# New rat - agressive mom and suprise babies!



## munakgirl (Apr 30, 2010)

Here's the story.

One of my rats recently died, (2yrs old) an her buddy was starting to get lonely, so I started looking for an older rat, though non of the breeders here had any older ratties to spare let alone many available babies. So I turned to craigslist >.>... for a friendly older rat (at least 8months old) and I found a very nice lady who had some babies and she happen to have 1 older female 8months, whom had been housed with babies and mum, and also a past 'boyfriend' apparently but he was rather old and she had been with him a long time apparently... an he got so old that she decided to let a friend whom loved him adopt him, an she was planning on keeping this girl (named Blue) but since I was in desperate need of an older girl she decided to let me adopt her.

My other ratty girl Flutterby is a somewhat bigger very laid back submissive and lazy girl. She cant handle babies well so thats why I needed a somewhat mello older girl.

So I get Blue home, and the first day she's nice, lets me handle her, kisses an all. I gave her time to ajust to her new home. but apparently she hasnt been handled much (cuz of lack of time from the previous owner) an so she hasnt ever played outside the cage or been too socialized. But she was still nice at first ^^;... But after about 2 days she decided to not be so nice anymore... and i thought it was cuz she was just being a bit tramatized from the sudden move of the only ratties and home she ever known.

Then she started super nesting, and being more nippy and actually bite me drawing blood (ouchy) I told the previous owner, and she was a bit shocked, and I asked if she had been with the male recently or ever been a mom, she said no, and the male hadnt been with her for a while and he was super old... So I brushed it off thinking maybe... she just didnt like her new home.

I was gonna interduce her to fluterby and she decided to dislike her and attemps failed, she just wanted to go kujo on her lol... and flutter wasnt happy with her either....

So I started thinking about giving her to the previous owner. when I had to make an emergency trip down to my sisters for her babies birth (which I got to be in the room with her and it was amazing) an when I returned, I found flutterby had a cancer tumor.. so sadly as she seems fine now, it grows and I will have to have her put down. So I was going to give blue back

But things kept happening with the owner, and she got in an accident and was in the hospital and cant drive >.< and now I have lost contact with her (what the crap ) an... today! I found babies!

My suspicious were right about her being pregnant even though she never got fat at all (very slim actually... especially compared to flutterby lol)... I was taking down her hammock when I realised her nipples were wet around them.... (she decided to use the hammock to annoy me by trying to escape out the top door which is loose) 

So I inspected her nest which is on the top level... an covered in a dark corner. an found pinkies. maybe 1-3 days old. I have read alot about rats and stuff (along time ago) and found genetics and all the breeding things interesting but never ever planned on actually raising a litter.... although I'm excited I'm also terrified lol

I have a mom which will NOT let me handle her, and wants to bite the crap out of me any time I'm near the bars or her.... and doesnt want to come out of the cage... and has babies.... which I will need to socialize (I'm well in formed and experienced with rat babies at least... just not angry moms lol) I've never had litters before... just seen and read alot about them....

I am worried about her harming them since she's never mothered or tryed to be motherly, also her nervousness of my yorkie, whom has this arch rivalry with her all the sudden.... she leaves my other rats alone but wants to pick a fight with her through the bars and barks at her now and its rather annothing. so I'm moving the cage atop my dresser to keep it out of my dogs view... hopefully that will give the mom some comfort... just hte housing also worries me. Its a wire cage. The wires are small enough but it has 3 lvls and I dont want babies to fall as she's choosen the top level for herself... and reffuses to move lower, and will not let me put any thing on the bottom. I usually put lots of newspaper down there but she puts ever shred up in the nest lol. so its dirty and needs cleaning often but now I'm afraid to mess with the cage to much so i dont stress her out.



any tips ^^; (also any good veggies for moms, and babies? also I was planning to give her a lil yogurt as treats and some cat food as treats would kitten or cat be better?)

I'm sorry for the length. an here is some pictures of the cage (except it has a wire lid, which has some issues because someone set something heavy on top of it when we moved >.<)
















(2month old baby rat peeking through bars when I first got her)


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## oatsnyogurt (Apr 5, 2010)

A lot of mothers are like that. If they have a strong bond or have known you since they were little, they are less likely to be aggressive when they have kits. I know from experience that some moms can be nasty. It may come and go from week to week. I had one mother that was so aggressive that I had to have gloves when getting her out of the cage. Once the mama is out of the cage, she calms down and it is much easier to handle her. Hope this helps.


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## munakgirl (Apr 30, 2010)

Yeah she's kinda the type I'd need gloves with lol, but I have none. so I just lure her out as much as possible and shut the door behind her hten use a towel to move her, carefully with out freaking her out to much. I'm hoping she'll calm down more after the babies are weened. 

She also seems to spend more time out of the nest then in it.

She goes in to give them a feeding, and clean um up for about an hour or two then wants out for 30mis. to take a quick nap, and eat and drink. (she lays so flat its kinda funny) 

I checked on the babies and she has 10 lil squeaky about 4days old I'm thinking by how they are developed


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## ema-leigh (Jan 24, 2010)

She will most likley calm down once the babies are approx 2 weeks old and shes not so protective of them.


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

I've heard boiled egg is good for nursing moms.

I also had an accidental litter a few months ago and it's really cool to watch the babies grow. Enjoy them in their adorable pinkie stage, they won't be like that for long!

Do you have any plans for how you're going to re-home them yet?


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## munakgirl (Apr 30, 2010)

They already have fuzz, and are about 9days old... sooo cute! 

I feed her some boiled egg, or scrambled (she's had both as treats so far). 

I am gonna try a few different things to rehome them... 11 babies ^^; I'm keeping 2 so need homes for 9. I have a home for 1 girl so far... and one possible home, for another girl. (I told them I want to visit the home first so I know they have another rat, and stuff) 

I'm gonna post ads on criagslist, I already posted an add actually, but I'll wait till I can get cute pictures closer to the day they need homes. 

I also was gonna make a flier or something, and post it on our townhouse mailbox, and have my sister ask her friends when they are old enough. (require that they go in same sex pairs) 

Any other suggestions?


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## Capistrono (Apr 12, 2010)

I did all those things, posted on Craigslist, put up fliers and asked around but no one at all responded. :/ Somebody from a rattery in Indiana offered to take them finally, so we had to drive for about an hour and a half to drop them off. Worked out all right in the end though, she found them homes easier then we could.
Good luck finding homes for 'em!

And post pictures when you get them. Baby rats are too cute. ^^


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## munakgirl (Apr 30, 2010)

So I have pictures but I cant seem to get them up on here. So you can check my facebook albums for the pictures of the ratties.

Also there is two very light hooded rats... not sure on the color if anyone wants to help (its like silvery... or something?)

There are 3 pew, 2 like blazy marked caps(masks?) 4 blue hoodeds, (two are just speckled on the back, with caps, and the other two have better stripe down the back similar to mum) and 2 light silvery creamish hoodeds. Also one of the blaze faced boys is an odd eyed rat. He has one red, one black eye. (I didnt even realise it until I took pictures with flash, then looked really close at him after and realized one of his eyes was red, the eye that had a white triangle over it =P (My brother thinks he's keeping him and has named him anubis... he originally wanted a black rat really bad to name it that, but he is dead set on having a rat and naming it that... and since he isnt aloud to just go get one he thinks he's getting one of the boys lol)


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## Stace87 (Jun 24, 2008)

munakgirl said:


> So I have pictures but I cant seem to get them up on here.


Here is a sticky on how to post photos on the forum.


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## munakgirl (Apr 30, 2010)

Pictures of babies




















































Sorry they are kinda big


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## Simisama (May 11, 2010)

Adorable!!! I hope they find good homes.


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## clarry (May 19, 2008)

SO cute!!! If you cant find them homes you can post on here in the rats needing homes sections, advertising them, and there are some other forums with the same features such as goosemoose etc


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## karinulph (Jul 19, 2010)

Where are you located?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Looks like PEW's, american blues and I think I see platinum hooded?


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## toby (May 11, 2009)

they are simply gorgeous.


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## quaintuncanny1 (Jul 29, 2010)

where are you located can i adopt a female, do you have a russian blue female, are the babies sweet since the mom is agressive? ap 14 @ sunyorange .edu i live middltown ny area


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