# First litter what should I do?



## Jaylin04rae (Jun 9, 2020)

My rat Winter just had 10 babies and it’s my first time having baby rats.Is there anything I need to do to help her out and make sure she and the pups stay healthy? I’m also gonna need to find these babies homes when they’re old enough any suggestions on where to go to ensure they go to great homes?


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## Rex the Rat (Apr 7, 2020)

Your rat's going to need a little bit more food while nursing, the following link gives some good suggestions: Foods for Rats in Pregnancy

Watch out for a runt, you may not see it in the first few days but as the babies develop one may stay smaller than the other, it's very important to check everyone's bellies consistently to make sure everyone's drinking enough. A common problem is a baby will roll/fall under something and not be able to reach the milk, I think a baby can go without momma for about 4 hours so if this happens at night it can be fatal, so make sure to give momma easily shredding items to make her nest instead of blankets.

Rats grow super duper fast! Make sure to take tons of pictures before it's too late. At two weeks handle the babies as much as possible to stimulate and socialize them. To find homes, keep in mind that they should go in pairs or more so that narrows it down to at least five people, do you have any friends or family member who would be interested in keeping them?

Any questions?


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## Jaylin04rae (Jun 9, 2020)

Rex the Rat said:


> Your rat's going to need a little bit more food while nursing, the following link gives some good suggestions: Foods for Rats in Pregnancy
> 
> Watch out for a runt, you may not see it in the first few days but as the babies develop one may stay smaller than the other, it's very important to check everyone's bellies consistently to make sure everyone's drinking enough. A common problem is a baby will roll/fall under something and not be able to reach the milk, I think a baby can go without momma for about 4 hours so if this happens at night it can be fatal, so make sure to give momma easily shredding items to make her nest instead of blankets.
> 
> ...


No I think that answers all of my questions,thank you so much!


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