# Help (baby pictures here)!



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

Hi my dad was looking at a pet forum and he saw someone selling a 4 ft cage and you got the 4 rats with it ( 1 boy 3 girls) when me and my dad went and got them and brought them back home there cage was not cleaned its looks like the person kept them in the shed or something.
The boy is very big and he looks healty but the girls have sore eyes and dried blood round them there not compatable with me yet to try and wipe the dried blood of there fur but the other thing is that 2 of the girl are pregnant , my 1st rat i had got pregnant accidently so i know what to do but ive seperated the girls away from the male but i dont know how many weeks long they are the 2 girls but they are quite big im still not sure if the 3rd girl is pregnant i crnt really tell any suggestions 
bye x


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

oh and is it wise to keep them together and the girls are sister's cuz there all the same colour (cream) and they al have white marking on there heads. they've been getting ust to me now letting me pick them up and is licking there private parts a sign of labour? cuz one of them keeps doing it should i seperate or just wait? i just dont want none of the babies getting attacked i would really appreciate if some one could give me some like opions oh 1 more question will the boy who we've called bubba will he get lonely???


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

*Re: Help*

2 for sure are pregnant? How big are the bellies? How old are these rats?

Yes the boy will get lonely, but you can keep a baby or 2 from one of the litters to keep him company later on.


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

from the exsperience of my other rat i had about a year ago she got quite big anyways they urrm look like there ready to give bith and im not sure how old they are i might email the person who gave them me and ask him but i would sey there about 10 months but im ot sure and i found out how they are getting bloody eyes when they clean themselves there nails like strach there eyes even thow the nails are in good condittion and not long at all , i have cutters but there mostly for ferrets becuase i have 3 so il have to get rat cutters tomorrow.
thanks for the reply xx

p.s there names are: marley,mable,twirl and the boy is bubba


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

*Re: Help*

the "bloody" eyes aren't really blood, its porphryin that a rat will exude from their nose and eyes. Its a sign of stress, illness or eye injury. 

what do you have for maternity cages/tanks? do you have 2 of them?


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

i hav a cage whats like plastic all round but wire at the top where you open it so and the other is a wire cage where with little holes and it has a deep base so no babies can exscape but im just worried that one of them will have the babies when im asleep or not in the room and the other girls will hurt or take the babies of the mum rat ?


----------



## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

*Re: Help*

That is possible. You need to seperate the pregnant girls and put them into different cages!

Does anyone have the link to those tub cages? I should bookmark that, it's very useful for making cheap and easy cage solutions.

{edit} HERE IT IS! http://www.dapper.com.au/articles.htm#cage


----------



## madeittothemoon (Nov 1, 2007)

*Re: Help*

This website has a good DIY option for you :wink:


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

omg you are life savers my dad can make them he's got like a hott iron thing what burns though plstic


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

No babies yet but i woke up and found marley who's one of the rats who's more pregnant she got out of the cage i made her and she was all the way over the other side of my room sitting next to one of her sisters (mable) cage is it that she misses her or somthing and i thought she was having them last night but no babys but i think she had a good adventure lol


----------



## [x]RaeLovesRats[x] (Feb 7, 2008)

*Re: Help*

Great! Make three.  Better safe than sorry.


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*



closer said:


> No babies yet but i woke up and found marley who's one of the rats who's more pregnant she got out of the cage i made her and she was all the way over the other side of my room sitting next to one of her sisters (mable) cage is it that she misses her or somthing and i thought she was having them last night but no babys but i think she had a good adventure lol


be sure to secure that cage better because the last thing you want her to do is wander off & drop those babies somewhere that could be harmful


----------



## [x]RaeLovesRats[x] (Feb 7, 2008)

*Re: Help*

Yes. That or you buy something good.


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

yeh i think it was my fault because i had made likerat pouches out of a dressing gown so i went in there i think i didnt push the lid on properly but im glad she's safe and i hope her babys are safe and there all loving it here with me and its nice and warm in my room and im always in there so there getting alot alot of attention


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

Hi i got some picture's but you will have to go on my web page sorry what do u think ? how long they gone ?
http://www.freewebs.com/xxxharlsxxx/myrats.htm
i would really appreciate if you had a look thanks


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*

try a pick of the from above without being held... holding them up doesn't help


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

so take the picture's with the camera above them 
so then u can see how wide they are i see ok ill do them now


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

ive put the new pictures on but i dunno i ive done it right lol


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*

how long have you had her now?

she doesn't look too big in the new pics you posted, if she is pregnant she is most likely at a half way mark & babies would be a week, week & a half out

it is so hard to tell in photos but I will tell you that most females get really big just before they have their babies & she doesn't look big... she is either not very far along, is going to have a small litter or she isn't pregnant


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

no i have 3 pregnant if u read next to the pictures there names i didnt get them pregnant i was giving them because they was unwanted and when i got them you can tell there pregnant so i dont know how old they are .dont know how long pregnant they are ive had them a week on saturday


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

i just wanna ask a question my one girl marley she's been eating loads and loads and loads and i can see in her box(bed) and she keeps moving like moving her posions all the time while she's trying to rest so is this a sign of labour or me just being parinoid ?


----------



## Rattiegma (Jan 23, 2008)

*Re: Help*

It is very possible that she's going to give birth soon. Just make sure you give her some peace and rest, and some time alone. She may be waiting for you to leave before she gives birth. Animals like privacy, too! =) Haha well, Roxie did, anyways. She was very uncomfy and skittish the night before she gave birth...the next morning when we woke up there were 12 little rittens!


All of them are seperated now, right?


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

well the other girl mable she woke me up this morning ripping the rapping paper what was on the bottom of her cage and takeing it into her box so she's building her nest properly and i dont think its safe so i took it out (im gonna have poo on my cupboard) and ive ripped up some newspaper and give it her but dunno if she will have it in her nest what else could i give her she's got toilet paper and like a tissue bedding what else could i give her ? or is that ok


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*

closer... I think it is safe to say that you are being a tad bit too involved with the process

Mom built a nest & now you've torn it out... if you have offered some shredded paper again, just leave her alone & let her do her thing. She is most likely a Mom that will want some privacy & by your continued effort to help her you could in fact cause her stress rather than help her.


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

no i have not im not stupid i havernt messed with her nest at all i dont mess with her box or nothing she likes it the way she does it so why would i go in there destroying her bed for i didnt sey i messed with her nest i said i took out the rest of the rapping paper what is at the bottom of her cage (so she wouldnt hurt her feet ) because its unsafe for her babies when they arive and i havernt intervined at all


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

Hey well i was out all day on trip and i havernt really been in my room and when i went to go on my laptop at about 10:50pm i heard a little sqeak and i went up to the cage (oh by the way its marley the 1 i thought who wouldnt of had hers 1st) well i listened and heard the baby/babies not sure yet but i noticed a trail of blood so i know she has and i think she's finished because she came out ( by the way i went straight out the room to sit in moms room to give her privacy ) but anyways i just wanna know when i would be ok to check for any dead ones because with her going on her adventure last week i dont know if some died inside her what shall i do check or leave it till the morning ? because i dont want to upset her at all


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*

see if you can get her to come to you & let her sit on your shulder or distract her with something yummy that would take a few seconds to munch down to nothing. if you do this she won't get stressed about you looking in at the babies... do a quite head count, make sure all are a live, take a quick look for milk bands & then return mom

you can do this early in the morning or just after dark (when rats are most active) for the first week or so & then by the end of the second week she should ease up a bit & allow you to look for longer periods.

for your own safety, always get Mom to leave the babies & cage on her own because she will defend those babies ferociously. If you reach in & she doesn't want any part of your presence you may need to count fingers to make sure they are all there when you pull back the bloody mess. The worst & only bites I have ever received were from mother rats. This was very early on before I knew rats would react this way. The other time is when I reached into a cage when I had no idea babies were in there & was biten pretty bad on the back of my hand.


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

thanks the worst bite i got was off my other rat i had curly she was agressive when u got in her cage but if i got her out she would run back to me if she got scared but she bit me on the thumb and i had a lump and it went like bruised and i have the scar to prove it but the lump went . do you advise to give her some scrambled egg because she hasn't had that yet and she will properly come to that but i am just worried because of her adventure and i dont think she would of got to the other side of the room without hurting her babies so ill go and make some scrambled egg now and see if she come if not ill see if she will in the morning thanks for the reply .


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

i made her some scrambled egg and with some tempting she came out but by the time i got back with my little dull touch she went back in but i can see 3 but dunno if theres any at back but she's being i could mom there feeding and she cleaning there bums and they all have milk bands wat i can see hopefully she will come and get a drink soon


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

now im glad the babies are doing great there drinking alot but marley wont come out for food or water is that just normal?


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*

she probably is when you aren't around

do you use a hanging water bottle? If you do & you are concerned that she is not taking in liquids, simply mark the water bottle with something & check it later to se if the level dropped


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

she came out for a bit after i wrote that last message and i finally got to see her babies no dead but i was surprised she only had 4 but you have to see the pictures i took they dont look like there nearly 1 day olds they are quite long and chunky and u can start to see there colouring lol does that happen ? but marley doing ok and she's fine with my touching her and her babies and i was worried she would not let me but thankfully she ok with it.


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*

things look good so far


but don't let your guard down with her... she is going to be very hormonal for the nest few weeks... she may decide to take a chunk out of you without warning


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

*Re: Help*

yeh im still being careful with her because ive only had he and her sister's and her baby's daddy for like nearly 2 weeks they still havernt been able to get to know me and know that im not gonna hurt them but im trying to get some time with twril who's not ready yet to give birth to hers(id say she 2 weeks pregnant) so she's getting ust to me (she doesnt poo no more when i hold her) lol but im actually glad she only had 4 because thats better than 8 or 14 .


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

*Re: Help*

fingers crossed for another itty-bitty litter in the near future


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

update: babies doing great should have mable's litter soon 
marley 4 as you know theres 2 girls and 2 boys i will be keeping the girls and giving them to my friends i took a pic of them yesterday there really dark and there crawling but sprint crawling lol there really strong


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

hey just an update babies doing fine keeping them all now lol there growing reat there really big and they got there silky hair wish they could keep it lol there moving round more today and there ears are out properly now so doing great new pictures soon


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

wasn't there a possible 2nd litter?


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

Yeh but she's not budging them for some reason she has like discharge aboyt 2 days ago so ive left her alone but no baby's yet could the discharge be a sign of labour?


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

could be a sign of something worse.. 

you may see swelling & think it is a pregnant belly & see bloody discharge & think it to be labor... but it isn't. It could be a uterine tumor, genital mycoplasmosis, a urinary tract infection

Time for a vet because rats will hide any symptoms of being ill & their condition can & will go down extremely fast once they reach that point of no return. As you read about the illnesses of other rats you will note that so often it is written... it happened so fast, I didn't notice anything wrong, one minute he/she was fine, the next he/she was dead.

Please consider seeing a vet as soon as possible. Female rats do not have a period like humans.


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

yeh well she hasnt had bood it just looks like she's been licking it alot and she is deferently pregnant but its hard to know cuz i dont know about illness's from like there mothers but ill see how she goes if nothing in 2 days then ill take her because if had them for like 4 weeks now and she must be over unless she's just fat lol


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

don't wait to long, keep us posted


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

ok i will 
here's some update pics on the babies 2 have opened there eyes today but these pictures are from yesterday 
















and heres a picture of mables belly sorry carnt get a better picture


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

heres some pictures i took today of the little ones there eating and drinking rat food already its unberleavable they are like 4 week old ones and there 3 weeks on tuesday sorry the pictures ain't great you can only see 2:








OOOOPS WE GOT CAUGHT!


----------



## AlienMando (Jan 19, 2008)

How are they doing?


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

There doing great there eating mostly food now and water and only go to her like 2 times in the day. Ive got there names now, the 2 girls are sweet and sour and the boys are called dexter and Felix. Thank god they have different markings because they all look the same LOl.


----------



## Rattiegma (Jan 23, 2008)

What about your other one who was expecting and had discharge..?


----------



## closer (Feb 10, 2008)

we took her to the vets and her said she isn't pregnant turns out the person who had her before fed her way to much so her belly was big so she is on a strick diet and the discharge he didn't know what that was for ( is rat speacialist) but he gave her antibiotics and its gone now.


----------



## Jingles (Feb 2, 2008)

They look like a bundle of awesomeness when they are that little.


----------

