i need any advice that can help with smelly rats and their cages....?

What sort of cage do you have? Hopefully not tanks...

All you can do is be vigilant about cleaning. Wipe down the cage levels daily and do a complete washdown of the cage as needed. They can be litter box trained (use woodstove pellets or feline pine). Carefresh bedding is a safe choice. Hopefully you aren't using cedar or pine shavings.

Anyways, this is an awesome rat forum that should really help you: http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf...

The next time you buy the rat bedding, go to the petstore and ask them how they keep there cages odor minimal.

My experience has been that no more than two rats per cage and once a week (and not a day over) or once every three to four days, clean out the cage entirely by taking the bottom out and using dish soap to wash then lay the bedding down to about 1/2 inch. If you are using an aquarium for a cage, you'll have to wash the aquarium by taking it outside (if it's not too heavy) and putting dish soap in it and using the hose. YOU HAVE TO WASH the cages... not just remove old urine-soaked bedding and replacing it with anew.

ALSO, if you have a local vet, call them and ask if they have any suggestions on how to bathe a rat or how to remove the smell from its body.

Weird... but while typing this... I remember that smell so well... Whew!

This may sound daft, but try not to use bleach when cleaning the cages. The boys will be remarking their territory every time you put them back in after cleaning, and each time they will mark more than last time to try and get it to stay. I just use unscented baby wipes to clean my cage or if its a bit tougher stain, I use hot water, nothing more. I don't want to risk an allergic reaction.

I also spot clean the cage every day, I pick up most of the poo and any left over fresh food. I think that makes a huge difference.

I have 5 boys in one cage at the moment and did have 8 at one point in there, but the only time it smelled was if I was late cleaning it. My boys have always been typical boys, very lazy and weeing and pooing everywhere. I use bob martins paper cat litter cos its so cheap and does the job perfectly. I've never had negative comments about there cages, some people have even been surprised that they don't smell.

Instead of washing the cages with Dawn and Bleach, try using some vinegar. Vinegar breaks down calcium deposits left by urine and, essentially, 'eats' the odor and stains left behind (that we cannot see). It's also a LOT safer. You can also use baking soda if things are particularly nasty.

You might also want to look at the cage itself for the source of the odor. I had a female rat who smelled quite badly (moreso than my males)...I cleaned her cage every 3 days. After a while I noticed that the smell was there even -right after- I cleaned. I looked very closely and...it was the wire cage itself---not the bottom where the bedding was. She was urinating on the wire (despite being litter box trained). So I soaked the cage itself in some warm water and vinegar---the smell was immediately gone (and the urine was visible in the bathtub water). I found that I had to do a thorough all-over cage cleaning every week to prevent the smell again.

Also, for rabbits (which can be particularly stinky), I put down a layer of baking soda before adding their shavings. This keeps smells down. However, I'm not sure if it's OK for the rats (they've never been smelly enough for me to try it)...the rabbits I fostered were on wire-bottom cages so they were never in contact with the baking soda. I don't know if it's OK for them to be in contact with the baking soda itself...you might want to ask a breeder.

I know Carefresh doesn't do a particularly good job of keeping odors down (always smelled like urine and newspaper to me)...so try a different bedding material? I use Aspen shavings (hardwood---safe for rats)...it has a nice 'woody' scent that's not too overpowering (unlike pine/cedar) and I usually only have to change once a week now for odor/wetness. You can get a huge bag at Petsmart for $12. Or you can try a sample bag at Walmart for $3.

I also have baking soda boxes (yes, the kind that're supposed to go in the fridge) around my cages---hidden so the rats can't get to them. That helps. I also have scented candles, which I use on a daily basis to neutralize any odors.

With all of the above...people are suprised to even learn I -have- so many animals because they sure as hell can't smell em. =D

If you want more suggestions, I would recommend contacting a breeder---they have lots of animals in their homes and some responsible/reputable ones should have odor-controlling tips for you.

Hope that helps!

Hello, it's me! The person who contacted you on yahoo messenger!

Anyway, I don't have nearly as many rats as you do (only three, soon to be five) but I do use a litter/bedding called Cell-Sorb Plus and I highly recommend it. I honestly cannot smell my male ratties at all. It's completely safe for them and it's biodegrable or flushable (though I don't think I'd recommend that as I've never tried it before) but I do put it out in the composte pile and it does just fine there. You should be able to pick it up at your local pet store. There's also a product you can buy, it's a liquid and you put a few drops in your rats water bottle. It's supposed to help take out the smell in their urine, I haven't tried this yet but I'm not sure exactly which smell you're having problems with, I'm kind of guessing it's the "poo."

So again, I highly recommend Sell-Sorb Plus, it works extremely well for me and I can't even smell my guys!

Oh and for bedding that they use, I just recommend cut up old towel that you can just throw away each time you clean.

I've never had rats, but I had 2 TEddybear hamsters that were like night and day.. Both were males(brothers),, one was so dirty, he'd pee and poop and lay right in it,, the other one is unreal how clean he is,, I ended up giving away the dirty one, and kept the other, but the urine was still really rank even though he only goes in one spot.. I changed his food to a different brand and the smell has disappeared! Also,, I buy a gallon of spring water and use in his water bottle now instead of my tap water., just to rule that out too,, you never know!! and I use Carefresh Pet Bedding Ultra from Petco,, Its made from white cellulose fibers that suppresses the formation of ammonia odor thats caused by urine, and it absorbs the water that drips from the water bottle so it doesn't lay in the cage . It looks sorta like ground up egg cartons.. Try it out!! Petsmart probably sells it too, I'm sure you can buy it online if you don't have a store near you.. But try switching their food.. Also I give my little guy alot of fresh veggies too. Unfortunately, even though their our pets, their still rodents,, and their not the cleanest animals to have.. I clean the area where he pees everysingle night,,are they all in the same cage?? What size are their cages??

Now to help with the overall smell,,, go get a electric potpourri pot and some yankee tarts.. Candles don't work,, trust me,, tarts are awesome!! Depending on the size of the room , you can split the tarts in half, because a whole one will probably knock you out from being so strong. Yankee has sooooo many different fragrances. Yes, theres other brands that sell them,, but Yankee is the best. You can go on their web site and order them. I buy mine from a local antique store that sells them. Alot of Hallmark stores sell them too. Go online , get the 1-800 number,and ask them to mail you a catalog.. They have alot of the scratch and sniffs . Average price is about $1.25- 1.60 each depending on where you buy them. You can find a plain electric pot at Walmart for about $7.00 or just ask anywhere where the tarts found. Don't use the tart burners that you have to use a tealight to melt the tart. They are a pain in the butt, and costly in the long run, plus the electric ones are saver. I just dump the wax in a empty coffee can when the smell is gone, just be careful... I hope all my info helps you out!! Good luck!!

I also have 7 rats but all mine are males. I also work at PetSmart and the best combo I found was Soft Sorbent pellet bedding with a very fine layer of baking soda under the bedding to absorb smells. They also make a room freshner that is pet safe called Forever Fresh and it works well but not for more then a couple of weeks. Good luck with your rat buddys and you seem like the ideal pet parent!!!!

I used to have the same problem with all of my rats. Since a few years ago i started using a litter called Kay - Knob. I but it at petsmart and it comes in big bags.It works great.

Use cat litter in bottom tray. Soak newspaper first in Baking soda water mixture and dry before placing inside cages for upper bedding

Try Yesterday's News cat litter under the bedding.It's made from recycled newspaper.so it shouldn't hurt the rats even if they eat it and it smells nice.It absorbs odors really well.Good luck with your little friends.