Giving Your Rat a Bath

by ratgirl

97K1266

Intro: Giving Your Rat a Bath

Many people think rats don't need bath, but a rat should get a bath once every six month, and i'll show you the correct way to do so.
First you will need a bath tub, or sink remember to always have a plug in the drain, because rats down a drain is not good. Well fill the the bath tub with luke warm water only about two inches deep, or less.

STEP 1: Rat

Gently place your rat in the tub, but remember to watch out, and where a long sleeve shirt and gloves, because rats don't like baths they will use your arm to claw their way out. Let your rat get used to the water before starting the real bath let them play around first.

STEP 2: What to Use

You will need baby shampoo since any other shampoos are to strong, and could make your rat ill. I recmind Johnson's Head-to-toe baby wash it is nice, and gentle.

STEP 3: How to Scrub

Be very gentle as you wash your little guy use only a teaspoon of soap, and gently move your hands back and froth, and use and thin tooth comb to brush it in. Then rinse it off with luke warm water make sure you get all the soap away. And never scrub your rats head avoid that even as you rince.

STEP 4: Drying

When drying your little rat make sure you don't get their ears that can hurt your little guy use a circle mosion to dry your rat make sure your rat is all dry before putting back in his cage.
That is how you give a rat a bath!

65 Comments

JenniferB120 8 years ago

My pet rat must have had a panic attack. He acted almost dead and breathing super hard and fast. I may have held him to tight while rinsing him or got water in his nose. He was screaming before that.Its like he fainted. Is that normal? I dont have a tub per say so i used the kitchem sink sprayer and he was freaking out!

skylarmg 8 years ago

my rat Willow LOVES baths. just ease your way into it. hold him or her while you get her a little wet. otherwise they'll get scared and try to claw their way out

rachelsmodernlife 12 years ago

My rat Verdell loves the bath. Is it possible to bathe them too often?

HannahB5 9 years ago

If Verdell loves the bath, then just make sure to not use soap. I suggest getting a little kiddie pool for the summer!! One of my rats, Neko, loves her little kiddie pool!

amber j 11 years ago

i have a pet rat he hate the bath how can i get him us to the bath i tryed everythin for him

AUG-5OM3 11 years ago

Lol I tried this once with my rat. She climbed my arm wich was vertical leaving scratches everywhere. Now everytime i get her near a sink/bath she completele freaks out the poor thing

LisaYum 14 years ago

A wet rat can climb just about everything...

..Including hair.

beehard44 13 years ago

by inference i believed you learned the hard way

Totysheep 13 years ago

I'm sorry, not to be mean, but I just read your instructable and I find it a bit distressing for the rats. so I published my own. I hope you would just read it. And I'm not saying this to be mean because I used to bathe my rats like this too! So you're not a bad rat owner if you've done this before!!!! I'm just saying there's an easier way. https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-bathe-a-rat-THE-NICE-NO-FUSS-WAY/

CookieLuver 15 years ago

I bathed my two mice today and they hated it.

ratgirl 14 years ago

mice shouldn't be bathed, they aren't as big as rats. It may cause your mice to be very ill.

Sinick 14 years ago

No!

In the wild, hamsters live in deserts and should NEVER get wet. They get colds/flu very easily when wet, and can die.

They keep themselves clean if given a dish of fine sand to roll around in.  You can get sand from pet stores.

Don't buy chinchilla dust, it's too fine, like powder. It gets into their lungs and gives them breathing problems.

CookieLuver 14 years ago

Thanks for the info, I haven't bathed mine since but I think one got sick from wet tail and died.

infernisdiem 14 years ago

I fill the tub about wrist deep, and put stuff in it for them to climbon, this allows them to swim around if they want, and with washing,I usually dip, rough up with soap (like I do any other time)and then dip again, making sure that all the soap is off... and theycome out smelling baby fresh :D

Thundertydus 14 years ago

I just slowly pour a cup of warm water on him while he's in the sink (That is plugged up, and filled about 1" with water) and then i use a really soft small scrubbing brush and apply some baby soap =D
Then just for extra cleanliness, I give him a rub with a warm washcloth then I dry him off.

mivzi 14 years ago

baby wipes work too, my rats wont get in water but baby wipes and pet wipes work just as well.

Fredrick_chilton 16 years ago

Get this out of the Bike, Flower, Robot, AND Green Science contests. It has nothing to do with a single one of them.
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