# help my girl having babys



## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

i need help what should i do should i put a heat light on them to keep her warn can i plz have some info on what to do


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## PiggieRats (Jul 25, 2008)

Let momma do her job. Don't stress mom out. Best to leave them alone for the first few days and just check on them.


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## Hallie-Mae (Jul 31, 2008)

*Don't *put a heat lamp on them 8O !!!! 
Leave her be, she might kill the babies if you pester her 

Are they in a nursing tank ?

Good luck !


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

thanks for the info she all done i think she had 7 of them


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Are they in a nursing tank then?


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

no i dont have 1


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

What is the cage they are in? 

When the babies start crawling around, they could easily get out. Also, the mother could move them up on to other levels, which would put them in great danger from injury, being fatal if they fell.


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

there in a hamspter cage


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Have you moved them into a hamster cage, or does she live in there normally? Are there any levels?


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

she live there for now couse i dont got her a new one for her yet there is no levels in the cages


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## SamAnthrax (Jan 5, 2008)

How big is this hamster cage?


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## Hallie-Mae (Jul 31, 2008)

... You keep her in a hamster cage _usually_ 8O ?
You do know that rats need 2ft sq. of cage space per rat, right :? ?


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

yea i was goin to get a new cage for her in two weks when i get pay there not that big yet


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

Do you have other rats in there with her? Not including the babies.


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## Hallie-Mae (Jul 31, 2008)

I'm pretty certain she's alone 8O Unfortunately


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

i did have 2 but she in alone i took the boy out


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## ration1802 (Sep 25, 2007)

tys_power20 .. I can't help but read this thread and want to scream.

Now don't take this the wrong way, but getting information from you is like pulling teeth.

Perhaps you could explain exactly what is happening? Why there were a boy and girl together? Was this an intentional breeding? Etc .. it's very hard to give any information or advice if all we are doing is asking questions to get a feel of the situation


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## Hallie-Mae (Jul 31, 2008)

... You kept a boy and a girl together ? In a hamster cage ...?

Oh my god  I can't believe this. 

Can you please elaborate ?


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

one thing is clear now... this thread is miscategorized since this board is for accidental litters

<edits rest of posts & goes back into lurk mode since my suggestion would most likely get me in trouble>


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

ok i got them a few week ago i think she was perngent when i got her couse ive only had them for 2 and 1/2 weeks ok and they told me they were both girls


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

You purchased a hampster cage for rats.... #1 no no. You say they told you they were both girls, however did you not notice the testicles on the male? Seriously they are super hard to miss!!! 

What you need to do is get a nursery cage set up for mom and her babies. Purchase another cage for dad (a big cage big enough for at least 2 rats) and another cage for mom (ditto on dad's cage). You will need to keep 1 girl baby and 1 boy baby to keep your current rats entertained. 2 girls in one cage, 2 boys in another cage (now this is after the babies are weaned). 

You will need to find homes for the other babies and seperate them at 5 weeks of age by sex!! No boys with the girls!!!! They can and will breed this young. Also, be prepared for momma rat to have another litter if a boy was in there with her! She can get pregnant right after having the babies.


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## Hallie-Mae (Jul 31, 2008)

Okay, that makes the situation less horrific  
Did you say that you were going to buy them a bigger cage ? 
Also, how are the babies doing ? Do they all have milk bands ?

I agree with LovinMyWorm though. You will SERIOUSLY need to learn how to tell the difference between male and female rats before the babies hit 5 weeks otherwise you will literally end up with HUNDREDS of rats.

No pressure 8O


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

yea well they said they were both females so i neve notice but i do have a friend that said she come up and tell me what they are they are doing verry well what do u meen by mike brands and if i would have now that he was a boy i would have taken him out and got another male for him and another female for her


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Seriously, do you ever pick up your rats? Do you ever watch them play? If so you would have noticed some rather large dangly bits there!


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

Ration1802 said:


> tys_power20 .. I can't help but read this thread and want to scream.
> 
> Now don't take this the wrong way, but getting information from you is like pulling teeth.
> 
> Perhaps you could explain exactly what is happening? Why there were a boy and girl together? Was this an intentional breeding? Etc .. it's very hard to give any information or advice if all we are doing is asking questions to get a feel of the situation


by the way i was told they were both girl i never want her to have babies so it came as a shock were i got them told me they were both girls


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## tys_power20 (Jul 2, 2008)

i have been workin long hours sinch i got them i pick him up last night an then i saw and him an was like oh no so now he in a cage by himself couse when i see the babies i pick him up that when i see he was a male


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Everyone, lay off a little, what's done is done...


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## 5ratboys (Aug 23, 2007)

You are asking for help and instead you're getting lectured. I'm sorry. I think you want to do what is best for them or you wouldn't have come here asking.

I just rescued a female rat that had 9 two-day old babies when I got her. I put her in a 10 gallon aquarium with newspaper and folded fleece as the bedding. Mama rat shredded the newspaper to make her nest. I didn't give her a nesting box (just a small cardboard box) until the babies were about 6 days old because I wanted to be able to have easier access to them to check for milk bands (if you hold the baby up and look at it's belly, you should see a small area of white under their skin in the stomach area... that is their tummy filled with mama's milk). Before I put the nest box in, I just used the fleece to make a little roof over the babies. I have a hanging water bottle for her along with two very small ceramic dishes... one for pellets/dry food and the other for fresh veggies/fruit and wet food. I also put a slightly larger ceramic dish in to use as a litter box (she kept flipping the small plastic pan). I did make sure she's had more protein than I usually give... I've been giving her a small amount of hardboiled egg on some days and tuna on others. 

I'm also keeping her in our closet since it's quieter and we can keep it semi-dark. I tried handling the babies at least once daily and I checked for milk bands twice daily. Now that they are almost two weeks old, I've been taking them out and interacting with them more. Their eyes are still closed but should be open in a day or so. 

I don't know if you have a Craigslist in your area but you might be able to find a cheap aquarium if you do. Just clean it really well.

Good luck.


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