• Question: why/how to small animals train themsleves to only to their bussiness at one part of the cage?

    Asked by brokenhalo to Carol, Ellie, John, Philip, Rebecca on 2 Jul 2012.
    • Photo: Rebecca Lacey

      Rebecca Lacey answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      This is done by scent. Once they have done it once they know that that area smells like the place to do it and so they continue to do it there!

    • Photo: John Welford

      John Welford answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      If I lived in a small cage I think I would want my toilet area to be as small as possible! It is also a lot more hygienic to keep it separated from the rest of the living space.

      I would guess that the reason we have evolved to dislike the smell of our own waste products is so that we stay away from them and avoid sickness and infections.

    • Photo: Carol White

      Carol White answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      Just like humans, animals don’t actually want their waste products where they sleep! So they learn to keep it in a corner (or several corners) or buried away so they’re not at risk of infection or disease!

Comments