Allergies

[TorachiKatashi]

Not sure if this is the correct sub-forum for this, as it refers to human health rather than rat health, but here we go.

It's been a VERY long time since I posted here, as my last rat, Panda, passed away in April of 2014. Over the course of four years I had seven male rats. During the summer of 2013 I became very ill, developed pneumonia, and was bed-ridden for nearly a month - I lost 25lbs. As a result, I also developed a lot of breathing issues, which unfortunately were exacerbated by my rats. My doctor's best guess is that it was the urine smell - no matter how much or how often I cleaned, of course the boys were dribbling pee wherever they went and there was no real way to completely eliminate it. I had to make the decision that after the boys I had at that time passed away that I wouldn't get anymore rats.

Of course you never really stop being a rat owner, and there's been a little piece of my heart left empty since Panda passed away that even two new dogs couldn't fill. Someone off-hand mentioned to me that perhaps females might not cause the same issues, or at least not to the same extent, and I wondered about that.

So my question is - does anyone have any experience with allergies/respiratory issues in humans related to male rats, and/or if these issues would be more manageable with female rats?

 

[lilspaz68]

A lot of allergic people have a much worse reaction to intact males but females and neutered males are okay. What symptoms do you get? How severe are they?

 

[TorachiKatashi]

A lot of allergic people have a much worse reaction to intact males but females and neutered males are okay. What symptoms do you get? How severe are they?

Stuffy, coughing/sneezing, rattling in my chest. Same kind of symptoms I get this time of year when the pollen is out, or if I'm in a super dusty room, etc. Nothing sudden or life threatening, more long lasting and uncomfortable. If they dribbled pee onto my skin I'd also get hives, but that was the case from the day I got my first boys, I've always had super sensitive skin. That alone didn't bother me, I just made sure that I showered or at least washed my arms very well after their out-of-cage time. All of my males were intact.

 

[Lise Patterson]

I've been struggling with allergies to my rats, but I seem to get by with small numbers - preferably no more than four. I keep males as well as females, but always get the males neutered. I also keep the rats in a separate, well-ventilated room and use a suitably-sized HEPA air filer. Frequent, thorough cleaning is essential, otherwise I get significant breathing problems. In the worst of times I use a HEPA-filtered face mask to enter their room and clean.
I've got by with these measures for years.... but in April I foolishly agreed to foster three rats when their guardian had to leave suddenly to take up a job in Edmonton. That brought my mischief to a total of seven. I've grown quite attached to the newbies, of course, but I really must rehome... the allergen burden is just too much.
I too would welcome suggestions from others re managing allergies to pet rats.

 

[jorats]

For me, both males and females affected my lungs. I had to take my pumps and an allergy pill every day. Keeping them in an open room helped a great deal as opposed to an enclosed room. I didn't clean them too often which would make them pee more. Daily wipe ups, weekly cage scrubbing seemed to work best for me. A hepa filter might help as well.

 

[ViciousCurse]

I have allergies related to rats and they can cause an asthma attack on cage cleaning day, or if the ammonia has really built up. My rats are intact males and I don't have any experience with female rats, but a neuter may help (it's supposed to lower the amount of marking). Depending on what type of hides you use, urine may build up as well. Cardboard boxes, newspaper, paper towel, any of that sort of stuff holds in the urine and is prone to smelling.

I noticed my allergies do act up when I have more rats. When I started with three, I had a very unnoticeable allergy (hives, itchiness), but as I got more, I started reacting more. I take an allergy pill daily and when I do something that may involve a lot of scratching (say a bath) I wear gloves. I don't let my rats on my bed anymore, and they free roam places with tile/linoleum for easier cleaning.
As for changes in their cage, I've included more litterboxes, each with decently sized rocks so that they urinate on the rock and into the litter below. Any cardboard/paper, toilet paper, paper towel, etc. are all in the cage for only a week. If they smell before then, they are removed. Any permanent hides I have are all plastic so that I can wipe them down weekly. And, I have a lot of stuff in the cage, so that they can't make new pee or poo spot.

I doubt you've done this, but don't use cages that have a pull-out tray. For whatever reason, no matter what you do, those cages stink to high heaven and collect A LOT of ammonia. My two new rescues lived in that kind of cage and despite it being very sparsely filled (some newspaper, a cardboard box, a plastic pot used for a hide, a small food container and small water bottle), it STUNK! I had an asthma attack just trying to clean the stupid thing.

I don't know if you've done or tried any of these things, but the things listed have helped me.

I know my doctor wouldn't like what I'm about to say next, but I don't see myself stopping my need to rescue rats or care for them. Maybe I'll keep smaller mischiefs from now on, but I've connected with my rats way more than my dog.


I relate with you, TorachiKatashi. I had gotten my original trio of boys right around the time I graduated high school, and three months into my first college semester, my dog of ten years passed away. My original trio got me through the grief. I bonded very closely with my Gideon, Amun, and Maddox shortly thereafter (not that I wasn't already madly in love with them to begin with). About a year after my dog passed away, we got a puppy. I still have the dog, but he doesn't fill the void of my dog quite like Gideon did. Now that Gideon's gone, Grumpy's filling the void. I find myself more able to connect with my rats than my dog. I feel awful saying that and trying to fill the void, but they seem to make the grief a little easier to cope with. It's amazing how such little and short-lived animals seem to fill our hearts.