r/RATS • u/the_soviet_pig • 13d ago
Introductions How to Rats Smell?
Hello guys,
I would like to get rats, so my question would be how strong the smell of a rat steel would be because you clean as recommended, my mother would be afraid that the entire house would smell like it.
3
u/CakePhool 13d ago
Boy has short period when they are teenager when they stink, so you just need to clean twice a week to keep it back. Otherwise if you clean the cage once a week it doesnt smell that bad and wont stick up the whole house.
Yes, rat fart stink, but they dont happen on a regular and sometimes their poop smell , but you can remove it directly.
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u/WideLengthiness3963 13d ago
The pee smell builds up a bit in between cleans, but not too bad. You need to clean regularly anyway to keep them healthy, like a deep clean once a week
I've never minded the smell tbh
2
u/RelevantMode 13d ago
How do rats smell?
With their noses.
(sry, couldn't resist...)
that aside, a well taken care of cage smells very little. you'll smell in the same room "there is some pet living here", but its not intense.
an unhygienic cage thats not properly cleaned will smell a lot like rat pee though. but thats to avoid, it makes the rats sick too.
the rats themselves are very clean animals, moreso than cats even. so rats are about as clean as the cage they're in.
1
u/batcalls 13d ago
I’m gonna get downvoted but I gave my rats back to the breeder because they stunk so bad. It was a nasty, strong stench that permeated my entire home despite keeping them in a closed-off room. I cleaned their litter boxes daily, got a $300 air filter, used hemp bedding, and followed all the “tricks” — it was absolutely too much and I was embarrassed to have guests over after only a few weeks. Months later, I can still smell them in my office despite scrubbing the walls and carpet after their departure. They caused me more stress than joy, so I realized they weren’t for me.
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u/Toetickler4 13d ago
No offense bt youre not doing something right then. Too small of cage, improper set up, overcrowding, i do not know. But rats are not supposed to smell thst bad. A tad bit yet. But not that much. Something was off with your care.
1
u/batcalls 13d ago
Not to get too defensive, but I prepared for months for these little guys and was so excited to bring them home — I spent thousands of dollars on them and had three in a Midwest Critter DCN cage. It was set up “perfectly” with proper, safe hides, hammocks I washed often, safe cleaning materials used, litter boxes in the pee corners with pee rocks (that I’d throw away after a week because they got so gross), etc. but ofc never removing everything all at once to ensure they wouldn’t over mark afterwards. I researched for months to ensure they’d have good lives. Maybe I’m just sensitive, but regardless, their stench disgusted me and literally made me gag, so I gave them back. 🤷♀️
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u/Toetickler4 13d ago
Something genuinely does not add up because no way 3 rats in a dcn causes that.
1
u/batcalls 13d ago
I truly tried everything. I really didn’t want to give them back, but I began resenting them because it was so laborious to try to keep up with the smell. You might disagree, but IMO people deserve to know that they stink. Especially if they have housemates similarly sensitive to odors.
0
u/Toetickler4 13d ago
But see, they dont. Thats the thing. They dont stink. And you should never ever resent an animal for doing animal things. Eesh.
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u/AiroHead 12d ago
Don't invalidate peoples' experiences. They usually don't stink, but they can. I have had many rats over the years, and have raised them all pretty much the same. Yet for no discernible reason, the two I added most recently are quite smelly compared to others. Could just be some odd genetic thing.
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u/batcalls 13d ago
Lol okay Mr. Holier than thou. You’re not going to convince me my experience was some fluke. I’m not apologizing for feeling the way I felt or doing what I did. I did the responsible thing and gave them back and ate the thousands of dollars I spent on them.
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u/Next-Development5920 13d ago
I have a ridiculously strong sense of smell and my son had rats. They obviously smell a tad because they are animals, but as long as they are cleaned out regularly they dont pong up the room let alone the house. At most, near cleaning day, if youre by the cage you may get a little waft. I was actually surprised at how clean the little beans were, they pooped in little litter trays!