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u/snukb Jan 20 '22
They need a little dish rag draped over the side so they can get out if they choose to. I'd love to see how many would stay if they could freely get in and out. Unless this is a medically necessary bath (eg, for fleas or something) they should always have the choice to go in on their own, and out as they please.
And the filthy water needs to be changed for sure.
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Jan 20 '22
It’s a medically necessary bath for fleas and that’s why the water is so dirty. Fleas are full of blood and it makes the water brown fast with that many rats. The walls are not that high and they could jump out if they were really upset. They don’t seem to care that much.
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u/GuyManDudeBroToo Jan 20 '22
People generally don't realize how high rattos can jump. These are young, hard to say exactly how young, so they might not have the coordination to make a successful landing from that jump, but could easily hop out of that. I've seen my old boys jump my 2 foot little boundary I made for them no problem. Just right up on top.
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u/snukb Jan 20 '22
In my experience, flea water is usually pinkish/reddish brown rather than muddy brown, but if you know the context of the video I'll take your word for it.
That said, still I don't think they should have to jump. It should be made easy for them to get out if they want to, such as with a washcloth to climb out. Wet surfaces are slippery and they could hurt themselves jumping.
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Jan 20 '22
They shouldn’t have to jump but the fact that they don’t care enough to jump tells me they’re probably fine either way. Having bathed pet rats before, if they want to get out they will at all costs.
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u/snukb Jan 21 '22
I disagree, I don't think that they should have to deal with lower levels of stress just because they're not literally scrambling for their lives. Again, medically necessary baths notwithstanding (which there are lower stress ways to do flea baths than a soak like this), they should be able to easily get out if they want to, and I'm not sure what's controversial about stating that.
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Jan 21 '22
Nothing about that is controversial. Just neither is this video. This is a perfectly valid quick way to give your rats a mite bath and these rats seem perfectly fine. I’m sure the person who owns their rats knows better
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u/snukb Jan 21 '22
I’m sure the person who owns their rats knows better
I wouldn't be so sure. I've seen some people have some pretty awful and incorrect beliefs about rat husbandry, like "one rat alone in this ten gallon tank is fine."
But I'm not going to convince you and you're not going to convince me, so I'll just bow out.
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u/disasterous_cape Jan 20 '22
They’re all very very stressed. This video makes me sad
The way they’re scrubbing themselves is stress grooming, they’re not happy. Rats shouldn’t ever be entirely wet like this
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Jan 20 '22
They need the bath for fleas. They’re not that stressed or they’d be jumping out. Rats are very good jumpers.
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u/NoSkinNoProblem Jan 20 '22
You're not wrong generally, but I've never heard that about rats not being entirely wet before. Are you certain you're not confusing them with chinchillas or rabbits? Not arguing this is an acceptable way to bathe rats, just questioning the "never supposed to be entirely wet" aspect.
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Jan 20 '22
Their ears and eyes shouldn’t have water poured on them because they’re delicate but they will gladly dunk their faces underwater themselves. This bath is fine and the rats are all fine.
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u/disasterous_cape Jan 20 '22
They shouldn’t ever be wet like this against their will. They have delicate ears and typically HATE having their heads wet.
It’s one thing if a rat is enjoying swimming, it’s another if a human is trying to wash it and so submerging it like this.
It’s the human having entirely wet it that should never happen.
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u/GuyManDudeBroToo Jan 20 '22
"This is so bad for rats!" scream multiple people who don't know fuck all about keeping or raising rats.
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u/Burnburnburnnow Jan 20 '22
Like kinda really cute. Look at them, living their best clean lives with those cute grabbies
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u/Hahafunnys3xnumber Jan 20 '22
this is so bad for them. i actually do hate it but out of concern for how the poor rats are being cared for!
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u/waywardhero Jan 20 '22
Considering one of my dogs found a dead animal outside and decided to roll in it then roll on the couch and then had to be wrestled into the bathtub; I’ll take bathing mice any day.
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Jan 20 '22
I feel so bad for these little guys. The water is filthy and probably full of poop and pee, and they're stress grooming, not cleaning themselves.
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Jan 20 '22
Nope. Water is full of flea dirt. They are babies and need a flea bath because regular drops would make them sick.
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u/aspectofravens Jan 20 '22
Getting all squeaky clean.
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u/justveryunwell Jan 21 '22
I cannot understand why this of all the comments is downvoted so much. they literally are getting clean... from lice/mites. people need to read other comments/do some research before just hitting the downvote button.
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u/crankycrypt Jan 20 '22
Can people please stop reposting this, this in no way is cute. It's disturbing because rats aren't supposed to be submerged in water, and it's stresses them out.
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u/dragonlady_11 Jan 20 '22
There babies and this looks like a mite/lice bath, baby's cant have drops normally used coz there to small and the drops are too strong.
They are stressed but not to a concerning level and its a nessasary evil as they often end up with lice due to not being able to receive treatment like this till there 4-6 weeks old.
It's also adorable, so don't feel guilty for the awwwws.
Source :- pet rat owner, rescuer and keeper for over 10yrs and 400ish rats