Natural rat litters made from materials like hay/straw and aspen wood shavings will need changing more often.

Place your rat in a temporary bin with a lid and air holes. Make sure you place either litter or bedding into the temporary bin to absorb waste. Clean and disinfect this bin after you move the rat back into his cage.

Submerge all toys and accessories in soapy water. Scrub them with dish soap or degreaser if needed. Rinse and allow them to air dry. If any accessories are dishwasher safe, you can place them in the dishwasher instead of hand washing.

A degreaser, also called a solvent cleaner, will break down grease and other tough residue. They are especially useful on metal cages. [6] X Research source

Rat diseases to look for include skin disorders (like fleas and mites), roundworms, parasites, and so on. [10] X Research source

You may want to mix up the disinfectant solution in a spray bottle so you can easily spray down all surfaces. Otherwise you can saturate a cloth with the disinfectant solution and wipe everything down.

Make sure to disinfect any water bottles and feeders. They are the most likely culprits for spreading diseases. [13] X Research source After rinsing, set out all the items so they can be air dried.

Spread the bedding so that it is about a quarter inch thick.

Exposed metal retains odors so that it is hard to wash smells out. Pullout pan cages allow waste to drop down below the cage and sit there. Rats walking directly on the litter (as in other types of cages) reduces smell, so this pullout style will need to be cleaned two or three times as often.

You may also be able to purchase products at the pet store that do the same thing.

Try training your rat to urinate in the same place every time. Place a small box of litter in one corner. Leave the rest of the cage bare without any litter. [15] X Research source Try placing small litter boxes in every corner of a rat’s cage since they naturally urinate in corners. Pick up feces and place them in the litter boxes to help rats see where they are supposed to defecate.

One idea is to use a plastic igloo-style house for sleeping instead of a hammock.