# ignoring the babies?



## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

I picked up momma rat and the 18 babies at about midnight tonight. It is now 1:30am and she has not paid attention to them at all. I tried to put her in the nest with them but she just walked right back out. I put a couple babies near her and she moved to the other side of the cage. Is this normal behavior since she has been moved to a totally new cage and environment or should I be concerned? At what point should I consider taking over for her? This is not her first litter, and she did fine with the first ones. They were five weeks when these guys were born. 12 of the babies are hers and the others are ones she stole from another whom she attacked (long story short the previous people had her and another nursing mother together and there was a fight. of the babies in that litter half died from their injuries. The other half seem to be doing okay and not injured). Her babies were born on the first and the ones she stole were born on the second. She has been nursing them all since they were born but she is now ignoring everyone. They were cold when I got them home so I put a heater near the cage and got them nice and warmed again. They are in the nesting box on a soft baby blanket and mom is laying near the nesting box but not inside of it.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Well she started attacking the babies and won't keep them warm or feed them. Looks like I'm hand raising them. There are fifteen left. 


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I suspect it's fairly normal for a mother to reject her babies when she's forced to have litters that closely together. Since pregnancy, birth, and nursing are so stressful on a mother, trying to do it without rest usually doesn't end well. It also probably did not help for her to be moved to an entirely new place while she was in the process of nursing. I hope both she and the babies are able to recover, and best of luck hand raising that many! Do you have anyone in your area who might be able to help with that?


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Rumy91989 said:


> I suspect it's fairly normal for a mother to reject her babies when she's forced to have litters that closely together. Since pregnancy, birth, and nursing are so stressful on a mother, trying to do it without rest usually doesn't end well. It also probably did not help for her to be moved to an entirely new place while she was in the process of nursing. I hope both she and the babies are able to recover, and best of luck hand raising that many! Do you have anyone in your area who might be able to help with that?


 Yea, I don't understand why she was allowed to breed that soon and I think the last litter was actually around 4 1/2 weeks and not five just yet. As for handraising, we're down to ten little eepers who seem to be doing okay. There were some injuries on some of the others from the tug of war. These all seem to be from the first litter (her actual babies) so they're four days old. I've done it before (hand raising a whole litter) so I'm pretty familiar with what needs to be done but the last time I was single and had no kids. This time I am married with three kids five and under so it'll be more difficult. Thankfully I am a stay at home mom so i'll have the time to devote to them. IT'll make it harder to let them go to new homes in the end though lol. I know moving them wasn't the best case scenario but had we not they'd all be dead unfortunately.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Sometimes it's just the way the cookie crumbles with unfortunate situations like that.

It sounds like you did the right thing and you're giving them their best chance. That's all anyone can do.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I hope you're able to save and successfully raise most, if not all, of the remaining ten. Best of luck to you, and let us know if there's anything we can do to help out.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

How old are they?

Man that sucks. Any chance you can find a mother willing to foster some of them?


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Poisoned said:


> How old are they?
> 
> Man that sucks. Any chance you can find a mother willing to foster some of them?


 3-4 days old. called around to the pet shops and none of them have any mothers. There is a guy in the city who'd take them but they'd be snake food and I can't have that


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

View attachment 18753

View attachment 18761

View attachment 18769

View attachment 18777
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View attachment 18793



Pinkies  


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I wish I was closer, good luck with them. 
You could try posting on craigslist and reaching out to ratty groups that are local.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Poisoned said:


> I wish I was closer, good luck with them.
> You could try posting on craigslist and reaching out to ratty groups that are local.


No ratty groups around here and craiglist is full of crazies lol. I'm okay with raising them. They're my little babies now  


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Aww, look at the little pinkies!


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Oh - I meant posting on craigslist seeing if anyone has an imminently expecting mother rat. Not to rehome them - people will tell you anything on there to get your animals, it's crazy!

They are so cute!


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Oh lol. I know all the rat people in this area. We're all friends. The only one with a nursing female has 18 of her own N is already overwhelmed. We're doing okay though. Since I started hand feeding we've had no more deaths. Everyone looks healthy 


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Another baby has died. Sigh. This is hard. 


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm sorry! Raising litters must be so tough. I know you've done it before, but it often seems like quite the struggle just to keep the little babies alive. I'm sending all my good vibes your way for the remaining nine.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Rumy91989 said:


> I'm sorry! Raising litters must be so tough. I know you've done it before, but it often seems like quite the struggle just to keep the little babies alive. I'm sending all my good vibes your way for the remaining nine.


 Eight...Another died. I have done this before but I don't remember it being this hard!! Course those babies were a tiny bit older so I guess that made a difference. They are so touch to feed. They don't want to eat off the paintbrush but it is the smallest thing I have to use and they fight it so hard. They use the bathroom great and they're staying warm and I thought I was getting enough in them but now I am not sure what enough is because I can't find anything that tells me what they should be eating at this point in time. I am so sad because the last two that died were doing so well. Then all of the sudden they weren't. I guess it could've been a result of the injuries they had and I didn't realize it. I don't really know. It is so depressing sigh.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

All our little eepers passed away. They never grew or anything and they're five days old well were. The mom is older so I wonder if it had something to do with that?? 


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

There might have been nutrients missing in her milk, etc, but really if they get rejected in the first week it's almost impossible to keep them going. They're just too little.  I'm so, so sorry for your losses. I hope Minnie is going to be alright.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Found our from the girl I got them from Sansa (Minnie) might have gotten pregnant the day I picked her and the babes up!!! 


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Poor Sansa! I'm glad she has you to care for her now... I can't imaging the stress she's under. I hope for your sake and hers that she won't have to deal with a third litter this soon.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Me too. Poor girl is so worn out! She is soon skinny around the middle and stained something awful. I feel responsible because Sansa was originally mine. I had to rehome all my rats due to financial issues. I gave her to a friend and he gave her to the other people. Now she is back and while she is still a sweetie pie it's like the light has gone from her eyes :-( 


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

That is so sad to hear! I really do think she'll turn around, though, with proper care and attention. Is she in with any friends at the moment?


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

Rumy91989 said:


> That is so sad to hear! I really do think she'll turn around, though, with proper care and attention. Is she in with any friends at the moment?


 When she is in the cage lol. Mostly she stays on the couch with me. She is still a cuddly sweetie


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