# oh my goodness!



## cupids_cuties

ive been working like 40 hours a week lately and i am exhausted so i havent been able to take my rats out as often as usual and my mom goes nuts if they run free so ive pretty much been feeding the giving them skritches and sleeping and leaving.

tonight before bed i decided they need some love as ive barely seen them the last 3 days. i was feeding and watering them and as usual they were climbing the bars and i was picking up splash when i noticed all the bedding to one side of the cage. i just went to place her water on the uper level when i noticed a single little pink baby!! its so adorable. i ddidnt even know she was pregnant. i have a male rat so they must have gottn together somehow. i cant say im the least bit upset. im lucky she only had one because finding homes can be hard. i hope it stays in good health and grows healthy and strong! ill get a photo a.s.a.p. i had to tell somebody!! its like 2 in the morning now!


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## chrisstrikeagain

awww how strange? but thats cute. get pics!


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## twilight

Yeah, I agree....thats strange.









Congrats though. Can't wait for pics!


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## mopydream44

8O one baby! 8O i'm flabberghasted! Just check around the cage to make sure it's the only one, and you might want to check her hiding places around the room just to be sure. When I first opened the cage to check on the babies Penny picked up one of her babies and carried it under my bed!!! 

I nearly had a meltdown trying to find the little baby!

...........the more I think about it, the stranger it seems. You should take her to a vet ASAP. Perhaps there are more babies but she can't deliver them?


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## cupids_cuties

i dont think so...

the mother is really small and its her first "litter" per say. she is 7 months old. 

also i had just assumed the male was infertile because he got too many chaces with 2 females not to have produced a litter. he is also pretty small for a male his age (5 months).

also the baby is either 2 or 3 days old. atleast 2 and splash looks healthy and lively and has been eating voraciously and tending to the baby. ive let her run around a bit and she seems fine. not sick or in pain or distressed. 

and sometimes it happens that babies die in utero and if that was the case i think her body just absorbed them. ive checked her stomach i felt nothing. its maybe slightly more swollen than usual but ive been giving her alot of rich foods for nursing so thats probably why. 

these things happen sometimes.


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## Forensic

NEVER assume a male is infertile unless you have a vet's confirmation. For the future.

One baby. Isn't it usually at least three?


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## Matt

I am pretty sure it is atleast 3-4. But only for "Minors" persay.
I have never produced only 1 in a litter...the lowest is about 12 pinkies. Highest being about 27 pinkies. 
(only has happened a few times by big females)


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## mopydream44

I wasn't even aware it could be as low as 3-4. Well take care of the new rattie!  think about getting a spay or neuter! Hopefully the baby is a boy then you can just pay for one spay, and not have to worry about the baby being big enough! Good Luck! Don't forget baby pictures (i'm not one to talk though i've got to get on the "picture" train)


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## Whiskers

[align=center]My dad says sometimes _rabbits_ eat _their_ babies, so maybe.... 8O [/align]


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## Forensic

Whiskers said:


> [align=center]My dad says sometimes _rabbits_ eat _their_ babies, so maybe.... 8O [/align]


Rats can, and will, eat the infants if something is wrong with the babe or they're stillborn.


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## Matt

Whiskers said:


> [align=center]My dad says sometimes _rabbits_ eat _their_ babies, so maybe.... 8O [/align]


No they dont?...Do They? None of my Females Have ever Eaten there Babies Before. But the Males Would If they werent takin out.


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## mopydream44

sadly i've read it's possible to canabalise their young in many different species! If there is a baby with a mutation the mother might eat that baby, so the others are getting the most benefit! I was pretty stressed out that Penny would eat her babies because I read that they will just do it if THEY are stressed out!


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## Poppyseed

Yes, infantside can also occur. So you keep her with the male? Take the male out now! It is possible she consumed her litter because she is pregnate with another and needs to provide for that litter inside of her nutrientwise. It is also possible that her body miscarried the other pups and they just died inside her body.

What I recomend is getting a 20 gallon tank with carefresh bedding and putting her in it while the kitten is growing/feeding. They can escape from bars and you don't want her with the other rats while she is busy taking care of the baby especially since you only see one rat. I would assume that the others might be responsible for that if I were you and definately seperate her asap.


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## mopydream44

> i have a male rat so they must have gottn together somehow


It doesn't seem like she keeps the male and female together but...... 



> It is possible she consumed her litter because she is pregnate with another and needs to provide for that litter inside of her nutrientwise.


this seems right on the mark! If they got together to have the first kitten then we can assume they got together again when she went into heat after delivery! You really should watch her for the next month because you might have a much larger litter on the way! 

also look for gaps in your cage! You might want to put hardware cloth on it until you can get your male or female neutered, or you will keep having the same problem!


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## cupids_cuties

> It is possible she consumed her litter because she is pregnate with another and needs to provide for that litter inside of her nutrientwise.
> 
> this seems right on the mark! If they got together to have the first kitten then we can assume they got together again when she went into heat after delivery! You really should watch her for the next month because you might have a much larger litter on the way!


??? actually you cant assume anything . if id thought she had consumed a litter i would have stated it. i checked the bedding, i couldnt even find blood spots, there was no evidence of a large birth. also do you honestly think a rat would consume all but 1 baby to prepare for the next litter? doubtful. 
i know you all love your rats and have probably learned alot about them.but that doesnt make you an authority. honestly, how stupid do you think i am?

NEVER assume a male is infertile unless you have a vet's confirmation. For the future

liek i would actually let a female and male house together

stop trying to find flaws in how i raise my rats and just accept it. it happens. humans give birth to 1 baby at a time, occasionally twins trips, quads quints ect are born. this is no different. your just trying to make things too complicated.


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## twilight

Why are you getting so defensive? :?


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## Forensic

> NEVER assume a male is infertile unless you have a vet's confirmation. For the future
> 
> liek i would actually let a female and male house together
> 
> stop trying to find flaws in how i raise my rats and just accept it. it happens. humans give birth to 1 baby at a time, occasionally twins trips, quads quints ect are born. this is no different. your just trying to make things too complicated.


No, you didn't house the male and female together, but apparent they weren't secure.

The reason this seems odd to us is that rats typically give birth to bigger litters and 3-4 would be low and rare.

Humans are the opposite. One is the norm. 8-12 would be unheard of. Seeing the correlation?

There should have been blood on the bedding from the single bub... from the afterbirth, if anything.

And YES there's a chance they'd consume the litter if a new pregnancy occurs. Lots of little babies would drain her.

However, if you're certain it's just one, congrats on the tiny oops and please, secure the cage now. And make sure the cage they're in will be safe for a hyperactive little baby rat.


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## mopydream44

> stop trying to find flaws in how i raise my rats and just accept it.


 I don't think anyone is trying to find flaws...I know I am not! People, including myself, just found it very odd. 

If there is only one baby then AWESOME! You have another pet, and It won't cost you hundreds of $ (like my litter cost me) and you won't have to go through the heartbreak of saying goodbye to the babies! I mean that's completely awesome!!!!!! 



> actually you cant assume anything . if id thought she had consumed a litter i would have stated it. i checked the bedding, i couldnt even find blood spots, there was no evidence of a large birth.


you're right. none of us actually know what happened. It's strange but it is possible she had just one. It still blows my mind but sure! 



> i know you all love your rats and have probably learned alot about them.but that doesnt make you an authority. honestly, how stupid do you think i am?


I think the point is that everyone on this forum IS learning a lot about rats, and while that doesn't make anyone an authority on the subject, it does make us a GOOD RESOURCE! 

And no one think's you're stupid! The internet takes away all the subtleties of communication..... voice inflections, body language, eye contact, so sometimes it's nearly impossible to interpret the attitude of the author. I've forgotten this many times myself, and I have feel attacked but I know people are just concerned and often frustrated because this mannor of communication is not only devoid of emotion but slow as well! 



> like i would actually let a female and male house together


I never thought you had.



> your just trying to make things too complicated.


I don't believe any of us WISH for things to be complicated for you because we get some horrible joy from it but it MIGHT get complicated. As stated before if she escaped to get pregnant the first time, and you didn't realize they could get together, there is a good chance she escaped again and is now pregnant with a potentially bigger litter. 

I hope not......I think everyone on here would hope not but it's possible! 


anyhoo please don't be so quick to jump down OUR throats because I know no one was jumping down yours!


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## Sparker

Oops...


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## Sparker

We've had mothers in our hospital only give birth to one or two pups. Usually, they are young with smaller frames and it IS most likely a complication, which is relatively normal.

Cupids - It can certainly happen. Good job with the rich foods. She needs it!


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