# My newest addition had an ooopsie litter. I've got questions



## Synchro246 (Jun 10, 2018)

I had 2 2yo rats, Phoebe and Matilda and Matilda died I decided to get two more dumbo baby girls. Phoebe was alone in a large cage with 2cm bar spacing. I could only semi quarantine the new girls in a mansion with 1cm bar spacing (same room) one died of pneumonia overnight and Dinah ate part of her sister. She seemed really fat and I was a little grossed out that she must have really filled her belly.... But next day she was bigger... and the next... then I moved her into a 10 gal nursery tank I use for holding rats during cage cleaning and the next day voila! Babies! 10 dumbo babies! So now they're 4 days old and everyone is well. Very young Dinah seems to be really cooped up and begs for loving. So when can I move her and the littler back into her mansion? When will it be ok to into Phoebe to the group ? And will the boys be big enough to go in the 2cm bar cage by 6 weeks?


----------



## Synchro246 (Jun 10, 2018)

This is the mansion







This is Phoebe cage


----------



## Synchro246 (Jun 10, 2018)

Hey guys, mama is really antsy. I know babies are still too young for the 1cm mansion but really when can I move them?


----------



## rottingmartian (Jun 1, 2018)

I've never had any of my rats give birth so I'm no expert. But I did some (very) quick research since no one has answered yet. From what I've read, I think you can put the boys into a 1 cm cage at 2 weeks. I'm sure they'll be big enough to fit in the 2 cm cage by 6 weeks. If you're not sure though and worried about them squeezing through the bars you can wrap the cage in hardware cloth. You definitely need to put the boys in a cage away from the girls by the time they're 5 weeks old, since that's when they hit puberty and might get the girls pregnant.


----------



## techfool (Apr 16, 2018)

I bred rats a long time ago.2cm is really wide. Even some adult females can get through that. I personally wouldn't chance it with youngsters.I kept my females with the others throughout the birth. The buggest problem is babystealing, if the baby isn't retrieved (by the mother) it can die. I don't know how it would work to re introduce them after a separation. It's one of those every rat is different situations. My females were very tightly bonded and my babystealer was wild type.


----------



## Synchro246 (Jun 10, 2018)

If the boys can be ready for the 1cm cage at 2 weeks- do you think that be 3 weeksthe girls would be ready and I could move mama and the babies then? I am anxious about all of this


----------



## Synchro246 (Jun 10, 2018)

Lol I've already got 2 tanks of fish... don't think I could take anymore. If I ever find a home for my kids ball python I could scrub down and use his 60- 70 gallon. I guess I'll just need to play it by ear and give mama plenty of play time


----------

