Dumbo Rat sneezing.

Question
I have two male dumbo rats, the big one (Gilly, or Gilbertus Albans) has been sneezing lately whenever I pay attention to him.  I've heard (And seen) that some animals can have a bit of excitement and that will cause them to sneeze, but not really sure about him since I'm relatively new to having rats (About three or so months).  The other one, Munchkin, doesn't do it.  Don't know his age, no discharge or mucus or anything around his ears, nose, ears, or anus.  Bedding is Carefresh natural.  He is still eating (A LOT, why I call him my sewer rat) and seems very attentive and interested in everything; especially carrots.  Funny thing, he hears that container and me chewing and he'll throw himself on the cage and show his belly.  

They both get along great, except Gilly does sometimes rough-up Munchkin on occasion.  I didn't know they didn't live so long until after I had got both of them (Gilly was alone for about a week), and that really made me sad.  I've had my big dog, Taz (Great Pyrenesse / German Shepard) for about ten years, and he was already 5-6 when I got him, so kind of a shock.  But do rats grieve?  I mean, when one passes, should I find another one immediately?  I know they are very social, I just don't know if the other will be upset or not.  Oh, and their adjustment period was 30 mins in the bathtub, and they were great.

Anyways, sorry about ranting a bit.  Read your response on sneezing on yahoo answers, just wanted a personal reponse that didn't involve some sort of American Idol type popularity contest.

Thanks for any help, tips, or whatever you can provide!

Answer
Hi there

For starters, I dont recall answering anyone on Yahoo Answers. It may have been another Sandra. There is someone named Sandra Beasley who I believe is on there answering rat related questions, unless one day I did on a whim and decided to butt in, but I dont remember if I did or not. I do not care for yahoo answers myself, having people challenge your opinion, thinking they are the one with the ultimate advice etc...just to much and to overwhelming for someone serious about seeking advice and looking for the right answer.  I have my own personal website as well, since 2004 to be exact.  It is called Sandyscrittercity.com.  You may find answers to your questions there as well and of course without being confused by another person that thinks that they have the ultimate answer.  Even here on Allexperts, I do not accept ratings like other experts do.  I am not here to be voted best expert of the year nor see this as any type of competition. In fact, chances are I know the other people that answer on here about rat care because they see I am doing it and want to help out, too.  I dont feel right trying to see how has the most high scores or stars or whatever it was. As a matter of fact, at first before I knew I had the option NOT to be rated, I used to get all good ratings, even making the expert of the month or year or whatever.  LOL Silly stuff. But to have someone come back and sound ungrateful after you spent time helping them out for free mind you, and they come back angry that you took to long to answer them or that you suggested a Vet and thats a cop out to them, they wanted to be given some magic home remedy to help rather than see a vet, and as much as that would be IDEAL for all of us, its not reality but dont get mad at me! Shesh!  LOL  Sorry for the rant...that just brought back memories and why I am here in the first place.  LOL
So now on to the subject at hand:
The sneezing could be from excitement, but sometimes it could be an indication that they have a disturbance in their nasal passages such as simple irritation.  This could trigger off a respiratory infection caused by mycoplasmosis. Please check out my website, sandyscrittercity.com for information on health care for rats and proper husbandry etc...   
Carefresh is safe as far as not having phenol oils in it like cedar and pine bedding does, but it has been known to be dusty and can trigger sneezing in some rats. I myself do not like it. I do not find it to absorb urine enough and you still have the odor of ammonia in the cage which is what you want to avoid.  I have found the less area in their cage for waste, the better. In other words, litter box train them.  Its possible to do, easy to do, saves alot of money on litter and the most important part, keeps the cage super super clean and free of any build up from ammonia.
The good news is that he is eating and acting normal, which means he isnt actively sick.  However, as we know, rats hide pain and illness very well.
Anyhow I would change the bedding for starters to something less dusty like yesterdays news.

BTW, my beloved rat, Jackson who passed away two months ago used to run and flip over on his back so I could rub his belly.  I miss him every day!