How to Clean a Rat or Mouse Cage: Bedding, Hammocks and Odor

Pet rats and mice are tidy animals, but a cage that is not cleaned often enough soon smells of urine. The trick is to clean regularly without wiping away everything that smells familiar to them. This guide covers how often to clean, the daily spot clean, a full weekly clean, hammocks and toys, bedding, and what to keep out of the cage.

It is written in line with the RSPCA’s rat and mouse care advice, linked under further reading. If your pets seem unwell, or their droppings or breathing change, talk to a veterinarian who treats small pets.

Why rats and mice need a careful clean

Rats like to keep their toilet corner well away from where they sleep and eat, and a cage where urine and droppings pile up is bad for their health, especially their breathing. So regular cleaning matters.

Smell matters to them too. Both rats and mice have a keen sense of smell, and mice mark their space with urine and scent to know where they are and to communicate with each other. A cage scrubbed back to nothing every time can be unsettling, so the goal is clean, not sterile.

How often to clean

Every day: spot clean the toilet corners and remove food that could go off.
Once a week: a full clean out, so droppings and urine never build up.
Timing: clean while your rats are awake, usually morning or evening, rather than disturbing them in the middle of their daytime sleep.

Mice are more easily stressed by disturbance, so keep their cleaning quick and calm, and always leave them dry bedding and nesting material.

The daily spot clean

A few minutes a day keeps the cage fresh for longer and makes the weekly clean easier.

Scoop out wet bedding from the corners your pets use as a toilet.
Remove fresh food left over from the last meal.
Check the water bottle morning and evening. Mice in particular can stuff bedding into the nozzle, which either blocks it or jams it open so it floods the cage.
Top up dry bedding where you removed wet patches.

The weekly full clean, step by step

Move your pets somewhere safe, such as a secure carrier or playpen, while you work. Make sure it is escape proof, since mice fit through astonishingly small gaps.
Save some clean nesting material. Set aside a handful that is still clean and dry, so the cage keeps a familiar smell.
Remove the rest of the bedding and put it in a bag for the outdoor bin or compost if suitable.
Take out hammocks, hides, tubes and toys so you can clean the base and shelves properly.
Wash the base, shelves and ramps with warm water and a mild, unscented washing up liquid. Scrub urine scale from corners and shelf edges with a dedicated brush.
Clean the bars with a cloth and the same soapy water, paying attention to the lower bars where urine splashes.
Rinse well so no soap is left, then dry everything completely.
Put fresh bedding in, add back the saved nesting material, and return the furniture to roughly where it was.

If you use any stronger cleaner, choose one labelled safe for small animal cages, follow the label exactly, and rinse thoroughly before your pets go back in.

Hammocks, hides and toys

Fabric hammocks and tunnels: shake off droppings outdoors, then wash them following the care label. Use an unscented detergent, rinse well and dry fully. Having a second set makes cleaning day easier.
Plastic and ceramic hides: wash in warm soapy water, rinse and dry.
Wooden toys and ledges: scrape off droppings and wipe with a damp cloth. Wood soaks up urine, so replace pieces that stay smelly or have been chewed down.
Cardboard tubes and boxes: rats love to hide in and chew large cardboard tubes. Treat them as disposable and replace them when they are soiled.
Wheels: wipe the running surface every week, since urine collects there.

Bedding choices that help

The right bedding makes cleaning easier and keeps the air better for your pets. Good options are paper or cellulose based bedding, shredded paper, or wood chips that are not aspen.

Skip dusty bedding such as sawdust and fine shavings, which can irritate small airways.
Avoid aspen bedding for rats and mice.
Leave out anything scented or coloured.
Very absorbent bedding can dry the air out too much for rats, so do not overdo it.
Give mice a deep enough layer to dig in, a couple of centimetres at least. It also soaks up moisture from urine and droppings.

Mice like to scent mark on objects in the cage. Giving them a few easy to wash items to use, such as a small ceramic tile or a plastic hide, means the marking ends up somewhere you can clean quickly.

What not to do

No air fresheners or scented products near the cage. Strong artificial smells and smoke are unpleasant for animals with such sensitive noses.
No scented or coloured bedding.
Do not strip everything every time. Keep a handful of clean, familiar nesting material.
Do not move the cage around. Moving rats to a new spot is stressful. Clean the cage where it stands, or put it back in exactly the same place.
Do not clean while they sleep if you can avoid it.

Around the cage

Bedding gets kicked out, and urine can mark the wall or floor behind the cage. Vacuum around the cage on cleaning day and wipe nearby surfaces. A washable tray or mat under the cage catches most of the mess.

If you also keep hamsters, guinea pigs or rabbits, see how to clean a hamster, guinea pig or rabbit cage. For ferrets, see how to clean a ferret cage.

Keep a hedgehog too? See how to clean a hedgehog cage and wheel.

Keep cleanup supplies ready

Our Pet Cleanup Kit is made for pet stains and odors on carpets and fabrics around the home, such as a rug next to the cage. Keep it, and every other cleaner, out of the cage itself.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I clean a rat cage?

Spot clean daily and do a full clean once a week, so droppings and urine never build up.

Why should I leave some old bedding in the cage?

A handful of clean, dry nesting material from before keeps a familiar smell in the cage. Rats and mice rely heavily on smell, and a cage that smells completely new can stress them.

How do I stop my mouse cage smelling?

Spot clean the toilet corners daily, use a low dust bedding such as paper or cellulose, and give the cage a full clean each week. Do not mask the smell with air fresheners or scented bedding.

What is the best bedding for rats and mice?

Paper or cellulose based bedding, shredded paper, or non aspen wood chips. Avoid sawdust, aspen, and anything scented or coloured.