Never pick up a rat using their tail as they find this stressful, and it can injure them. Allow them to investigate your hands in their own time.
Fact #2: Rats love to be petted in certain spots.
Your rat probably likes having the top of his head stroked and gently scratched. He also appreciates it if you pet him along his back, from his neck to about the middle -- the area closest to the tail can be sensitive.
Rats can be restrained by grasping firmly at the base of the tail. Holding the tail distal to the base can result in a degloving (stripping off the skin) injury. This restraint is suitable for moving the rat over a short distance or a cursory examination.
The rat's tail consists of a core layer of bone surrounded by tendons and covered by skin. Many arteries and veins run through the tail between the tendons. These blood vessels make the rat's tail very sensitive to its environment and aid in temperature regulation.
Handling carefully and considerately, in a confident but gentle manner. Never pick rats up using their tails - this is stressful and can injure them. When picking up your rat, let them sniff your hand before gently lifting them up, with one hand placed under the body and the other loosely over their back.
The tail, for example, is one area that dogs almost always prefer that you stay away from. While you might think that touching or grabbing onto your dog's tail is a fun way to play, your dog would sorely disagree with you.
Positive Signs. Well rounded tail – this is where the cross section of the tail is round or oval, there are no clear corners or edges to it and it looks and feels full. Good tail “feel” – the tail feels smooth when stroked down towards the tip, there isn't any sign of dryness or lumpiness, all scales are even and flat.
Diarrhea (Wet Tail)
Wet tail simply means diarrhea, and it can have several different causes in rodents including anything that disturbs the natural bacterial balance of the intestines, such as infections with different bacteria, parasites, or viruses.
Rats are wild animals. Like all wild animals they may attack you if cornered or trapped. Try not to corner rats, because they could bite you in an attempt to escape. Basically, if you provoke them, there is a chance they will turn on you and attack.
Offer a treat to the rat while holding it to encourage positivity. Keep your hands open so the pet rat can move around. Gradually decrease the treats from every day to every other day to once or twice a week; this encourages the rat to trust you more, but do not completely cut off the treats.
Do not kiss, nuzzle, or hold rats close to your face. This can startle your rats and also increase your chances of being bitten. Bites can spread germs and can make you sick. You don't have to touch pet rats to get sick from their germs.
Pet rats enjoy being stroked by their owners and sometimes even enjoy a gentle massage, a scratch behind the ears, or a simple tickle. Rats have also been known to return the affection by "grooming" their owners.
The tails of many rodents assist escape from predators because they can be shed.
Using your hand or a very soft-bristled toothbrush topped with baby shampoo, very gently scrub the tail. As previously mentioned, make sure you are only scrubbing in a downward motion, with the grain of the hair; not against it.
The condition is characterized by short, curly, malformed, sometimes sparse hair and lack of normal tail switch development. The condition is very rare or nonexistent in purebreds but occurs in crosses, indicating that at least two loci are involved in its inheritance.
Do dogs feel pain in their tail? That's because the tail DOES have pain receptors, but they do not react the same when relaxed as when excited.
Tail: Most cats don't particularly like to be petted on the tail. And for what it's worth, a cat's tail is a good measuring stick for how stimulated (read: agitated) she's becoming as a result of your petting. The more it starts to move, the sooner you should keep your hands to yourself.
Pigs are known for wagging their tails when they're happy. Some people say that goats do too. Peacocks don't wag their tails, but they spread open their beautiful feathers to attract mates.
*Discourage your pet from licking your face.
Pets can harbor many bacterial organisms in their mouth that may NOT be problematic to them but can be to elderly or immunocompromised people.
You should spend at least an hour a day handling your rats if they enjoy it and letting them exercise outside their cage, so it's important to know how to pick them up.
Basic Rat feeding guide
Some examples of suitable fruit and vegetables are: apples, pears, banana, melons, stone fruits, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage (not red cabbage), endive, carrots, Bok choy/other Asian greens, celery, parsley, berries, fresh corn (small amount only) and peas.