How to Care for a Young Rat

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Adolescent rats need proper nutrition

   Here are some ideas. , Then make your 2 middle fingers into legs.
   
   Now walk around in the ring and "Kick" the rat with your finger.
   
   It will then start chasing your finger and try to tackle it. , Rats love soccer.
   
   If you've trained your rat to put a small paper ball, toy, or something else in a certain spot then it will be easy to get the rats to play soccer.
   
   You need 1 or 2 rats to do this.
   
   It's an extremely fun game and it's time consuming. , Then throw paper balls at the rats(it would be best if you had 3 or more rats). , VCR cassette tapes)and see if they can figure it out.
   
   It's extremely fun #If you got your rat from a pet store or live by a pet store drop by and pick up rat cleaning powder.
   
   Here are some reasons why your teen rat might need a bath:
   Dominance urination:
   This behavior leads to the need for bathing especially in male rats.
   
   Medical reasons:
   Such as: preparation for mite treatment, application of medical shampoo, parasitic relief, or treatment of other skin problems.
   
   Orange back:
   Some intact males can get an excessive build up of yellow/orange oils on their backs (a product of testosterone related sebaceous gland secretions) .
   
   Showing:
   Bathing a few days prior to a show will insure a good clean coat.
   
   Do not bathe too close to show day as it will not give the rats natural skin oils a chance to get back on the fur which may give the coat an unattractive dull or wispy appearance.
   
   Odor control:
   Sometimes rats just are not good self groomers or have a natural odor that is muskier than usual.
   
   Introductions:
   Bathing may help lessen territory issues when introducing new rats.
   
   General Messiness:
   Sometimes your rat just gets into things on its fur/body that just need to be washed off.
   
   NOTE:
   Bath time is a good time to give your rat both a visual and manual health inspection.
   
   Once the rat is wet it makes it much easier to spot scratches, wounds, or parasites.
   
   During the washing process check the rats for lumps or any other abnormalities. , Before bathing your rat you may want to trim the rat’s nails to prevent being scratched.
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   Step 2: make sure to give them the proper food for their age.

   ,, You will need to use warm water, soap, and a dry towel.
   
   Check the water temperature on your wrist to make sure the water is not too cool or hot.
   
   There are options as to where you bathe your rat.
   
   You can fill a sink or a plastic pan with a few inches of warm water and either put the soap in the water or on the rat after he is wet.
   
   You can bathe your rat on a towel after wetting him down under the faucet. , Some people prefer to bathe their rats in the bathtub using a cup to pour the water over their rat for wetting and rinsing. ,, Sometimes they will become afraid and panic.
   
   Some will fight you, some will cry or scream; some will go limp and be totally docile.
   
   Occasionally you will encounter a rat that enjoys bathing. , Do not assume that a normally calm, sweet, or docile rat will continue to be that way once it is immersed in water. , There is no one “right” way to hold a rat for bathing.
   
   You will develop your own method with time , Hold the rat firmly without squeezing.
   
   Make sure that you hold the rat in such a way so that it cannot reach you with its teeth.
   
   If the rat struggles do not release or loosen your hold.
   
   It is important to let the rat know that you are in control.
   
   Once the rat realizes that it can’t go anywhere and is safe in your hold, it should resign itself to the rest of the bath.
   
   A loose grip may enable the rat to squirm and even get away or make your rat feel like it is going to be dropped into the water and will increase the chance of injury to yourself and to your rat. , Once you have bathed your rat a few times you will have a better feel for how to hold it during bathing. ,, Do not be surprised to see a few “fear feces” in the water, especially if the rat is not used to bathing. , Gently scrub the rat with the fingertips of your free hand.
   
   For deep dirt or an oily back you can use a soft toothbrush or a soft nail brush to scrub the fur and the skin deeper. , Do not try to wash the head during the rat’s bath.
   
   You can wipe its head down later with a damp cloth. ,,, You can use a blow dryer set on low to assist the drying process.
   
   Be careful to hold the drier away from the rat.
   
   Do not overheat the rat with the blow drier.
   
   Some rats enjoyed being brushed as they dry. , This will ensure that the last memory of the bath is a positive one. ,, Often these rats do better with a partial bath rather than being fully wet or immersed. , It is essential to remove any dirt or urine to prevent chemical burns or a buildup that may cause infection.
   
   This is also a good time to check to see if there is a waxy plug that you may need to remove from the penis. ,,, It is not unusual for the tail to become caked with debris (particularly waste products).
   
   This can result in a strong odor, an unsightly appearance, as well as promote bacterial growth and infection. , Take care not to pull on the tail as this can cause your rat pain or injury. , You can then set the rat on the counter, on a towel, and use a soft toothbrush, nail brush, or scrubbing pad to finish cleaning the tail.
   
   In cases where the tail is very grungy, it may take several sessions to get it clean.
   
   It is better to go back and do it a few times than to cause your rat stress. ,,
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   Step 3: Adolescent rats love to play.

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   Step 4: Create a small boxing ring on floor level and put one or more rats in.

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   Step 5: Make a soccer field.

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   Step 6: Create a Fort with paper cardboard and make it rat accessible.

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   Step 7: Make a maze using cardboard or styrofoam (e.g.

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   Step 8: Be sure that the room you are going to bathe your rats in is comfortable and draft free.

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   Step 9: Bathing Supplies

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    Step 10: Cleaning agents you can use for your rat: Baby shampoo Mild Oatmeal shampoo Kitten shampoo Dishwashing liquid (tail or greasy back)

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    Step 11: Gather your supplies before you bring the rat in.

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    Step 12: For rinsing you can fill another sink (or pan) with rinse water or leave a stream of warm water running from the faucet to rinse with.

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    Step 13: Restraining

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    Step 14: Every rat has a distinct personality and they react differently to bathing.

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    Step 15: The best approach is to assume that any rat you are bathing may react adversely and is capable of inflicting bite and/or scratch wounds during the bath.

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    Step 16: You will need to have both a front and a back hold

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    Step 17: as you will need to switch to clean and rinse its entire body.

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    Step 18: One good restraining hold is to place your thumb and ring finger around the rat’s body below the front legs with your middle and index fingers above the front legs close to the neck.

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    Step 19: Talk soothingly to the rat and try to make the bath quick and efficient.

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    Step 20: Bathing

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    Step 21: Once your water is ready pick up your rat and wet the fur.

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    Step 22: If you have not added soap to the water then put it on the rat’s fur.

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    Step 23: Avoid getting any soap or water in the rat’s ears or eyes.

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    Step 24: After bathing

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    Step 25: thoroughly rinse all of the soap from your rat.

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    Step 26: Drying

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    Step 27: Place your wet rat in an absorbent towel and dry it off.

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    Step 28: After the bathing it is a good idea to give your rat a treat or two.

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    Step 29: Special Needs Rats

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    Step 30: With elderly rats or rats with health concerns bathing requires special care.

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    Step 31: Rats with hind end paralysis need their stomachs and their genital area cleaned regularly due to the fact that they cannot raise themselves up off the cage floor.

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    Step 32: Please take special care to completely dry these rats before returning them to their cages.

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    Step 33: Tail Cleaning

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    Step 34: Often rats’ tails drag on the floor (although some rats do tend to hold theirs up in the air).

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    Step 35: Occasionally wiping down your rats tail with a mild warm soapy solution and a cloth or paper towel can help keep the tail area clean.

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    Step 36: If your rat’s tail is extremely dirty you can soak the tail in warm soapy water to soften caked on debris.

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    Step 37: NOTE: Always clean in the direction from the rump towards the tail tip when wiping or scrubbing your rat’s tail.

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    Step 38: Cleaning in a direction towards the rump may cause dirt to get lodged beneath the tail “scales” and can result in irritation

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    Step 39: inflammation

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    Step 40: & possible infection.

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