Does anyone keep their rodents in the house?

[reptilegirl07]

I am re-building after my move and I am considering picking up 8 racks totaling 51 tubs. I plan to run 1-4 or 1.5 per tub.

Does anyone do something like that in their house?

I have 4 spare bedrooms and I have a 1000 ft partially finished (has an insulated and finished floor) attic that I can use.
I am just worried about smell and escapees.

Does anyone else do this and how does it work?

[kellysballs]

You need to have a hungry cat in that room for escapees and LOTS of time to change those racks. I have not kept breeding groups of rats in the house but if I did they would need to be changed at least twice a week. There is no getting around it rats stink. BAD. I'm not kidding about the hungry cat. Literally feed her/him rat pups daily as their meals and give them a can of wet chow twice a week you will have no problem with escapees. ( I ran this by my vet to make sure it is healthy and he said absolutely but the cat must be wormed monthly)

[reptilegirl07]

Interesting. I actually keep my cats in their own room. I'm wondering if keeping the rats in the room that the cats are in, would be a good idea.

I don't work and am home all day so I can change bedding.

Interesting idea with the cats...

[jasbus]

I wouldn't...The smell sticks.
And, they will escape, and cause havoc.

[RichsBallPythons]

My rodents been in my house for 4 years now in same room as snakes. Proper ventilation and good pine pellets will keep smell down.

No one knows i have rodents in house till cleaning day when im lugging out the bedding..

[Emilio]

Breeding rats inside the house is a big no no the smell really does stick to everything especially clothes. I wouldn't do it.

droid!!!!

[RichsBallPythons]

Breeding rats inside the house is a big no no the smell really does stick to everything especially clothes. I wouldn't do it.

droid!!!!

If you let the smell escalate to the point it stink of ammonia and no ventilation then yea. My friends that come over never know i had rodents in house till i told them... And they had to see it to believe me..

[Emilio]

If you let the smell escalate to the point it stink of ammonia and no ventilation then yea. My friends that come over never know i had rodents in house till i told them... And they had to see it to believe me..

I've never tried the pellets I might have to. When I was producing about 150 rats and 60 asfs a month I had to clean every three days cause if I didn't the smell was unbearable. I'm also in a much hotter climate down here.



droid!!!!

[RichsBallPythons]

Summer time the snake room reaches 88 if Central air is off. So i run a fan to suck out smells if needed. But the pine pellets in winter give me good 7 days between cleanings and in summer i get 4 days..


if i lived down south and had a nice garage to keep outside problems away from my snakes food id keep them outside to free up the space for more snakes. But being in Michigan and getting -10F i cant do that..


One you try the pine pellets youll never go back to shavings...

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I have a room in the basement dedicated to the rodents, the room in question has a garage door and an exhaust fan.

Between pine pellets and exhaust fan there is no smell anywhere else in the house.