Vikki said:
Thanks for the tips Fuzzy. My ratties don't like getting wet, but I could probably dip them in enough to at least get their tails wet.
You had/have a rat that made it to 38+ months? That's amazing. What's your secret?
Hahaha...I saw you say Fuzzy, and wondered who that was, until you mentioned Sebastian...LOLOL...ooops I'm a "Little Fuzzy".
I took in 4 rescue boys being rehomed, since no one else would, including our local shelters. Three of them were just over 2 when I got them and the youngest unrelated boy was 22 months. After one of the older boys got super aggressive and hormonal after smelling females for the first time in his life, he and the younger boy went off to be neutered. Poor Dominic had an underlying respiratory problem that we didn't know about and he died at the vet clinic 5 days after the surgery at 27 months. The next one was sweet unhealthy Farraday and he made it to 32 months until pneumonia took him. My beloved Pippens was 37 months before an abdominal tumour ended his happy existence, and last January was the youngest boy Sebastian at 38.5 months old. My secret? Lots of stimulation, good food, big roomy cages, exercise and love of course.

My oldest female rat to pass was Loki at 28 months. BUT I also have lost one sickly shelter girl at 10 months, a whole bunch of girls at 16-19 months lately to PT... Some you win, some you lose. I am very very curious to find out how my 12 spayed girls do in the long run, healthwise.

I hope to get another 6 done but its a lot of money.