# Too Many babies?!



## Amummert145 (May 31, 2013)

My husband and I are Civil war re-enactors so some weekends we have to leave our 4 beautiful rats with his father. We have a boys cage and a girls cage, 2 in each. While my father in law assures me that no rats mingled outside of their cage I believe that the cages were so close together that it was a through the bars job. A few days ago I expected my female was pregnant, This morning Rosey surprised us with 15 babies. I have read that if a rat has more then 12 she will odds are kill the others or push them from the nest to starve. It has been almost 12 hours since she had them and I noticed her nudging two babies from the rest of them. If she is rejecting them is there anything I can do to save them?
,Amber


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

You can try to find a breeder or rescue with a nursing mother.
My rat had fourteen. I kept putting any singled-out babies back in the nest. She then split her nest in two - six in one, eight in the other. We had one death. She managed to feed 13.

You can also try to take out fed babies and rotate in the ones not being fed - check for a yellow/white milk band across the belly.


----------



## Amummert145 (May 31, 2013)

The only breeder I have close is solely breeding for feeders. The man offered to take the two pinkies and put them with a mother but would not return them to me. They would then go as snake food. What a sweetheart


----------



## Hephaestion (Jan 27, 2013)

Rats don't mate through bars of the cage. For them, mating is somewhat ritualised ( some teasing and chasing ) and then the act which involves mounting. A through the bars scenario would require a rat to mate using the missionary position or else being very creative. This is highly unlikely. It is more likely that your ladies wound up with the boys, even briefly.


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Well, just try to keep adding them back into the nest or split her nest into two piles and motivate her to feed both.
I wasn't home much so I couldn't do the rotate method, but that would be best - she should be feeding anywhere from 2-4 hours, so check the babies and rotate the unfed ones in and the fed ones out. Someone even had to hold their rat still in a small small enclosure so the baby could begin feeding, at which time the mother allowed the baby to thrive.

I will warn you, because it made me cry: expect one fatality. Either because of her age, the number, or she may well be separating them out if she perceives them as ill or deformed. I'm assuming it's her first litter.

Make sure she is getting protein (scrambled eggs no cheese) to help. Someone suggested providing a second bottle filled with puppy's milk.


----------



## Amummert145 (May 31, 2013)

Rosie has made two piles and has taken to feeding one pile and then the other. We have lost one baby through the night. I spoke with my Vet this morning who advised me to pull out all of the babies and mask them with my scent. She had mentioned that since Rosie is so trusting of our scent that it will encourage her to care for the babies. I did that earlier and so far she has been caring for all of them. I started another thread under the category of "Adoption Center." I am posting pics their daily, hoping that maybe I can find some good homes for the babies =)


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I've found homes for the majority of my litter born July 22nd :]

Most recommend making sure babies smell like momma so she doesn't overgroom them. I usually give momma a rub down then handle babies.

I'm sorry about the one lost - as I said, I lost one with mine. Just disappeared.

Edit: should've explained disappeared. Occasionally, a baby would get lost in bedding. I searched the bedding to find no blood or baby.


----------



## Amummert145 (May 31, 2013)

Same here, no sign of baby or blood anywhere. Also white bedding so its very slim there was an oversight. I am just thankful Rosie is taking care of them. This is her first litter, had it been up to me she would have never had this stress to begin with. Dont get me wrong I love the babies but my first concern is Rosie. This first week is just so stressful, I feel like I am hovering too much. She doesnt seem to mind and is loving the perks! (scrambled eggs and breakfast kitty kibble in the morning)


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I was using white paper. She would burrow and babies got buried.

I would make sure broccoli and blueberries are added as they fight against cancer, benefits that can be passed down.


----------



## Amummert145 (May 31, 2013)

Never thought of blueberries. Poor Rosie will have blue paws lol


----------



## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

My rat grooms off any stain, but it does give her that nice berry smell all over her coat


----------

