# OMG!!!! How in the heck did this happen! Babies!



## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Ok so I woke up to 5 little rat babies this morning. Flash had them! I have no clue how she possibly got with a boy.I have made double and triple sure they couldn't get together. I even put my boys on the bottom level just in case it is possible for rats to mate through bars,which I highly doubt it is. Anyway when I got to the cage she had them on a shelf with no bedding under them just around them,one was dead and another one on it's way,two were fed well but cold (they were all cold) and one was not fed at all. The dying one died about 15 mins ago so now two are dead out of a litter of 5. the one that just died was really weird it looked like it had dry skin and it was peeling off and every time I checked on it,it was more and more bloated. when I found it dead it was so bloated that it felt like it would pop. Could it have been Mega-colon maybe? Flash doesn't have a blaze and neither do any of the babies. The one that was not fed still doesn't have a milk band and I'm pretty sure its gonna dye too. its not getting bloated like the last one but it does have that weird skin peeling thing,it is also a runt all the others are much bigger. So I'm thinking she might have two survive because she keeps them warm and fed well. She is a really bad mom,she steps all over them and makes them scream she doesn't cover them to keep them warm very well and she stays away from them a lot.if I come in to the room and she sees me she try to get out of the cage and not pay them any attention,except trampling them. I am gonna have to examine the cage very well and see if there is any way the boys can get to the girls or vise versa. 

This is what she does they are on one side she is on the other but she does lay on them sometimes,the only reason they are not on the glass floor of the tank is because I put them on the bedding a couple minuets earlier when I found the other dead one. 







Maybe the runt does have a milk band, or maybe its a pancreas idk







The two well fed ones 

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the runts belly no milk band







the runts skin peeling


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yeah, they look pretty dehydrated. I wonder what that's about?

You might need to create a very warm environment for them and even get some supplies in case you need to bottle feed, as it sounds like Flash is not a very enthusiastic mother at all. It may even be worth it to check to see if anyone in your area has a nursing female who might foster them. 

What kind of cage do you have, and are the boys and girls ever out at the same time? Rats really can't mate through bars--the mechanics of it don't work out. So it means either Flash got into the boys' cage or one of the boys got into the girls' cage about three weeks ago. Did anything unusual happen three weeks ago?

Man you are not having luck with these accidental litters.


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## PandaBruja (Feb 10, 2013)

Oh no, poor babies. Definitely try to fatten mama up asap! How does one baby already have color if they were just born?
Ive actually heard of rats mating through bars...
But let me tell you... I used to have a ferret nation (with extra fencing around the perimeter) and two of my girls ended up pregnant just weeks apart. I had the males on bottom and females on top. I suspected the first pregnancy, she was a little young and ended up having 11, but I didnt know about the second until my mom said she heard peeping coming from the cage. By the time I actually saw, there was only one baby.
To this day, I have no idea how it happened! But I have not kept the same sex in the same cage, even separate, since. They are sneaky little things!!!

Best of luck to you, Flash, and the remaining babes.


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## PandaBruja (Feb 10, 2013)

I just re-looked at your rat pictures and it looks like you do let both sexes out at the same time. Thats probably how it happened, even if you didnt see anything. Rats really are sneaky especially when they are determined. If you dont want a bunch of babies its wise to let them out at separate times.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Yes! She is getting cat food with her Oxbow now. Rat babies can be born with some pigment to their skin. 
I have a cage like a ferret nation except it has 7/8 inch spacing. I was worried about that (even though everyone says rats can't mate between bars) so I don't let them climb on each others cages. I always believe life will find a way, and it does! 
I did notice that all of my girls were very intent on getting to the boys cage a couple of weeks ago when they were in heat. I didn't let them but they sure wanted to. And Cin is having a lot of issues humping Mighty. I feel so bad for the poor thing because Cin is constantly chasing Mighty around and then humping him.
I did let Mighty out with the girls when I very first got him. He was very young and not yet sexually mature,He was actually housed with Tipsy for a while they were best buds and she couldn't get the lice that he had so he was able to have a buddy while he got treatment for the lice. Tipsy was either very young or a runt because she was so tiny when I got her. She still is small,about half the size of a regular rat. 
Thanks for the luck I think we will need it.


PandaBruja said:


> Oh no, poor babies. Definitely try to fatten mama up asap! How does one baby already have color if they were just born?
> Ive actually heard of rats mating through bars...
> But let me tell you... I used to have a ferret nation (with extra fencing around the perimeter) and two of my girls ended up pregnant just weeks apart. I had the males on bottom and females on top. I suspected the first pregnancy, she was a little young and ended up having 11, but I didnt know about the second until my mom said she heard peeping coming from the cage. By the time I actually saw, there was only one baby.
> To this day, I have no idea how it happened! But I have not kept the same sex in the same cage, even separate, since. They are sneaky little things!!!
> ...


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

When was this that you let the young boy run around with the girls? Rats mature sexually at a VERY young age and I doubt that you could have obtained a rat young enough to not possibly produce viable sperm. This is why we never, ever let boys and girls run around together after their mother has weaned them.

It's unfortunate, but chalk this one up to a learning experience for everyone.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

They were in a very warm environment and I did help two of the babies with nursing. the one that died and the runt without a milk band. The one that died drank a lot but I couldn't get the runt to take any milk. He won't even attempt to nurse off of Flash. She is now laying on them and feeding them well. She still steps on them a lot though. Every time I check on them the runt is out away from the others and not under Flash. The only places that have rats around here are feeder places,they would probably take them and sale them as food. People are always trying to get pinkies and fuzzies around here.
I have a Fiesty Ferret Home. It's like a Ferret Nation but with a few differences. The bars are 7/8 in spacing. They don't get out together nor do I let them crawl on each others cage. I don't think they could have gotten into each others cage due to the fact that you have to slide the latch then lift it up and I never have seen the latch undone except for when I have undone it. The only possible thing I could think of is somebody put them with each other. Which I will do some interrogating about tomorrow when they are here. The girls really did want to get to the boys a couple of weeks ago when they were in heat, and Cin is having some very bad humping issues with Mighty. Those are the only unusual things that have happened. 
I really am not having any luck am I. At least the mice babies are healthy and the mom is a good mom. 


Rumy91989 said:


> Yeah, they look pretty dehydrated. I wonder what that's about?
> 
> You might need to create a very warm environment for them and even get some supplies in case you need to bottle feed, as it sounds like Flash is not a very enthusiastic mother at all. It may even be worth it to check to see if anyone in your area has a nursing female who might foster them.
> 
> ...


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## PandaBruja (Feb 10, 2013)

Yeah honestly he looked plenty big enough in the pic to be sexually mature. They generally reach maturity around 5-6 weeks. Do you know exactly how old he was? When did you get him and do you know how old he was then? I dont know exactly how old my rats are that I adopted pregnant but they are 
very small, im guessing 6-9 weeks old when I got them, and the girl with the surviving litter gave birth just one week after I got her. That means she was quite young when it happened.
Also, rats go into heat at least once a week, not once every few weeks. 

Im glad mama rat is taking better care of the babies now.


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## Flora (Aug 30, 2012)

I have heard of rats mating through the cage bars. So sorry this happened. I would clean the cage and removed that bedding and add torn up paper towel or fleece. That might help with keeping them warm. Keep checking on them regularly. Give mom some egg, tuna fish or sardines.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

poodlecrazy1 said:


> They were in a very warm environment and I did help two of the babies with nursing. the one that died and the runt without a milk band. The one that died drank a lot but I couldn't get the runt to take any milk. He won't even attempt to nurse off of Flash. She is now laying on them and feeding them well. She still steps on them a lot though. Every time I check on them the runt is out away from the others and not under Flash. The only places that have rats around here are feeder places,they would probably take them and sale them as food. People are always trying to get pinkies and fuzzies around here.
> I have a Fiesty Ferret Home. It's like a Ferret Nation but with a few differences. The bars are 7/8 in spacing. They don't get out together nor do I let them crawl on each others cage. I don't think they could have gotten into each others cage due to the fact that you have to slide the latch then lift it up and I never have seen the latch undone except for when I have undone it. The only possible thing I could think of is somebody put them with each other. Which I will do some interrogating about tomorrow when they are here. The girls really did want to get to the boys a couple of weeks ago when they were in heat, and Cin is having some very bad humping issues with Mighty. Those are the only unusual things that have happened.
> I really am not having any luck am I. At least the mice babies are healthy and the mom is a good mom.


Yeah, definitely ask around. It's possible Flash is not the only one that got pregnant if someone let them play together without thinking about it. That's one of the reasons my roommate and I don't let anyone touch the rats in cage or get them out except us--many people don't understand how quickly and easily rats can mate so they don't think it's a big deal to let them play together. I'm glad Flash seems to be doing better now, but definitely get the word out to anyone who handles your ratties not to ever let the males and females come into contact with each other.


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## PandaBruja (Feb 10, 2013)

Update?


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Sorry I haven't been on in a while it is Finals time and I am loaded with work,studying and a litter of kittens,rats,and mice. All three babies are doing very well. I am sooo surprised the little runt made it but she did. After reading a few posts I saw that someone covered their cage with a blanket and so I did the same. I worked the next time I checked on mom and babies she was sitting on them and they were nursing and getting warm. Of course once I took the cover off Flash immediately wanted out,but the babies were nice and warm and the little runt finally had a milk band. They are now looking super healthy and their skin is not flaking any more. I will find my phone and take some pictures of them as soon as I can.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Turns out that somebody did put them together. They thought it would be funny and that baby rats would be soooo cute. They learned their lesson though. Flash was bleeding a little bit that night and I made them come to the vet appointment, and pay the Vet bill. Luckily it wasn't anything serious for my poor Flashy and I get a decent discount so the bill wasn't huge. They also got a nice lecture from my Vet., which I appreciated. 



Rumy91989 said:


> Yeah, definitely ask around. It's possible Flash is not the only one that got pregnant if someone let them play together without thinking about it. That's one of the reasons my roommate and I don't let anyone touch the rats in cage or get them out except us--many people don't understand how quickly and easily rats can mate so they don't think it's a big deal to let them play together. I'm glad Flash seems to be doing better now, but definitely get the word out to anyone who handles your ratties not to ever let the males and females come into contact with each other.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

That's a good idea,I will have to give them some paper towel and I just bought some fleece so I will give them some of that too. Flash is a horrible nest maker and the thing she would use was the paper I tore up for her. Hopefully she will use the paper towel and fleece. 


Flora said:


> I have heard of rats mating through the cage bars. So sorry this happened. I would clean the cage and removed that bedding and add torn up paper towel or fleece. That might help with keeping them warm. Keep checking on them regularly. Give mom some egg, tuna fish or sardines.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

The hooded is a female the runt in the middle is female and the one on the end is a male


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## RosesRufflesandRats (Apr 25, 2013)

They are too cute!!! Their skin looks a little better, is it?


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## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

At least you only had three (well 5 to start). It's good the person who put the rats together has learned their lesson. Hope the babies find good homes when the time is right.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Yes It is a lot better no skin flaking or anything. 



RosesRufflesandRats said:


> They are too cute!!! Their skin looks a little better, is it?


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Yes I am sad the other 2 didn't survive but kind of relived at the same time, its a lot easier to find homes for them. I think the boy might have already found a home with two other little babies my brother just got . And the girls well I definitely can't keep them but I'm sure I will find somebody that will. 


Jackie said:


> At least you only had three (well 5 to start). It's good the person who put the rats together has learned their lesson. Hope the babies find good homes when the time is right.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

poodlecrazy1 said:


> Turns out that somebody did put them together. They thought it would be funny and that baby rats would be soooo cute. They learned their lesson though. Flash was bleeding a little bit that night and I made them come to the vet appointment, and pay the Vet bill. Luckily it wasn't anything serious for my poor Flashy and I get a decent discount so the bill wasn't huge. They also got a nice lecture from my Vet., which I appreciated.


So, it sounds like you know who this was?

I'd invest in a lock for the cage.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Yes I do they are two of my roommates. I was actually thinking about locking it. I even went out to buy some locks and while I was looking at all the many types of locks I thought of a problem. There is nowhere on the cage to put a lock! There are 3 doors 4 if you count the one separating the boys and girls but it doesn't really count cause you have to get in the cage to open it (and it really difficult to open I can't even figure out how to now that it's assembled). The top one would be easy to lock but the main doors I would have to install a separate latch. If it were wood no problem but metal I have to no clue how. I would also be worried about emergencies and no one being able to get to them if I weren't there. I am pretty sure they won't do it again though,they felt absolutely horrible when some of the babies died and when Flash was bleeding. Like I said they learned their lesson. They are good people, just young and immature. 


cagedbirdsinging said:


> So, it sounds like you know who this was?
> 
> I'd invest in a lock for the cage.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

*New pictures*

Here are new pictures of the babies. they are super adorable. 
the little runt female














the bigger female














the boy


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## Kyleee Dupper (May 8, 2013)

They r so cute 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Thank you I think they are cute too,but I think all baby rats are cute,lol. The light ones are turning out to be Marked Siamese, and the Hooded girl is Agouti. Their names are Aggie, Mendel, and Fawn.


Kyleee Dupper said:


> They r so cute
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## Ltukey (May 28, 2013)

a small bit of chain&lock on the door wont work? good for you making them pay the vet bill, now make them get some food&bedding. sorta kidding but wow babies are a lot of food&litter. the little ones look great. is momma rat sick of motherhood yet? there are some great odd shaped locks out there, I am quite fond of locks myself when others are around.


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## coxbrea151 (Jun 1, 2012)

I also vote for the chain and lock. Cute banies too.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

I guess a small chain and lock would work. Like you would do on a chain link fence to lock it? I never even thought of that,thanks for the idea. Ha yes they should buy some food and litter the babies and Flash go through it fast! The babies look so much better now than they did when they were born,they are so healthy and perfect now. I am so surprised the little runt (now Fawn) survived I thought for sure she was a goner. Flash is actually a better mom to them now than she was before. She still lets them nurse and cleans them and hunts down food for them it is so cute. She still loves her adventure time though. lol. 



Ltukey said:


> a small bit of chain&lock on the door wont work? good for you making them pay the vet bill, now make them get some food&bedding. sorta kidding but wow babies are a lot of food&litter. the little ones look great. is momma rat sick of motherhood yet? there are some great odd shaped locks out there, I am quite fond of locks myself when others are around.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Yes I will do that its a great idea. Thank you they just melt my heart they are so cute. 


coxbrea151 said:


> I also vote for the chain and lock. Cute banies too.


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