# argh



## VioletRooster (Apr 11, 2008)

Jasmine is worrying me, she has been out of the nest for almost six hours now! I checked on the babies aroud 3 and they were okay... but she's just spending all her time tryign to get out of the cage (gnawing on the bars) and/or eating.

I know I can't MAKE her go to the babies... so I know there's no point in worrying... and yet I can't stop worrying!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## BekahBear (Dec 23, 2007)

the best advice i can give you is to give her as much privacy as possible. the more she gets disturbed the less time she will spend with the babies. chances are that she is feeding and careing for them and you are just not seeing it. just give her her privacy and chances are that she will care for them just fine.


----------



## ChrissyGz0r (Mar 3, 2008)

im gonna tell u exactly what everyone told me (well not exactly as my memorys like a sieve lol) 
but the more u keep going over there the more shes gonna get nervous ect... am i right thinking shes really young .. cant remember that either haha lool
cus so far all 3 of my girls had litters but the first litter that lulu had was the first littler ive ever had and she was never going near her babies and me worrying kept checking even moving the babies back to the nest when i shouldnt and that resulted in her not feedig them and them dying and her eating them ... or maybe she just didnt have the maternal instinct cs she was young .. but then pancakes who is younger had her litter and i just left her for a few days only giving her food and drink ect and shes a nervous rat that i didnt have chance to handle ect so she wasnt really used to me at all 
but me leaving her alone helped and now they're all 4 weeks old and still healthy 
xxx


----------



## VioletRooster (Apr 11, 2008)

thanks for the advice!

she did end up going back to the nest at about 11 pm and I could hear the babies squeaking... so i went to bed, and when i got up at 6 am she was with them and they were squeaking. so hopefully she was with them during the night. her cage is in the same room as my computer so i'm staying away and keeping the room as quiet as i can... i noticed she came out of the nest for about 25 minutes at 6:45, but then went back and now it's 9:15 and she just came out again... she's trying to get out of the cage...

so at least i know she's been in there long enough to feed them, and i hop they're all well but i'll leave them be and hope she doesn't pull another 6 hour hiatus!


----------



## Rattiegma (Jan 23, 2008)

I'm gonna agree with the others on this, but you obviously already know, that the best thing to do is give her peace and quiet. However, if she's knawing on the bars and acting crazy, why don't you let her out for a while? Mom's need some play time, too, ya know.  Try just sitting with the cage door open with some treats (when you catch her acting like she wants out), and give her some play time and cuddles. Since the babies obviously can't get around yet, just let her climb on you, but leave the cage open. This way she gets some alone time away from the babies, but she can go back as she pleases. Just make sure the babies are in the nest so they'll stay warm, and don't have her out for more than 10 or 15 minutes.

She's probably just going crazy being cooped up with a ton of babies sucking on her all day long. 

ETA: Just for clarification...just in case...I didn't mean walk away with the cage door open. lol I meant just sit at the cage and let her play on you, so she can run back and forth as she pleases. Because we all know those little fuzzballs can surprise you, and you definitely don't want one wandering off.


----------



## VioletRooster (Apr 11, 2008)

I have been letting her out for cuddles, treats, and to go visit her sisters for a few minutes a day. When she was playing with her sissies this morning, I snapped a quick pic of the babies but didn't take any out to check them. From the pic it looks like some are doing really well, and maybe some arent. I am being advised to buy some things to prepare to hand feed a couple if they aren't getting nursed... just in case... she's been in with them again for quite a while now, so i hope she's cleaning them, etc, I do hear them squeaking.

I know it's harder for her in the evening because she can hear all the other ratties out playing, and my kids are home and playing, she just wants to be out with everyone! Im anxious for the next two weeks to zip by! LOL!


----------



## VioletRooster (Apr 11, 2008)

meant to add the pic I took:


----------



## pinkyXstary (Apr 15, 2008)

Pepsi did exactly the same thing the day after the baby's were born, spending more time away from the nest than on it, and then the following day and today she's been with them all the time. i think its the stress of the birth and the feeding immediately stressed her out a bit and she wanted some time away from them. But shes being an excellent mum now. I'd say not to worry we still have all 11 so strong and healthy and have had no problems with her what so ever. I'd say if she keeps doing it get her out for a quick cuddle and giver her a nice treat to go back in with, she'll soon settle down again


----------



## kristie0593 (Apr 19, 2008)

my minnie did that too,the first couple of days she didn't really hang out at the nest much...more at night i think...but after they turned a week she started feeding them mroe.


----------

