# Unexperienced father to a baby rat! Help SERIOUSLY needed!



## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

To make a very long, confusing, stressful two days into a synopsis short enough for you kind people: 

The other night I discovered a 7-9 day old male rat pup in the middle of my garage floor. I wondered if I'd perhaps scared his mother off in the middle of her moving him, so I left him where he was for another hour and a half. She did not return to collect him and I was growing scared about how cold it was for him so I brought him inside, warmed him up, and a few hours later went shopping. I picked up some Kitten Replacement Formula and began to feed him every 3-4 hours because I was unsure how frequently to. 

I called the local wildlife center and was told, rather unpleasantly, that no one thought it was important to rehabilitate rats and that his best bet was to be left where the colony may be able to find him. I was even told that if I were to bring him to the center, they would use him as a food source for their owls and birds of prey.

After feeding him and warming him up all that day, I attempted again to leave him where I heard squeaking babies in the garage. I put him in a nestbox that smelled like the garage (because it was made of things from it, I tried to handle it as little as possible) and left him out there for two and a half hours against the wall. It was a struggle not to go collect him immediately, but I found him there two and a half hours later, cold and confused.

I'm the only one in this little guy's corner. So I bucked up and tried several feeding solutions but _EVERYTHING _seemed to get way too many bubbles - qtip, paintbrush, especially the needle-less syringe I had. Today I went to my vet and begged the receptionist if they had anything that would be more suitable and I finally have a tapered syringe that has produced better results...

But I have a big issue. The air he's consumed already is in a bubble in his belly and it looks very uncomfortable. Everywhere I've read has said that either it'll be fine and eventually let up if massaged and warm, or that it's potentially deadly to the little baby. One site goes so far as to say that the only way to get rid of it is with a needle through his abdomen.

Needless to say, I don't really have a vet nearby that could do that - and even if I did, I can't justify the amount of money they may cost me if he may die anyway because he's under two weeks old. And let's face it, they have a HUGE mortality rate. 

So I'm sitting here, wishing I could justify the money to take him to the vet but I really didn't plan on this little guy. I just happen to be the only one who cares if he lives or dies, his parents and colony included. But I've gotta say, the amount that it's frustrating me is unreal. 

Surely baby rats are capable of passing gas even though they can't burp? Like, through the other end? Can someone explain why the air is deadly? Can it be massaged or coerced out of their bottom? What about - and hear me out, I'd never try this without asking someone (hence coming to you guys) - anything mild and over the counter for gas in human babies? Is there anything out there that you all know would help? Or even an idea? Is there something a vet could recommend, maybe, short of a needle?

I'm looking for alternatives I may be able to afford. It distresses me to have to place monetary things into this discussion but I'm jobless at the moment and any cash I have is really already spent because of the demands I have on me. I want to give him the best possible chance that I can. I read somewhere that yogurt may help and I mixed it in with the KMR-water solution I'd been feeding him. So far, I haven't seen any evidence of it helping the gas but he loves the taste... 

I'll admit.. I'm not a man who really cries, but the schedule to wake up and feed him, and his dimming chances, are balancing me on a razor's edge. I cried three times this afternoon while shopping because I was trying to find something suitable for a nipple. I considered putting milk in a rubber glove and offering him it with a pinhole for him to suckle, but then remembered that the chemicals and powders in some gloves may be toxic. It's all overwhelming.

So, please.

Any advice, all advice. I'll consider calling a vet to ask what he may have that I could afford. But I really don't think any of it is within my price range. Other than the gas he's healthy, squeaks when he wants attention or accidentally rolls himself over, but is happy with his water bottle and loves the KMR mix. I'll admit to being too attached for my own good at this point, but in for a penny, in for a pound.

This was a bad attempt at a brief synopsis. I'm sorry. I just woke up for his next feeding and I'm a little drained. 

Thank you all for listening at the very least, especially everyone who read the whole thing. I can feel the hurdle of his eye opening being a few days away at most and I'm really hoping we can make it that far...


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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

I wish I could help.  I am new to rats and would not know where to start. Thank you for trying to save the baby!


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I'm not all that new to rats - they're a favorite animal of mine and I had a very sweet rattie girl when I was 16. She never liked other rats because she was rescued from a breeding tank at a pet store, meant to be food for snakes - she was the tiniest rat in the tank and everyone was bullying her, but she LOVED me and for as scared as she was, she never once bit me. I adore rats, even the wild ones in my garage. I can't stand the thought of losing this little one on my watch when I know I'm doing everything I feasibly can to see him pull through... 

I'm just hoping that there's something non-toxic he can take with his milk (in minimal amounts) that will help the evacuate the gas. But thank you. If nothing else it's good to have someone else in his corner, even remotely.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

Have you tried the massaging technique ?


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I've massaged him a little bit but there never seems to be any real improvement. Then again, I haven't gotten a good step-by-step guide on how to massage - so if anyone knows of a how-to guide or can explain it in steps, I'm VERY willing to do it.

I'm also going to keep up with the yogurt because he should be starting solids just a little bit here or there anyway, and he seems to go absolutely insane for it.




Here's a picture of him from the first night he came to me. He has fur, and his eyes - especially today - seem to be ready to open any day now. I'm banking on about 8 days old for when I found him, maybe 7-going-on-8. His is a wild-born Brown Rat, so I feel somewhat better than if he weren't the wild species that gave way to domesticated rats. I've been sterile in my own life (washing hands after every feeding and massage, etc) and in his feeding utensils. 

I can try and get a picture of his bubble but he squirms a lot. Feisty little guy. He definitely has a will to live, I'm starting to think they may have abandoned him because he was a runt and the food is scarce since I've taken measures to protect the things of mine that they'd been eating. (Mostly bird seed.)


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

It should pass through ... also an eyedropper is the best feeding solution since you can flick it to get rid of any bubbles ( I use them here) rats are very well adapted it would be a very silly adaptation to not be able to pass accidentally ingested air.

Rat eyes open at about 2 weeks I believe ... he looks healthy and he may be a little older than you think ... him having fur and a healthy appetite are good

Are you stimulating him to relieve himself


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

If he's older, all the better! I know that their hair begins to grow in at about a week, he has quite a bit of fur while it isn't fuzzy or anything of the like. I'm told that eyes open at around 10-12 days, just before the two week mark, but he's definitely in his second week of life which makes the toll of this easier on me. (Thank the universe, because I don't think I could do a more difficult schedule.)

I've been flicking the new vet tapered syringe to get rid of bubbles and it works quite well. My biggest concern is that he may have inhaled milk earlier and I'm being super careful which can be difficult with a fussy baby. He's wanting to eat a lot more than I anticipated, VERY big appetite. He wants to eat everything and starts making suckling noises and looking for a nipple if I don't provide what he considers to be enough, or haven't hurried it up enough.

I stimulate his belly and genital/anal area before and after every meal, and sometimes during the down times between meals if it seems like he has to go. He pees on his own about half the time. I'll catch him peeing little droplets, but then later on with some stimulation more comes out. I'm taking this as a good sign.

I've heard that people use simethicone-based gas relieving baby medicines to relieve gas buildup in the belly of older rats. Would a droplet of this or so be all right with a rat baby? A former vet tech friend of mine said it should be okay, but I was just worried.

Now I'm kind of freaked that he may start sneezing or making clicky breathing noises, though, because of the milk accident. I've been so careful. I'm approaching his third 5-AM with me (I found him at around 5AM the first "night"), which will make it two full days in my care. All's good so far. Fingers crossed, right?


EDIT: ALSO, I looked for an eyedropper at the store earlier today (during the cryfest I mentioned in the original post) but everything was included with a solution of some sort - no plain-old eyedroppers to be found.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Don't worry those noises you are discribing would come from infection not milk inhalation ... he sounds like he is doing well and you are doing everything right  I don't know about the gas drops but I would be hesitant to give him anything at his age


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Here's hoping he won't get an infection from the milk, then. I'm glad to hear that I've been doing well... I'm also hesitant to give a baby anything but I'm going to purchase some Little Tummy's Gas Relief Drops to have on-hand just in case. I don't want the gas build up to become so uncomfortable for him that he's miserable. So I'll try to avoid using it but I think that it may be an important "serious action" tool to have around. 

The bubble itself seems to have gotten a bit smaller, but it's a little hard to tell. He may be passing it slowly. I'm going to keep an ear out for any breathing issues and an eye on the bubble to make sure it doesn't get so big that he's uncomfortable all the time.

I've been feeding him less than he seems to want to be fed. I don't know the exact amount of what a baby his age should be eating, but the yogurt-kittenmilk-water mixture that he's getting is THE BEST THING EVER in his opinion. He goes crazy and starts wiggling trying to get more of it even when he has a decently sized milk band (which I can only sort of see, at this point). I don't want him to get too full (of food, or air) and I know it's important to not overfeed and cause bloating or anything else. I'd rather underfeed and have to feed more in closer increments than do too much at once...

My entire social group and family think I'm insane for taking him in, but when his own parents or even a nature group won't make an attempt? The whole situation just made me want to do my best because I know that I'm the only thing he has backing him right now.


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## aripatsim (Jul 26, 2012)

I'm sorry, but I don't have any advice. However, I just want to say how great of a person you are for taking this little guy in. He definitely needs you


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I feel a little like my whole situation is a "be careful what you wish for". I'd been telling my friends for about a week that I missed having a pet rat, that I missed having baby mice, so on and so forth. And then, bam, I walk out into my garage and find a baby whose parents no longer want it. The universe is very funny sometimes...


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Update on the pup:

He's vibrating and fussing a lot, I can't tell if he's cold or overwhelmed with energy that he doesn't know how to handle. It's a brisk, quick shake and then he goes back to wandering. Anyone have experience with pups and can you tell me if this is normal? He's begun to crawl around a lot more than he was doing before and actually actively needs an eye keeping on him, just about, because he's starting to wander into tiny spaces if at all possible.

Opinions, anyone?


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

I would think baby rats naturally know when to stop eating but I am not sure ... I know with most animals its important to feed them as much as they will take ... but you can pm lilspaz  she is great and has tons of experience

I have seen that shaking with puppies ... with them its because they are trying to move a way they just aren't ready to so they shake its like their muscles aren't developed enough to do what their brain is wanting


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Awesome. I've begun to feed him as much as he'll take because I noticed that after he was exceptionally gassy last night he was stretching and positioning himself in a way to alleviate the gas. Since I'm using a hot water bottle for his heater (under two towels to "dim" it so that it doesn't overheat him), he was positioning himself toward the end, on a curve, so that his rear was in the air. This morning when I went to feed him, most of the gas was gone so it seems he's learned how to pass it on his own. More good news!

I'm pretty excited about it, haha... It was his second full night, third 5AM with me. (I discovered him around 5AM the first night, and he's been with me for 2 5AMs since then.) He's starting to explore and I even noticed that he seems to have teeth already (?!).. They're tiny, I didn't see them til I caught him sleeping with his face against the tank side (he's in a carrier tank temporarily seeing as I had nowhere to put him) about half an hour ago. His eyes look like they want to open and aside from the vibrating thing he seems healthy and happy.

For a wild rat, he's bonding to me very quickly and is easily distressed when I don't visit him with my hand in the carrier for too long a time. He likes to curl up on my fingers, perhaps because they're about the same width as he is right now. Maybe they remind him of his litter mates.

I checked his nose for any reddish tint and it's completely soft pink, no tint or residue or staining. I can't figure out why his mother rejected him, though truth be told he may have wandered from the nest and gotten himself lost. Not sure...

Anyway, I want to thank you for the help with all of my health concerns about him. I just want to do it right, you know?


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## SezSorkin (Jun 11, 2012)

Ahh i've just read this and you sound like a great person! how lovely of you to care for him so much


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Ah thank you.  Honestly, though, I couldn't picture someone who would be heartless enough to leave him to die or put him to death. I wouldn't want to know how those people manage it. Maybe my heart is just too big to let nature take its course but I of course feel like diminishing their food supply (which is actually _my _food supply, though these rats have no way of understanding human territorial claims) is something that could have contributed to his abandonment, which makes him my charge because it would be my fault that he couldn't simply thrive with his parents.

While I'm not crazy about the idea of raising a wild rat (the implications of retained wild behaviors are scary, I've only ever owned one rat previous), there are no alternatives. If I'm to believe that he'll bond only with me and no one else, I can't think that there would be anyone willing to take a wild rat off my hands later on. For better or worse, I'm a daddy until the ending (however it happens). I know I'll give him the best possible chance I can and that I'll do my best so acknowledge the differences between him and a domestic rat. I'm hoping that his wild tendencies will be minimized but it seems foolish to totally believe that.

So it comes down to... He's a defenseless baby and apparently I have a mothering (fathering?) instinct.  I'd like to think that most people would make an effort.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

Believe it or not ... hamsters at least are born with teeth  I fully understand wanting to get it right  You probably don't want to think about this but to keep this bond ( which you are lucky you got him at this age) he may need neutered someday ... wild rat puberty is very harsh ... heck any rat puberty we thought my Apollo could never have friends


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

If it comes to him needing to be neutered, which would probably be the case given his wild genes, I'm going to need to set aside funds for the surgery. My money is so tight that I don't want to have to think about it right now... How much did neutering Apollo cost you? 

Normally I wouldn't seek to neuter a male rat, but those are in domesticated circumstances. I'm not sure I can handle a wild rat in full hormonal bliss.


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## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

This isn't exactly related to the topic but I just wanted to show you  This is my accidental litter of hamsters when they were a day old ... You can see some teeth 


My vet is very cheap it was only $50


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

I see that you are stimulating him but are you stimulating his bum/tummy with a cotton ball dipped in warm water? This is necessary to help initiate fecal passing as is simulates mom licking these areas. If you aren't you need to start doing so IMMEDIATELY. The gas build up may be from the syringe feeding but is more likely due to fermentation of the milk in the bowels. This is extremely painful and can be lethal. You can do it as often as you like but you need to start doing so ASAP. Also, for little ones feeding every 2 hrs is pretty standard.


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I have been feeding him every 3-4 hrs, and stimulating his belly and genitals/anus. He goes to the bathroom, I promise!


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## IOVERATS (Aug 25, 2012)

You sound like your doing the best you possibly can, if he makes it to adulthood then I think neutering would be the best thing to do because my cousin used to have this kind of rat rescue thing and a woman rang her up saying that she had found a rat in her garden and a buzzard was trying to get at it, so the woman put it in a jam jar and my cousin went round and took it (even though she wasn't too keen because she thought that it might be unsafe) but when it got to adult hood she was been severely bitten, drawing blood and once even biting her bone! So she got him neutered, this controlled it all down and he became the lovely black fuzzy he is, he died earlier this year, he was wonderful and even though he was a wild ratty he made it! My cousin kept him in a carrier, and she was tight on money as well, she decided that she would have to get him a cage so she went on loads of websites and found a free cage and he lived happily in that. But his chances of survival looked slim when she got him because he had been pecked and his belly had a growth on it, but luckily her local vet owns 12 rats so she helped her.

Your doing great! Rats are little fighters and even if he doesn't make it to a really old age, at least he should live to a good age, good luck with him and I'm glad to hear that the gas from his belly is gone/going. And I'm really surprised at that rehabilitation centre place, they should have at least supported you! And as for telling you that they would feed him to their owls must have been horrible! But you've changed the life of a little possibly unwanted ratty. It would be nice if you could get him a cage, but I do understand that you don't have any money but look around on the Internet, my cousin found a free cage for her little wild ratty  good luck, and I'm sure the carrier will be fine as long as your giving him food and water and your handling him everyday, then it will do until he gets too big. Good luck  


A wise t-shirt once said 'my rats think your gross too!' directed at all you rat haters out there!


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

IOVERATS said:


> Your doing great! Rats are little fighters and even if he doesn't make it to a really old age, at least he should live to a good age, good luck with him and I'm glad to hear that the gas from his belly is gone/going. And I'm really surprised at that rehabilitation centre place, they should have at least supported you! And as for telling you that they would feed him to their owls must have been horrible! But you've changed the life of a little possibly unwanted ratty. It would be nice if you could get him a cage, but I do understand that you don't have any money but look around on the Internet, my cousin found a free cage for her little wild ratty  good luck, and I'm sure the carrier will be fine as long as your giving him food and water and your handling him everyday, then it will do until he gets too big. Good luck  !




Thank you very much. It's good to hear that. I'm handling him every 2-4 hours, depending on a few different factors (when he last ate, when he'll next eat, if he seems gassy, if he's just squeaked for my attention, if I'm checking on him). 

I'm definitely not prepared for what a hand reared wild rat means, but I respect wild animals and know enough about them to give it the college try. I've found that since no one else was willing to take him, I was unable to back away and that won't be changed once he's big enough to be bitey. If I can find a vet to do the neutering procedure for around $50, then I'll be more than happy to get him neutered when the time comes. Maybe if I had more experience or felt more confidently about being able to give him a good home once he reaches a later life stage, I wouldn't feel the need to neuter him - but reality checks tell me to listen to all of those who've come before me when it comes to raising wild babies. 

I don't want him unhappy and I certainly don't want myself at risk.

I've heard mixed results about wild and domestic rats living together so I'm hesitant to think that I would want to introduce any rat to him. If he grows up to be exactly like he is right now, I will be the proud father of an unapologetic and frisky wild animal. He loves me (or maybe just the formula) and constantly mouths at my fingers when they're available, climbs all over my hand, snugs against my chest and arms... But he is full of a crazed kind of energy that I think will only get worse as he gets older. It's an energy that needs to be respected. 

Every time I feed him, he turns into a squirming, frenzied ball. He bites at the syringe and has a scarily strong grip with those teeth _already_. I'm not afraid of him, but I do doubt my ability to contain such a force when it's more matured. I don't like the idea of either one of us ending up unhappy with the arrangement so I've begun to seek information about other hand-reared wild babies and what they were like for their owners, and what being a wild rat parent entails.

Other than the wild factor, he is exceptionally sweet (if demanding) and I don't regret the lost sleep or the time put in even if I'm unsure about all of it being the best thing for myself. Just can't give up, you know?

*Back to the subject of gas - *

I've found that each time he eats, he ends up with a bubble no matter what feeding method I use. Thankfully I managed to get my hands on Little Tummys Gas Relief Drops, so if the gas becomes too uncomfortable for him or he is somehow unable to evacuate it himself (he's figured out how to wriggle and stretch to relieve it after I massage him) I will be able to have that on-hand. 

I prefer to use my finger tip warmed with water to prompt his belly and nether regions to relieve themselves, and when finished with that I massage his sides and stroke his back to settle him. He likes to give a very long stretch to try and relieve gas pressure, and our combined methods appear to be working.  Crisis averted. I've begun to think that gal5051 is correct and that the site I found was talking about milk fermentation bubbles.

Or maybe air pockets are simply more dangerous to younger rats than him, because if he were younger I doubt he would have been able to stretch in the way that gas demands. Either way, his health is looking very good. 

My one concern: He seems to sniff and sneeze a lot when he gets hungry, but his nose - despite all the tiny accidental milk inhalations (which I always clean up as soon as possible) - is still light pink and totally clean looking. It may be that he starts huffing in breath trying to hunt down where the food is and is overwhelmed by scents. At least, I'm hoping that's it. 

Otherwise he is extremely squirmy and watching him eat is kind of like watching a berserker fight in an MMO video game. It's an all out FRENZY! I'm actually glad I didn't find two of them. Sites for feeding guides of pups have said that it should take about 10-20 minutes to feed them, but the whole process takes me about an hour and a half from preparation, cleaning/massaging him (before and after), to the actual feeding (which is where all the time is really spent since I have to wrestle him - gently - into a hold he'll stay in long enough to feed without jamming the syringe down his throat too far). Maybe part of the success so far is that I take my time with him instead of forcing him to stick to a schedule that would be better for me, but whatever it is, feeding usually turns into an hour and a half long affair.

That I repeat every 3-4 hours. Even through nights. I haven't slept very well in days, LOL.

Also I couldn't believe it when the man at the center told me that he'd become food for the other animals... I mean, I know they're rats and that people don't see a need to rehabilitate animals that are in abundance, but come on! That's just awful to tell someone who has hopes riding on his survival. He did follow it up by saying, "Which I'm guessing isn't something you'd want" ...but it still was really awful. Sigh, people.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

How's the little guy doing?! I want him he's just so darn cute!!!


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I'm telling you guys, this pup is a *warrior* - not only does he eat and wiggle around, he's impossible to feed without a wrestling match. If his behavior now is an indication of his overall temperament as an adult, then there is *NO WAY *that I'll be able to handle him intact. He'll definitely have to be neutered. I have a video up on youtube right now of what he's like during feeding times. 








Keep in mind, I don't really feed him like this (in terms of how I was holding the syringe), I just wanted to capture on video what it's like when he can smell the formula I use. Imagine trying to hold him as he squirms around and goes crazy like that, no wonder it keeps taking me an hour just to get it into him.

*EDIT: *Also, the amount of formula in the syringe was _not _all going into him in one sitting, don't worry. I mix up a bunch at once and then end up having to throw out what he doesn't use (guides tell me to - is it _really _that bad to use formula that you just made 4 hours ago?) because if I mix any less I can't get the air out and still have anything in the syringe. It seems like no matter how little I start with, mixing it in the bowl, it always ends up to be a lot more food than I should waste.


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## gal5150 (Aug 14, 2012)

Ok, now that is about the cutest little dude ever....love how the huge head dictates the direction of everything else. You're doing everything right, hope he makes it and hope he becomes an absolute lover!


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## Rachellynn (Mar 19, 2012)

I really wish you the best of luck. He is very lucky to have you!


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

gal5150 said:


> Ok, now that is about the cutest little dude ever....love how the huge head dictates the direction of everything else. You're doing everything right, hope he makes it and hope he becomes an absolute lover!


Many thanks. This is the first rat pup I've ever reared but not my first attempt at rearing wildlife (I made an unsuccessful venture with a rabbit kit a few years ago that prepared me for the absolute dedication you need to be able to see a baby through). He's only the second rat I've ever had. I scoured the internet for various guides about diet and hand rearing and how to keep them warm, so on and so forth. 

I'm eager to see his eyes open because if people think he's precious now he'll certainly be melting everyone to mush when he's blinking cutely at them.





Rachellynn said:


> I really wish you the best of luck. He is very lucky to have you!


I'm definitely going to need luck! I feel like I'm raising the rat version of Tarzan. Thank you very much.


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## SezSorkin (Jun 11, 2012)

now thats is soooo cute! he's so adorable!


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Okay, guys.. I've run into a serious problem. Every time I try and feed him, he squirms so much that he invariably inhales milk through his nose. He's started to sneeze a bunch and while his nose seems okay and there's no wheezing or clicky noise (other than when there's something in his nose at that moment), I've got really frayed nerves from lack of sleep...


He's squirmy and he does everything nose-first. I'm very concerned that he's going to get himself an infection in the lungs. I don't know how to effectively feed him and prevent this from happening because he will not sit still. I've tried the towel measure, I've tried different methods of delivery but everything gets into his nose. Help. I really don't want to lose him now, it's been over 72 hours and I've been giving it my all. His eyes are blinking and moving underneath the sealed lids and I know that them opening is about a full day away if not less.

Help..


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## achackysac (Sep 11, 2012)

First of all I'd like to open saying that I've been following your posts for a while (I haven't responded because I have only had one pair of rats, and don't think I can help you a lot).

You little baby is adorable, and I applaud you in the endeavor you have taken on by rearing him. I am hoping for the best for you and your baby.

I'm sure you have already found this article, but here is a specific section I found regarding baby wild rats inhaling formula:

"Unlike some other animals, such as baby squirrels, the risk of a baby rat aspirating (inhaling) formula is very very low, which makes them pretty easy to raise. However, it is very common for baby rats to suck the formula up their nose. If this happens you will know because it will actually come out the nostrils. Keep an eye on the nose and stop feeding if you see a whisp of white at the nostrils. Use a tissue to wipe as much formula from the nose as possible. The baby will try to sneeze it out. It will take the baby a little bit of time to clear the formula from the nasal cavities, so be patient and continue to wipe off any formula that appears in the nostrils. After a few minutes the baby should be ready to nurse again."

It sounds as though it isn't terribly uncommon for them to inhale formula, and if they do, they just have it come back out or sneeze it out. I hope this reassures you. You may want to just try to pull the syringe away if he comes at it nose first 

Best of luck to you! He's a cutie!

Full article here: http://ratfanclub.org/orphans.html


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Thank you. I truly hope it doesn't develop into something serious. My last hand-reared baby (admittedly not a rat but a wild rabbit discovered orphaned) inhaled milk in the same manner and died of a stealth infection before I could raise a single hand to stop it. 

It surprises me that people have been following my updates, though. I must seem like one completely crazy guy to have taken on an infant and to be taking him so seriously when I know what the odds are for hand rearing.

On the up side to all of this, he's started to show more signs of the autonomous grooming behavior that rats will do. He came to me with a mild desire to scratch his nose, but now he licks his paws and wipes from his ears all the way down his face. I've even seen him balance (wobbly) on his hind feet and wipe his face like this. His eyes will be opening any time now, I can see him blinking and moving them beneath the lid.

It's exciting though worrying at the same time. He's more baby than I can really handle, but his will to live and his ability to take on things that should be handicaps are really remarkable. I'm wondering if all wild rat babies aren't just little ninja warriors, or if I got the luck of the draw.

I'll post pictures when his eyes open, but last night I was going through the photos I took when I first found him and along the hours of feeding him and showing him to my friends. You all may be interested in the before/after going on, here:


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## achackysac (Sep 11, 2012)

He's so adorable! I really hope that he doesn't become too much of a handful in the future because he is wild. What is your location? I highly doubt it's near me, but if there is any way I can help, I'd like to.

Are you going to name him?


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I'm located in the northeast, unfortunately definitely nowhere near Mississippi. I live about 45 minutes from Providence, RI - so it would take a very long commute to get to you, haha. My ex girlfriend who also knows rats expressed jealousy that a baby had just fallen from the sky for me when she's been wanting one. I know that she'd be willing to help if she weren't also in the south (she's in Florida, though - which is sort of the north of the south). 

Other than my various hypochondriac concerns for his health, the only thing really irritating is the squirming. It takes an hour and a half and recently makes it closer to two hours per feeding time because he squirms and I'm loathe to feed him when I'm worried about the angle and him sniffing it up.

I've been doing some research on hand-reared wild babies and what they were like as adults. There's a Hungarian couple who raised a wild Brown Rat baby from a little bit older than my baby is now (with her eyes just open when they came across her), all the way to adulthood. Her name was Szerafina and they recorded a lot of video of raising her, her behavior, and when they mated her to two domestic Agouti males. Her half-wild babies were all agouti as well, just like her and the father.

Aside from a more assertive personality, she _seems _relatively normal. Maybe it's that I'm not used to what a domestic rat's personality is like. I've only ever had the one rat previous to the baby. Other than things like having an escalated prey drive (I'm not sure how I'll handle this, as I have other small animals - notably a mouse, which could be problematic... Note to self: Secure The Dude's cage before allowing rat to roam) and a mind of their own, it may not be so much of an inconvenience... But Szerafina is just one out of many rats in the world who were hand raised, and the amount of socialization she received may have made the difference. Or maybe her age at the time is what made the difference.

If it was the amount she was handled and her age, then the baby and I are off to a good start as I handle him regularly and take my time to feed him, so on and so forth - and he barely had fur when he came to me. If it's just luck of the draw and Szerafina was one rat more receptive to captivity (as we know that some of the wild rats _are _more tameable than others - that's how we got domesticated rats in the first place, selecting for tameness in the wild brown rats we had in captivity) than most, then I don't know, but I'm willing to find out and keep you all updated on what happens if he survives infancy.

On the topic of a name, I've decided to keep mum on all naming ideas I've had until after his eyes open. That two-week mark is just around the corner and his chances of survival shoot up drastically from that point. If we can make it that far, then I'll share the names I've considered (one in particular) but for right now, he remains nameless because I don't want to curse him. Sort of like how the Chinese don't announce the baby pandas' names until they are certain the baby will survive. 

If that makes any sense.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

Do you have him on any sort of heating pad? He needs warmth :/


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

Also.....can I steal him?!


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Nope, he's my little holy(unholy?) terror!

I'm using a hot water bottle to keep him warm and I refill it whenever it gets too cool. I lay towels over it so that he isn't exposed to the direct heat. I don't own a heating pad, unfortunately, but the hot water bottle method seems to be working just fine for him. He may be the only wild rat in the entire north east who has a heated water bed. ;D

If you're referring to the pictures, I take him out of his carrier and put him in a little cardboard box (to keep him from wandering) under a very bright - and very warm - light. This is so I can see how I'm doing in feeding him and so I have a bit more room to work with his wigglyness. His carrier isn't an ideal place to feed, it would be messy and I like knowing what I'm doing/being able to watch the process and monitor everything.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

I have 3 heating pads where are you located? If you don't me asking


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I'm located on the far east edge of Connecticut. I could probably look into borrowing a heating pad from someone nearby, but he hasn't given any complaints with the water bottle. Changing the water in the hot water bottle has just become part of the whole feeding routine that takes about 2 hours. I take him out, feed him, and then before putting him back in his tank (after all the bathing and everything else), I refill it with water so he can digest and everything. He curls up in the towels that I drape over the water bottle, and falls asleep. 

I WILL admit that now that he's becoming an explorer (lol) he should have a heating source that he can't climb like a mountain or crawl under. So I'll look into borrowing a relative's heating pad or purchasing one if I can find a cheap enough one.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

If you can get a zoomed one it would work perfect! You just stick it under the bottom of the tank without having too much bulk of a reg heating pad  its called save your reptile by zoomeds


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

So it's about that time when I start asking for advice again (are you people getting sick of me, yet?). The longer that fuzzface lives, the more it becomes clear that I may be in the possession of a wild rat as a pet for the next few years (if all goes well). Knowing that rats are social creatures makes me uneasy with the idea of keeping him alone. Unfortunately, I also don't know how I'm going to be able to afford _him_, and the chances of me being able to afford vet visits for more than one rat (let alone if the baby gets sick) are slim to none. 

If I'd been someone who'd gone out seeking to get rats knowing that I can't afford them, I would be angry at myself like I'm sure most of you would be angry... But since the baby rat was thrown into my life and I've had no choices but to take him in or let him starve, I'm trying to do the best I can for him. Which means that I need to figure out if it would be better or worse to find him a cagemate. Maybe you folks can help me. Here's a list of the pros/cons I can think of:



*CAGEMATE*


*Pros*​

Social interaction for when they're unable to be out of the cage
Better health on the whole due to lower stress levels
Socialization for him as a baby to curb some of the potentially erratic behavior
Cute photo opportunities
Overall happiness
Who doesn't love having more than one rat?


*Cons*​

Likely unable to afford vet bills already
Unsure if I'll be able to afford the extra food
Potentially violent turn of events if the wild pup has issues with his cagemate
Would need to be male cagemate - therefore territorial spats could become dangerous*
Likely only able to find a cagemate from a petstore == $$$ big vet bills & heartbreak
Cross-contamination if either gets sick
Have very small window in which to find a suitably-aged cagemate for low cost




*NO CAGEMATE*

*Pros*​

Less concern about the costs to keep and keep healthy
No animal around for him to injure
No extra vet bills to worry about
Will be less worried if unable to find an adequately sized cage quickly enough


*Cons*​

Loneliness
Liable to get into more mischief if there's no one to distract him
Potential stress induced illness
Potential to be less receptive to social interaction in the future**
​

* - I would be concerned about introducing a female due to accidental litters & being unable to afford spaying her at this time. It would need to be a rescue female who came already spayed, but she wouldn't be likely to fit the criteria of needing to be as healthy as possible so I wouldn't have to worry about vet bills, or the similar-in-age criteria.
** - The window for social interaction with other rats is rapidly shutting. By the time he's a few months old, I've read, he'll probably have come to the conclusion that they are all enemies and bloodshed may be had. So if I don't get him a cagemate within the 4-6wk old range, there may be trouble in paradise.

These are my concerns. I've heard mixed results about wild type rats and domestic rats cohabiting. I don't dare to think that I could handle two wild type rats and I'm certainly not about to go looking for them, but with other people saying that their WTR went after their domestic and took it by the trachea... And video evidence of WTR and domestics either getting along or simply co-existing with some animosity/aggression... Well, I'm a little confused. 

Granted, it's all quite early to be worrying about this since his eyes aren't open and he doesn't have a proper cage yet (see below explanation), but I believe that with a WTR on my hands I need to know what my game plan will be. If I'm going to try to find a breeder rat for him of a specific age and at an affordable cost (at this point I'd probably consider taking a free-to-a-good-home or cheapish pup from an accidental litter, if anyone knows of anyone who has them), I need to start my search early so that I don't miss the window of opportunity. 

(I'm currently working on contacting my uncle, who _may_ still possess his ferret cage - a Super Pet Ferret Kingdom - or his older cage which is much less tall and probably cramped for you folks' taste but would be more acceptable than, say, an eight gallon tank which is all I have on-hand at the moment. -- Fingers crossed that he still has either of the cages.)

There's nothing wrong with feeder or pet store rats, in the sense that I have nothing against the rats themselves (don't get me started on pet store people and their policies and advice, though), but I would want to give everyone the best possible chance at a healthy life... And let's be honest, pet store babies get sick. All rats do, but pet store and especially feeders are like me buying a time bomb. With the current no-job status and barely any money in the bank, I'd feel bad buying a cheap rat at a store knowing I couldn't properly handle the vet costs.




SO, anyone want to weigh in with advice? I'm expecting most people to tell me I should try and find him a cagemate before the socialization issue runs out... But I want to make it known that WTR may be dangerous to domestic rats _even if_ socialized. I have to consider the safety of any other pet I may own, especially if I know I won't be able to foot a vet bill. 

I still feel, in my gut, that he should not be alone. Introducing him to and keeping him with another rat may be good for the both of them or, depending on how he grows up to be, may result in bloodshed, tears, animals being put to sleep, the whole nine yards. It's a very tough call for me to make and I'd like to hear other people's opinions on it.


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

I'll look into it.  I have some ZooMed stuff for my turtle, but no heating pad. Aquatic turtle.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

I work at a Local pet store we have them there. I bought one because when my one girl was very sick (R.I.P) I had too keep her body warm it worked well.


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Right now, my biggest concern is probably trying to figure out whether or not I'll be looking for a cagemate for him. Since money is so tight and all, I'm having to weigh the pros and cons pretty heavily. 

On the one hand, I didn't think I'd be able to afford any healthcare for Lily (my territorial prima donna rabbit) and when she stopped eating because of an oral infection that snuck up on me I managed to hunt down a vet nearby that sees rabbits and get her seen and handled. The bill was a whopping $167 or so...

On the other hand, I'm not sure I could make that happen again. It's all a tough call.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

You can always call around I make payment plans with my vet


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

There's only one vet in the area (aside from an emergency clinic) who treats small animals, and that's the one I brought Lily to. I'm not sure if he'll even see a rat, which means that the only place possible may actually be the emergency clinic. It's an hour drive away (doesn't sound like a lot, but that's on the highway and eats gas like crazy) and open 24-7, but it's also extremely expensive. 

Two years ago I had to take my Golden Retriever there one night when I thought she was suffering bloat. Sitting in the hospital at 4:30 AM was bad enough, but then the vet bill due to all the tests they ran on her was over $1,000. I paid it with my family's help, because she was a dog I'd gotten when I was just 11, and that was all right... It really broke our family, economically, though - and I can't afford to pay another vet bill like Lily's $160. I have the money, but I also have to think of payments for school and other finances. I don't think the vet that I brought Lily to has any kind of payment plan, and since he's the only vet within an hour radius that will take small animals I don't really get to be picky about it. Due to money limitations, I can't afford to go any further away than that.

So my issue is do I keep him alone and make him unhappy, or do I get an animal I may not be able to afford medical care for? Keeping in mind that: 1) I already probably can't afford any of my pets having an emergency at this time due to depletion in funds, which includes my baby rat, and 2) Being a male WTR, I'm not sure how he'll respond to having company - so it could end in a violent fight if not done right.

I did the phone tag thing with the vets when trying to find one for Lily. It took an hour and a half on the phone playing ping pong with all local vet clinics (*1st Clinic:* "I'm sorry, we don't take them, but 2nd Clinic might." "Okay I'll give that a shot." *2nd Clinic:* "I'm sorry, we don't take them, but 3rd Clinic may be able to." "Okay..." *3rd Clinic:* "No, I'm sorry. Have you tried 1st Clinic?") and another half hour to sort out when I'd be able to take her down to see him. 

I live kind of in the middle of nowhere and so it's not like being in the city with a range of vets to choose from, unfortunately.


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## RatzRUs (Feb 5, 2012)

You will have too look at it like this too. Wild rats have a diffrent personalitys from a domesticated one. Their will be times he's loving and then other times he will snap at you for no reason :/ even though he's hand raised he will still have that mentality


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## unlikelyfather (Sep 11, 2012)

Which brings the question to mind of, could I even bring him to a vet if his personality may be so abrasive?

There are mixed accounts of WTRs and domestics sharing living space and most seem okay, but I would need to introduce him to a cagemate quickly to prevent myself from missing that window for socialization with him. Otherwise he'll definitely be too aggressive toward any new rats. With all of that in mind, I've been weighing it heavily. Every time one of my pets has needed medical care, since I've come of age, I've done anything I could to get them treatment. It would be an uphill battle to get my hands on the money but I _may _be able to.

So really, the question is... which setup would be better for the health of all the animals? It's a pretty tough call.


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