I once saw a television show about why dogs sniff everywhere when they go outside. The host likened it to “getting mail.” When other dogs peed on the ground, they left information about themselves for other dogs to “read.” Your dog catches a whiff of these markings and goes to investigate. It’s much the same in rats. When a rat leaves drops of pee everywhere, s/he is leaving a little piece of information about him or herself for other rats to find later. Mostly this has to do with reproduction. For more information, check out this much more scientific explanation.
Some rats do this much more than others. Two of my female rats, Betty and Whiskers, and all of my males used to make a huge mess every time I’d take them out. Most of my other females marked rarely, if at all. Male rats tend to do this more than females…if it really bothers you, you can have your male rat neutered; this tends to stop the marking.
I dont know it that is important, but urine markings are not just territory marking. Rats urine mark each other all the time. They urine mark food that is eatable, and so on. So it is a signature, but not realy a territorial thing. You must know that unlike some other rodents rats know their owners and they know people. They tont think they are just on some big thing, they know their owners as living things. They probably mark us as they mark the orher rats. I dont know exactly why they do that, bot certainly has to do with bonding, socializing and organising their groups.
It is important to note that all rats urine mark others. The alfa marks the other rats and the other rats mark the alfa. Females mark males and even child rats mark adults and vice versa.
I’m sorry if this is stuff you know, i just think this territory thing tends to give a wrong impression of urine markings from rats. Unlike some other animals like dogs, their urine markings are very complex and do not say sijply get away from here, this placve is taken. It can have tons of menaings, like: this food is safe, i want to remember this alfa for when i am in heat, this guy here is from my colony, etc…
Congratulations for the site. I love the articles, and the design is Realy clean and beaultifull.
Thanks for this, Leonardo. I am a little confused by what you’re saying, but I did a more in-depth search about urine marking, and I will edit the question.
I’m glad you like the site!
Our female rat is lots of fun but she pee’s on myself and our daughter. Why only the females in the house? She never pee’s on the boys. What the hell!
My young female rat (Sasha Valentine) has pee’d on me also, I think it’s a sign of marking me (affection). The reason I think this, is because she prefers to be on me all the time, I think it’s a comfort thing. She enjoys my company and burrowing in my clothing, to sitting on my lap. She usually doesn’t poop on me, but sometimes when I try to get her out of my shirt and she resists she’ll leave me a little present, but I think it’s mostly from all the resisting she has done. It’s weird how I know so much about my little furry friend, and I’ve only owned her for about three days now.
Im learning more about her everyday, and THIS IS MY FIRST RATTIE.. 
I think we are definitely a match!
Loving me the most sounds great but in our case it just can’t be true. She is Daddy’s girl to the max! I tend to believe it’s just because we are girls and so is she. Maybe a pecking order of sorts. Barbie have so much fun with your little furry friend. Ours (Bodeccia) makes us laugh for hours.
my female rat squeak has only started peeing on me but it is only my arms or legs, but i red up online that it means she is peeing on me as to say she owns me and that i am hers an she loves me, which i think is really cute hahah just dont like being pee’d on which isnt nice :’)