How to bathe a rat at home?

The presence of pets in the apartment presents certain difficulties, because it is necessary to properly care for them. The larger the pet, the more worries with it, the less - the more careful you need to behave with it. If an adult or a child has a rat at home, then it is necessary to know not only where to keep it and what to feed it, but also how to bathe it and dry it properly so that the rodent lives for a long time, causing only positive emotions from its owner.

Not all rodents love water and tolerate the bathing process normally, therefore, having a pet for yourself, you should learn as much as possible about it. If we talk about rats, then they normally relate to water procedures, but they often use other methods that partially or completely exclude contact with the aquatic environment. If the question arises, is it possible to bathe decorative rats, then the answer to it can be positive, the main thing in this case is to carry out the procedure correctly.

If there is no experience in keeping rodents, then it is important to get all the necessary knowledge about how they live in nature, what they eat, how they look after themselves and each other. Rats are considered clean animals that take care of themselves on their own, using sand or the help of relatives. At home, the need to bathe the animal can arise only if the cage is rarely cleaned and the pet simply has nowhere to find a clean place to live. Sometimes there are individuals who are not able or do not want to bathe themselves, therefore this mission is automatically assigned to a person.

In order not to harm the rat and to help it always be clean and tidy, it is important to know that you can not bathe her often, the optimal interval will be a period of two weeks.

It is necessary to wash the rat at home correctly, it is on this that its well-being depends. Before embarking on water procedures, it is worth examining the specific situations in which these measures are necessary:

• getting dirty in waste that was not removed from the cage in time;
• the appearance of any parasites on the skin or hair of the animal;
• if the pet is not eager to take care of the coat on its own;
• a few days before the exhibition.

To make the bathing process safe, you should be completely ready for the procedure. You need to have a container that will be suitable for bathing, shampoo for rats or rodents, and towels to dry. You should not use household or ordinary soap, simple or baby shampoos, since the composition there is much more aggressive than in specialized products.

If only the tail of the rat is soiled, then you should not bathe it completely, it will be enough to wipe only the tail part, using a wet sponge and baby cream for this. When planning water treatments for your pet, you should know that it is impossible to substitute it under running water, since contact with the aquatic environment will be unexpected and extremely unpleasant for the pet, which will provoke stress and fear of such procedures.

Another danger of such bathing will be moisture in the ears, which the pet simply does not have time to fold properly in order to protect itself, as it happens in nature.

So that the bathing procedure does not cause panic and fear in the domestic rat, it is necessary to gradually accustom it to the procedure. First of all, it is worth choosing the right bath in which the pet will bathe. Its depth and width should be such that the rat feels confident and can get out of the container, if such a desire arises. So that bathing does not cause fear, it is initially better to accustom the pet to the bath by lowering it there for a few minutes, and when the animal is comfortable, you can gradually add water to it.

It is important not to pour a lot of water into the bath, the rat should be on its feet while bathing and calmly move around the container in any direction. If you fill in all the water at once, then there is a risk of fright of the pet, in which it will begin to scratch and can injure both itself and the owner.

In addition to the correct amount of water, you need to monitor its temperature. This is important both for the comfort of the animal during bathing and for its subsequent health. If the parameters are incorrectly selected, the rat can get stressed during the procedure and get sick after it is completed. The optimal indicator for swimming will be a temperature regime within the range of 36-37 degrees.

You should not prepare two containers to redeem the pet, because the water in them will have different temperatures, which will negatively affect the condition of the animal. In order not to foam too much water in the bath, it is better to use a small amount of shampoo during lathering so that it can be quickly and effectively washed off.

It is not necessary to wash the muzzle of the rat, because they themselves constantly wipe it during the day. By choosing the right container, accustoming the animal to it and correctly setting the temperature regime, you can redeem the rodent with high quality and provide it with appropriate care. Girl rats can be bathed once a month. Rats-boys should be subjected to this process twice or to carry out additional wipes weekly using hypoallergenic wet wipes.

A properly chosen bath and the right water temperature are very important criteria for a bathing procedure, but accessories and products for it are also important. The rodent's body is covered with thin skin, which can be easily injured if too much force is applied. In addition, like many other similar animals, the skin has a protective layer that helps in a variety of situations and maintains the normal health of the rat. If you use the wrong shampoos and washcloths, then there is a risk of damaging the protective layer, and in the worst case, the skin itself.

It is best to bathe your rat with a small, very soft washcloth and brush. With their help, it is possible to get to all hard-to-reach places and wash them thoroughly. From funds, it is worth using exclusively specialized shampoo for rodents, which is developed taking into account all the characteristics of the fur of these animals and the skin.

To properly carry out the bathing procedure, you must have with you:

• bath;
• shampoo;
• towel.

All components are prepared in advance and checked for suitability and convenience for the rodent. If possible, check the water with a thermometer or lower your elbow into it. The optimal mode will be 30-35 degrees by the thermometer or the feeling of warm water, in the case of self-determination of its temperature. About 5 cm of water is poured into the bath, and then the rat is placed there.

The bathing procedure is as follows:

1. pet hair must be carefully moistened, making sure that the muzzle and ears remain dry;
2. the shampoo is foamed on a washcloth or with the help of your fingers, and gently applied to the fur, gently massaging it;
3. using a washcloth, gently wash off the shampoo with water from the bath.

After bathing, be sure to wipe the rodent until the fur is completely dry. If the rat is afraid of water, then you cannot bathe it with force, this will only increase its fear. It is important to carry out preparatory measures that will allow the animal to get used to the aquatic environment and be calm in it. The owner must pour some water into a saucer or other spacious, low container so that the animal can run around in such conditions.

The drying process is no less important than the bathing itself, because the pet's health depends on it. If you do not dry the fur or dry the rat poorly, then it can catch a cold. When planning water procedures, it is important to check the room for drafts and, if possible, eliminate them in order to protect the animal. When preparing to swim, you should have at least two paper towels and one soft, cloth towel with you.

With the help of paper products, it is possible to quickly remove the bulk of the water that remains on the wool after bathing. Once the excess has been removed, you need to wrap the animal in a cloth towel and keep it there until it is completely dry. There is no need to rub the fur, it will be unpleasant for the rodent and can harm its skin or protective cover.

If a rat has appeared at home, and there is still no experience of caring for it, then you should prepare for certain difficulties that may be expected at certain stages. The most exciting moment will be bathing your pet, especially for the first time.To protect yourself, you should wear something with long sleeves, in case the animal is not in the mood or is not ready for contact with water. If possible, it is better to ask a qualified person to show how exactly it is worth bathing, to tell about all the nuances.

Precautions should be taken not only in relation to the owner, but also for the pet itself. If the rat is still small, and it did not have the opportunity to get acquainted with water, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for this, evoking positive emotions from the new element. If you neglect these recommendations, it can be very difficult in the future to wash your pet, especially if it really needs it.

Although water procedures are carried out infrequently, you need to be aware of those situations when they do not need to be used, otherwise the harm will be much greater than the benefit. It can be difficult for a non-specialist to notice any minor health problems of a pet, which is why situations that are dangerous to his life arise.

Among the factors that do not speak in favor of bathing, it is worth highlighting two main categories.

Factors that carry a low degree of risk to the health of a pet:

• the risk of respiratory diseases in the event of improper bathing or drying;
• underdried fur, hypothermia in water lead to colds;
• water in the ears and eyes leads to diseases of these organs;
• Bathing too often and using inappropriate detergents causes changes in the protective layer, skin dryness and irritation.

There are factors that are more dangerous:

• the presence of scratches and wounds on the body, which steam out if water slowly gets on them, and this leads to itching and inflammation of the skin;
• the presence of a cold or post-cold condition, at such a moment it is better to do without bathing, otherwise the risk of complications after an illness increases several times, and the recovery procedure is delayed for several weeks.

Thus, it can be judged that bathing is a safe and acceptable procedure for rats if it is carried out according to the rules, without overusing the frequency of bathing and using only the necessary means.

In case of any deviations from the norms, it is worthwhile to understand in detail the reasons and solve them, postponing any water procedures for a while. If the pet is completely healthy, tolerates being in the water well and is active after bathing, then there is no cause for concern., otherwise, you need to assess the need to use water, and sometimes even eliminate it altogether by switching to wet wipes with napkins and sponges.

You will learn more about how to bathe a rat at home in the following video.