Fat Rat Central

Most rats really hate being bathed, and lucky for them, it’s not usually necessary. Rats bathe themselves up to 12 times a day! As you can see, the notion that rats are dirty is pretty ridiculous. Some older rats, however, may not be able to clean themselves as well in their old age and you might want to help them out. You also might want to bathe a rat if there’s some kind of substance he can’t seem to get off by himself. In order to bathe your rat, get a shampoo that is safe for kittens. Fill a sink or dish pan with 4-5 inches of warm water and put your rat in up to his neck to get him wet. Put him on the counter (on a towel) while you rub in the shampoo. It’s not necessary to wash a rat’s face–make sure you avoid his eyes. To rinse, lower him back down in the water and rub him to remove all the shampoo. Towel him dry. If the weather is warm, allow him to lick the rest of the water off, but if it’s cold, use a hair dryer set on low. Make sure to keep it a foot away and don’t point it at your rat’s face. Keep in mind before bathing that most rats will really hate it and will probably squirm–they can make quite a ruckus!