[Darkstar]

Well... i've got 5 rats 4 sibblings and their father all of them are males. I read on a site some where (lost the link) That if i put untame rats in with a tame one they will learn and eventually become tame... apparently this isn't working too well i need some help...
I think taming them would be a bit easier if i could tell them apart.
See they're all from the same litter and look ALOT alike is there a safe way to tell them apart

I've heard of people using food coloring and hair dye ... But i don't wanna screw up and hurt one of my babies.... i've also heard of colored duct tape on their tails... but i've had duct tape on my arm and when you pull it off it hurts and their tails are a lot hairier than my arm...

Any ideas?

Oh yea i almost forgot they stink i change their cage daily but they stink their fur is smelly is there a way i can bathe them or prehapse some sort of oil or something i can rub them down with to make them stop stinking?

Thanks again,

Griff

 

[ratwings]

Re: A few Newbie questions

The way rats become tame is with a lot of handling and love. Give that to them on a daily bases and they should become tame pretty soon. I have the same problem with identity in Angels litter- about 8 out of the 12 are PEWs (pink eyed whites) and they all look exactly the same. I wanted to put a dab of marker at the base of their tales but I decided I would identify them from peronality when they get older. That may work with you, but if it dosnt I dont see how a smidge of marker would hurt them... how old are they? My babies are about 3 weeks old so they would be fine but new borns might be affected somehow. Wait until they open their eyes to mark them. Besides that, I really dont see how marker would hurt them, as long as its non-toxic.
About the stink-most lazy rats tend to lay around in their own urine. Clean out the cage of anything pee soaked like hammocks and towel ,etc.
When you give them a bath use puppy shampoo. It wont sting their eyes and it makes your rats smell good for at least a day. Some males just have a musky stink smell that you cant get rid of. Baths should help the lessen the smell, as long as you rub the shampoo into his under coat and rinse completley off, avoiding the face and ears. My rats get a bath once a month, sometimes every 3 weeks if the humidity is bad and they stink like pee. It depends on your rats and what they sleep on, I geuss.
Goodluck with your ratties.

 

[jenny]

Re: A few Newbie questions

It takes time and dedication. Rats will not learn from tame rats to trust humans - you must show them that you mean no harm in order for them to trust you .

Try using food rewards to enforce positive behaviour. Get them out of the cage and hold them close to you, talking to them gently.

There is a theory which suggests that short and frequant handling sessions work best. As the rats get older and more acustomed to being in your presense, you can increase the amount of time they are out for.

I find that if you get more than one rat out at a time, they seek confidence from each other and this is a good method for scared rats.

Keep with it - it can be a lengthy process sometimes but they WILL become friendly

 

[fallinstar]

bath

well just given toby and cody their first bath! used a tineey bit of puppy shampoo and put 2 inches of water in the sink they were ok but very jumpy then got xcited so now i have loads of lil cuts on my hands! they are happy again now and keep giving me kisses and they smell loverly how does every1 else bath their rats? and how do they like it?

 

[Jinxies]

Re: bath

I give them a bath in the Kitchen sink in a Large Mixing Bowl. That way they are fully surrounded by water and can escape to the sink. But I get everything ready before hand so I have everything ready. Then I put a wash rag in the bottom of the bowl and then put the rat on the wash rag. Both my boys arent to happy about getting wet. Especially Jinx he wants to get as far away from the water as possible while Duncan will atleast let you hold him. I gave them both a bath on the 28th. And I have scratches all over my hands and forearms. I use Ferret Shampoo on my boys. I also bathe each one seperately.

 

[ameliaflame]

Re: bath

I bathe my rats once every couple of months since they looove it. I find it's a lot less stressful to the rat to shower them instead of bathe them. Just take them in the shower with you, get 'em wet under the shower head, suds them up with baby shampo, and rinse them of really well. The whole process takes about a minute and you don't have to hold a struggling ratty in water! (Its also easier to rinse them off this way, rats need to get all the soap off of them or they could get sick)

 

[ClassicFAIL]

Start slow and introduce them to water first. there is a very good video on youtube to show rats loving water and swimming. Then try to bath them. they will appreciate it a lot more.