# How to wean??



## hannah (Mar 19, 2010)

I fostered a pregnant female rat from my local humane society a few weeks ago. She was brought in inside a tank full of rats who were "breeders" for snakes. She was obviously pregnant so I took her home to let her have her babies in peace.
She had nine healthy babies, except for one who was born with one eye! He seems healthy enough though and shouldn't have any trouble being adopted.
The pups turn five weeks old today, and they are almost completely weaned and very independent. Because the shelter is a very stressful place for small animals, I wanted to make sure the babies were completely weaned before I brought them back, so they wouldn't be worrying about where mama was in the hustle and bustle of the humane society lobby. 
Yesterday I took all the babies out and put them in a separate enclosure for a few hours. The babies didn't seem to mind at all, running and playing with each other and snacking on the fresh veggies I offered them, but mom seemed very agitated in the empty cage alone. 
I've watched many animals raise babies, but I have never had a mother rat, and so I'm not sure about how to go about the weaning. Is it better to wean them like cats or dogs, where the babies and mom are separated for a few hours a day, with the amount of time spent apart slowly increasing until both parties seem to move on? Or is it more practical to completely take away all the babies one day and take them "out of sight, out of mind" like livestock? The mother rat has spent her whole life having her babies taken away from her for snake food, and I just feel terriable taking away her pups before she is ready because I hope I have gained her trust :-\ I just don't want to go about this the wrong way. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!


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## oatsnyogurt (Apr 5, 2010)

I would take out all the males asap. The girls can stay with their mama. By now the mom doesn't really care about any of her babies being taken away, she would like a cage mate, but not 9 babies jumping all over her . 
I usually weaned my babies between 4 and 5 weeks. But with the male babies you want to separate from any mother and female siblings to prevent any litters.


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## clarry (May 19, 2008)

Ive never been through this before but just as a suggestion so that mum doesnt feel lost and lonely you could leave one of the girl babies in with her as a cage mate and perhaps adopt them out together or something? Then she wouldnt be completely alone and would still have one of her babies to take her mind off it


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## Kiko (Sep 18, 2009)

yep leaving one of her daughters is the best bet...or more of her daughters 
but make sure to get the boys out ASAP!!!
They become sexuallly active at 5 weeks, and can and will get pregant that early. Rats have no problems with getting their mother/sister pregnant


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Kiko said:


> yep leaving one of her daughters is the best bet...or more of her daughters
> but make sure to get the boys out ASAP!!!
> They become sexuallly active at 5 weeks, and can and will get pregant that early. Rats have no problems with getting their mother/sister pregnant


Just a quick addendum. Males at 5 weeks are physically capable of getting a sibling pregnant, but most have NO interest in anything beyond playing and being a baby. Its just to be safe, because things have happened in the past. I wean/remove my rescue baby boys at 5 weeks or just over. I like to leave them with mom as long as possible as this is a very formative time for them, they learn a LOT between 4-5 weeks about just being a rat.  I leave the girls in with mom until they are adopted.


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

Yep I agree with Lilspaz's comment. Most wont, but IT does happen. I have removed babies at 5 weeks on the dot, and had an accidental pregnancy. At the same time I've had a rescue litter of 10 weeks old unseparated and no one got pregnant. :-\

To be safe I now remove the boys the evening before they turn 5 weeks old. But they go in with my other males, so they are still learning the essential ratty stuff. Daughters could stay in with mom, and you could just keep the last one to be adopted so she can stay with mom permanently.


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