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Rat washing and nail trimming

Most rats, like cats, do not enjoy getting dunked into a tub of
water. There are a few good reasons why you may want to consider giving
your pet rat a bath. If they get into something sticky that they didn't
remove from their fur that you do not want them ingesting at the end of the
day. Or maybe it is just the end of the week, and they need a weekly

cleaning to make their fur soft and fresh smelling after lying a wet,
soaked spot in their bedding. Then again perhaps it is for medical reasons
(eg. skin conditions), the animal is aged and cannot groom themselves well,
or a buck has too much of the natural oily orange hormonal discharge common
on bucks for your taste. Other reasons include getting ready for a rat
show, overheating from being in the sun to cool off, or a rare instance
that it actually enjoys the experiences. Since all rats have different
personalities and individual preference this method may not work best for
your rat. But most rats will tolerate it. First you are going to need to
fill your sink with very warm water. Clear the area of any clutter and
place a towel for drying and shampooing using either a tear-free baby or
kitten shampoo. You may wear protective clothing if desired as you will
get wet and possibly scratched if you do not handle the rat
carefully. Grab the waiting vermin and dunk him or her down into the water
up to the neck gently splashing the water onto their face. Lift the rat
up with both hands and run the palm firmly over the body of the rat to work
out the water. A slight wringing action may be used - just don't squeeze
too hard. Apply a small amount of shampoo and lather into their pelt and
dunk back into the water and remove as much shampoo from the rat as you
can. Next remove rat from the water and wring out in the step explained
above and then place on the towel to gently dry off. Talk to them and tell
them how much you love them while they glare at you with those big bulging
eyes. Allow them to dry naturally in a comfortable room environment. When
completed you should offer all washed rats treats such as yogurt drops for
being good. You should try and remember to work quickly so that their is
less stress on the rats. When the shampoo clean smell takes over from rat
smell after the bath, your alpha may feel the need to reassert himself by
rubbing against and urinated on his regular spot. He might also be seen as
appearing puffy or hopping madly about for a short time. This is just an
adjustment reaction and is not a cause

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