Health and Hygiene
Health and Hygiene are things you are going to be dealing with a lot during your time as a rat owner. Both can be stressful but both are manageable.
There are a lot of resources on the internet concerning rat health, but two of the best would have to be Rat Guide's Health website and the RMCA's health guide. Both websites cover a lot and can help you find out what's wrong with your rat and how to take care of them when they are ill.
The best way to keep on top of your rat's well being is to make sure their cage is safe, that you follow proper quarantine practices (two weeks of quarantine in a completely separate airspace for new rats, rats going to a show and rats returning from a show) and that you have a good vet fund (you should have at least a few hundred dollars set aside for emergencies) and most importantly, a good vet. You can find one close to you by checking out threads in forums (most rat forums will have one) or by going through The Dapper Rat's vet guide.
Another factor of rat health is hygiene. It is important that a rat's environment is always clean. Also be sure to clean out their water bottles regularly and clean their dishes as often as possible. Change the cage litter frequently and wash all their toys and hammocks at least once a week. Rats themselves do a fairly good job of keeping themselves clean and well groomed, but you can assist them as well by bathing them. Bathing rats is not always necessary but some rats from time to time could use some help, such as male rats who over produce 'buck grease', or messy ratties who managed to roll around in everything dirty imaginable.
Bathing Rats
There are many ways to bath a rat, and just about all of them will be a stressful experience for the both of you. To make it easier, you should wear a long sleeved shirt as your rat will want to climb up your arms when they're wet and soapy, and have some treats ready for good ratties who need some reassurance that it's not all bad.
Start by filling a sink or your bath tub with about an inch of room temperature to lukewarm water. Have a towel ready for your rat when he's done, and have a mild shampoo to clean them with. You can buy rodent shampoo from pet stores but it's just as easy to grab a bottle of sensitive baby shampoo from the supermarket. I use Gaia natural baby Bath and Body Wash. Gentle place your rat into the water and pour some of the water over their body with your hand, careful not to get it on their head or in their ears. Then rub some of the shampoo into their fur and rinse it off by pouring water over them again, then place them on the towel, rub them gently dry and give them a treat. You want to do this as quickly as possible as they are most probably going to hate it. However, you will have pretty smelling rats afterwards!
There are a lot of resources on the internet concerning rat health, but two of the best would have to be Rat Guide's Health website and the RMCA's health guide. Both websites cover a lot and can help you find out what's wrong with your rat and how to take care of them when they are ill.
The best way to keep on top of your rat's well being is to make sure their cage is safe, that you follow proper quarantine practices (two weeks of quarantine in a completely separate airspace for new rats, rats going to a show and rats returning from a show) and that you have a good vet fund (you should have at least a few hundred dollars set aside for emergencies) and most importantly, a good vet. You can find one close to you by checking out threads in forums (most rat forums will have one) or by going through The Dapper Rat's vet guide.
Another factor of rat health is hygiene. It is important that a rat's environment is always clean. Also be sure to clean out their water bottles regularly and clean their dishes as often as possible. Change the cage litter frequently and wash all their toys and hammocks at least once a week. Rats themselves do a fairly good job of keeping themselves clean and well groomed, but you can assist them as well by bathing them. Bathing rats is not always necessary but some rats from time to time could use some help, such as male rats who over produce 'buck grease', or messy ratties who managed to roll around in everything dirty imaginable.
Bathing Rats
There are many ways to bath a rat, and just about all of them will be a stressful experience for the both of you. To make it easier, you should wear a long sleeved shirt as your rat will want to climb up your arms when they're wet and soapy, and have some treats ready for good ratties who need some reassurance that it's not all bad.
Start by filling a sink or your bath tub with about an inch of room temperature to lukewarm water. Have a towel ready for your rat when he's done, and have a mild shampoo to clean them with. You can buy rodent shampoo from pet stores but it's just as easy to grab a bottle of sensitive baby shampoo from the supermarket. I use Gaia natural baby Bath and Body Wash. Gentle place your rat into the water and pour some of the water over their body with your hand, careful not to get it on their head or in their ears. Then rub some of the shampoo into their fur and rinse it off by pouring water over them again, then place them on the towel, rub them gently dry and give them a treat. You want to do this as quickly as possible as they are most probably going to hate it. However, you will have pretty smelling rats afterwards!