Oh my hands! :-o

[christianchickslc]

This is the first time that I've ever had 4 new ratties at once... oh my hands... my arms... are soooo scratched up, lol! They are actually hurting, I put shea lotion all over them tonight. I remember when I got Sugar & Spice 2 years ago I had winter gloves with the fingertips cut off, I think I may have to go back to that until the new girls are all used to being handled. And the babies- their little hands are so small I'm scared to attempt cutting their nails. I just know tomorrow at work under the fluorescent lights my hands are gonna look like I was attacked by a kitten!

[Mr.Rattitude]

They are young, so you really could say it was a kitten ... a RAT kitten 

[christianchickslc]

They are young, so you really could say it was a kitten ... a RAT kitten 

Hehehe! I didn't even think of that Mr. R!

[Mrs.Rattitude]

Yes, I would stick to the kitten story as well. lol

[Stargirl]

  lol that is funny Mr.R! I know my hands are really bad right now to, especially from the winter time as its so dry out.

[christianchickslc]

Hehe, I'm back to my gloves with the finger tips cut off. They seem to only scratch up my right hand & wrist bad so I'm wearing it on the right hand, hehehe. I know my hands are dried out too with winter, I keep slathering lotion on my hands.

[Bella]

is it just me? or does this winter seem to be just horrid for dry skin, my hands always look white from being so dry :S

[christianchickslc]

It's been a cold winter, I think that's why. I'm constantly putting lotion on my hands this year.

[Zoom]

Ha - I'm having the exact same problem.  I'm a teacher and today my kids asked me what happened to my hands.  They HURT 'cause they're so dry on top of it all. 

I'm really curious about the nail clipping you mentioned.  I've only had my girls for a couple of weeks.  I seriously doubt they'd let me cut their nails.  They freak out when I hold them too long.   

[christianchickslc]

Here are my rat gloves btw hehe. Just $1 store gloves with the fingertips cut off so it's easier to handle things.



I've been using TONS of L'Occitaine's verbena and shea butter lotion on my hands, haha!

Zoom, I think most people do tend to trim their ratties nails when they get really long. And then there's others like Mr. & Mrs. R, I know they put flat garden stones in the rats cages near the food & water bowls so it grounds their nails down and they don't get too long.

I haven't attempted it yet on my new girls, because they are kind of squirmy. One they get used to being handled, I'm going to try clipping Holly & Ivy's nails. I just use small fingernail clippers. You have to hold their little paws outstretched and clip just the end off- it can be tricky, because they won't sit still for a whole hand, so you have to keep doing one by one. I noticed my girls hind feet don't usually need to be clipped, but their finger nails get pretty long!

I found an article online about clipping rats nails:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4667277_clip-rat-nails.html

Also a good idea to have some styptic powder in the house, just in case you cut one too low:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750694

[RoseRattus]

My hands are ouchy at the moment too but that's because of my job and the cold... I end up with scratches on my chest. My head also hurts at the moment because a friend's rat jumped on my head hahahaha wow she can fly that one!

The gloves are a good idea! Let's see if I need to get some in a few weeks when I get my boys... SO EXCITED! I'm visiting them tomorrow!!! YAYYY! Their eyes aren't open yet though but still! I can see them

[Zoom]

I found an article online about clipping rats nails:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4667277_clip-rat-nails.html

Also a good idea to have some styptic powder in the house, just in case you cut one too low:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750694

Thanks for passing along the info!

[Mr.JeffRat]

We just clipped our 3 girls with baby clippers that look like a pair of scissors with a curve on them and it makes it much easier to see than just trying to guess how far back your going to clip.  Our girls did rather well but I was holding and my wife was doing the clipping.

[Mr.Rattitude]

I think it can be very common for nail clipping to be a two person event; at least until you and your rats get used to the idea ... and some practice.

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