Pet rodent faeces in the bedroom

[DtPeabodysLoosePants]

First of all I'll admit that I know nothing about keeping small pets like hamsters or gerbils so please forgive my ignorance on this. I'm a cat person potential mad cat lady in a decade or two

My dc went to a friends house after school today and they have some kind of small furry pets in a cage in the bedroom. Seemed ok although I wouldn't like it, until they said there were poo droppings on the bedroom floor where they have spilled out of the cage. I'm not precious about dirt in general but the thought of playing and sleeping in a room with poo on the floor is not one I'm happy with at all and am thinking of excuses as to why dc can't have a sleepover there.

Is this normal with pets of the small, caged variety or just grim? AIBU to keep dc away and say no to the sleepover?

It happens, it's normal, most families clear it up frequently.

I think you're being a bit OTT. What do you think a bit of hamster poo is going to do to your child?

Sometimes it falls through the bars? Very normal. YABU.

Omg there were probably a couple of tiny droppings or it might have even been food - some rodent food does look a bit like the poo! Occasionally stuff spills out the cage, it happens, the animals can dig up and make mess, but they just need to hoover it up regularly which I'm sure they do. It's not a big deal really. Unless your child is planning on eating or laying down IN the poo, I wouldn't care about this at all.

To be honest I doubt it even does any harm at all! I had hamsters as a kid and I personally cleaned the cage and cared for the animals. I've touched my fair share of rodent poo and never come to any harm!

I think pets in the bedroom is a bit grim actually. And yes, it could be one or two little balls that have fallen out, or it could stink of urine soaked shredded paper. Wouldn’t love it.

It’s not like big, smelly, wet poo smeared all over... its a bit like a grain of rice, just in black. Tiny, dry, doesn’t smell or stain. Easily hoovered up and very normal.

Yes very normal. You could place the cage in a fruit box or something to catch the droppings if you are that worried.

I used to keep mice and let's just say I became a vacumming ninja. Rodent faeces aren't too obnoxious but it is important to clean them up regularly since apart from hygiene you don't want to attract mice from outside.

Nothing is going to happen to your dc because they spent a night with a few bits of rodent poop.

We have gerbils, their poo is tiny. But they're not in a bedroom. Not because of the poo, but because they are very active on their wheel at night, and love scratching and digging. Nobody would get any sleep.

I used to have a hamster that was so houseproud that she'd pick up her own poos and spit them through the bars for the sake of cleanliness.

They're small, dry and pretty harmless, resembling a dark coloured grain of rice. Most people just sweep them up. It wouldn't worry me enough to stop a sleepover.

Out of interest, do your cats have a litter tray indoors?

Ok, happy to be told IABU as like I said I don't know anything about them.

I don't have a cat but in the future I would like one. I am allergic though so might not be possible.

Yabu. And precious.