rats and hamsters

Question
How do i bathe a rat or hamster without tramatizing them.

Answer
Hello Lindsey,
 I can not tell you about bathing hamsters, as I have never given one a bath. I am pretty sure you can do it just like a rat.

To bathe a rat, clip the clear curl of the nail off with a people nail clippers, being careful of the pink quick that will bleed if nicked. You will want to cut the nails first, because if you don't, your arms will get pretty scratched up.

Then, with the rat back in it's cage, fill the tub with enough warm water to cover the rats tummy at the shallow end. This will only be about two to three inches at the most.

Gently place you rat in the shallow end of the tub. The rat might jump, or try to climb out. This is normal. Also, the rat will start to poop. This too is normal. Let the rat get adjusted to being in the water. Rats are natural swimmers, and also hypochondriacs, so they will act all scared and freaked out. Once the rat has calmed down, use some supper gentle, non citrus, non HARTZ(causes seizures), puppy or kitten shampoo,or unscented DAWN dishshoap. The DAWN works best for male rats, removing the orange grease on their skin called, Buck Grease.

Lather the soap on the back, working it around to the belly and down the tail. Wash the tail well in downward strokes only.

*****Do not apply soap or lather above the shoulders of the rat.

Put rat down in the deep end of the tub, and let it swim around and relax for a minute. Then gently rinse the rat by rubbing it in the deep end of the tub. You may want to use a cup, pouring the water very close to the rat.

******Do not allow water to get on the rats head, in the ears or nose. Severe health issues can and will result.

Once your ratty is rinsed well, wrap it up in a towel and rub dry. You will need to keep your rat in a warm place with no drafts for the rest of the day, or use a hair dryer on low and held 1 1/2 feet away from the rat.

*****Rats can catch a chill very easily! Keep your ratty warm after the bath.

You should only bathe once a month. To keep your ratty smelling fresh, and the tail clean, use an unscented wet wipe on your ratty once a week, or when needed.

I hope this answered your rat bathing question. Ask a Hamster expert about bathing them, before you do it.

HAPPY RATTING!!!
Becky









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