rattytat
Well-Known Member
Just realised that after 6 weeks of trying to be as allergy friendly as possible to my ratties that I have done the worst thing ever :sad3: Knowing that Mike, my male 8-9 month old was very prone to allergies and was constantly experiencing nasal/sinus problems, I changed every possible thing I could in his cage and room, as well as cleaning and laundry options. For some reason I felt that cleaning the cage with baby wipes and small amount of vinegar diluted in a spray bottle of water would be fine. I googled everything I could think of about this combination but found nothing except positive comments on the benefits of vinegar and water. , but somehow I was a little dubious because if you smell vinegar , it can take your breath away. Anyway, after reading another thread yesterday in which someone, I think Joanne, mentioned her rats were having problems as well - particularly after she cleaned the cage. I immediately headed to the internet again where I found a site that said cleaning with vinegar and water in a confined space can be harmful to the respiratory system :emb: So, I rudely awakened Mike and Smudge from their afternoon nap and cleaned out the cage for the 2nd time in about 6 hours. And what a difference it made. Almost immedialtely I could notice a change in Mike's breathing - and when I checked during the night, there wasn't a sound coming from the cage. Usually you can hear him making all kinds of strange and loud noises even in the hallway.
Maybe I'm the only one who wasn't aware of this, but I thought I'd pass this info along.
Maybe I'm the only one who wasn't aware of this, but I thought I'd pass this info along.