Are you supposed to bathe rats??

Answer 1

Rats will willing bathe themselves, you don't have to. unless they get really dirty and smelly.

Answer 2

Rats bathe themselves constantly, but sometimes they still smell kinda musty. You can give them a bath but they really don't like getting wet. If you do bathe them use a baby shampoo that says tearless on the bottle. That way if it gets into its eyes it won't burn. Make sure to rinse it thoroughly so it doesn't ingest any left over soap.

Answer 3

I used to have a rat and never bathed him but guess it couldn't hurt. Maybe break him in gently, with a bowl of water to play in.

Answer 4

i've got faith you may, in spite of the incontrovertible fact that it is not mandatory. Rats are comparable, in techniques, to Ferrets, and that they produce an oil on their epidermis that keeps their epidermis and fur healthful, and washing them will do away with this oil. So I propose in all probability washing them, if in any respect, as quickly as a month or as quickly as the different month with water and popular cleansing soap without chemical compounds and stuff in it. i actually do no longer think of it relatively is mandatory to bathe a rat nonetheless. they'll continually scent. i might in basic terms wash their bodies with water as quickly as a month nonetheless.

Answer 5

Sometimes during the day but only give them a bath if they really stink.

Answer 6

You Can But Be Careful ... I Just Bathed My Guinea Pig ... It Hated It !! ..

Answer 7

Rats don't actually need baths as they groom pretty much all day to keep themselves clean. But there are times you might need to bath them, like:

If they get something yucky on their fur you'd rather they didn't groom off and ingest

If they like to marinate in pee soaked bedding and end up stinky

If it's for medical treatment, like a bath for a skin condition or to treat for parasites

In preparation for a rat show

If they are overcome by "buck grease" i.e. that orangey - oily male hormonal skin discharge

If they are old or incapacitated and aren't grooming themselves sufficiently

If it's really hot and you need to cool them down

If they actually enjoy it... believe me, there are actually some rats who do love baths


How to bathe a rat

There's lots of different methods for bathing rats, and you need to work with your rat's personality to find out which works best for them. Here's what I do:

1. Prepare the area:

Fill the sink with warm water - a little hotter than you think, rats have higher body temperatures that us.
Clear the bench of any clutter and place down a towel for the rat to stand on when wet.
Have shampoo open and ready - a mild small animal shampoo (we use Epi-Soothe oatmeal shampoo)
Have a dry towel or two within reach
Perhaps also a bristle brush for grooming

2. Don protective clothing. You will get wet and probably scratched inadvertently. I actually prefer to bathe my rats without wearing long sleeves as this makes it a little less easy for them to climb your arms and cling wetly to your neck.

3. Grab unsuspecting rat and quickly dunk him up to the neck in the water, holding him there until he is wet through. Ensure you keep his head and ears free of water. Let him leap out of the sink onto the towel on the bench, he will probably shake and spray you with water. Placate him with soothing words of love... he won't believe a word of it, but it makes you feel not quite so mean.

4. Using a small amount of shampoo, lather your rat up using your nails to get down through to the base of the fur. This is also a handy time to clean his tail with a toothbrush (brush towards the tip). Your rat will either scream bloody murder at the indignity of this or squeak plaintively and shiver miserably while giving you the "Don't you love me anymore?" mope. Be strong.

5. Dunk your rat back into the water to remove all trace of the shampoo. Let him leap out onto the towel on the bench (he will probably shake and spray you with water again).

6. Bundle him up in a dry towel and rub rub rub... he'll like this part. A groom with a bristled brush helps to smooth and separate the wet fur and thus dry his coat faster naturally. If it's a cold day, ensure you dry him completely so he doesn't get chilled afterwards. Perhaps use a hairdryer on low setting if he'll tolerate it, or place him in a warm room to dry naturally.

7. Offer copious treats, which he'll take willingly and eat while glaring at you. Forgiveness will come with time.

Contrary to this, some rats do actually enjoy a bath and will swim about in the sink. In fact, it gets easier each time as your rat learns it's not actually going to kill him after all.

Some more bathing tips:

Work fast - the quicker the less stress involved for you and your rat.
It's important not to bathe your rat with shampoo too often as it can remove the natural skin oils, resulting in dry itchy skin. Bathe as often as necessary with water only, and use a mild, natural shampoo only sparingly.
Speak calmly, soothingly and encouragingly to your rat during the whole process.
Consider clipping your rats claws a day before the bath... it may save your arms from serious injury. See Claw Clipping below.
Expect some madness in the cage post bath, especially from your alpha rat. When the shampoo/clean smell takes over from rat smell, your alpha may feel the need to reassert himself by rubbing against and peeing on everything, puffing menacingly, hopping about madly and grooming everyone.

Answer 8

rats dont mind water.I wouldnt wash him unless he was dirty though.But if you keep his cage clean he shouldnt need bathing.They do like to dust bathe though

Answer 9

yep