My rat has oily fur! What do I do?
Male rats can sometimes have a problem with oily skin. Not all male rats have this problem, but it can be pretty gross. The oily skin is a result of their testosterone level, which creates a thick orange residue on their backs. Wiping with a washcloth will sometimes work for this problem, but a bath may be needed about once a month for more severe cases. Another solution to this problem is neutering. Neutering a male can decrease urine-marking behavior, decrease the amount of oil and scent produced by the skin, and decreases the chance of kidney degeneration and prostate disease. It also completely eliminates the chance of cancer or other diseases of the testes.
on November 16th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Rats often get oily fur from their cage habitat, or if you got it from a petstore, sometimes petstores have rats for snakefood (eek!) and dont do much with them, like some petstores dont even bother getting them shots, so if he/she was bought from a petstore, that could be a problem, but a little bath with some rodent, or baby shampoo should do the trick ^.^