showers are fine. i take mine in with me and it doesn't bother them. i find it even helps in bonding. it was theorized that the steam helps calm them just like children and stressed adult humans. i don't have the temperature scalding but it is warm. i don't hold their heads under the water either. we just share the space. if their head doesn't get wet then there is no chance of ear infection or phnueomonia. and even getting a few splashes of water at the bottom of the tub its unlikly any harm would come of it. its not like the droplets are all that strong by the time they reach the bottom of the tub. i've never had a problem with a rat getting sick by sharing a shower with me and i've found they prefer the showers with me when bathing them then a bath on their own
clear this up please
Two of my fellow rat buddies can't agree on whos right and i'm staying out of it because my opinion is really differen't. They want to know if a shower is safe for your rats as long as the waters a nice temp and you don't step on them. Will the water give them a possible ear infection? (both their rats are water lovers lol really cute!) Help would be great!
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Night- where did you get the information on the shower problems? i don't take rats with breathing issues for baths or showers as i believe the stress of the water isn't something they need to go through. but a healthy rat is fine, they get a bit freaked out in the beginning but the calm down fast enough and can then enjoy their time there. its no worse then giving them a bath on their own. its not like i have the rat on my shoulder getting doused in water as i bathe. we just share the space. there is plenty of room in the tub for the rat walk away from getting doused in water.
i take my rats out of the cage too and in the beginning they're a bit freaked out but they calm down and then enjoy their time out. and after a time they learn that being out of the cage with me is fine and they want to come out. going in the shower is no different in that respect and that was what i was trying to say in the previous post. as for inhaling water i still say its not more risk then giving them a normal bath on their own. if i could see where this information on ear infections and aspiration pnuemonia is coming from then i might be more willing to accept it. i just want to know where the source of this information is coming from.
no one has directed me to research done though i have asked for it. i will look for myself if there is any proof for or against the harms of showers and/or stream. until i find proof one way or the other i will refrain from commenting further as i have no empirical research to back up my opinion or the opinion of those who disagree with me. if anyone else finds an article on the topic in the mean time please post a link as i will be very pleased to read it. i will do the same for all information i find.
that is not what i'm implying at all. i'm saying i have yet to find any research done to verify or disprove what either of us are saying. i am merely going of personal experience. when i asked for you to cite where you found this information that part was ignored. i will be looking for research on this topic on my own. when i find articles i will post a link here for others to read and come to decisions about on there. and i find your analogy weak. there is much research readily available about cancer being caused by smoking. i have yet to find the same ammount (in fact any) research done on the harms of showers as of yet. however i will continue to look.
another forum will largely just have more opinions, though they may be able to find empirical research so i'm looking forward reading their posts. what i'm looking for is the EMPIRICAL research. where there have been studies on the effects of showers or at least something closely similar as the information could be closely correlated. however i will continue my own research finding on this issue in the mean time.
well of course there wouldn't be that in particular but there might be something close enough that the information can be related. and for that matter if you say that there can be no firm evidence then there can be no firm evidence to support your claims either. so why do you say what you say? where do you get your information? is it personal experience? i will continue to look for relivent information on this that is based on other then personal experience.
you are a very very frustrating person Night. please read my posts throughly before posting a reply to them. and at the very least i'm looking for information to back my position, all you seem to want to do is say that i'm being foolish and out and out irresponsbile by showering with my rats.
i also don't appreciate you saying that i will continue to do something that you have no knowledge of me doing so on other forums. you could have made your position clear without saying that i was going to continue to do something that you do not know if i was going to do. it makes me look irresponsbile and ignorant of others opinions. i am looking up which one of us is right or at least closest to being right. please give me a fair shake.
http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat/topic,4017988.0
i also don't appreciate you saying that i will continue to do something that you have no knowledge of me doing so on other forums. you could have made your position clear without saying that i was going to continue to do something that you do not know if i was going to do. it makes me look irresponsbile and ignorant of others opinions. i am looking up which one of us is right or at least closest to being right. please give me a fair shake.
http://www.goosemoose.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,118/forum,rat/topic,4017988.0
but its not competely CORRECT either. you do not know what i will do and its unfair to assume just so you can make yourself sound better and more right. frankly i'm not sure what i plan on doing with the shjowering aspect. you obviously very firmly believe that i am doing nothing but harm when showing with my rats. you can only vaguely qoute personal experience as you have yet to even claim that you have tried this yourself. you haven't even offered articles on ear infections or pnuemonia. at least i'm looking for this relivant information. as neither of us can put the other to rest by basing solely on personal experience i am looking for some information based on some studies instead.Night said:It's not necessarily incorrect. Why would you stop doing something that you so strongly agree with/back up? That doesn't make sense.
is there a particular reason you enjoy attacking nearly everyone of my posts? i say showering is fine. you say i'm wrong. i say fine, show me where you get your information, you show me to another rat forum with other people and opinions, which is no different from this forum. i say that's not enough so say we should look for more solid information and you say i'm being foolish. this doesn't seem like you want to find anything out, you just want to be right, or you enjoy attacking me. neither of which i quite understand.
and you prove my point that you aren't reading my posts thoroughly. i was referring to the showering posts. i even listed each incidence is breif summary and offered an alternative to "enjoying". its obvious you don't really care one way or the other and only want to be right. when i offer a way for us to find out exactly who would be you suddenly call the topic flippant. which leads me to believe all you want is to be.. well i don't know exactly, there are many different things you seem to be trying to be and i don't want to drag them all through here. please note that from here on out i shall ignore all your posts. you do not want to admit that there is a possbility that you could be wrong, you don't want to do the research to back your own claims and when i try you call it flippant. fine. there is no reason i need to consider your information in any aspect if you are not willing to back it up. i'm done with you.
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