Why Does Your Pet Rat Pee On You? [Solution]
Peeing and pooping is a natural process to release excretion out of the body. Any animal or pets you have are no different. If you are adopting a pet and willing to experience being an animal parent, the same comes with its own set of pros and cons.
However, if your pet rat is treating you as their toilet unapologetically, we understand your pain and concerns. In the article below I will decode this typical habit of the rat species for all my fellow pet parents.
Why does my rat pee on me? Sometimes your pet rat pee on you to projecting their dominance, marking territory, expressing sexual needs, or in some cases displaying trauma, anger, or other strong emotions. This habit of rats peeing on their human parents is a normal phenomenon, it is also termed as Spraying.
Though it is likely that you may not like the reasons, rest assured that with proper training and adopting certain steps you can stop the peeing habit of your pet rat. I encourage you to have a thorough read of the points below, as it is our responsibility to be a good parent and understand our pet babies’ every well-being.
My experience being a pet rat parent was so much fun. I love capturing Goofy on my phone camera when she remains busy with cute cuddly and curious actions. The first few days after welcoming her home was somewhat challenging both for me and her, as it was a new space. She went on discovering every corner of my house and after three-four good rounds, she was happy to finally enter her cozy cage.
I cuddled and played with her and the first four-five days went well. However, after a week, I found Goofy peeing and pooping all over the floor, carpet, and me whenever I brought her out of the cage to play along. I have a sensitive nose just like Goofy. Funny right! It is still difficult for me to stand the foul smell of rat pee and poop all over the house.
It was difficult for me to tolerate her peeing all over the place. It was right when I decided to do my research work and educate myself to understand Goofy better.
I started with the litter training method and slowly introduced her to more comfortable bedding. Surprisingly, with time and practice, I developed the habit of being a responsible pet parent. With much love and undivided attention and proper pet rat care, Goofy has stopped peeing all over me and my space. I hope my experience with Goofy inspires you to train your pet rat properly with love and stop your little furry friend from peeing over you. So now dive into more details and find out the cause of peeing on you.
Reasons That Your Pet Rat Is Peeing On You
Every animal has their natural set of habits and survival instincts that they have developed over the years of evolution. Peeing and pooping come naturally to all animals, but with rats, it is more than just a process of releasing body waste. As cute and curious rats are, they have a typical habit to mark things as a sign of their belonging or territory. You are no exception to this!
Yes, your pet rat feels the need to mark you as well. Pet male rats are comparatively more aggressive and dominating than their female equivalents and can mark and spray you with pee and poop multiple times during one cuddle or play session. This is simply how rats have developed survival mechanisms over their years of evolution. Welcoming them home as your pet, will not change their habits in a day. Discussed below are some of the major reasons your pet rat is peeing on you.
Your Pet Rat Is Jealous
If you have more than one pet rat, there is a high probability that one of them is jealous of the other. Rats are cute and smart and need your undivided attention to live in peace. You have to be responsible and be unbiased while playing or taking them out of the cage.
Jealousy can be a strong reason for your pet friend to poop and pee all over you to express anger and crave attention. However, if you have no such unbiasedness around your pet rats and you suppose that jealousy is not making them pee all over, it could be due to a health issue.
They Are Suffering Health Hazards
Rats are small animals. Irrespective of their soft and furry outer body, they have a very tender respiratory system. Rats are sensitive to strong smells, so much so that it can affect their healthy breathing.
To express their irritation, pet rats often pee over their human parents. However, other health issues can bother your pet rat to pee and poop more than regular. If your pet has regular health checkups and does not suffer from any health problem, maybe You are doing something wrong.
You Cuddle Them At The Wrong Time
I know how cute and snuggly rats look in general. The cuteness level rises if you look at them while sleeping or doing mischief. I have made this mistake myself and take it from an experienced rat parent, it is not a good idea to cuddle them at the wrong time.
Cuddling your rat right after their nap hours or waking them up between deep sleeping hours to play or cuddle them will cause them to pee over you. Like humans and other animals, your pet rat may wake up with a full bladder and will use you as their toilet without hesitation.
Your Rat Is Trying To Express Sexual Needs
Male rats often pee and mark their territory and also communicate with their counterparts through excretion. Attracting female rats for mating is common through peeing or spraying. Their feces convey their age, reproductive ability, sexual needs, etc… Being a responsible parent you can either choose to find a mating partner for your pet rat or neuter them if required.
Your Pet Friend Is Scared
You will know right away if your pet rat dislikes any object or toy. Sometimes big play toys that you bought for your furry friend can scare them away. If it is difficult for you to read that your pet friend is scared of anything, try to keep them away from foreign items and mammoth objects. Instead, you can choose tiny size toys for them to play with.
You Have More Pets In The Same Living Space
Having more than one pet in the same living space can make your pets have a tough time. Rats can pee all over your space and over you to mark their territory and display dominance over other pets. This habit is very typical to rats and bringing them home to offer a better life will not change their general behavior.
I understand that pet parenting is not as easy as you may have felt before adopting your pet rat. However, being a human parent to your rat child can be exciting, fun, and full of cute moments besides the tricky times when your rat covers you with foul-smelling pee and poop. Here, we have good news for you! Yes, you can stop your pet rat from peeing over you. Below are a few tips and tricks that may help.
How To Stop Your Rat From Peeing Over You?
I know you are most excited and eager to read this part of the article, as you are tired of cleaning your living space and yourself from rat pee and poop. You will be more excited to know that I have tried some of these methods all by me and it has indeed helped me.
Litter Box Training
Building good habits will always save you from the mess. The same is the case with pet rats too. Litter box training may seem funny and kind of impossible to many pet owners. However, you need to understand that rats are smart animals.
If you train rats from the early days of welcoming them home and show them the right way to pee and poop, this can save you from the mess. Territorial rat marking and spraying can be saved by over time litter box training.
I have written an entire article on how to stop your rat from peeing everywhere, I definitely recommend you to check that article too.
Know When To Play
Avoid playing with your pet rat right after their nap hours. There is a high probability that your rat will wake up with a full bladder. If you choose to play or cuddle them in-between naps, your rat friend will unapologetically pee or spray all over you. Thus, it is always better to be a responsible rat parent and practice pet parenting skills at best.
Neuter Your Pet Rat
Male rats will display dominance, sexual availability, and mark territory by peeing all over you and your space. This is when most pet owners go for neutering. Neutering is a surgical process by which the sex organs of a pet are removed.
This way one can reduce their pet rat’s habit of peeing all over the place. However, one must visit their local veterinary small animal doctor and talk about the process and its risks.
The process is painful for our pets and can cost their lives if not done rightly. It is requested to be very careful before opting for surgery. if done properly under certified supervision, neutering will stop your pet rat from peeing and spraying everywhere. Read more about neutering your pet rat by clicking on this link.
These simple yet easy ways of training your pet rat will benefit you as a pet owner. Rest assured that being a responsible parent will save you from a lot of mess. You can enjoy playing and cuddling with your little furry friend with no mess with these tips and tricks any further.
Is Rat Pee Harmful To Human?
Just like your own, the excretion of any animal is harmful in general. When the question comes to your pet rats’ pee or droplets, they smell foul and can be annoying to sensitive noses. You might call it nitpicking but rat urine can cause some other serious problems in the human body. Humen can be caught by Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection, through rat pee. [Source: Healthline]
Moreover, touching a rat’s pee containing Huntavirus can also infect you. But, here I would like to mention that if your pet rat is sound and healthy then you hardly need to get tensed about their pee. They don’t usually show any harmful effects on the human skin if not contaminated. Still, I would recommend not ever smell rats’ urine and take measures to stop your rat from peeing over you.
I think I have answered all your quires regarding the tendency of your pet rats to pee over you. Hopefully, my experience with Goofy will help you to deal with your pet rat too. You can follow all my instructions carefully and get rid of the issue you are facing. Keep your cute baby safe and healthy and keep playing with them. Happy parenting.
