How to give your rat an enjoyable bath

Decide where would be the best place to give your rat a bath. Large bowls and sinks are great for giving a rat's bath. Whatever you use, just make sure it's big enough for your rat to have room to walk around in order to get used to the water.

Gather all of your supplies beforehand. This may included dry towels, shampoo, a cup to help when it comes to rinsing your rat, and a bristle brush for grooming. Be sure to use a small animal shampoo, a no-tear baby shampoo or a gentle kitten shampoo. If you do use a kitten shampoo, be sure that it is does not include harmful chemicals that are present in flea shampoos.

Prepare the bath. Fill the tub with warm water. Keep in mind that rats have a higher body temperature than humans, so the water should be on the warm side. Be sure that the water is shallow enough the rat can stand without struggle.

Set your rat, or rats, into the tub very gently. It is usually best to bathe the rats one at a time because they can be a handful when getting a bath. Be sure that the animal's head is kept out of the water and its ears are dry while you soak its coat with water. Fill a cup with warm water and gently run the water down its back to get your rat completely soaked.

Carefully rub your rat with shampoo. Use your fingernails or a toothbrush in order to make sure the shampoo gets all over and underneath the coat. You can also use the toothbrush in order to clean its tail.

Rinse your rat either by dunking it into the water back first, or using a cup to pour water on its back. Make sure to rinse all the shampoo off.

Use a dry towel in order to dry your rat. They love it best if you gently message their bodies at the same time. This can create motivation to get your rat to look forward to its bath.

Reinforce with treats! This will let your rat know that you still love it and that bathing is a positive experience.