# Help! Orphan rat :(



## Jade.Crusader (Jun 24, 2013)

We have an orphaned rat. I read to go buy it human baby formula. I'm currently breastfeeding my baby, can I just pump my own milk and give the baby rat some of that? I know, super weird, but it's free and at the ready. Also, I read that cow milk is a no-no, but we have fresh cow milk, not the hormone-ridden, pasturized garbage you get from the super market. Would that work?

Please help quick! it has already been a few hours since it has eaten.


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

How old is the baby rat?

I know someone else on this forum fed an orphan rat breastmilk and someone commented that it was good for them. It's definitely worth a shot if you don't mind. Cow milk is usually considered not good (though not horrible bad in small doses) for rats, but if you're desperate it'd probably keep it's tummy full until you get something better. I don't really know what the best thing to do is, but I figured I'd let you know about the breastmilk thing in case no one else sees your post in time.

Best of luck!


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## Jade.Crusader (Jun 24, 2013)

After I read that I jumped right on trying the breast milk. It didn't seem to like it, but probably because I am tryng to feed it from the tip of a spoon and the milk got cold so quickly . It occasionally will open its eyes but doesn't seem fully ready for that yet, so I'm not sure what that means but I would say it is at least a couple of weeks old? I'm not sure. It peed on me while I was trying to feed it, so it seems to not need much help there either, if that helps to determiune its age. I really think if we can get though a week or two of this he'll make it, but for now I need to figure something else out other than a spoon I think...


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## Jade.Crusader (Jun 24, 2013)

I went and got an eye dropper from walmart and it drank a few drops of milk, but no more.


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## Jade.Crusader (Jun 24, 2013)

How often should I attmpt to feed him? Also, we've confirmed he can hear too. How old do you think he is?


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

http://ratgrowth.homestead.com/week1.html

Use that to determine age.


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## mameur (Nov 3, 2012)

all the info you need is here
http://www.afrma.org/rminfo8.htm


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## Mousey (Oct 23, 2012)

Do you have him on a heating pad? The babies catch pneumonia so easily, get him on a heating pad and keep him warm. While you feed him, wrap the milk (in a container) in the heating pad to keep in warm while you feed. Refresh the milk in the dropper as it gets cold and the baby becomes uninterested. You need to be feeding him every two hours - so that means you need to be waking up in the night, every two hours, and feeding him. I am going through the exact same thing right now - my orphan baby just opened his eyes today (which means he just turned 14 days old - I have found all babies open their eyes at exactly 14 days old). I would see if you could find a surrogate mother. Post on Craigslist and contact rescues in your area, and ask if they can help you. Especially if he is only taking a few drops, he should be drinking much more than that. How often have you been feeding him? How is he doing now?


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## Jade.Crusader (Jun 24, 2013)

Update: He's doing great and I even have a friend for him now so he can learn to socialize like a rat . He's weaned and eating well and is a bit smaller than his same-aged buddy, but that's okay. He'll catch up. I'm working on getting a cabinet/hutch thing from the Facebook classifieds and I will be converting it into a nice house for them and get them out of the 10-gallon tank as soon as possible. Thanks for all of your help!


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## evander (Jun 30, 2013)

That is such great news!!


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