# My new littl'un



## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

Oh god he's so TINY. I'm a bit dubious of his "6 week old" apparent age... But anyway.

I just moved him into a separate cage to my other baby, but he spends all his time backed into a corner (literally, his back legs are like vertical), and although he is fine to be picked up (if I can get him), he is just hiding in his lettuce manger or anywhere else he can shifty around.

I'm worried 

He doesn't seem to be drinking or eating. I only got him like 3 hours ago, I just want to know if this is normal!

Once again, thanks guys!


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Just keep an eye on him, he's still getting used to his new home and is probably scared.


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## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

He's been in a potato waffle box for like 2 hours. I peeked in and he was just staring at me. Poor baby.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Worried about the age.  6 weeks is a nice solid baby.

He also needs a friend, do you have another male rat you are going to intro him to? If not, can you go back and get another baby brother? He sounds frightened and another baby could make a world of difference. You might want to give him a hidey house so he feels safer too.

What are you feeding him? I would advise supplementing him with some moistened baby cereal if he is that young.

Back to age.

3 weeks...snubby nose








4 weeks...pointier rat noses (can be weaned at this age)








5 weeks...more solidly built, males must be separated from females at this age.








6 weeks...(almost and these were my smallest girls)


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## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

Oh my gosh he isn't 6 weeks, I thought that he looked young! He must be 4 weeks, his nose is longish but he's got baby eyes and he's a bit chubby. He fits in the palm of my hand. 

I'll be introducing him to Addo who is 6 months old and male, in a few weeks time. I don't want to have 3 rats so decided not to get two this morning, plus they were EXPENSIVE and I'm a simple student 

I've given him some moist bran flakes, because he wasn't eating much. To check he wasn't off his food I gave him some cookie crumbs which he enjoyed.

He has a little hidey house! I hope he's ok


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

I'd suggest letting him be for a day... My (petstore) rats all hid the day I got them... my rescues were more at ease with me.


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

my picasso is like 8 months old and she's still barely bigger than those 6 weekers... 

i wish they stayed snubby-nosed forever, they're so adorable.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Are you certain Picasso isn't a dwarf? :lol:


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## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

He's stopped being so skittish now, he's jumping around and sitting in my lap, playing with all his toys. Still really over-excited, he got off my lap and onto the floor and he's sooo fast, compared to my other big fat boy!

So he's doing well, just keeping him all warm and snuggly in his big cage! He's gonna be a character that's for sure.

P.s. He's been named Edgar!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Welcome to your new life Edgar!! And CongRats to you Phobie


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

ha, i don't know if she is or not. i think she's too big to be a dwarf, aren't adult dwarfs about the size of 4-weekers? about when do rats reach their adult size? cuz mozart is def bigger than picasso, but not as big as some of the other rats i've seen on this forum. momo is probably about 6 months.

EDIT: i didn't mean to steal the thread here! they're kind of age-related questions, you can not answer if you'd rather, ha ha.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Um, I think at one year they're basically "Officially" full grown.

Gosh has little Mozart made 6 months all ready?

I think dwarves are ~1/3 normal size (for a female... under 133 g?) and they have more 'baby' features and sometimes shorter tails and such...


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

How much does Mozart weigh? Did you get her from a breeder so that she might be a genetic dwarf?


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## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

Guys, is baby rice ok for a rat? Like basically it is Farley's baby rice (ground up rice) with soy milk. I can't get him to eat anything else and he likes this with a tiny bit of honey.


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## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Nothing else? Even if you leave him alone with the food overnight?


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## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

I left him with some rat nuggets (chicken, grain etc), which I guess is a bit like lab blocks, and as far as I saw overnight he only ate half of one. He is drinking SOMETIMES now, and I've given him fruit and veg which he nibbled at. Just wondering whether that rice (which has vitamins enriched also) would be ok, as a snack tonight?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Phobie said:


> I left him with some rat nuggets (chicken, grain etc), which I guess is a bit like lab blocks, and as far as I saw overnight he only ate half of one. He is drinking SOMETIMES now, and I've given him fruit and veg which he nibbled at. Just wondering whether that rice (which has vitamins enriched also) would be ok, as a snack tonight?


I would stay away from rice itself at this point since it can stop things up digestion-wise. 

For my wee ones who needed supplementing i foudn lab blocks were just too hard for their not-so strong jaws right now. I would offer a cereal mix (watch the sugars and fats...google Suebee's Mix to get an idea of what cereals etc you can use) or even break up the lab blocks a bit. I offered baby cereal (here you can use rice or wheat or ?), with strawberry Ensure or Boost and a bit of Enervite and possibly a titch of olive oil sometimes. I also gave them baby food (chicken or turkey with anything but pasta/red sauce was always a hit), sweet potatoes, thawed frozen corn and peas, etc. Good nutritional things that aren't too hard for little jaws to chew.


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## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

Thanks, that was really helpful. He only had a little rice and I'll take it away now. I'll make a mix up tomorrow and for tonight help his little tummy with some green things!


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## OnlyOno (Apr 4, 2007)

good luck with your tiny baby! i'm sure he'll come around, and he's so tiny that he might be eating til he's full and it only looks like a nibble to you. def try those esbilac and cereal mixes, that way if he's only eating a little, at least it's very nutritious!


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