How to Potty Train a Rat

Rats are extremely intelligent animals and can be trained to do many things, like respond to their names and search for food hidden in a maze. Given the proper guidance and a little time to learn the new routine, they can even be trained to use a litter box. According to The Dapper Rat website, rats are clean by nature and tend to go to the bathroom where they smell that they have already gone, making litter training a worthwhile investment of their owner's time.

Things You'll Need

  • Two kinds of pet bedding
  • Litter pan for ferrets or medium plastic container
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Instructions

    • 1

      Observe the rat over several days to determine which area of its cage it uses most frequently for defecation. Like most rodents, rats typically defecate in the same area, which is almost always in one corner of the cage.

    • 2

      Remove the rat from its cage for some much-valued floor time or place it in another cage while you prepare to clean its regular habitat. Remove all of the old bedding, making sure to reserve a small portion of feces from the soiled bedding. Set the droppings aside.

    • 3

      Clean out the cage using mild dish detergent and water. Make sure to dry completely and then add fresh litter. The most important thing to remember is that you need to use two different kinds of litter, one for the rat's regular bedding and a different kind that you will place in the new litter box to help distinguish where he or she is expected to defecate.

    • 4

      Place the new litter box, filled with a different kind of bedding, in the desired corner and add the old droppings to it. This will help draw the rat to the scent and establish this as the place to go potty.

    • 5

      Return the rat to its cage and observe its behavior. Some rats will begin using the new potty area at once and others may take time to get accustomed to it.

    • 6

      Clean the cage often for the next few weeks. According to the Fancy Pet Rats website, if the rat is seen defecating somewhere other than the litter pan, the owner should place the rat and feces into the pan and use the vocal command 'no.' However, when the rat does use the tray, it should receive vocal praise and a treat of some sort.