# Emergency! Orphaned baby a few days old!



## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

Just had a baby dropped off and NO idea what to do.. I have never had a baby this young before. HELP PLEASE! I can't add a photo my computer is being completely stupid. He is extremely extremely tiny, still pink, eyes closed. umbilical cord is healed but he can't be more than a few days old. He has a bit of colour starting to show on his back. I honestly don't even know if it's a rat or a mouse..... I know he probably wont make it but I want to give him the best chance in case he can!


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## rubysrats (Jul 28, 2014)

I have never done this so don't take my word but these are a few things I remember reading. Infant soy formula, help them eliminate, keep warm. Hope those with more experience chime in. Also is it wild? If so look into the legality of having it. (Says the person who inadvertently has illegal rats and so can get no vet care).


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## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

I used soy formula and one of those fine art paint brushes. I would dip he paint brush in the formula and feed my baby til he stopped eating. I did it ever 2-3 hours. Had to keep him warm and eliminate him with my finger after every meal. Rubysrats, covered it pretty well. Babies are fun, but that is a really young age.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Use infant soy formula. I used kitten milk replacer for my Toast when I raised him, but infant soy formula and goat's milk are better. You're going to want something really tiny that fits into his mouth. An unused brand new paint brush works well. I used a pipe cleaner with the rubber casing of an electical wire inserted into it to make it even more tinier. Here's a picture of what I used to raise Toast.



Remember to wash whatever you use after every use. You will want to feed your little pinky every two hours day and night. Try to keep him/her warm as well as he does not have baby fur yet. I used a small heat pad and adjusted the temperature so it was not too hot. Those are pretty much the basics. To get your little baby hydrated because he is probably a little dehydrated right now you can use pedyalyte or mix some extra water into whatever formula you choose to use. I hope all goes well! =P


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## xStatic (Dec 16, 2012)

Oh my! I hope everything works out!

Try watching these videos if you have time. They are raising a little baby mouse but the process should be exactly the same for a rat pinky too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNX2byHbppM

If the pinky is showing coloration that appears to be in a hooded pattern it is most definitely not a wild rat. If you watch all the videos in the series I linked you to you should know exactly what to do. The survival rat for really young pinkies being hand raised is not very high so please don't feel too badly if you can't save him! Best of luck to you 

ETA: Apparently there is also a formula on the market designed specifically for mice and rats. You can get it here: http://www.thehuskingstation.com/Biolac-Fancy-Rat-&-Mouse-Replacement-Milk-Supplement.html But it has to ship from Australia so the shipping time may end up making it not worth it in the long run.


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

The guy found him on the seat of a taxi cab he was in. I've been using teeny tiny syringe to feed him, but I'm going to give the paintbrush a try! It isn't going very well though, he's pretty weak. I got infant soy formula last night (thank GOD we have a 24hr grocery store) and some pedialyte. Because he needs to be fed so often, my boss has allowed me to bring him to work with me, as long as he doesn't cause a distraction. So he's hanging out on my desk in a little plastic beta tank with a nice warm nest.
I'm still not sure if it's a rat or a mouse.. Working on getting a picture up now that I'm on my work computer!

I hope he starts to improve soon, poor little guy.
I'm thinking maybe someone bought pinkies from a pet store for reptile food and one fell out of the bag/box or something.
I can't see how else it would have ended up on the seat of a cab..


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

Another question... if I try to find a nursing rat mom, and the baby ends up being a mouse.. will the mom kill it? Or will it be like an ugly duckling situation and she won't know??


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

A nursing mom may not be able to tell, but make sure you put the newbie in the nest properly or she will avoid him. 

Unfortunately, I should warn that hand feeding this young can end badly. Make sure you keep him warm, and keep pumping him with the milk. I think it's supposed to be every two hours until two weeks where it's every four hours. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

nanashi7 said:


> A nursing mom may not be able to tell, but make sure you put the newbie in the nest properly or she will avoid him.
> 
> Unfortunately, I should warn that hand feeding this young can end badly. Make sure you keep him warm, and keep pumping him with the milk. I think it's supposed to be every two hours until two weeks where it's every four hours.


I've done lots of research about introducing an orphan to an established litter, so I think I would be able to do it without a disastrous result, I just hope the mom doesn't kill it because it's the wrong species!
It looks a little too big to be a mouse, so I'm pretty sure it's a rat.

Like I said I have him at work with me, I have a heating pad underneath his little plastic tank(there's a thermometer in the tank as well so I can monitor the temp), and I'm feeding him every 2 hours right now. He's taking the milk a lot better now. There's a pharmacy right across the street so I'm going on my break to see if they have any syringe attachments that are tiny.

The youngest baby I've ever had was already almost 3 weeks, so it was easy to take care of, but this guy is SO small.


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## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

I liked the paint brush because it seemed a little more natural. He kind of used it as a nipple and sucked the milk off of it. A foster mother would be the best choice. But it sounds like you are doing a good job so far!! Were you able to get him to go to the bathroom yet? I can't wait to see a photo, Little taxi cab cutie I bet!


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

gotchea said:


> I liked the paint brush because it seemed a little more natural. He kind of used it as a nipple and sucked the milk off of it. A foster mother would be the best choice. But it sounds like you are doing a good job so far!! Were you able to get him to go to the bathroom yet? I can't wait to see a photo, Little taxi cab cutie I bet!


It took a little while to get him to "go". He was dehydrated when I got him and his little belly was totally empty. Right before his 4th feeding he was finally able to go. I heard that it's best to try and stimulate them to go before you feed them, which is what I've been doing.
He's a lot more active now that he's gotten about 10 feedings into him, and he's toasty warm in his little plastic house (but not too hot!).
I posted an ad looking for a foster mom, so hopefully someone comes forward.

Thankfully for now he is doing well. I am a lot more hopeful than I was when I first got him!


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## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

Really? I wish I read that when I was "bottle" feeding my little guy. Haha. I always tried after and he was hard to get to go! Maybe because I was doing it at the wrong time. I am assuming your guy isn't wild based on the color discription. If he is, a foster mother is the way to go because then he can be released. Hand feeding and releasing do not work in my experience. I only have one experience to on though. I wonder how he got in the taxi cab. What a fun story! Are you going to keep him?


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

gotchea said:


> Really? I wish I read that when I was "bottle" feeding my little guy. Haha. I always tried after and he was hard to get to go! Maybe because I was doing it at the wrong time. I am assuming your guy isn't wild based on the color discription. If he is, a foster mother is the way to go because then he can be released. Hand feeding and releasing do not work in my experience. I only have one experience to on though. I wonder how he got in the taxi cab. What a fun story! Are you going to keep him?


Ideally I would love for him to be released, but I know with hand raised babies that it really hard to accomplish. I'm keeping my contact with him minimal, and wearing sterile gloves and a mask when I do handle him. I've also been a huge loser and have been playing soft nature sounds near his cage. I've been searching for mother rat noises to play when I handle him, but I can't find any!

I'm determined to do whatever it takes to help him be released into the wild, I've got an outdoor enclosure that I used when I fostered a young squirrel, that I'll put him in once he's big enough, and hopefully I can introduce natural foods to him.

I've got my fingers crossed, but if it doesn't work out I will most likely end up keeping him, or finding a wildlife sanctuary to take him so he can live with his own kind in a safe place.

He's still a bit too small for me to see his gender clearly, but I'm 90% sure he's a boy. I've decided to name him Cruiser, and if it's a girl I'll have to figure out another name hahaha.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

I hope everything goes well. You should post some pictures of the little guy. I'm pretty sure that we can help you identify age and gender. =P

As for foster moms, I know one of my local pet store has a rat mamma raising both rat and mice pinkies. They are meant as feeders though. I don't think I would recommend it though because she tends to take some chunks out of the baby mice sometimes. That's the only situation that I have heard of where a momma rat raised mice and rats.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

I'm about 99.9% sure that he's NOT wild. He's more than likely a feeder baby that was accidentally left behind. You will never find a wild pinkie in a taxi unless that taxi has been parked and unused for years. Post some photos, we'll be able to tell. Babies need physical comfort and care, have you ever read about babies that had no physical interaction other than feedings? They didn't do well. If you can't find a surrogate mum then I highly suggest you keep him and get him a friend the same age once he's weaned. If you're not planning on keeping him then rehome him after he's weaned.


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## deedeeiam (Apr 8, 2014)

You're not even sure it's a rat or a mouse? Post a picture and we can help you with that.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

Any news?


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates! 
My computer is still being incredibly difficult and won't let me post a picture, but I will try again on my break!

I was able to find a foster mom for the little guy (he is definitely a male) and I put a posting on Facebook and online ads and someone answered saying he bought pinkies and took a cab home and one must have fallen out. So he's definitely a domestic rat, which is good! He has been with the foster mom for 2 days now, and he is doing great! She only had 3 babies of her own (she's an older momma) so he is getting plenty of attention.

I'll have the foster home send some photos and hopefully I will be able to post those!


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## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

Wow I can't believe someone responded to your ad!


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

gotchea said:


> Wow I can't believe someone responded to your ad!


Me either!! I literally flooded the classified and facebook groups though, and lots of my friends shared it.
We live in a pretty small town so that's a good thing 

I'm very happy that I was able to get everything sorted out though, he is going to have a long and happy life!!


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

He did have the nerve to ask for my address to come pick it up though. I told him I just saved this baby's life I am not letting him go to be fed to a snake. I don't think he's going to take me to court over a $.10 baby rat


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## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

kayepaye said:


> He did have the nerve to ask for my address to come pick it up though. I told him I just saved this baby's life I am not letting him go to be fed to a snake. I don't think he's going to take me to court over a $.10 baby rat


 hahah I was going to ask if he asked for the rat back, but I thought "if he bought it as a feeder, I doubt he cares to get it back." Haha I felt dumb asking so I didn't.... Looks like it wasn't dumb after all. I am so happy for cruiser! You are going to keep him yea?


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

gotchea said:


> hahah I was going to ask if he asked for the rat back, but I thought "if he bought it as a feeder, I doubt he cares to get it back." Haha I felt dumb asking so I didn't.... Looks like it wasn't dumb after all. I am so happy for cruiser! You are going to keep him yea?


I'm planning on keeping him and taking one of his foster mom's babies (she had 2 girls and 1 boy), and the foster mom is keeping the 2 girls along with mom. So it all worked out really well!!! I figured out why the pictures weren't working too, they are in the wrong format. So I just have to change them and then I can upload them


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

Here he is! This is Cruiser the day he was brought to me, as you can see he is teeny teeny tiny.
I will have to get some pictures from his foster mom asap!


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## gotchea (May 4, 2013)

Oh geez he is so tiny and small!


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## xStatic (Dec 16, 2012)

SO cute! Glad you found a foster mom and that he turned out to be a rat and not a mouse or else that might not have ended well. I also think it's awesome that you get to adopt him!  What an insanely awesome find haha


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

xStatic said:


> SO cute! Glad you found a foster mom and that he turned out to be a rat and not a mouse or else that might not have ended well. I also think it's awesome that you get to adopt him!  What an insanely awesome find haha


I'm definitely so happy that someone found him and made the call to my rescue, most people would have thrown him outside or squashed him. This whole scenario could not have gone any better! Foster mom loves her new baby, and Cruiser and his brother will be coming to live with me when they are old enough!


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

Well guys... unfortunately Cruiser passed away this morning, we aren't sure what happened. He was doing SO well, and was already covered with soft fur, and he seemed to be a happy, healthy boy. His foster mom called me to say that she had found him curled up and not breathing. I'm absolutely heartbroken, I was so excited to bring him home. RIP little guy!


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

I'm so sorry to hear that


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

I hope everything goes well, I am glad your boss let you take it into work or things might of not gone too well.


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

I'm so sorry that happened. The same thing happened to me with Oreo. Just found him curled up one day. His eyes wernt opened eithet.


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## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

As awful as it is, sometimes babies just don't thrive. You did all you could and went above and beyond by finding him a foster mummy. I'm sorry for your loss, I think we were all eager to see him grow.


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

Thanks for the kind words everyone, I am glad that at least this last couple weeks were filled with love and warmth, and his life didn't end as it was originally intended to.
Running a rescue I am unfortunately used to losing animals, but this guy hit me really hard. I went in to work this morning and has to leave because I was so upset. His foster momma is equally distraught, we are going to have a little funeral for him this afternoon, and bury him out at my camp.

His fuzzy little butt will be terribly missed!


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## bloomington bob (Mar 25, 2014)

Sorry to hear about Cruiser


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## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

You are such an amazing, giving person for having a rescue. You did the best for him as well as his foster mom. Tough situations like this don't end well all the time sadly.  Baby rats are hard to keep alive without mom.


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## kayepaye (Jul 31, 2014)

Jackie said:


> You are such an amazing, giving person for having a rescue. You did the best for him as well as his foster mom. Tough situations like this don't end well all the time sadly.  Baby rats are hard to keep alive without mom.


Thanks Jackie 

Also got in a baby squirrel last night (the lady thought he was a rat) and unfortunately he passed away this morning on the way to the vet. Apparently a cat had been playing with him so he could have had internal injuries.

As much as I love having my rescue, orphans are SO hard. I'm glad that I don't get them in very often, they're usually just heartbreak waiting to happen


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