Water Bottle maintenance
Tips & Tricks for maintaining your rats' water bottles
Water bottles seem like such a simple concept. Just fill it up with water every day and let your rats drink out of it, right? Unfortunately, water bottle trouble is one of the most common problems rat parents face! Luckily the Rat Guru is here to help save your water bottles and provide you with a frustration-free rat hydration experience.
Hack #1 Enough Water
You’ll want to make sure you have an appropriately sized water bottle. Rats drink about 1.5oz or about 44ml of water a day. You’ll want to make sure your water bottle is large enough to hold more than enough water, but not so large that you’re wasting water or letting the bottle sit there for more than 2 or 3 days. For example, if you have 2 rats and you want to fill your water bottle every single day, you will probably want an approximately 6oz or 170ml water bottle. If you have a bottle that’s too small, your rats will drink more than 1 full bottle a day. If it’s too large, the water may sit inside the bottle too long and grow mold from the bacteria in your rats mouths.
Bearing this in mind, you also want to make sure your rats are drinking enough water. If you have brand new rats who have only been with you for a couple of days, it is completely normal for them not to want to eat or drink, due to stress and anxiety. However, after they’ve adjusted, if you want to make sure they’re drinking enough, you may want to get a marked bottle to measure the water levels. If you don’t, you can mark the bottle every day with a dry erase marker. Remember, rats drink 1.5oz or 44ml of water per day. If you have two rats, your water should go down approximately 3oz or 88ml each day. A tiny bit more or less is absolutely fine.
If you think your rats are not drinking enough water, you can keep them hydrated by mixing unflavored Pedialite in with your water, at about a 50/50 ratio. That way, if your rats aren’t consuming enough water, they will still be hydrated.
Bearing this in mind, you also want to make sure your rats are drinking enough water. If you have brand new rats who have only been with you for a couple of days, it is completely normal for them not to want to eat or drink, due to stress and anxiety. However, after they’ve adjusted, if you want to make sure they’re drinking enough, you may want to get a marked bottle to measure the water levels. If you don’t, you can mark the bottle every day with a dry erase marker. Remember, rats drink 1.5oz or 44ml of water per day. If you have two rats, your water should go down approximately 3oz or 88ml each day. A tiny bit more or less is absolutely fine.
If you think your rats are not drinking enough water, you can keep them hydrated by mixing unflavored Pedialite in with your water, at about a 50/50 ratio. That way, if your rats aren’t consuming enough water, they will still be hydrated.
Hack #2 Create a Vacuum
In order to prevent your water bottle from leaking, you’ll first need to understand how water bottles work. In order to keep the water inside the bottle in the first place, these types of water bottles rely on a vacuum. The rubber ring on the inside of the nozzle is what seals this vacuum in place.
Any changes in air temperature or pressure can cause water bottles to leak, as it will disrupt the vacuum. To prevent your bottle from leaking, you’ll want to make sure to create good quality suction with every fill.
Fill with warm water
Cold water can cause the air pressure inside the bottle, or the bottle itself, to constrict. When the water warms up to room temperature, it will expand again, disrupting the vacuum.
To prevent this, you will want to fill up your bottle with lukewarm water. This will force the water to have to cool down to room temperature, which will reinforce the vacuum.
Squeeze to create suction
Fill the bottle all the way up to the very top until there is almost no room left for air. Then, screw the lid on tightly. Once the lid is on, squeeze the bottle until a little bit of water comes out of the nozzle. Continuing to squeeze, flip the bottle over. Now stop squeezing.
If you do this correctly, you will hear a sucking noise and see bubbles float to the top of the bottle. It may leak for a few seconds, but it will stop if you’ve done it correctly. When your rats drink out of the bottle, you should be able to see small bubbles float to the top. This will let you know the vacuum is still in place.
Any changes in air temperature or pressure can cause water bottles to leak, as it will disrupt the vacuum. To prevent your bottle from leaking, you’ll want to make sure to create good quality suction with every fill.
Fill with warm water
Cold water can cause the air pressure inside the bottle, or the bottle itself, to constrict. When the water warms up to room temperature, it will expand again, disrupting the vacuum.
To prevent this, you will want to fill up your bottle with lukewarm water. This will force the water to have to cool down to room temperature, which will reinforce the vacuum.
Squeeze to create suction
Fill the bottle all the way up to the very top until there is almost no room left for air. Then, screw the lid on tightly. Once the lid is on, squeeze the bottle until a little bit of water comes out of the nozzle. Continuing to squeeze, flip the bottle over. Now stop squeezing.
If you do this correctly, you will hear a sucking noise and see bubbles float to the top of the bottle. It may leak for a few seconds, but it will stop if you’ve done it correctly. When your rats drink out of the bottle, you should be able to see small bubbles float to the top. This will let you know the vacuum is still in place.
Hack #3 Glass Bottle Leakage
Glass water bottles are excellent for preventing your rats from chewing the bottle, and they last a lot longer than plastic bottles. However, they are notorious for leaking like crazy; likely due to the swiveling nozzle and inability to expand or contract like plastic, causing a lack of a stable vacuum. In order to prevent your glass bottle from leaking, and prolong it’s life expectancy, there are a few different tricks you can try.
Switch & Ditch
Many glass water bottles come with a rotating nozzle which is supposed to allow you to manipulate the position of the nozzle depending on how the bottle is hung. These are terrible at creating a vacuum, as they are often not made to enforce a vacuum in the first place. Ditch the nozzle that came with the bottle, and switch it with a nozzle from a plastic bottle of the same size. The rubber ring on the inside of the plastic nozzle will create a vacuum in a glass bottle just as well as a plastic bottle.
Ignore the “Max Fill Line”
After you’ve switched nozzles, ignore the fill line on the bottle. Since you can’t squeeze a glass bottle…. well, I guess you could but you’d have to be like, Chuck Norris or Henry Rollins or something… you’ll need to create the vacuum as the lid goes on the bottle. Any air left inside the bottle after you’ve screwed the nozzle on, may escape and disrupt the vacuum. Instead, fill it up to the very, very top, until the water forms a little bubble at the top. Remember learning about surface tension in science class? Yeah, you can apply that knowledge now.
Now, screw on the nozzle as tightly as possible. Turn the bottle over quickly, and you should notice a few bubbles float to the top. If you’ve done this correctly, that means you’ve successfully created a vacuum and it shouldn’t leak!
Switch & Ditch
Many glass water bottles come with a rotating nozzle which is supposed to allow you to manipulate the position of the nozzle depending on how the bottle is hung. These are terrible at creating a vacuum, as they are often not made to enforce a vacuum in the first place. Ditch the nozzle that came with the bottle, and switch it with a nozzle from a plastic bottle of the same size. The rubber ring on the inside of the plastic nozzle will create a vacuum in a glass bottle just as well as a plastic bottle.
Ignore the “Max Fill Line”
After you’ve switched nozzles, ignore the fill line on the bottle. Since you can’t squeeze a glass bottle…. well, I guess you could but you’d have to be like, Chuck Norris or Henry Rollins or something… you’ll need to create the vacuum as the lid goes on the bottle. Any air left inside the bottle after you’ve screwed the nozzle on, may escape and disrupt the vacuum. Instead, fill it up to the very, very top, until the water forms a little bubble at the top. Remember learning about surface tension in science class? Yeah, you can apply that knowledge now.
Now, screw on the nozzle as tightly as possible. Turn the bottle over quickly, and you should notice a few bubbles float to the top. If you’ve done this correctly, that means you’ve successfully created a vacuum and it shouldn’t leak!
Hack #4 DIY Bottle Holder
Has your water bottle ring been lost or stolen? More than likely you probably just hate it. Either way, fear not! You can make your own bottle ring with two simple ingredients! Lanyard hooks and a pipe cleaner.
First, grab two lanyard clips. Now whip out your pipe cleaners and pick your favorite color. Take one end of the pipe cleaner, and tightly twist it around the lanyard hook.
Now, wrap it around the outside of the bottle to measure how big you want to make it. It should be loose enough that you can easily remove the bottle from the bars of your cage, but tight enough to hold the bottle in place. You can cut the pipe cleaner to size if need be.
Now do the same thing with the other end, and ta-dah! You’ve made your own water bottle ring!
If you don’t have any lanyard hooks, you can just tie the pipe cleaner to the bars of your cage, it works just as well.
First, grab two lanyard clips. Now whip out your pipe cleaners and pick your favorite color. Take one end of the pipe cleaner, and tightly twist it around the lanyard hook.
Now, wrap it around the outside of the bottle to measure how big you want to make it. It should be loose enough that you can easily remove the bottle from the bars of your cage, but tight enough to hold the bottle in place. You can cut the pipe cleaner to size if need be.
Now do the same thing with the other end, and ta-dah! You’ve made your own water bottle ring!
If you don’t have any lanyard hooks, you can just tie the pipe cleaner to the bars of your cage, it works just as well.
Hack #5 No More Slip & Slide Bottles
Depending on the size of the bottle, if your cage has horizontal bars, you may experience this problem frequently. You turn around and your water bottle has been thrusted halfway across the room and is now laying the floor, leaking everywhere. Every time you put it back, it easily slides right out from under the bars. This is especially scary if you worry about your rats not having access to water when you go to bed or leave for work.
I’ve come up with a relatively easy solution to this. Instead of placing your bottle ring between the cross bars, place it on either side of a crossbar. Now choose the bar you’d like to put the nozzle through, and fasten a plastic shower ring around the cross bar.
Stick the bottle through the top ring, and then place the nozzle through the shower ring to hold it in place. No more sliding around!
I’ve come up with a relatively easy solution to this. Instead of placing your bottle ring between the cross bars, place it on either side of a crossbar. Now choose the bar you’d like to put the nozzle through, and fasten a plastic shower ring around the cross bar.
Stick the bottle through the top ring, and then place the nozzle through the shower ring to hold it in place. No more sliding around!
Hack #6 Two Birds, One Brick
Do you struggle with a slightly leaky water bottle, as well as sharp, scratchy rat nails? You’d think these two things wouldn’t be related at all, but you can actually solve both of these problems with one simple trick. Place a regular red brick underneath your water bottle. You can also use a lava ledge, or glue sandpaper to a flat bird perch. Just about anything porous with a rough texture will suffice.
Placing a brick or a lava ledge underneath your rats water bottle will absorb small drips and leaks from the bottle, so you won’t have to deal with annoying wet spots in your bedding.
Doing this will also cause your rats to have to stand on top of it when they want a drink of water. The rough texture acts exactly like a nail file, so your rats will be getting a manicure multiple times a day. Now, you will never have to struggle with uncomfortably sharp nails on your shoulder, nor will you ever need to manually trim your rats nails.
Placing a brick or a lava ledge underneath your rats water bottle will absorb small drips and leaks from the bottle, so you won’t have to deal with annoying wet spots in your bedding.
Doing this will also cause your rats to have to stand on top of it when they want a drink of water. The rough texture acts exactly like a nail file, so your rats will be getting a manicure multiple times a day. Now, you will never have to struggle with uncomfortably sharp nails on your shoulder, nor will you ever need to manually trim your rats nails.
Hack #7 Keep it Clean
Okay, this one is not really a hack; more like instructions for how to clean your bottle and always make sure your rats are getting clean, safe water.
Never use any type of soap or detergent in your water bottle. If you accidentally left some behind, this may make your rats very sick. Instead, use vinegar just like you would with a coffee machine.
Fill your water bottle about 1/4 of the way with vinegar, twist the nozzle on, hold the tip with your finger, and shake it vigorously. Vinegar will break down any mold spores or bacteria in the bottle and sanitize the inside.
Next, empty the bottle, and use a baby bottle brush to scrub the inside of the bottle. You can use the small end, or a pipe cleaner, to clean out the nozzle. This will get rid of anything stuck or clumped inside the bottle.
Finally, rinse the bottle with hot water multiple times to get rid of the vinegar.
Never use any type of soap or detergent in your water bottle. If you accidentally left some behind, this may make your rats very sick. Instead, use vinegar just like you would with a coffee machine.
Fill your water bottle about 1/4 of the way with vinegar, twist the nozzle on, hold the tip with your finger, and shake it vigorously. Vinegar will break down any mold spores or bacteria in the bottle and sanitize the inside.
Next, empty the bottle, and use a baby bottle brush to scrub the inside of the bottle. You can use the small end, or a pipe cleaner, to clean out the nozzle. This will get rid of anything stuck or clumped inside the bottle.
Finally, rinse the bottle with hot water multiple times to get rid of the vinegar.