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 him, the less - the more carefully you need to behave with him. If an adult or a child has a rat at home, then you need to know not only where to keep it and how 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 normally tolerate the bathing process, therefore, having a pet, you should learn as much as possible about it. If we talk about rats, they normally relate to water procedures, but 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 it can be answered positively, the main thing in this case is to conduct 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 one after another. Rats are considered to be clean animals that take care of themselves on their own, using sand or relatives to help them. 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, because this mission is automatically assigned to a person.

In order not to harm the rat and help it always be clean and tidy, it is important to know that you can not bathe it often, the optimal interval is 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 specific situations in which these measures are necessary:

• soiling in waste that was not removed from the cage on time;
• the appearance of any parasites on the skin or coat of the animal;
• if the pet does not burn with the desire to independently take care of the coat;
• a few days before the exhibition.

To make the bathing process safe, you should be fully prepared for the procedure. You need to have a container with you that is suitable for swimming, 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 got dirty in the rat, then you should not bathe it completely, it will be enough to wipe only the tail part, using a wet sponge and baby cream. When planning water procedures for a pet, you should know that it is impossible to substitute it under running water, as 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 getting moisture in the ears, which the pet simply does not have time to fold properly 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 bath in which the pet will bathe. Its depth and width should be such that the rat feels confident, can get out of the tank, if such a desire arises. So that bathing does not cause fear, initially it is better to accustom the pet to the bath, 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 paws while swimming and calmly move around the tank in any direction. If you fill in all the water at once, that is, the risk of frightening the pet, in which he begins to scratch and can injure himself and the owner.

In addition to the correct amount of water, you need to monitor its temperature. This is important for the comfort of the animal during swimming, and for its subsequent health. With incorrectly selected indicators, the rat can get stress during the procedure and get sick after its completion. The optimal indicator for swimming will be the temperature regime in the range of 36-37 degrees.

Two containers should not be prepared in order to buy a pet, because the water in them will have a different temperature, which will negatively affect the state of the animal. In order not to froth too much water in the bath, it is better to use a small amount of shampoo during soaping so that it can be washed off quickly and effectively.

It is not necessary to wash the muzzle of a rat, because they themselves constantly wipe it during the day. Choosing the right capacity, accustoming the animal to it and setting the temperature correctly, you can qualitatively redeem the rodent and provide him with appropriate care. Rats-girls can be bathed once a month. Boy rats should be subjected to this process twice or weekly to carry out additional wiping with hypoallergenic wet wipes.

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

It is best to bathe a rat with a small and very soft washcloth and brush. With their help, it is possible to get to all inaccessible places and wash them thoroughly. Of the funds, it is worth using an exclusively specialized shampoo for rodents, which is designed taking into account all the characteristics of the coat of these animals and skin.

To properly conduct the bathing procedure, you must have:

• a bath;
• shampoo;
• towel.

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

The bathing procedure is as follows:

1. the pet's coat must be gently moistened, making sure that the muzzle and ears remain dry;
2. the shampoo is foamed on a washcloth or with your fingers, and gently applied to the wool, gently massaging it;
3. Using a washcloth, carefully wash the shampoo with water from the bath.

After bathing, it is necessary to wipe the rodent until the coat completely dries. If the rat is afraid of water, then you can not bathe her by force, this will only increase her fear. It is important to carry out preparatory measures that will allow the animal to get used to the aquatic environment and stay calmly in it. The owner must pour a little water in 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 bathing itself, because the state of the pet’s health depends on it. If the coat is not dry or the rat is poorly wiped, 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 for a bath, you should have at least two paper towels and one soft, fabric towel.

With the help of paper products, it is possible to quickly remove the bulk of the water that remained 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. It is not necessary to rub the hair, 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 no experience in caring for it yet, then one should prepare for certain difficulties that can be expected at various stages. The most exciting moment will be bathing the pet, especially for the first time.To protect yourself, you should wear something with a long sleeve, 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 to spend bathing, 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 she did not have the opportunity to get acquainted with water, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for this, causing positive emotions from the new element. If you neglect these recommendations, in the future it can be very difficult to wash a domestic animal, especially if he really needs it.

Although water procedures are carried out infrequently, you need to know about those situations when they do not need to be applied, otherwise there will be much more harm than good. It is difficult for a non-specialist to notice any minor violations of the pet’s health, which is why situations that are life threatening to him arise.

Among the factors that are not in favor of swimming, it is worth highlighting two main categories.

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

• danger of respiratory diseases in case of improper bathing or drying;
• undercoat, overcooling 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 a change in the protective layer, dry skin and skin irritation.

There are also factors that are more dangerous:

• the presence of scratches and wounds on the body that are steaming if water slowly gets on them, and this leads to itching and inflammation of the skin;
• the presence of a cold or a 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 drags on for several weeks.

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

In case of any deviations from the norms, it is worthwhile to thoroughly understand the reasons and solve them, postponing any water procedures for some time. If the pet is completely healthy, tolerates being in the water and is active after bathing, then there is no reason for concernotherwise, it is necessary to assess the need to use water, and sometimes to completely eliminate it by switching to wet wipes with napkins and sponges.

You will learn more about how to bathe a rat at home from the next video.