bathing rats/trimming nails?

[Moon]

I've only ever clipped nails if they were ones that had gotten injured and ended up growing super thick/curly. And human nail clippers worked beautifully for me.

As for bathing, I'd go for a wipedown with unscented babywipes unless you are dealing with REALLY DIRTY rats, as in they are no able to clean themselves or they were recently adopted from a terrible situation.

 

[Chevalrose]

I don't bathe my current rats very often. Two of them are hairless, so I usually just give them a good scrub with a washcloth on occasion and Onyx is one of the cleanest rats I've ever had (maybe because he's my first non-rex?). When I had my rexes (one who was a major marinater) I bathed them every to every other month. Never had any dry skin issues, but I gave them olive oil-soaked bread.