allergetic rat.

Question
um yes i have a 2 year old Russian blue fancy rat. he is very skinny and i don't know why? he sneezes and coughs almost all the time,but my dad who's also a animal expert thinks he's allergic to something maybe in his cage or in the house.he's so skinny that you can see his spine and part of his ribs and hips. and i sometimes forget to feed him cause I'm so busy in the mornings getting ready for school. but if i forget to feed him in the mornings i will feed hIm when i get home from school. i've tried to feed him some chicken and steak since they can eat some meats, but it's not helping with his weight.i need your help because i dont know if he's sick or if I'm doing something wrong? please help me.

Answer
Your rat isn't allergic to anything.. HE'S SICK! And he's older. 2 is the age most rats begin to decline. There is positively no excuse for "forgetting" to feed your rat. They should be free-fed at all times, meaning food in their dish ALWAYS. Make sure you have him on a healthy diet and that you have him on a decent bedding (no pine or cedar ever). Make sure you have him in a well ventilated cage (NO AQUARIUMS!). Take him to the vet, put him on medications for his upper respiratory, and talk to the vet about trying to bring him around. If you're too busy to care for a pet properly, consider not getting any more pets until you're in a position where you can remember to feed them.

I'm sorry to sound even the slightest bit rude, but honestly, you should never have let him get to this condition - he's dying, and you're watching him starve to death right now.

VET! Quickly!