File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Dear /an/,
Today I went to an Animal Refuge and an hour before I came, they got a new white rat who apparently was abandoned under someone's porch for two weeks. I know nothing of rats, but he wouldn't let go of my shirt so I adopted him and walked out.

He's very friendly, but seems to poop at least 10 times whenever I take him out of his new cage and then pee all over me every time he walks onto my shirt or lap. He doesn't seem stressed. Is this normal, /an/? Can rats be potty-trained?

Pic related!
>> Anonymous
PEE ON HIM AND SHOW HIM WHOOSE BOSS
>> Anonymous
The pooing is cos he is nervous, it will go away, but he will continue to pee on you forever.

I suggest you get him a friend, rats do much better with company of other rats,
>> Anonymous
>>329737
Oh well that's good! :-D I don't mind the pee, it's not that bad!
>> Anonymous
they CAN be potty trained....part of it is to pick up all his little rat poopies and put them in the litter box. He should eventually figure it out.
>> Anonymous
>>329795
That's awesome. And I'm guessing the pee thing is just him marking territory or being nervous. I handled him for a few hours tonight and after the first half hour he completely stopped peeing and pooping and calmed down quite a bit. I think he's jus readjusting to human company.
>> Anonymous
Doesn't work for my hedgehog.
>> Anonymous
>>329737
This. Rats need company.
>> Anonymous
Aww, good for you, anon. He sounds sweet. You should get him a friend, really. They get lonely really easy.

Like others said, pooping is nervousness. He will be fine. Make a little litterbox, and put a different type of litter in there than in the rest of the cage (not cat litter, though, it's too dusty and they might try to eat it). Move the poop in there every time you find one. It's that easy, it just takes some of them longer to catch on than others.
>> Anonymous
>Rats need company.

I disagree with this. I got a rat last november and she was perfectly fine on her own so long as I gave her enough attention. A friend of mine convinced me she needed friends because rats can't be alone so I got two other females. But all they did was bully my rat, eat all her food and stress her out. I had to give them away to try and calm her down. She's only a year old but now she's got a ton of little grey hairs all over her.

Maybe it just depends on the rat but I think as long as you can give them the attention, rats can be fine on their own.
>> Anonymous
>op
>before I came
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
Former breeder of rats here.

I'm surprised the rat survived 2 weeks if it was indeed a domesticated rat beforehand, and it had to have reverted to some of its baser instincts.

That said, it can readjust given the time and care. It doesn't need company, as long as you give it plenty of attention, but that said, rats are very social and some have been known to die of pretty much loneliness after their cage-mate dies. So again, pay it a lot of attention to it. If you decide to add another rat, keep a close eye on the two, leave them alone (don't take them out) for about 3 days, so they can get used to each other. Or you can have>>330837's situation.

The peeing & pooing thing will fade, as it is due to mainly nervousness, but most rats don't have complete control over their bladders, so expect if not large puddles, little trails. (And contrary to some urban myths, not toxic.)

Do what the others have said for a 'litter box'; you can also just move all the droppings and/or wet bedding into one corner and show it to the rat, and it'll eventually get the point.

Now, for bedding, DO NOT use Pine, Cedar, or any other wood shavings. I suggest this grey/white/pink, recycled paper stuff that most pet stores have (sorry, can't remember the name); before putting it in the cage, take a handful, shake it around in your hands to knock off any little bits of paper dust (or whatever it is) and then place it inside the cage.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>>330858
For a cage, try and get at least a two-story wire cage when you can, and lay some old towels/rags on the wire levels to cut down the risk of the rat getting caught or bumblefoot. Change them every 3 or so days, and keep the cage away from drafts. I can't suggest a fish-tank style cage unless you live in a colder environment, and your home is cool as well (thus no chance of overheating).

It may seem like a lot, but it's only little things you do every could days. Except for taking your rat out and letting it hang out on your shoulder/pocket/under your shirt; you know to do that every day.

Oh! And easy on the veggies, fruits & meats. Only small amounts, and make sure it eats everything. When I was little I had a rat that OD'd on carrots.

Here's a helpful link: http://ratguide.com/care/

Check out the Health Guide there if you think anything's wrong. Very useful.
>> js
mice and rats, especially the lab breeds like BALB/c's, will pis and poop pretty much constantly, regardless of surface or location. Many of them do it automatically when picked up or handled, especially in the one handed restraint position.
you just gotta learn to deal.
>> Anonymous
When we say that rats need a friend, it's because you can't be with your rat 24/7. Unless you're planning on keeping it with you practically all the time, there's no reason to have a single rat.
>> Anonymous
Update? How's it doing?
>> Anonymous
>>330837
>as long as you can give them the attention, rats can be fine on their own.
You're wrong.

Read this in-depth resource from the Rat and Mouse Club of America: http://www.rmca.org/Resources/apair.txt

"Rats certainly do scrap occasionally, especially when the rats are teenagers (3-6 months). However, this fighting is usually just horseplay and it serves a useful function in providing the rats with exercise and stimulation as they establish a social order in their community; it is a valuable part of their lives. Animals which naturally live in communities usually have established social behaviour patterns which are part of their nature. They can only express this part of their nature fully when with other animals of their own kind which interpret their communications correctly and respond in kind."

"Sometimes rats kept alone develop antisocial behaviour patterns. Of course, not all single rats will do this, but it is important to be aware that keeping a rat in such an unnatural situation can have very harmful effects."

"...there is no compelling reason to keep a rat alone"
>> Anonymous
>>330880mice and rats, especially the lab breeds like BALB/c's, will pis and poop pretty much constantly, regardless of surface or location. Many of them do it automatically when picked up or handled, especially in the one handed restraint position.

Is this true? This sounds really annoying. I used to have to hamsters and they almost never peed on me if when I picked them up. Do rats and mice pee a lot or just a little (like just some dampness) when you pick them up?
>> Anonymous
>>331569
My rats virtually never pee on me when I'm handling them. I think they've done it about twice and that's it.
>> Anonymous
>>331560
They're not 'Wrong'. Pay attention to the modifiers in your own quoted sentence.

"usually " "not all" "can have"
>> Anonymous
>>331613
The author was just using careful and scientific language. Read the whole article; she makes it very clear that it's only best to keep a rat alone if it is extremely territorial and engages in serious fights and responsible introduction methods failed. There was nothing alarming or abnormal in>>330837's description of "bullying". Unless they were landing serious bites that accompanied shrieks and "ruffled" hair standing on end (see: http://www.ratbehavior.org/RatPlay.htm) then it is just normal dominance scruffs that provide the rat with stimulation. Alpha rats also usually eat first and take food away to stash it.>>330837was wrong to perpetuate the myth that rats are just as okay isolated if you supply them with enough attention yourself. Intraspecific interaction cannot be substituted and is needed for their happiness and mental health, even if they don't become obviously "neurotic". If you see videos of groups of rats and then single rats on YouTube the difference in their behavior can be striking.
>> Anonymous
If you have any pet, ever, you'd better get used to cleaning up its urine/feces. I love animals so I've had lots of pets, and I've stuck my hands in pretty much every gross thing you can imagine. It's all part of being a pet owner.
>> Anonymous
>>331569

That's not completely true. I've kept well over a hundred different varieties of rats over the last twenty years, and very, very few of them constantly eliminated regardless of their surroundings. Most rats will learn, with hardly any training at all, not to poop outside their cage. Some of them will still continue to urinate a little, particularly the males, since it is also a territory-marking behavior and not just for elimination. I've had a few rats that were so completely litter box trained that I let them "free range" instead of keeping them in a cage (with all potentially chewable things rat-proofed, of course).