Bath

Question
I gave my rat a bath, and I used a tiny bit of cat flea and tic shampoo on him, he is still pretty young, but not a baby. I hope this is alright. I also think he has a cold ;-; I can't take him to the vet because it costs way to much..

Answer
 It's not a good idea to bathe your rat in flea shampoo, as the chemicals can easily do him harm.  You really don't need to bathe a rat at all, they groom themselves and keep themselves very clean.  Usually it just does more harm than good.

 If he has a respiratory infection, all you can really do is take him to the vet.  Part of being a responsible pet owner is being able to provide your pets with proper medical care, should they need it, and there really is nothing you can do on your own besides let him suffer.  If you just got him a short while ago it may be stress sniffles from moving to a new home, but if it's been like this for a while it may be a respiratory infection.  The most common causes are pine and cedar bedding, irritants in the air, improper ventilation (aquariums and plastic cages), and stress.  If none of these are a factor but he isn't getting any better the only thing that will help him is antibiotics from a vet.  I hope he does get better soon, good luck with your rat!