BATHING RATS... OR NOT

Sat Jul 26, 2003 6:43 pm

From what I have heard here , From people that have bathed their ratties, you will need a long sleeved shirt, and bandaids, and maybe a local surgeon. Puppy Dog Eyes

I do not bathe my rats, I don't like shots or sutures. I buy baby wipes and wipe em down with those. Makes em smell all baby powder fresh. :mrgreen:

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Sun Jul 27, 2003 10:20 pm

If your ratties shred up your arms, and they looooove being petted, try damping a wash cloth and "pet" them with it. It worked with Fritz!!! :mrgreen:

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Mon Jul 28, 2003 1:03 am

I found it easier to wash my ratties under a faucet then trying to rinse them off in a bucket of water. It went must faster too, because the running water takes the suds off better.

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~Lily~My squishy PEW
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Mon Jul 28, 2003 9:30 pm

When my girls get stinky, I use an oatmeal dog and cat shampoo. They get a dunk in warm water, then I place them on a towel laid out on the counter, they get a lather and scrub down, (not their heads, just bodies & tails) and rinse in the tub. Then I dry them in a towel and give them lots of treats. My arms usually end up all scratched by the end, but then I have soft, fresh ratties!

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At The Bridge: Daisy Lynn & Violet Amanda

Sat Aug 23, 2003 4:13 pm

I just added a new rat to the pack, shes an agouti Dumbo Hooded named Nina. She came from the same place I got Emily from and is acctualy Emily's sister! Nina was taken home by and employee but the employee soon developed allergies of Nina and had to bring her out to be adopted out. She is about 5 months old.

Well, Dori and Emily accepted Nina straigh away, no fights, no nothing. Do you think its possable Emily remembered Nina? They havnt seen eachother for 3 months now. But they are all living hapily together.

Only problem is, they pissed on eachother. Is that normal rat behavior? Like when a new rat is introduced to mark them? But they absoulutly reek! So I would like to give them all a nice bath, but they have NEVER had a bath before. I have some shampoo thats made for small rodents, I use it on my guinea pigs. Its called Bunny Bath.

How do you suggest I do this? Mabey in the bath tup with like 1/2 inch of water? They need a bath because when I hold them I smell like rat piss.

Please, any and all suggestions welcome:)!

Sat Aug 23, 2003 7:39 pm

I try to avoid giving baths whenever possible, using a wet wipe instead for a quick wash (also make a game of it which the girls love). However, when a bath is inevitable, I always find it easiest to spread a towel on the floor and set a shallow dish with soapy water on the towel. I stand the rat in the water up to herelbows and lather her up. Ordinarily with fidgety girls I find it easier to rinse them by standing them in the same dish and pouring lukewarm water over them to get all the soap off. But after Iris's strokes, she loves being held and run under the tap with warm water -- if the water is the least bit chilly she kicks up a fuss, but if it's nice and warm she goes limp and squishy with a big blissful look on her face and I could rinse her for 20 minutes non-stop I'm sure.

I like using the shallow dish better than the tub cos they don't feel like they're trapped in this huge expanse of water. I hope that helps

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Wed Oct 01, 2003 8:51 am

I wanna give my funky smellin rats a bath, can I use baby shampoo?I live in Australia and can't find rodent shampoo or any other rodent wash anywhere! grr

Please help coz they don't smell too good!I think they pee on each other while they sleep...... Rainbow Smiley

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Wed Oct 01, 2003 11:31 am

Don't quote me but I think you can use small animal shampoo (rabbit etc) or puppy shampoo. I don't use anything though, I just rinse them off in warm water and it seem to do the trick - much to their annoyance. They HATE the water.

If you do use something, be extra careful not to get any on their head, just to their back and sides.

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Kirsty

(Angel, Harmony, Druscilla, Buffy & Willlow at the Bridge. Now it's me, Rich, Dooob & Bebe)

Wed Oct 01, 2003 2:21 pm

To be honest (hope this doesn't sound too harsh) but if you clean out your rats often enough, then they really shouldn't smell. My rats individually don't smell when I pick them up and smell them, and I've got 20! This does mean an awful lot of cage cleaning for me though (but beats going down the gym!). Rats groom and wash themselves more often than cats do, they are very clean animals, given half a chance.

Anyway, if it's cos they're old and can't groom properly, or if you want to show them, or if for some other strange reason they do smell, you can use small animal shampoo or puppy shampoo. an't you buy some online if you can't find it in a shop? You use tiny amounts of these, about 5mLs in 40mLs of warm water. Mix up the diluted shampoo and put to one side. Then sit your rat in the sink or whatever with water in it low enough so the rat keeps their face out of it! Pour warm water over the rat's back, to wet them, then pour half the shampoo mix over their back, and rub it in (this is the part my lot hate!). Rinse and then use the second half of the shampoo.
Then rinse VERY well! Rinse them with more cups of warm water. I then have about 4 buckets lined up, with clean water, and dunk the rat into each one, so they are very well rid of any shampoo. Then I have warmed towels on standby to dry them very well.

Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:34 pm

Actually, Labrat, I have one of those rabbit cages (I know, it's small, but they're barely ever in there) and I keep it cleaned. I have 4 males, and 3 females, and the males are always smelling themselves up. And when I breed a pair, the male pees on the female. It's not the cage, it's the little rattie. I don't know if this is good, but I know I've used ferret deoderizing shampoo a few times. (My brother has a ferret, and I borrowed some shampoo.) I never knew baby shampoo was bad, that's the only shampoo I ever use on myself! Lol.

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Wed Oct 01, 2003 3:44 pm

Oh, ok. Yep, boys do whiff more than girls, but personally I like the smell! They work long and hard to get smelling like that - why should I spoil their fun?

Most of my bucks are neutered anyway, and I have an air purifier for them too, so maybe that's why mine don't smell. I dont breed either, which I suppose could cause problems.

Thu Oct 02, 2003 12:33 pm

Call me crazy but I love the way my girls smell. I've only ever bathed them twice in 18 months and that was mainly because their tails were gettting a bit dirty.

I bury my face in their fur, I think they smell a bit sweet, like sherbet or something. They roll their eyes and indulge me - most of the time!

:|

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Kirsty

(Angel, Harmony, Druscilla, Buffy & Willlow at the Bridge. Now it's me, Rich, Dooob & Bebe)

Mon Nov 24, 2003 7:26 am

I've been reading a lot about people bathing their rats. I'm just curious, should everyone bathe their rats? I tried last week, but I don't know if I did it right...I filled up the tub with about two inches of lukewarm water and tried to put them in there, but they absolutely hated it and clung on to me for dear life, so I only managed to get their feet wet. Any tips? How do you guys all do it?

Tue Nov 25, 2003 1:03 am

I've just bathed my three babies yesterday for the first time. I don't usually bother as they clean themselves but these were rescuees that were kept on very soiled sawdust and absolutely stunk (sorry girls but you did) I started off by half filling a washing up bowl with a little warmish water with a little baby shampoo and then I let them play in the bath for a while before lifting them in one by one. it was just the right depth that they could swim in it with their heads out and I just kind gave them a gentle rub while they swam. Two out of three didn't mind but Sabrina was not best pleased. I had a carry box ready with a towel inside and I gave them a quick rub down with another towel and then shut them in there with the towel on top. They dryed off by digging around in there (they love their box as I always shut them in it with towels and hide treats in amounst the towels. I hope this helped

Tue Jan 06, 2004 9:07 pm

I find that if my girls have been sleeping in their pee and are smelly when I take them out, it's a sign I haven't checked their nest enough... Rolling Eyes

And that doesn't happen often at all. And I find the smell on their fur goes away on its own quickly.

More often than not, my girls smell like incense and grape (I made soaps that smell like them!) Just make sure their nest is nice and dry at all times, i fthat means changing their soft bedding material daily.

I have the dirty rat shampoo too but only use it when it's an extreme case. I don't bathe my rats unless they had an accident or like when Buddha's skin was a wee bit too orange.

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Sab

"I feel like I know her, but sometimes my arms bend back"

Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:25 pm

I put a washing up bowl in the bath and let them have a swim (they can get out if they don't like it!!!) and then shampoo them and then let them swim again. just a little gentle stroke is enough. Mine loose fur really easily. just be really careful not to let them get cold and don't put them back into their cage until they are totally dry.

The three that like to pee on each other and roll in it get bathed about once a month. and their bedding in their nest gets changed every three days, any more than that and they start peeing like mad to scent everything and everyone!!!!!!

Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:36 pm

I use cut up bits of polar fleece you can buy in any fabric shop for thier bedding. If you use this for two-three days, it doesn't sak urine enough to make your rats smell. I'd never ever use paper bedding for my lot again!

And the fab bit about the fleece is if you wash it in your washing machine, it comes out virtually dry! So it doesn't have to be hung up to dry for any length of time and can be reused very quickly! (Don't use conditioner or biological washing powder though!)

Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:41 pm

Try the bedding changes and baby wipes first, see if that helps before actually bathing them. Rats (and many other animals) rarely need full water baths (unless they've got some unusually bad habits), it's usually their humans who think they do.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Thu Jan 08, 2004 9:40 pm

Yep, my thoughts exactly Kate. At the end of the day, you'd be bathing them every couple of days if you can't work out why they smell. This is not a good solution to the problem. (For you or them!)

I've had rats come from a very nasty background, and within a couple of days they'd be sweet smelling being in a clean cage. Rats wash themselves more than cats do so it's gotta be something in their cage that's making them smell, not the fact they don't wash themselves. Unless they are VERY old/sick and have trouble grooming.

Wed Jan 28, 2004 7:32 pm

Hi peoples,
I posted a while ago about my greasy, smelly, and overweight rat, Oswald. He's been slowly (slllloooowly) loosing weight since I got him, and it seems that his previous diet contributed only to his weight, not to his grease. I've been giving him olive oil a couple of times a week (thank you, whoever suggested that!) and it seems to help a bit, but not totally. I've been bathing him with some rabbit shampoo, but its "pleasent fragrence" smells more pungent than he does!

I bathed him last night, but couldn't stand the thought of that smell wafting around, so I lathered up some Ivory soap instead. It's wonderful! He still smells a bit, but his coat is so soft, smooth, and shiney. (I sound like an advertisement, i know)

SO... has anybody used ivory soap on their rats before? Have you noticed if it's bothered their skin etc? It's supposed to be very mild blah blah blah, (hold on, he's drinking my tea...) but maybe longer term exposure isn't good? I dunno.

As a side note: Os has grown himself quite the lump on his left stifle (using a horse term... back knee?) I found it a little while ago and have watched it. Either it has grown or he has lost weight (which is entirely possible, and preferred).

I'm on a hunt for good small animal vets in my area (Toronto), and have found a couple. I am really wondering how much I should expect to pay to get it removed. I've probed around and it doesn't seem to be firmly anchored to his innards, but he is middle aged (about 1 year and 9 months). although he is also very active and doesn't seems to have any major problems other then the lump. And he's also VERY big (about a foot long, not including his tail), if that makes any difference for the surgery.

any thoughts?

thanks!
em

Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:53 pm

Wow, what a big guy!

Must be the tea. wink

I can't help you on surgery pricing, and unless someone has used one of the vets you're looking at, it's almost a crapshoot.

As for the Ivory, it's plain ol' soap, which means it will be drying to his skin. Try a nice baby shampoo, like the one from Burt's Bees, maybe.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Wed Jan 28, 2004 9:56 pm

Or Dr. Bronner's, available at hippy stores.

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Wed Feb 11, 2004 6:49 pm

None of mine seem to like baths (out of the ones that have had a bath) but all without exception like to fish for frozen peas on a hot day in a shallow bowl of water!

Thu Feb 12, 2004 4:24 am

Lol at LabRat, well I might try that, especially if my rats dont like baths, when they get stinky, just put some peas in some water, lol!!! Thanks for the idea! :enlighten:

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Kalie, Rizzo, Talulah and Sierra

Wed May 19, 2004 3:54 pm

i think i may begining to make friends with Vic and Bob, bob has found her perfect spot down my top, had them out for the longest time yesterday 1 hour 30 mins. i think they enjoyed it but will see how it going.

i have found that cornflakes are a favorite.

I am thinking of bathing them, are they too young at six weeks and three days old. and what is the best way to do it,

Wed May 19, 2004 6:11 pm

Here's a link to rat bathing from ratsrule:
http://www.ratsrule.com/bath.html
Good luck. wink

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Wed May 19, 2004 11:35 pm

You don't need to bathe rats at all unless they've got into something disgusting, have a medical need for a bath, or are show rats.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Thu May 20, 2004 12:42 am

Rats are self-cleaning.

The only time I ever bathed a rat was when she had a tumor that prevented her from grooming herself.

Thu May 20, 2004 6:19 am

Same here, I only bathe my rats when they are really stinky (ie. I haven't changed the hammock soon enough and they have a definite "urine" smell to them). Other than that there's no need to.

LOL

at that link, Ratitude!

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In memory of Riley, the bestest, most squishiest ratty anyone could ever hope for

Sun May 23, 2004 3:44 pm

Rats do not need baths unless they are obviously dirty, but I recommend the following method. Being young, the rats probably will not take long to take to this method.
DO NOT BATH THE RATS TRADITIONALY
I have had bad experience bathing rats the traditional way and it is too much stress for them.
1. Get a shallow container (one the rats can climb in and out of).
2. Fill it with warm water. Start with a small amount of water and build it up as the rats get more confident.
3. Place some food in the water such as grapes, corn, peas (whatever the rats like and as long as it will not make the water yucky).
4. Place the container in the cage, grab a chair and just watch your rats. Watch them investigate the water and dive for the food. It is funny to watch.

If you do this as often as you can, the rats will soon be diving right into the water to get the food. The rats will then give themselves a complete grooming and the water will help get rid of any muck and smells.
There are some rats who get stains and smells on their coats that need more than water. Try to find a small animal stain remover in the pet store and use that, otherwise a more traditional bath may be needed.

I hope I have helped. I haven't been on this forum for months as very busy and it is good to help someone.

Sun May 23, 2004 4:59 pm

Katiepat-
That's a really clever idea. I might need to try that next time my girls need a bath (because of the tunnels I use in their cage, their tails get really gross). Being in the tub does stress them some, but I hadn't thought of how to make it less stressful. Thanks for the idea

Sarah

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Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:48 am

I havent put the ratties in the tub yet. How do you usually do it? Just fill the tub up and let them play or what?

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I never though I would love rats and now here I am.
Coach and Fluff 03/04
Zoie and Sofie 11/04

Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:50 am

Firstly (and very importantly, lol!) I clip all of their claws!

Then usually I just put about 4cm of luke warm/warm water in the bath. Then, in it, I put a tea towel or one of those non-slip mats on the floor of the bath so the rats feel more safe not slipping around everywhere.

I get out some pet shampoo, face cloth, cup, and towel and place it beside the bath.

Then I take the rats (no more that two at a time unless u are feeling exceptionally confidient, unbreakable, unscratchable, super athletic, foolish, and/or all of the above

) and put them gentley into the water. The reaction that follows next varies from rat to rat:
They either
a) they take it all in their stride and just casually wallow and sniff about in the water.
b) Think that the water is flesh consuming acid just desguised as water and try desperatly to leap out or tear up your skin as they sprint up your bare arms (hence the nail trim!).
Or, lastly c) Some in between variation of (a) and (b). Whatever way, be prepared!

Then proceed to carefully wash them. Don't push them under the water or put water on their heads. You want them to feel as safe as possible and they hate water in their ears. Use the cup to wet them and a damp face cloth to wipe there little ratty faces.

Rinse them carefully then as you finsh each one just put them in the towel to find a den to dry themself. After they're all washed you can dry them all properly.

Lastly, relax, breath, and pray that you don't have to bath em again for at least a couple of months!

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Mon Aug 23, 2004 3:44 am

You don't need to bathe them unless they've got into something icky. Rats are self-cleaning.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Mon Aug 23, 2004 4:04 am

Ohh I know they are but they might enjoy a little romp in the tub. Who knows?

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I never though I would love rats and now here I am.
Coach and Fluff 03/04
Zoie and Sofie 11/04

Mon Aug 23, 2004 4:10 am

Hmm, well I've only had my rats for a month (as a matter of fact, exactly a month today), but I think I'd like to stick to bathing them once a month or two. They're both PEWs, so even if they clean themselves, they can discolour. This might change though - this past month they've been living in a tank, meaning they're constantly in the litter and stuff. But their cage should come in the mail tomorrow, so I'll have that set up and hopefully potty-train them, so they'll stay cleaner.

But anyway, I prefer to wash them at the kitchen sink, one at a time (well I've only tried once so far, but I wouldn't bother with the bathtub). I don't bother filling the sink or anything, I just hold them tight and carefully get them under the faucet. The faucet has a shower option, and I use that. A cat/kitten shampoo works just fine, though I've been considering trying a whitening shampoo (would it be too strong for them?). I make sure to get the tail squeaky clean, because dirty tails particularly annoy me (I usually rinse their tails once a week, without an actual bath). And then I place them into a nice absorbent towel, and get them as dry as it'd get.

And yes, nail-clipping is a good idea. they seem ot hurt more when the nails are wet.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 8:31 pm

Like BRR, my ratties despise baths. But really, unless you are showing them or they are extremely messy they really don't need baths. They do a great job of keeping themselves clean. The only time I have ever given mine a bath was when they had a lice infestation and when my old men get too old to properly clean, and then they just get a sponge bath.

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Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:47 pm

I generally find that my kids do much better when I bathe in the sink, as opposed to putting them in a tub, and I don't immerse them. I put a towel in the sink for them to stand on, and then have a bowl of water I dip out of to get them wet and rinse them off. I haven't had a single scratch after a bath since starting this method...

Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:07 pm

I just tightly hold them in my hands while washing them in the sink. If i put them down, they'd make a run for it, I think. Plus it seems to be over relatively quickly when I hold them.

And, well, curse them for being PEWs. Cause pee all over their sleep spot (I assume this is normal?) and then the pee dries on their coats leaving them spiky-haired and dingy. And they don't do a good job at cleaning their backs. So I try to bathe about once a month or so, and I wash their tails every week.

Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:25 pm

my 3 frat boy males always smell like pee and they don't do a good job of cleaning anything they're a pew, a siamese, and a black hood. my 3 hairless smell perpetually like pee too. I used to have a female hood who liked to sleep upside down in puddles of pee, would seriously seek them out to sleep in. She was a rare black and yellow hooded after a couple months of that. wtf

It finally just stained her fur.

My rats pee everywhere. Litter training is a joke to them Rat Laugh

Ahhh...my rats are crazy and I'm not alone.

Bad Rattitude Rattery

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Sat Sep 18, 2004 7:20 pm

My rats all hate baths as well. Violet only got one bath in her life (but she also had a natural pleasant smell that I couldn't figure out and was quite good about cleaning herself, therefore not really requiring baths). Petunia had only had one until she started getting older. Now that she has more trouble eating and grooming, I give her a quick bath about once a month, and sometimes will just take a warm moist cloth to her crusty spots. The one time I washed Violet and Petunia together, they both waited until they got soaped, and then jumped on top of my head. Surprisingly, though, both of them seemed to really enjoy being dried off. Guess it's kinda like a warm, fuzzy, ratty massage or something.

Daisy and Lily have had one bath so far, and they hated it, even the drying part. The sink in my bathroom has a long counter, and they both kept jumping out of the sink and trying to hide amongst the bottles of mousse, deodorant, etc while shaking off and spraying water everywhere. Violet and Petunia were never terribly messy, but Daisy and Lily seem to also enjoy peeing on eachother. Maybe it's something about white rats? Of course, they also think that the hammock is a litter box, so who knows. Nutso

~Jamie

Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:40 pm

Rat tongues - rats wash themselves well enough, many times more a day than cats do. I only EVER wash my rats or give them a bath if they've come to me as a rescue and are a right state, or if they are old and incapable of grooming themselves, or possibly to take to a show. I have one adolescent mucky boy who decided to pee a LOT in his hammock and then sleep there. I picked him up and he was dripping wet. Shocked

So he got an impromtu bath.

But... rats in general hate baths. I've had a lot of rats and all are petrified of them. You get scratched to pieces, and end up with one stressed rat. I wouldn't suggest anyone give their rats a bath on a regular basis. Make sur etheir cages are clean, and they'll be clean.

Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:10 pm

I use cat/kitten shampoo which i have at home since I've got a cat that I bathe occasionally. I wouldn't use hand soap for rats though. That's got perfumes and otehr additives, and dries out my own hands (which its designed for), so it might be harmful for rattie skin.

But if your rats are very greasy or have very dirty tails, you cna use a few drops of diswashing liquid (I go to dog grooming school, and we sometimes use Dawn on very oily/dirty dogs that shampoo just won't take care of, and it doesn't dry out the skin, so its safe to use occasionally)

Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:33 pm

You can use dawn for very oily boys, they use it to clean animals at oil spills. Here is a link on it :

http://www.homemadesimple.com/saveaduck/

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Mon Sep 20, 2004 6:20 pm

I use Bunny Bath. I understand in the UK there's a small animal shampoo called...Dirty Rat.

I'd *love* to get a bottle of that stuff!

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Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:42 pm

Psst! Victor! Look here: http://www.ratwarehouse.com/shop_view.php?cat=11

Wed Sep 22, 2004 10:21 pm

Everybody said baby shampoo, which is my favorite. It's tearless!
You can basically use any shampoo product that is safe on kittens, ferrets, rabbits and anything smaller... I found a lovely avocado shampoo for dry skin... LOL

If by chance, your rat gets ick! fleas or lice, you can use a flea shampoo for kittens. Read the label. The younger it says you can use it, the safer. The best I've found in my area is De Flea. It has no pyrethrins, is safe for young and nursing animals (we're talking puppies and kittens here, so it's safe for ratties too), and can be used in conjunction with a worming product. What I don't like is that it is kind of watery and doesn't lather all that well unless you use a lot. I have it around just in case, and for washing newcomers.

Karinka

Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:28 am

i,m not sure about the whole bathing thing. should i be bathing my girls or not. they dont smell bad infact they smell quite nice. i did bath once when they had been wrestleing in their litter tray. they did not like it at all .

Mon Dec 13, 2004 4:53 am

My boys have a bit of dermatitis. I skin scraped and cultured them for ringworm, and that was negative. They have no lice, mites or mange. I'm putting Omega Fatty acids in their food and water, but the vet recommends that I still bathe them twice a week for a month with medicated shampoo.
That's all fine and dandy, but these guys are still getting use to me. They are getting more comfortable with being handled. Dundee would rather not be held, but I still work with him. Irwin doesn't mind being held compared to his brother. Neither has attempted to bite me, well Dundee turned and snapped at me once, but didn't bite.
I'm just nervous that they are going to hate me when I have to bathe them. Any tips....they have to soak in the shampoo for about 10 minutes. Do you think they will be able to jump and clear the tub?

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Mon Dec 13, 2004 5:37 am

Haha, Luna, it sounds like you're having pretty much the same issue as I am with medicating. Wouldn't it be nice if we could just gently reason with them and say "hey, this is for your own good, humor me here"? I swear, if I could just convince Stephanie I wasn't trying to kill her, this would all go so much easier.

Mon Dec 13, 2004 6:02 am

It really depends on your bathtub... my boys can leap out, but my bath isn't very deep. Hints for bathing... wear long sleeves! Also tie your hair up if it is long, or they will hide in it hehe.

If the medication has to stay on that long, can you possibly put the shampoo into their dry fur and keep them occupied with treats or something, then just rinse them off?

Not much help, unfortunately, but hopefully someone can suggest something more useful. Good luck!

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon Dec 13, 2004 8:55 am

Someone has Aussie ratties wink

I don't know about making bath time easier (except for making sure their claws are trimmed), but our boys like to be combed and cuddled and given treats afterwards. That helps them feel better about getting a bath.
~Erica

Fri Dec 31, 2004 1:34 pm

This may sound kinda silly but I find the most important thing to remember at stressful times like bathing and nail trimming is this: you are in charge. Be confident about what you need to do. If you need the rats to stay in the tub then make them stay in the tub. Definitely wear long sleeves, though. hehe. Some rats actually like the water. Let them splash around on their own instead of putting a death grip on them so they can't wriggle away.

Fri Jan 14, 2005 7:36 pm

i've always given our rats a bath about every other week- all of our boys have been very big on sleeping in the stinkiest part of the cage...

my advice is to do them one at a time, ive given group baths before and it was nearly impossible for me to keep control of everyone, wet rats everywhere. if you do it one at a time you can do it in the sink, and if youve got a spray-nozzle-hose thing on your sink thats even better. even if youre only washing one at a time you have to be pretty good at juggling- if you put them down theyre going to make a bee-line for your arm or the floor. expect some poop- even after years artoo still does this.

i use dr. bronners organic soap to wash the rats (and me too!). its a great product, detergent free, and it really gets them clean. you can buy it in bulk from their website, (www.drbronner.com), or from most natual food stores. it comes in several different scents- i use almond. Mr. Green

good luck and clean rat wishes!

Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:57 am

I don't bathe my rats at all UNLESS they are old and can't clean properly or if they come down with a case of buggies. They do a pretty good job of keeping themselves clean.

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Christy
RP Admin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Frodo, Zorro, Erzulie, Maeve, Clara, Molly & Emily

Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:10 am

I usually only bathe if necessary. Lily usually smells rather good, like cantelope juice!

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Lindsay & The Rat Head, Lily

At The Bridge: Daisy Lynn & Violet Amanda

Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:14 pm

I've only bathed a rat twice... once was to get the porphyrin staining out of Whendi's white shoulder fur (we never did figure out how she managed to stain herself so much with no respiratory problems) and the second was when Charlie took a flying leap from my shoulder into the toilet bowl! LOL

"Muuuuuum.... Why do I need another bath, I just HAD one!"

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:15 am

When I got my little man from the petstore he was teribly smelly. I bathed him 2 days after I got him home and settled. He was much better than other rats I've done.
Haven't had to do it since.

Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:32 am

I don't bathe mine, plus there is a nice spray that you can spray on them that makes them smell like baby powder. Hana is white and black, and her white fur is still clean and bright, so I haven't seen the need in bathing right now...plus with squeaker being a huge clean freak, there really hasn't been the need. LOL

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Renee
~Momma to Squeaker and Hana~
Gotta love the little creatures!

Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:25 am

yeah,i use the baby powder stuff on all my other animals too.but how do you bathe them?

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karni~rat goddess
http://photobucket.com/albums/v352/rose_angel590/pets/
rock on animal lovers!
www.petcocruelty.com

Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:14 am

Hmmm How to bathe a rat? OK, this sounds a bit flippant, but it about accurately describes the bathing experiences I've had. wink

1) wear long sleeves and a top you don't mind getting soaked!
2) tie back long hair.
3) run some water in the tub (because the sink is a) too high when they leap and b) too shallow).
4) test it with your elbow like you do for a baby to make sure its not too hot or cold.
5) grab rat and dunk in the water, trying to keep their head relatively dry.
6) try to keep rat in the water and not hiding under your hair while soggy wet.
7) lather up a little mild shampoo or soap in your hands and squoosh it all over said soggy rat.
8) try to keep the slippery little blighter still long enough to wash it off again (using a cup or something to gently pour water over them).
9) rescue them out of the bath and into a nice warm fluffy towel.
10) dry them and try and kiss them and endeavour not to feel guilty when they give you the evil eye for hours afterwards, while thoroughly licking all over and rolling in the nearest wee spot they can find!

In all sensibility though, use a mild shampoo, warm water, warm towels, a warm room for them to go to after until they are dry, long sleeves, trimmed ratty toenails (if needed) and get it over and done with as quickly and calmly as possible.. unless you find you have a rat who loves baths of course.

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Sun Mar 06, 2005 10:53 pm

Since there's been so much bath talk around here lately, I'm wondering if I should start bathing our girls. Amelia and Savannah aren't smelly girls. They go in their litterbox, and I have yet to find them marinating in anything yucky. They have their own particular smells, but it's not unpleasant, and it doesn't smell anything like urine or feces. However, I'd rather them get used to rats as babies than be stunned when I give them a bath at a year old, or something. Should I start now as a just-in-case type thing?

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Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:47 pm

i give my rats baths at least 1 time a month....... and the babies 2 times a months, so they get use to getting one... thats what i do. other people do diffrent.... it's what you think is right for your rats.

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Mon Mar 07, 2005 2:25 am

Rats do not need baths unless they've got into something gross, or sometimes for medical reasons. There are tons of posts on this subject, just do a search.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:45 am

I just recently gave my little dumbo, Abbie, a bath. we read about rat baths on the internet and some people say thier rats love water and others say thier rats hate baths. When I gave her the bath you could tell she didn't like it but she didn't make a lot of noise. She just grabbed my hand and hugn on tightly with her nails. I guess all rats are different. Good Luck. Hat

Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:59 am

My is rabbit Shampoo. Yeah somebody said that Rats are HATE the bath. That's happen. I hate rat's claw. I use yellow glover LOL.

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Amber,

Hairy, Keno, and Beno.

Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:26 pm

yup if your ratties scratch when you give them a bath use some gloves. my rats will tear my hand to pieces if i am not wearing gloves. my rats never got a bath other than if they had mites, but there are getting buck grease on them now, so i am thinking of another bath for them.

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RIP Slippery

Pets i currently have
two rats- Ciceil and Fry
leopard gecko- Tango
lop mix rabbit- Ryo (bun)
and a boyfriend- Bruces

Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:08 am

Well, Amelia and Savannah got their first baths at our house. No screaming, just a lot of pretty pissed looks

. On the bright side, their tails look all nice and clean now! I went with Johnson's head to toe hypoallergenic baby wash.

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Wed Mar 09, 2005 6:40 am

Only bathe them if they smell or are physically dirty. Make sure they dry properly if you do decide to bathe them. You don't want to have cold rats!

- logan

Wed Mar 09, 2005 9:44 am

They slept in their litterbox one night, so they were pretty ripe by morning. And their poor tails were brown Sad

. And we got lots of together time while they sat in their towels, on our laps, grooming themselves afterwards, so don't worry!

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Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:47 am

Sounds Good!

Logan

Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:13 pm

i have 7 adults and 4/ 5 week olds and 10/ 4 week olds I'm guessing lukewarm water is best.Trust me they all need a bath lol my lil boys and girls Faint

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Port Richey,FL.
Tia&Jack
and all the kids

Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:28 pm

i bath my rats quite often, each getting washed about once every two weeks.. when i have a bath, i usually grab a few rats and they get bathed too... the first couple of times they usually grumble a bit, but they do get used to it, and they LOVE being massaged dry with a big fluffy towel.

i reckon some of my rats enjoy baths now some of them seem so undisturbed by it... none of them scream or create much of a fuss though, none... wriggling yes, but screaming, no...

Sun Mar 20, 2005 2:56 am

I am not asking for help with a problem, but offering advice on how to bath your rats.

Generally rats groom themselves really well. You may have a problem if you don't clean the cage regularly, you have an old rat who can't clean himself or have males (they can get oily deposits on their skin).

One great alternative to the traditional bath is to offer a container of warm water that is easily accessible in your rats' cage. Toss in a few treats that don't quickly disintegrate in water (such as corn, grapes or peas) and leave your rats to investigate it. If they haven't had any bad experiences with water or they are quite young, they will likely check it out and try to get the treats, thus getting wet. They can then use the water as an aid to clean themselves better. Most rats instinctively clean themselves after getting wet.

If a traditional bath is needed make sure you have everything ready before hand. Have the towel laid out. It helps if you have two tubs for washing. One with just warm water and the other with warm water and shampoo. If you put the shampoo in the water and allow it to froth up like detergent, you can just focus on holding your rat rather than putting shampoo on your rat. Also, rats feel more comfortable if they can touch the bottom with both feet, so don't have the water too deep. Talk to them, give them treats, hold them (don't expect them to swim around) and comfort them.

Happy bathing!!

Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:54 am

Thanks! Those are good ideas. Especially since Notti despises baths. But I put a bowl of water in her cage and you're right, she uses it to help clean herself. So maybe I won't have to bathe her as often.

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-Randi and the Rats: Notti, Mysty, Nilla, and Wafer

~My precious Angels: Nosi, Jumper, Margie, Francie, and Bart~ We miss you.

Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:20 pm

I usually only bathe my rats before a show (which is about every month in the busy spring and once every 3 months in the winter) and/or when their coat/tail is looking discolored. I do it just like everyone else said.

Oh, and one helpful tip. Clip their nails first!!!!! lol

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~*Ashli*~
The Harbor Rattery
http://HarborRats.tripod.com

Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:14 am

I bathed my rats for the first time last week and I was so relieved at how well it went. My mom and I filled the sink with water then I held onto one girl and dunked her body in. I don't think they realized what was happening because they were so calm and just sitting there. Then I brought them up and my mom got some soap on them and then just one more dunk to rinse them! They didn't like the second time as much but all in all a good experience!

Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:30 am

Just make sure you don't get anything in her eyes and that you get all the shampoo off (she will groom herself afterwards) and thoroughly dry her afterwards ~ goodluck

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..Rosie....Opal...Pebbles...Ruby....Pixie..

19.10.05 Angel rat

Pixie ~ sleep tight my little 'cheeky bum' xox

Tue Apr 12, 2005 6:41 am

http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#bath

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My girls: Gemma <:3 )~
Shadow <:3 )~

I still luv you: Sooty <:3B)~
Sweep <:3B)~
Ratty-Tatty <:3B)~

Sun May 01, 2005 5:40 am

Was just wondering what everyone uses for bathing their ratties!

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To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug - Helen Keller

http://photobucket.com/albums/v215/Glideriffic/

Sun May 01, 2005 11:01 am

I use baby shampoo......the tear free kind with low fragrance.

Sun May 01, 2005 2:45 pm

Courtesy of Rat Warehouse

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Andy & The Rats

~ Darwin ~ Maisie ~ Ella ~ Zak ~

~ Finn ~ Malachi ~ Azrael ~ Newton ~ Charlie ~

Mon May 02, 2005 8:50 pm

are you supposed to give ur rats baths???? or just leave em be??? lol

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Mon May 02, 2005 10:20 pm

I don't think there is any hard and fast rule on this - some people do bath their rats and some don't. I don't routinely bath mine, only if they need a bath before a show or are particularly dirty and even then it's only usually the lightest coloured rats.
There is the other side of this that some rats like being bathed and some rats hate it - if they hate it, you tend to get lots of climbing type scratches all the way up your arms, so ensure you've trimmed their toenails before you start!

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Estelle
Alpha Centauri Stud, Somerset, UK
http://www.alphacentauri-rats.co.uk
http://www.ratz.co.uk

Mon May 02, 2005 11:02 pm

I only give them a bath before I show them. That is only once a month bearing in mind that the shows slack up at the end of of the year.

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Goodbye from Mickey and her furry friends

Tue May 31, 2005 7:53 pm

Well my rats have never had a bath and they aren't really stinky but I really want to have cute bathtime pics for my photo albulm ( making one for the day that they die I can barry the photo albulm with them and their favorite treat ( yogies but had to get rid of since they were getting so chubby

and switched to pumpkin seeds and almonds Mad

). I was wondering what the tempature for the water should be. And if I could use a kid shampoo either Johnsons Head to Toe Body wash ( can be used for hair to) or Loreal Kids Swim and Sport Shampoo light orange scent and for the first one grape scent or I could use a oatmeal dog shampoo really mild I just want to find somethin' at home instead of convinceing my mom that the ratties need to be bathed. Confused

Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:26 am

I use Johnson's Head to Toe. It's a pretty benign wash, really. The water should be a little warmer than "warm" but certainly nothing that would be uncomfortable for your own skin. I made mine about like my bath water, but since I didn't have a thermometer, I couldn't tell you the temp

.

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Wed Jun 01, 2005 12:44 am

Thanks Jill I had to look up bengin but it said in the dictionary that that meant harmless and mild so I guess thats all right. Just wondering how did you know that?

Wed Jun 01, 2005 1:49 am

If you read back through this thread you'll see that baby shampoo (or any other than rodent-safe shampoo) is not recommended, and why.

Also, bathing your rats when they don't need it just so that you can take phtoos is not recommended. Rats do not need baths unless they've got into something dirty or sometimes for health reasons.

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Kate & the M.O.U.S.
If you saw a man drowning and you could either save him or photograph the event ... what kind of film would you use?
~ Anonymous

Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:10 am

i took frizzies (my rat) outside and he went in he dirt pile n is dirty its stuck in his hair n i dont know what shampoo to use plz tell m thx

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Thu Jun 09, 2005 2:18 am

I use baby shampoo tear free....see the sticky on bathing for good answers

Thu Jun 09, 2005 4:32 am

I've heard useing kitten shampoo is good. Also maybe some water will get out the dirt just get a washcloth or somethin' or just put him in shallow water with something to play with like a ping pong ball.

Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:56 am

I bathe my rats in warm water and Johnsons baby soap. It doesnt bother mine at all.

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Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:16 am

I use an all natural oatmeal and tea tree oil shampoo and to make bathtimes fun...I take them into the shower with me. I know that for a lot of people who have oodles and oodles of rat this isn't possible, but spreading it out over a few days works for me. Also this way, since my ratties love water, they can play around in it and don't neccesarily have to get scrubbed up. And if they decide that that day they don't wanna get wet then they hide under the shower curtain. It works for me, and if you only do 3 or 4 rats at a time, then everyone gets clean and you don't have to worry about stepping on lil ratty tails.

Sun Jul 24, 2005 9:20 pm

My one girlie, Grace, has funky-smelling saliva. We've taken her to the vet, but he couldn't find anything wrong, and other than that she's a perfectly normal, energetic, friendly rattie.

The problem is, she has a slight (to me) or heavy (to guests) odor about her because of her saliva and how often she washes herself. It's not because of the cage, because Lenore never smells at all.

I'm already going out to PetSmart today, so I'm wondering, should I pick up some pet-friendly wipes or some small animal shampoo? Would you recomend giving her a bath, or just wiping her down?

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Cera (Sarah) and The Girlies:
Grace and Lenore

Sun Jul 24, 2005 11:36 pm

Have you tried bathing her before? If you haven't, I'd recommened using some unscented baby or pet wipes and just wipe her down. If that doesn't help then you could resort to bath time using a kitten or puppy shampoo.

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--;[Dannie/]
Ratties: Kina, Cessi, Nerissa and Dare

Mon Jul 25, 2005 12:20 am

	yourRumor wrote:
	Have you tried bathing her before? If you haven't, I'd recommened using some unscented baby or pet wipes and just wipe her down. If that doesn't help then you could resort to bath time using a kitten or puppy shampoo.

Well, I ended up buying ferret shampoo and overall, it didn't go too badly. The only thing she tried to do was escape up my arm. Strangely enough, my mother ("Rats!? In my house!?") helped me, and apart from Gracie now smelling like latex gloves, it was pretty successfull.

Once we finally got a good hold on her and sudsed her up, she was pretty well-behaved. In the begining, though, we scared the raisins out of her. Poor little girl.

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Cera (Sarah) and The Girlies:
Grace and Lenore

Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:38 am

Errr, I lather mine up with sugar-free strawberry yogurt. By the time they get done licking it all off, they smell nice and their coats are glossy. LOL

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"You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your f------g khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." ~ Tyler Durden

Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:01 am

For bathing my rats, I just fill up my sink a little bit with lukewarm water and just wash them quickly. My rats don't normally get too stressed out by it. You might not want to use soap though. I used to try to use soap on my rats but they really hate it and squirm alot. Some water and a cloth should cleam them just fine!

Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:46 pm

My rats love taking baths!! Well, it's not really a bath, and more like going for a swim! I fill up the bath tub like 3-6 inches. I have a bucket in there so they can climb up if they get tired or what ever. They get all wet and oooo they are so cute!

While they are in the bath I clean their cage (with my mom watching the ratigans), so when they come back, they are licking each other and washing up. I dont use soap, but they still smell good!
It is also a good way to cool them down dureing the summer heat!

L♥VE MISSY

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Momma to...

4 rats~ Hoodsie, Lucy, Acadecki, and Linyaari
2 cats~ Tubby Todd and Na'Bisco
2 leopard geckos~ Luka and Jaffa
1 hammy~ Bijou

Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:28 am

Aww, that is so cute! Pretty rats!

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Thu Nov 17, 2005 7:00 pm

My rat boy had diarreha and feeding him oats cleared it up. Like regular plain oatmeal oats that come in a can and he LOVES it. Its worth a try.

Fri Nov 18, 2005 4:18 am

Thats interesting! They get raw oats as part of there food mix, but that is cool.

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Rosie

* * *

I miss you Tut, Goldy, and Raoul Angel rat

Thu Jan 05, 2006 3:33 am

Polar needed a bath the other day after I realized that he wasnt cleaning himself very well Rolling Eyes

The vanilla on his back from 4 days ago was still there plus he likes to marinate in his pee so he definately needed it. I couldn't find anything suitable to wash him with until I remembered we have an all natural dog shampoo. It's called Pet Aromatics and the ingredient list is quite good. Just thought I'd give a suggestion for a rat friendly shampoo.

Here are the ingredients and the website: (we have Honeysuckle Hound)

Purified water, vegetable derived cleansing agents, cucumber extract, almond oil, chamomile, aloe vera, oat flour protein, palm oil, coconut oil, ProVitamin B5, macadamia nut oil derived emulsifier, natural fruit pH adjuster, food grade anti-microbial preservatives. Fragrance derived from Honeysuckle and Mediterranean Rosemary Leaf essential oil blends

www.petaromatics.com

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Tiana

~~*Polar, Petey, and Kona the Burmese*~~