# Winnifred's Accidental Litter!



## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

So a couple weeks ago, my friend, Sorrel, purchased a companion rat for her double rex female rat, Rwby (pronounced Ruby). After bringing the new rat home, Sorrel noticed that their newest rat, whom they named Winnifred, seemed to be putting on some weight so Winnie went on a diet. Of course, it wasn't long after that they began to suspect Winnifred might be pregnant, and sure enough, on May 25th, a litter of 11 healthy babies were born!

Meet Winnifred, a cream and white rex.




And her cage-mate, Rwby! 





I don't have photos from day 1 and 2, unfortunately (I'm trying to convince Sorrel to join RatForum, and they do have those photos) 


Here's the litter at day 3




And at day 4




And a pup pile at day 5!



They're getting so big!


We weighed each one and noticed that some of them had straight whiskers and some had curly (and suspect these are rex babies!) We also sexed them as best we could but we could be totally wrong. 

1 - 11g, Rex, Male




2 - 11g, Rex, Female



3 - 13g, Rex, Female



4 - 12g, Non-Rex, Male



5 - 11g, Non-Rex, Female



6 - 12g, Non-Rex, Male 
(we've nicknamed this baby Harry Potter because of his face marking)



7 - 12g, Non-Rex, Female



8 - 12g, Rex, Male



9 - 11g, Rex, Male



10 - 12g, Rex, Female



11 - 13g, Non-Rex, Male
(super wiggly and most active of everyone)




For all the dark ones, each baby has a slightly different marking on their right side which is how we tell them apart!


I'm hoping to get better photos with my actual camera (instead of my cell phone) as their fur comes in but I'm really glad they're all healthy with good milk bands and Winnie and Rwby are doing such a great job! (Rwby mostly ignores the babies but Winnifred panicked without Rwby nearby and and Rwby was distressed and they both calmed down once Sorrel put them back together.)


And here's some more photos and videos for funsies!

(This is the baby I've fallen in love with)






Another handful!





Of course we have no idea who the dad is but I'm really excited to see what fur colors are in this litter too!


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## Fu-Inle (Jan 22, 2015)

It will interesting to see how they turn out. I noticed there are some lighter dark ones. Possibily blue? Harry Potter is cute lol


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

That's what I was hoping! It's a fun guessing game since we don't know what the father looked like!


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

Adorable babies 

I might have already shared these with you... but if not 


Some helpful links for the babies development & sexing:
http://www.afrma.org/babyratdevdaily.htm
http://tigertailrattery.weebly.com/growth-picture-journal.html
http://ratguide.com/breeding/baby_development/birth_to_weaning.php
http://www.onceuponamischief.com/p/sexing-and.html
http://mainelyratrescue.org/rattieblog2/?p=42


I'd make sure mom is getting extra protein depending on what food she usually eats. I like moms to get around 18% protein and not over 20%. Hard boiled eggs are a favorite.

I also suggest separating the sexes at 5 weeks old. And not rehoming until after 6 weeks. 

I am in some facebook groups you may be interested in joining to try and find the babies homes when it is time
https://www.facebook.com/groups/upstatenyrats/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/594127184000084/


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

moonkissed said:


> Adorable babies
> 
> I might have already shared these with you... but if not
> 
> ...



Ahaha, yep, you gave me the top links! And yeah, we've been doing hard boiled egg and such. How much egg a day would you recommend?


I know Sorrel posted to the first group but I don't think either of us knew about the second! I'll definitely make a post there too! Thank you so much for all your help!


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## Greyday (Apr 25, 2016)

I can't wait to see what they look like 🙂


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Sorrel just joined but has to get their post count up. But they also just sent me day 1 and day 2 pics which I'll post here! 








It really is incredible how much they've grown and changed already!


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Day 6 babies! 




Today is Day 7 (I haven't gone over yet) but they're wigglin around like crazy! It's so cute! (I keep getting snapchats!)


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Adding another update that rattie #3 is actually Male and not Female!


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

Awwwwwww! I want a solid blue and a variegated blue, Too bad you are so far away!! They are adorable.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Ratloved said:


> Awwwwwww! I want a solid blue and a variegated blue, Too bad you are so far away!! They are adorable.


Shhhh you're not THAT far! Only like..... 10 hours! Ahaha. 

Do you think they're a true Blue? They seem lighter based on what I've been researching (but I'm definitely no expert). 

Via the AFRMA website, I was looking at coat colors and wonder if they might be a lighter variation or maybe a Russian Blue?

Blue | Powder Blue | Russian Blue | Sky Blue


I feel like that the variegated babies are throwing off my color perception though and making me think they're lighter than they actually are since the solid babies are definitely darker. 

Ahhhhh I JUST CAN'T WAIT THOUGH. Sorrel said they were getting really active today so I can't wait to stop by and see them!


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

I have had many rats over the years but I am no expert either, especially when it comes to genetics, colors, and breeding. They have all been just pets and most of them rescues either from humane societies, rescues, or from people that I knew who just didn't want them anymore. All but 5 of my 13 are foster failures, just couldn't stand to see them go somewhere else. Most of them, their moms came to the rescue pregnant, I fostered them, and fell in love with some of the babies And kept a few. Including the one in my avatar.... That's peanut, she was the runt and at almost 7 months old, she still only weighs 150 grams. She is at least half the size all my other rats. Oh and as cute as they are, even if I lived close, I don't think I need anymore of my own rats. I still have a few (4) fosters but they are all sanctuary rats and a sanctuary g. pig.


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

Oh and as far as the blue color, i would guess they are one of the darker shades of a blue. And I agree with you. If they were close, I would want to go play with them all the time, lol. Hav fun!


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## Fu-Inle (Jan 22, 2015)

Well heres my guess- The darkest ones will be black. The two medium dark ones might be Agouti and the lighter ones will be blue


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

I will post new photos later today when I've uploaded them but I doubt they'll be agouti. There's no brown coloration in them at all. They're a medium light blue-grey color. Maybe they'll get a topcoat that's a warmer brown but my friend's agouti babies all had a distinctive warm tone where these guys are all cool tones! I guess we'll know for sure in a couple days!


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Alright!

Babies turned 1 week old yesterday! How exciting!

We re-weighed everyone - I am just a little worried since a few only gained 1 gram and the rest gained two or three. When we next weigh them I'll determine if there's a problem. I hope the weights look good for rats a week old! If you notice something super wrong, please let me know asap!

Here's the key for below. 
# - Sex, Coat - Color - Weight (Weight Increase from Day 5)

DAY 7


01 - Male, Rex - Vari Grey/White - 14g (+ 3g)
02 - Female, Rex - Vari Grey/White - 13g (+ 2g)
03 - Male, Rex - Black + white underbelly & tail tip - 14g (+ 1g)
04 - Male, Smooth - Blue Grey - 15g ( + 3g)
05 - Female, Smooth - Blue Grey - 13g (+ 2g)
06 - Male, Smooth - Vari Grey/White - 15g (+ 3g)
07 - Female, Smooth - Vari Grey/White - 15g (+ 3g)
08 - Male, Rex - Vari Grey/White - 13g (+ 1g)
09 - Male, Rex - Black + white underbelly- 14g (+ 3g)
10 - Female, Rex - Black + white underbelly- 13g (+ 1g)
11 - Male, Smooth - Black + white underbelly - 15g (+ 2g)


And now for Photos!

All the black babies: 11 (top), 3 (second from top), and 9 and 10 (twins)




The two blue grey babies, 4 and 5! We've been debating on what color they'll end up being, but it's a pretty cool blue with no brown or warm hues that I can see.





And lastly, the five variegated grey and white babies! The blue grey in their coats seems lighter than the more solid babies above. These guys were also the most active and nearly impossible to get a photo of!

1 (top left), 6 (top right), 8 (bottom left), 7 (bottom middle), 2 (bottom right)







And just some other snaps I grabbed yesterday!


They're so incredibly soft right now it's insane. Their fur coming in is so cute!




And of course, the baby I've been eyeing




And I think my second baby is going to be one of the smooth blues! The baby above is male but I haven't decided if I want to get two males (who I'll neuter anyway), two females (in which case, I'd take number 2 with the tiny dash on her head) (they'd both get spayed), or one male and one female (who'd both be neutered and spayed).





I called around and found a couple vets in the area who take rats. They'll all have good ratings but the closest one wants $468 for a spay and $394 for a neuter. Every other place I called (5 other places, from 20 min to 2 hours away) wanted around $250 for a spay and $150 for a neuter. The place I'm going with is reasonably close, has great reviews, and people are happy so I trust that it will be okay - I just was shocked when the closest one told me their costs. I've never heard of a place charging that much! 


I'll update with some Day 8 photos tonight or tomorrow! I love watching these cuties grow up and I hope you do too!


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## MousE190 (Oct 7, 2014)

They are adorable!


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## Nev&Remus (Nov 4, 2015)

Ahhh they're so cute! Those prices for neuters make me sure feel lucky it's 'only' £70 here. I thought that was a lot at the time too haha.


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## raindear (Mar 3, 2015)

I have seen so many prices for rat neuters/spays on this forum. Here in Nevada where I am, they are the same as cat neuters/spays, which is a little more than dog neuters/spays but not outrageous. Generally in the $80-$160 range.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

MousE190 said:


> They are adorable!


I know right!





Nev&Remus said:


> Ahhh they're so cute! Those prices for neuters make me sure feel lucky it's 'only' £70 here. I thought that was a lot at the time too haha.





raindear said:


> I have seen so many prices for rat neuters/spays on this forum. Here in Nevada where I am, they are the same as cat neuters/spays, which is a little more than dog neuters/spays but not outrageous. Generally in the $80-$160 range.


@Nev&Remus and @Raindear - See, those are both reasonable IMO. This place charges the same insane rate for cat and dog spays and neuters too so I suspect any of their services are just a ridiculous cost. There's no way I could afford to take my pets there. Ahaha.


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

I still want that last little guy! 😜


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

My vet normally charges 265$ for spay and a little less for a neuter. I have gotten my rats fixed through the rescue I foster for. The same vet charges the rescue 50$ for either sex. There is a exotic vet a little over an hour away that charges 70$ but she us very busy and can be rather difficult to get an appointment with.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

That's a huge difference! I guess many vets do that to help rescues and to get a little practice. My vet asks $100 for a neuter and $200 for a rat spay. However, I get discounts if I fix more than 1 rat at the time. It was only $130 for two neuters. I bet many vets would make a discount for more than 1 rat. Worth asking.


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## Fu-Inle (Jan 22, 2015)

Yeah you're probably right about the two medium greys


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Day 8 photos are here! I'm actually downloading and cleaning up the ones I took with my DSLR, but here's the instagram photos from yesterday's cuddlefest!

Obligatory wiggle pile.




Two of the boys I was eyeing




A sleepy snoozer




I've been going back and forth between girls and boys. I originally wanted girls but the rattie above (large spot on forehead) captured my heart before I knew he was a boy. Of course, I plan to spay or neuter regardless so I could take both boys and girls but I decided to spend some time with the two girls that I like yesterday and..... I'm even more in love. Ahaha.

Here's the rex baby (she's #2 on the list). Just look at those curly whiskers!




Lots of exploring yesterday!




And lots of snuggles too! Easier to get photos like this vs when they're zooming around (so fast already!)









I'll be adding more photos later of the other babies! They're mostly on my DSLR.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

Adorable 

I wanna come steal the black ones! lol

Also you don't have to say they have white on them. You would just say they are blue & then the markings. The white is implied. Also just blue not gray 
I really love the variegated markings <3 So cute.

It is so easy to get attached to them all and want to just hold them and take a million pics lol Just wait until they open their eyes and then all the fun really begins!


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

moonkissed said:


> Adorable
> 
> I wanna come steal the black ones! lol
> 
> ...



Ahaha I suspected but I figured better to be as detailed as possible rather than not! 


AND YEAH I WANNA KEEP EM ALL (but I definitely can't). They're already moving around so much - it's going to be chaos when they open their eyes! I can barely get photos of them as it is!


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

lol so true! And they all seem to take off in different directions so you just don't have enough hands!

This little girl just turned 2 weeks today, she is the only one whos eyes are not yet opened...and she is trying to escape her cage. Gonna be so much trouble lol


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

moonkissed said:


> lol so true! And they all seem to take off in different directions so you just don't have enough hands!
> 
> This little girl just turned 2 weeks today, she is the only one whos eyes are not yet opened...and she is trying to escape her cage. Gonna be so much trouble lol
> http://i.imgur.com/v0pstGO.jpg?1


We're doomed.

It's just over 1 week and while most of the babies are wiggling a couple are getting really active and are more walking than crawling which I didn't expect for a while still!


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

I've got some videos to share too! They're on my instagram so just click the links!

Turn your volume up for this one! Cute licking grooming noises!: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGLadi4mUfK/

Yawning baby: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGLZ6zsGUed/


Is it nursing behavior that makes them shove their noses under their sibling's crotches?

The boys: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGK5S5-mUcm/

The girls: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGK4Ox8GUaI/


This little guy was booking it earlier. Zoomin around the bed. I was too busy trying to make sure he didn't fall off so he's actually moving a lot slower in the video. But he's nearly walking. I get the feeling he'll be a tricky one to hold onto when his eyes open!: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGK1gv0GUUs/


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

Oh my,, just way too much cuteness.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Just wait until you see the photos I took today. It's illegal how cute these nerds are.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Day 9 Photos are here!

Of course the wiggle pile. It's my favorite.








And today we're going to start with the babies who haven't been adopted yet.



01 - Male, Rex - Variegated Blue- 18g (+ 2g)
_LOOK AT THOSE WHISKERS_







03 - Male, Rex - Black + white underbelly - 17g (+ 1g)
(The one on the right. His twin sister is on the left and has been adopted!)

Untitled



4 - Male, Smooth - Blue - 17g ( + 2g)

Day 9



06 - Male, Smooth - Variegated Blue- 18g (+ 3g)





08 - Male, Rex - Variegated Blue - 17g (+ 3g)





11 - Male, Smooth - Black + white underbelly - 18g (+ 2g)






And now for the lucky ones who have found homes!


This little boy is being adopted by one of our friends along with an older boy that lives in the house. (I'm trying to convince him to take a second young boy too, ahaha)

09 - Male, Rex - Black + white underbelly- 17g (+ 1g)





These two fuzzlets are heading home to a lovely woman who already owns a few rats and was looking for some young ladies to add to her mischief! 

07 - Female, Smooth - Variegated Blue - 18g (+ 2g)






10 - Female, Rex - Black + white underbelly- 17g (+ 1g)





And last but not least, the two sweethearts I'm adopting.

02 - Female, Rex - Variegated Blue - 18g (+ 3g) (named Asteria)




05 - Female, Smooth - Blue - 17g (+ 2g) (name Melia)


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

Ok road trip !!! You take five hours and I will take five hours, bring number 1 and number 4 with you. Lol. Not for a few weeks of course!!


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

And yes, just daydreaming.


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Ratloved said:


> Ok road trip !!! You take five hours and I will take five hours, bring number 1 and number 4 with you. Lol. Not for a few weeks of course!!





Ratloved said:


> And yes, just daydreaming.


Ahaha YOU SURE ABOUT THAT?

Anyway, #4 just got adopted last night! 


Day 10 wiggle pile!





My baby, Melia




My other baby, Asteria





We played with all the babies but they're handfuls now and seem to like to beeline for the most dangerous places so it's hard to get photos. I do have some but most of them are blurry. However, Melia and Asteria were being very cute and snuggly later in the day so I managed to get some cute shots and a video!



(Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BGQR_GpmUbb )



And then I also wanted to send the girl who adopted two of the ladies some video of her rascals.

This baby much rather stay with you. She's been more adventurous before but tends to prefer to keep close.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGPw-numUZW/


And this little one will run around. She returns to your hand occasionally but really likes to explore!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGPwd1EGUYF/


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

Day 11 photos are here!

First is Winnifred and Rwby though! I missed a super cute photo because people opened the upstairs door and it woke them but Winnie likes napping on the rock under the water bottle and Rwby uses Winnie as a pillow. It's super cute. 




I took.... A LOT of group photos yesterday. We got the babies a new bed. They love it and mom does too. She seems more relaxed now that they're more contained? (Other boxes were a little bigger and babies were everywhere). 







Jeez, look at that.






And now some of the individual photos!





So cool the difference between the rex and smooth coats! Both are stupidly soft though.






AND THEN I started a huge debate on facebook about what type of marking you would call this! I'd love to hear your opinions too (But I made a separate thread about that so please go here: http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?322306-So....-what-type-of-face-marking-is-this )


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## Modernstar (Jan 30, 2016)

OH GOD THOSE BLUE VARIEGATED REXES!! I so wish I was in New York, I'd adopt one of those sweethearts in a second.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I would keep them all❤ They are sooo sweet!


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## Ratloved (Oct 4, 2015)

It really is one of the most adorable litters I have ever seen, I so wished I lived closer, as I have already stated before. Just such beautiful babies. Keep the pictures coming, love yo watch them grow up!&#55357;&#56845;


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## smoteymote (May 28, 2016)

So day 12 I got really sick and couldn't go over, so I only have 1 photo that Sorrel sent me:




But Day 13.... the babies opened their eyes!!! Most of what I have is video, so I'll link the instagram links first and follow with a few of the photos I nabbed! They're zooming around so fast already @[email protected]

Winnifred feeding the babies! https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYOgewmUd-/

Twitchy wiggly pile of sleeping babies https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYTgoNmUXn/

THE YAWN. THE GROOMS. MY HEART https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYT2eFmUYQ/

Open eyes and curious faces https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYVaNyGUbI/

Wanderin' around https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYWTDTGUcZ/

ZOOM ZOOM https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYWqXdGUdC/

I can't even https://www.instagram.com/p/BGYYbohmUfk/

More explorin' https://www.instagram.com/p/BGZGCemGUXB/

Pile of grooming babies and a wanderer https://www.instagram.com/p/BGZGlmGGUYY/













I love the difference between the smooth and rex coats!




Little Asteria!




After crawling up my shirt and playing around a bit, Asteria and Melia snuggled up at the nape of my neck and napped for like 20 minutes while we hung out. It was really really cute. I'm hoping that they stay pretty cuddly even as they get older! Can I get the best of both fun and playful ladies and cuddly snugglebugs?


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