I realize how ridiculous this sounds, so let me explain. My sister and I have two identical albino pet rats in the same cage. There is absolutely no way to tell them apart, but we need to be able to, for training purposes. A lady at the pet store suggested that we dye a small patch of fur on one rat, using a bit of food coloring. We tried this, and within hours the rats had watched it all off. My mother suggested we put a small dot of sharpie on the rat’s ear or tail. Now, I’m not sure if this is safe, and the last thing I want is to hurt my baby! Does anyone know is this would be safe, and if not, any ideas on telling them apart? Thank you in advance!
Is Sharpie Safe For Rats?
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Sharpie pens have a rather strong odor, which could be irritating to your rats. Crayola brand markers are non toxic, but the color would wear off quickly,
Before we knew our PEW brothers well enough to tell them apart, I’d simply cut a bit of fur from 1 of them so we’d know who was who. Not down to the skin, just considerably shorter than the rest of his coat. It would take weeks for the fur to grow out & then I’d trim a bit from the other rat (in a different area). After doing this a few times, we were able to stop because we’d noticed enough difference between them to easily tell them apart.
Edit– Please don’t use a bow or anything else tied onto your rats, which could cause injuries. There’s also a good chance of the bow coming off. Rats shouldn’t have collars, outfits etc. unless it’s for a photo, in which case the item should be removed within a few minutes. Never leave a rat in a collar, bow or costume without supervision.
I dont think thats a good idea it could hurt them maybe but like a collar which i think someone said it will help more than a sharpie
I’m sure it’s fine since humans put sharpie on thier skin and it doesn’t harm us. I suggest you make small collars for them or tie a bow around thier neck loosely.
It may irritate the rat. If one of them doesn’t mind, maybe putting a tiny bow on his/her paw may be alright.
It does sound ridiculous.