# OH......NO!!!



## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

About 7 months ago I bought 2 "male" ratties to be my older males cagemates. Well, we found out that one of our supposed males was in fact a female, not a problem...she has been seperated for about 6 months. She recently got out of her cage and into the males cage, i didnt think it was that big of a deal because when they had playtime togehter, no one ever tried anything, in the mating sence. i get up this morning to little squeeks, i immediatly look at the gliders because i have a female that is expecting, but joeys usually dont squeek...so i think....OMG no....please no.... Molly has a "tunnel" (sleeve off of a sweatshirt) but it is dark, so i get a flashlight and look (from outside the cage) and i see a bunch of little pikies squirming around.... She did not even gain weight!! she looked and acted as normal throughout her daily playtime and lovvins....i had no clue and am now scared as i have to find a large tank for her to move into and hope she doent harm the babies durring the move....im not planning on moving her today, but today was her cage cleaning day and her laundry could use a washing.... im so stressed...

But they look healthy(and adorable!) and i have NO IDEA how many, and what mom is gonna say (i still live at home, but i hold my own...21 in august lol)

OI!!!!!


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

Honestly the matting could have happened when they were out of their cage also playing. You said you free ranged them together, well matting can happen in all of 2 seconds. It's super quick. Have you considered getting her spayed so she can stay with the boys? You could always keep one of the female babies for a friend for her. She really shouldn't be in the cage alone, and she really shouldn't be free ranging with the boys ever.


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

Thanks. We probably will be keeping at least one of the females to be her cage mate. We have been activly looking to find her one, but im looking for one younger, or her age and have yet to find one.

She came out for a snack, and I counted 10, so at least it is a smaller litter, they all appear to be thriving, squeeking and moving around.


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

Keep two so that they can age together. I keep a large group of both boys & girls & their ages range from several weeks to 2 yrs presently. I tend to add new members every few months because as seniors reach those golden days you don't want the youngest survivor ending up all on their own. That just my own method but of course I really don't have anyone else to answer to on this. (41 last January)

Oh & figure out how she got out of her cage because every time she does.. or her daughters do... you will have more unexpected squeaks. 

The breeding takes all of 1.5 seconds & that includes a cigarette afterward.


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

well, I have her tank all set up, litter box, igloo, food bowl and toys. Its about 15 1/4" deep by 35" long by 24"tall. I will be constructing a free standing 2nd level tomarrow to give her some more room. I will also have to go get a hanging water bottle or holder tomarrow.


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## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

save yourself the trouble of a level right now because levels could prove to be dangerous if she were decide to move the kiddos upstairs. 

she has been through enough so no more remodeling needed

she will be sitting with her litter for most of the day for the first week... she will venture out a bit more during the second week & by the 3rd, after their eyes are open.. she will enjoy taking short breaks away from the kiddos


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

Will do Julia.

I moved her today, about an hour ago. She jumped out of her cage and started loving on me, so i put her in the tank first, so she could mark it a bit before the babies went in. She went directly for the litterbox and did her business, then for the igloo to check out the new digs. she seemed happy enough so I grabbed the tunnel out of the old cage and carried it to the tank, there was a hole in the bottom right where the lil ones were so they wound up in my hand. I got to take a good look at them, there were 12, but one was dead, so that makes 11  The all had full milk bellies and were wigglin around. so i placed each one in checking them over real quick before, she would have rather cuddled with me and watch me touch her babies then anyting else....
I do have an issue though, there is one who looks healthy enough but it has a bit of the bedding caked to its skin, almost like she neglected to clean this one up and the birthing liquid made a glue to hold bits of chewed fabric onto it.... you think it will eventually come off? will she clean it off?

I will post pictures of mommy and possibly babies and their temp home later.


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

The one with fabric stuck to it passed away, leaving me with 10 healthy adorable babies. They are getting big, little fatties lol, they are also starting to color up, it looks like 5 will be PEW and the others will be some variation of black or blue marked, (only one hooded the rest appear kind of mismarked) But as long as they are healthy, thats all i care about....

I have begun the search for a cage to seperate males from females in 5 weeks, and will be keeping one male and 2 females for myself!


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## lovinmyworm (Feb 18, 2008)

You might want to post on the rats needing homes sections after their eyes have opened. Hopefully someone on here will see it and help you to get rid of some of the babies. Be careful posting them on cl and sites like that make sure to charge a large enough re-homing fee that people won't want them as snake food. Around here you can get a feeder rat for $6, so I would charge $10. 

Also, you might want to start trying to work out when and how your going to free range them from now on so this doesn't happen again. Make sure if they are free ranging they don't have acess to the other sex ratties cage.


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

Yes, I will deffinatly post them on here once they are older.

Free ranging has already been re-routined lol. The boys get out of cage time for 3 hours a day, 1 in the morning and 2 in the evening, her cage is now an aquarium with a sliding and locking lid, so there is no way for them to get in or her to escape. The boys cage has been put up on my dresser out of her reach, and she gets 1 hour in the morning, 1 in the after noon and 1 in the evening (she gets time before the boys), that way she isnt out from the babies for too long, and i have a ladder leading up to her home in case she want/needs to get in earlier than that.

I will be keeping 3 of the babies, 2 females and one male for myself.


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

PICTURES!!!! The little ones are 5 days old now, and have grown a bit and look good!
























Ant this is her nursery, Molly is trying to escape to the left of the picture.








But who could blame her, she went from this cage to that aquarium!


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

Lol....yeah.

Since im here, I guess I will update on the little ones 
The ones that I took to be PEW's are not, I was a bit early lol... We do have 4 females and 6 males though. I will wait to see the colors, but it looks like we have some babies marked with black, some with blue, some with beige, and maybe some with a dark agouti brown.

Will post pictures soon!


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

OK so we are now 16 days old! yay. We had all but one open their eye yesterday morning, but he has them open today so we have 20 little eyeballs looking at us! im super excited. We do have 4 females, 6 males, all colored(no pew's like i thought) I have homes for 2 females already, and I am keeping 2 females and 1 (maybe 2....I am torn lol) males. But they are all active and adorable as ever! Oh...and we do have some super curly whiskers and wavy fur on some of these little ones!
















These are the 2 boys i am torn between, they were licking me the whole time i held them...


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## Susinko (Apr 29, 2008)

What sweet babies! I'm so happy to hear that things are going well. I hope you have luck on finding homes for the rest of them. You have rexes? I want a rex!


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## ScootersPet (Sep 4, 2007)

Yeah, the mom, when i got her had some curls and curly whiskers, they recently started straightening out, and she has the classic thinning of her fur, but she is still adorable! So, I dont know if these guys will be true rex's or if they will straighten out as well. Their whiskers are SUPER curly though, so maybe we will have some good looking ones  lol

They are out moving around today, and were nibbling on some lab block as well, they are such little cuties!


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