litter training-chapter 2

[jen50schick]

Alright, I've added 3 litter pans to the boys' cage and I'm still having some troubles getting them to actually "go" in the boxes.  I am using "Yesterday's News" (which they have stopped eating  ) and they are still going everywhere else but the litterboxes.  I have put some of their "raisins" in the boxes as well and it doesn't seem to matter.  All of the boxes are in areas that they usually use the potty anyway.  Is there anything else I could be doing?

Jen and the ratpack

[jen50schick]

anybody?   :huh:

[Sunilata]

I think that some rats can't (or rather, just refuse to) be littertrained.

[Sugarfoxx]

Do you still have litter down elsewhere or just in the litter pans?

If  you do, I would pick up all litter leaving just the litter pans for them....see if that helps.   When you do that, its a pain because you should try to wipe up after them all the time if they go on the bare floor.   Mine would pooh or pee in corners on the bare floor so I cleaned it up so there was no traces of it.....after a while it worked.

My baby dumbos are being boogers about it though.   They are little pigs.  they will pee in their beds and sleep right in the soaked and wet paper towels etc...and they get all stinky and nasty!  BRATS!

[Rosies_Mom]

Is there anything else I could be doing?

Hold them over the litterbox and squeeze??

[Sunilata]

Is there anything else I could be doing?

Hold them over the litterbox and squeeze??

\

 

[rattiefan]

Is there anything else I could be doing?

Hold them over the litterbox and squeeze??

ROTFL!!!  That's kind of what my daughter and I did to train ours! 
Whenever they were running around loose, we would periodically check them. As soon as we saw their rectum puckered, we hold them over the "litter box" until they were done. They were young when we did this - 2-4 months old, but eventually it worked! Now they use their boxes and are real good about running to them when they are out, so we never have to pick up after them on the furniture, etc. Such good girls!        added: we can always tell when they need to go if the litter box is not available, because they start acting "hyper" for lack of a better way to discribe it.

I enjoy training my first rattie, Merri so much I added another "trick" to her repertoire. I taught her to track last night. She uses her nose to track (for treats of course) just like my dogs' did! Its SO much fun to watch!

Don't ask me why I taught her that....................I had lots of time on my hands..........

[Rosies_Mom]

we can always tell when they need to go if the litter box is not available, because they start acting "hyper" for lack of a better way to discribe it.

I always call it the "potty dance".

[jen50schick]

There is no litter in their cage other than in their litter pans 

[rattiefan]

we can always tell when they need to go if the litter box is not available, because they start acting "hyper" for lack of a better way to discribe it.

I always call it the "potty dance".

Yep, that exactly what it is! 

[rattiefan]

There is no litter in their cage other than in their litter pans 

Even with everything I did, it took weeks before mine were trained. Everytime I let them out to play, I took the litter box out so it was available. Then as I mentioned previously, I kept an eye on them. When I saw them start to go, I literally held them just above the box and praised them. Another strategy was to put them back into their cage if they did poop someplace other than their box. Since they are allowed out a large portion of the time I am home, maybe they got peeved with losing their freedom and started to put it together.  Dunno what else you can do but be patient and persistent. While my technique worked for me, (as a first time rattie trainer - but long time dog trainer), somebody else with more rattie experience may be able to give you other tips.

Wishing you success!