Clipping Nails by Robyn Arthur, The Dapper Rat Rat claws are designed for digging and climbing and thus are naturally long and sharp. This is great for a wild rat, but not so good if you like cuddling with your favourite pet. Rat claws, like human fingernails, grow continuously during their lives. Usually they are kept short by normal wearing away on abrasive surfaces like rocks, branches, digging in soil, etc. As these are often not available to a pet rat, claw clipping is an option you may choose to do regularly. Is it necessary? Claw clipping is not essential, unless the claws grow so long that they are causing trouble for the rat (e.g. getting caught in cage wire and torn out, or causing cuts on their skin during normal grooming). It's also wise to clip your rat's claws during treatment for external parasites, as this can prevent skin injury during excessive scratching. But, usually we choose to clip their claws to prevent us from getting scratched when they play on us... human skin has poor traction. How often? As to how often to clip them... well, that will depend a lot on the rat's environment. If they have lots of rough things to climb on (branches, rocks, brick under their water bottle, etc.) then they will keep the claws down continually and you may never need to clip them yourself (see Prevention below). On the other hand, if they wallow in the plush luxury of fabric strips and soft hammocks you may have to clip their claws every few weeks. If you have an allergy to rat scratches, regular claw clipping is essential. How do you do it? There's many techniques to choose from, depending on the personality of your rat. I use a regular small human nail clipper. We use two big strong people for one itty bitty little ratty. One holds the rat's body still, the other holds the foot and does the clipping. It helps to bundle the rat up in a towel if you have a particularly squirmy and/or troublesome rat. Others have had better luck by placing the rat on a shoulder, so that their toes splay out while trying to grip, and distracting the rat with a yogurt drop.  See what works best for your rat, but keep a few of these tips in mind: * Choose a time when your rat is sleepy/lazy, like after dinner or play time. If he squirms and complains a lot, give him a break and try again later * Be fast... the shorter the ordeal, the better for both of you * Make it a calm experience... talk soothingly to your rat, scritch him, give him a cuddle break between feet, etc. * Lots of praise and a treat immediately afterwards reinforces the clipping as a positive experience Just take the very sharp tip off the claw, being sure not to cut too far down to the quick (red bit in centre of nail) as this can bleed profusely.  Have some corn flour or styptic powder on hand to dip the claw in to stem the blood flow, just in case. It does get easier each time you clip your rat's claws, as you become more proficient and your rat realises it's not all that bad after all. Prevention: To keep your rat's claws down continuously, you can try some preventative measures. Place a rough brick in their cage, preferably somewhere they have to go a lot, like under the water bottle. Other options are including a rock in their cage (perhaps as a step to a higher shelf), a climbing branch, or offer them an occasional digging box, etc. To link to this page: http://www.raisinrats.com/medical/nails.html [back to top]