Instructions
Daily Cleaning
Remove your rat to a secondary cage before starting your daily cleanup. With your rat safely out of the way, it will be easier to remove waste and wipe things down.
Remove soiled bedding or pellets, and spilled food. Wipe up any spilled water with a paper towel, making sure to discard any bedding material that is soaked through.
Wipe down the bars of the cage and clean out food dishes with warm and soapy water. Toss away any uneaten food.
Check the water bottle for any signs of scum and, if necessary, clean it out with a bottle brush. Rinse and allow everything to dry before returning your pet to its home.
Weekly Cleaning
Remove your rat to the secondary cage before starting the cleaning process. Fill a bucket with soapy water or mild disinfectant and keep it near the cage for easy access.
Remove all decorations and toys from the cage and set them aside. Wash them with disinfectant or follow the cleaning instructions from their original packaging. Rinse and set them aside to dry.
Wash all the food bowls and the water bowl as you would in your daily cleaning. Gather all the bedding and refuse, and discard it. You will be providing your rat with fresh clean paper or pellets to make new bedding.
Wash out the inside of the cage with soapy water, loosening any stuck-on dirt or grime with a putty knife. Wipe the interior down with disinfectant, rinse thoroughly and allow it to dry before putting any items back inside.
Rinse all cage items before returning them to the cage. Lay down fresh bedding and litter, and place all the accessories and toys back into the cage. Allow them to dry before returning your rat to its cage.
Disinfect all your cleaning equipment and wash your hands.
How to Make Your Rat Cage Cleaner
Pet rats spend much of their time in a cage playing with toys, chewing paper and snuggling into nests. Nests and toys can hold dirt and bad smells if not cleaned properly. Although you may clean the cage regularly, bad smells may linger. Combat this by breaking your cleaning regimen into small daily chores and finish with one big cleaning at the end of the week. A couple of minutes spent cleaning the cage each day will decrease dirt build-up and reduce pungent smells. Combined with the advanced cleaning once a week, your new regimen will not only help with aesthetics, but will also help keep your rat healthy.