediately directed to the tray – if the rat uses the toilet, give her a treat.

The next days you will have to follow the animal, put it on the tray and do not forget to encourage. Thanks to their ingenuity, even adult domestic rats memorize new rules quite quickly. To facilitate the addiction process, you can additionally use special sprays for toilet training.

Filler

An important factor is also the filling of the tray. If the training was successful, you can use the same material that serves as the main bedding in the cage – for example, sawdust. You can also use specially designed – mineral, cellulose or corn. Such fillers are available in the form of granules that quickly absorb liquid and eliminate the appearance of a pungent odor. Tray training and the use of a special filler will make caring for the animal quick and easy.