# Can I burn candles in my room now?



## MaryLiz (Jun 15, 2014)

I have been wondering this ever since I aquired my new cage and moved it into my bedroom. I love Yankee Candles as well as the kind from Bath and Body and have quite a collection built up, as there for a while every gift giving occasion brought me a new candle because I was obesses for a while XP If you know anything about these brands of candles you know their aroma is quite strong. Since I moved the rats into my room I have been wondering, is it safe for me to burn candles in the same room with them? Would it cause respiratory problems like pine or cedar bedding would, or would it be alright since it's not something they're walking around and sleeping in? I have refrained from burning any more candles so far until I know the answer.


----------



## relken0608 (Jul 11, 2013)

Unfortunately its still a no :\ I'm an avid candle collector as well but the smoke is incredibly bad for them. Apparently so does the perfume, the scent that comes off it. Therefore wax melters are also not good for them since there is still an aroma.

There is this thing they sell at Walmart in the plug in section by Glade and stuff, its a deoderizer. On the back it says safe for use around kids and animals so that's perfect! I use them they last about 1-3 months. The fresh scent goes away after the first month but the too stuff stays for a long while.

You could also burn the candles in an adjacent room or of course across the house. 

I actually do use a wax melter in my room, next to his cage. I keep a careful track of how often he sneezes and its very very infrequent so I'm alright with using the melter every once in a while. If he starts sneezing a lot I'll move it out of the room but for now I allow it.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## MaryLiz (Jun 15, 2014)

Ah, I was kind of assuming it would be a no lol I will just burn them in the bathroom or the living area  I have actually heard things recently that suggest that certain candles might not be the best for human health either. Thank you for your reply. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## MimiSkye (Feb 3, 2014)

It sucks, I know  I had an awesome collection of candles before I got my rats...I was so bummed to find out I couldn't burn them. I have heard there are certain types of candles you can have in the same room that aren't bad for them...but dont quote me on that! 
Anyone know if this is true?


----------



## ratmode (May 15, 2014)

I think this would be a great question for someone who knows a lot about rat-specific anatomy and physiology. So maybe a vet who specializes in pocket pets.

My gut instinct is that there are specific types of scent which would be bad for them. Pine and cedar are bad for rats because of the cyclic terpene alcohols in them (I don't know if these could be accurately referred to as "phenols" or not) - actually, those compounds are bad for humans too, it's just that because we're so much bigger it doesn't affect us as much. In small quantities pine oil is used in aromatherapy, but in large quantities it causes respiratory irritation in humans.

Now, Yankee Candle scents probably don't contain as many of these. I am NOT a scent chemist (I was born with almost no sense of smell, actually), but I do remember in ochem that the "scenty" compounds we made were always esters. I don't believe these are toxic to rats in REASONABLE quantities. I would say this means don't burn six Yankee Candles right by your rat's cage.

Now, on the matter of incense and other aromatics, I think the big problem there is the smoke, not the scent. Rats do have more sensitive respiratory systems than we do.

My best advice is play it safe - don't use the candles at all if you're worried. You could try lighting one on the other side of the room and observing the rats CAREFULLY to see if it makes them sneeze or something like that. Recall that tissue grows back, which is why your rat that was kept in cedar at the pet store can become a normal healthy breathing rat if he wasn't kept in it for too long as a pup.

As for me, the only "scented" product I ever use is Febreze, once in a while (other people in the house CAN smell), because it deodorizes instead of just masking. I don't spray it near the rats' cage, or when they are in the room.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Any sort of smoke or scent or any thing they inhale can upset their delicate noses. Remember, our rats have a passive infection that can flare up.

The only thing you can do is keep them in a well-ventilated room, removed from candle burning. You can use passive scent agents, which means something that is odor absorbant (those jell things), or odor neutral (NOT odor neutralizers, such as febreeze which again provide particles in the air).

I'd just say be grateful you can do them anywhere. They release a harmful toxin that actually kills birds so no candles, smoking, air fresheners, nonstick pans...etc, in my house.


----------



## ratmode (May 15, 2014)

Good point about the myco, nanashi. Inflammation of the respiratory tract leads to reduced immunity for the rats, which can cause a myco flare-up or a secondary infection. I did not consider this in my post.


----------

