I've taken rescue rats and can't stand the smell

[bemorebernard]

I love rats and used to have 9 , I had 6 girls and 3 boys and they never smelt

I've taken 5 rescue girls and everything came with them including an amazing large taller than me "critter nation " cage

All their toys and bowls etc came with them

The first day I left everything as is as I thought they might need their own smells to adjust to the new surroundings

By day 2 I couldn't abide the smell , took the cage apart, washed everything, and threw all the accessories in the bath with hot water for a scrub as it was clear nothing had been washed in forever , I threw anything away like fleeces and cardboard , washed all plastic and wooden toys, ,most of the wooden stuff is fine anything where the smell lingered I've chucked

I've put everything back together, took a full day.

And still they smell terrible .

They're in their own bedroom and I've kept the window open . They're quite skittish and obviously haven't been handled much but they're getting used to me and now coming for a scritch and taking treats out of my hands

They're very gentle but nervous.

How do I get rid of the smell tho ? They actually smell , their fur smells , it seems while their owner loved them and gave them lots of toys and stimulation handling and cleaning wasnt their forte , and I've never owned rats that smelled this bad . I really don't want the smell pervading through my house . It's awful . Rats get a bad press and my dd was moaning they'd smell , I kept saying rats actually don't smell they're really clean etc but oh my god these do 🤢

What can I do ? I've even thought about bathing them but I dont want to traumatise them .

And no not unusual. Boys are big fat cuddly love bugs as someone else
Said upthread !

Girls tend to be smaller and more athletic . I've always found girls less cuddly . But more fun . Boys just want to sleep and be loved .

I actually may be weird but I adore the smell of boy rats - they have this musky biscuit smell - they're like digestive biscuits.

But I suspect I am very odd in that respect . I've noticed when I take videos of me interacting with rats I am constantly sniffing them 😂🙈. I just love how boys smell . Clean well looked after boys smell Devine . Tho now these girls are ina. Clean environment they smell much better.

I think I'm very sensitive to smell and that's why I was struggling with these girls initially. Now the cage ans toys are clean , they're smelling cleaner .

Rat rations is a food supplier - they do rat food and it's well balanced and well mixed - they do a few varieties so I mix it up . You can order online . It saves you mixing your own feed . I also add fresh fruit and veg - lists of what fresh fruit and veg are suitable are online - mine love kale , corn on the cob , apple tomatoes , and they adore cheese !! These are nice treats to supplement a good dry mix with

For substrate I use fina card . Also available on line .

Google ratteries in your area . I would always go to a rattery over a pet shop.

These girls of mine are rattery bred but due to lack of human contact have become timid - that said within 3 days they're coming to me for strokes and treats . They're super fast learners .

I think what maybe ours people off boys - they have enormous testicles 😂. Like they just heave them
Around 😂. But that never bothered me because they're just so big and squishy puddings

Girls May be more aesthetically pleasing 😂. They are more active and athletic and do more . Not as cuddly tho I found .

Like the difference between Tom cats and queens I suppose !

Supplementing dinner tonight with kale, corn on the cob, apple, tomato and turkey

Noooooo I don't spoil them at all ..... 🤔

@bemorebernard

The bicarbonate of soda & white vinegar was recommended to me by other rat owners. It fizzes a lot when you mix it in a jug!
I used to put the cage & plastic bits in the bath, scrub away at everything - sometimes with just a cloth, other times with a brush - then rinse it all off thoroughly.
If it was not raining then it would all dry outside - breezy sunny days used to be my favourite!
Otherwise Id wipe it all off with towels & stick it all next to a dehumidifier for 10mins.

They are gorgeous!

I prefer girls because they are so clever and adventurous - and easier to teach tricks! If you see rats in a film they are mostly female as they are more likely to learn prompts.

Boys are big cuddly lumps who eat and sleep and snuggle. My son loves those best, they fall asleep in his pockets.

I loved my boys. Never had girls. They had a distinct smell but it wasn't offensive. I once tried bathing them for water play and they hated it. One of the boys curled up on my hand and would stay there that's if he wasn't on my shoulder. They LOVED food too. They are such characters, god I miss them.

Heart warming to hear OP and other rat lovers enthuse about their current and past furry loves.