# Baby rats!



## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

So cappuccino is giving birth and she is completely covered in the bedding. I only know there is three so far and they are kinda all over the place.
Is this a bad sign?
She is having them on the plastic bottom instead of on the bedding I provided her. There is tons of paper towel and shredded (non toxic) newspaper in there.
Should I be worried?
I've never done this before and this was very very unplanned

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Nope, my mama did this then when she finished collected them all and hid. My girl also insisted on moving all the bedding off the bottom of the cage.

Leave her be for a bit (check every 20 minutes though) and she shouldn't scatter them post-labor.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Oh gosh that is a relief. I keep hearing loud little squeaks and I'm scared she is eating them

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Mine were quiet until it was feeding time. She may be finished and nursing.

They only eat dead young, ones that otherwise won't live or if they are extremely stressed.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

How do I pick the babies up to move them to the mother if they don't have a milk band?
I'm counting 11 babies

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

If the mother is not at all defensive, you can just gently lift them.
If she is defensive, use a spoon to draw her attention to the neglected babies (or even use it to lift them if you warm it against you). My momma rat would sometimes forget some babies that weren't in the nest -- another member also had this problem. She should really want to take her babies back if offered to her.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I often scooped them up because they felt soooo fragile. http://s1350.photobucket.com/user/Nanashi_Mu/media/101_0588_zpse96dcc1f.jpg.html?sort=2&o=2


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I've already pet a few of the babies. Even though cappi bit the heck out of my hands even breaking skin while she was pregnant she has no issue with me handling her babies. 
It's nice that she stopped biting

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Then she probably won't mind you helping. If you take the baby close to her she should see it and take it.


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## Grawrisher (Sep 10, 2013)

A big pile of 11 squirmies! Congrats! I hope they all grow up hyper an squishy


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Had to do that with one already who was cold to the touch. I warmed her up in my hands then gave her to cappuccino who rolled her underneath her. She let me pick up one of her babies so I think she will be fine with me messing with them in the future

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Should be. Mine didn't trust anyone other than me, though, so be careful.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

She has no problem letting my boyfriend touch the babies but I think we are the only two that will be able to. I'm really happy for that because while I was braving being bit up until she had the babies, I'd rather not get bit xD

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I'm glad that passed. My rat was tearing my boyfriend up before I realized it was the kits. She's gonna be haggardly since she is normally crazy so try to give her about 15 minutes out a day a couple times, and keep letting her meet her old roomies -- don't include the babies unless you trust everyone and they are 3 weeks.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Every time I open the cage door Cappi is running up to greet me now. I let her run around for five minutes earlier so I could take a picture of the babies without her on them too.
I'll link the photo later cause ratforum always, says the file is too big now.
I gave her a slice of hard boiled egg earlier. It's going to be hard to get the protein she needs because she is such a picky eater.
Alright so I introduce the girl's at three weeks just for run around?
My girls aren't really aggressive. They are extremely laid back. And my boys are too since they are still young.

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I had my male meet the babies at 3 weeks, males aren't the problem. Some females just despise babies so at 3 weeks they'll be free ranging like mini rats and the adults could meet them. I advise this despite others not advising it because if your girls don't have a problem, it can be a life saver (if you are like me, who can't afford new cages left and right...). I would do it one at a time then everyone together that way you have enough hands to be safe. Anyone with a problem likely will have that problem until the kits are older than 3 months (12 weeks).


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I should like to add that I think generalizations in regards to babies and older rats are difficult to make. I was told not to with my male, even with him neutered. He was better than my own human father at being a parent and still is.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I actually thought males would be harder. I really hope my girls will be okay with the babies because I don't have a fourth cage xD

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Well, with three cages you can still get away with: boys (+ babies), mama + babies (and any girl that doesn't care), then the troublemaking girls.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Unfortunately one of those cages is a tiny one and the boy's cage has huuuge bar spacing. Baby rats could walk right out.
So I'm going to have to bank on the girl's getting a long with the babies or I'm looking at buying a new cage. I do have another one but it has no botto

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

A little heartening news. Maybe because she was blind who knows my rescue rat took fine to my younger rats (under 3mo). Here she is most tolerantly buried in a pile of 6 kits: http://imgur.com/BaI9son


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Voltage said:


> Unfortunately one of those cages is a tiny one and the boy's cage has huuuge bar spacing. Baby rats could walk right out.
> So I'm going to have to bank on the girl's getting a long with the babies or I'm looking at buying a new cage. I do have another one but it has no botto
> 
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Can you hardware cloth the boys cage?


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

nanashi7 said:


> Can you hardware cloth the boys cage?


You know I'm not sure why that didn't cross my mind at all....
I hate using hardware cloth, makes a cage so ugly but that would eliminate the chances of another pregnancy too. I may have to do that before the babies are five weeks old
So would now be a good time to start abnouncing the litter to be up for adoption?

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Yes, I did it the night of birth once I had a count. Goosemoose, this forum, facebook rat groups are all good places to start.

With the hardware cloth, it can always be cut off once they are of-age.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Alright, I'm pretty sure there are 11 babies, I counted multiple times. 
Once their pigment starts showing I'll have nicknames for them and start weighing them daily. With daily pictures too off course.
Hopefully I will find homes pretty quick. Might keep one or two also.

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I would try not to get attached to keeping any, because you want to be safe in case you have to keep some. I've adopted out 5 (maybe 7) rats, of my 13 kits. Just want to be realistic and safe.

By day three, some markings should be distinct. Someone recommended sharpie-ing their tails (it was a breeder, so I assume safe) to keep them distinct.

The babies can be held every day from now until they get fur. Aim for about a minute + # of days old. Today is one minute per baby. Mama should not be away more than 20 minutes. At two weeks, you can start doing a half hour. When they get fur in and ears open they'll start playing. Their eyes open shortly after and you can free range them. By week 3.5 I was free ranging until everyone was falling asleep.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Mama can free range with them, btw, but it can be frustrating (especially with an escape artist!) in the first three weeks because her hormones are on crazy and she will insist on taking them to a nest. This can be her secret stash out-of-cage spot, or can be the cage.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Oh man telling them apart is going to be difficult if any are solid colored. 
When can I clean the nursing cage btw?


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

If your girl is super chill, at the end of three days is when I did it (I wasn't expecting her to pop that night, and it was stinky). She also decided to relocate her babies rendering the nursery cage useless and so in week 2 was in another cage completely.

If she seems to et upset at changes of smell/locale, you'll have to spot clean for the first week.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Oh gosh, and the cage stinks too
I will try to pick out all the nasty stuff but she mixed it all up

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