Bathing Your Rats Almost all rats hate getting a bath, and most likely you will never have a need to bathe your rats. However some rare situations do call for it. Be very careful when introducing this activity to your rat, as most rats hate water and can react very strongly to it. Some struggling should be expected, but if your rat starts freaking out, screaming or phantom biting, stop what you're doing, because it is a good indicator that you might be bit. Also, the stress of the situation can sometimes put your rat into shock. When Should You Bathe Your Rat? Generally, female rats and neutered male rats never need to be bathed. If you have a healthy female rat or neutered male rat that is smelly, it means you are not keeping their enclosure clean enough. Intact male rats produce a slightly musty oily substance on their backs, called "buck grease", which can sometimes need special bathing attention. Sometimes a rat can become somewhat incapacitated due to an illness or old age, and can no longer clean themselves properly. If this happens, you might need to start bathing them to keep them clean. Although with elderly or ill rats, it's better to first try just cleaning them with a wet wash cloth, so they don't have to go through the stress of a full on bath. Sometimes people will bathe their rats for a rat show competition so that their rats can look their best. How To Bathe a Rat... Use a mild shampoo made for kittens. The best place to give your rat a bath is at the kitchen sink. You'll need the extra counter space. Lay a towel out on the counter at the side of the sink and have the shampoo on hand. You also want to have a couple extra basins by the sink. Close the drain. Fill the sink and your two extra basins with about six inches of lukewarm water. Immerse your rat into the water up to his/her neck. (Warning. Expect a strong reaction. They will probably struggle and try to claw their way up your arm, so be prepared, and keep a gentle but firm grip.) Pull them back out and set them on the towel. Use a small dollop of shampoo, and rub it into the rat's hair, covering everything except the head. (Males may need extra attention on their backs.) You can also use a soft toothbrush with some shampoo and water to gently scrub the grime and dead skin off of your rat's tail. Tip from a fellow rat lover: I use regular cooking olive oil and a toothbrush on my rats' tails and on "buck grease" on their backs - it is more effective in getting the dirt to loosen - and then follow that up with baby shampoo and rinse with warm water. Again, Immerse your rat into the water up to his/her neck, and then rub him/her thoroughly to remove the shampoo. Then continue to immerse your rat in the two extra basins of water, rubbing him/her thoroughly. (Immersing your rat 3 times in clean water should get rid of all the soap.) When your rat is clean, remove them and set them on the towel and gently towel them dry. Sit and enjoy the splendor of your new squeaky clean rat. (A good time to take pictures!) Often it is not necessary to do a complete bath. You can also do spot cleanings with a wet, warm, cloth, or a wet toothbrush. This is a good choice for a male who has an extra oily back, or for a sick rat that is getting a lot of urine on their belly (this can cause skin burn if left uncleaned.) First wet the area, then place a little touch of shampoo on the spot and rub. Then scrub with a clean wet towel or toothbrush until all the soap is gone.