babies..... New Pix May 16

[PuzzledBTs]

Ok, so i dont really post much, but here it goes.
I bought Rapunzel from a pet store (Bad i know)... They told me she was about a month old... she was tiny. she has grown TONS since we got her. she got quite fat, and i thought it was because she was eating her bedding... she was on corn cob bedding, which i read was not healthy so i changed it after noticing her eating it...
Today i woke up to her making a bunch of squeeky noises. so i check on her... sure enough, there are babies... What do i do????

 

[victoria]

What kind of bedding is she on now? What type of cage? Is she alone or does she have buddies? She should be moved into a single level cage with fleece bedding and some paper towel and a nest box (shoe box, igloo, etc.) so that it's safe for her and the babies. In a pinch you can put her into a cat carrier until you can run out and get an appropriate cage. (Bin cages can work really well here.)

Where in Ontario are you?

 

[PuzzledBTs]

we are in Cobalt, Ontario...
She has boxo bedding with fluff... and a ripped up cardboard tube (so that she is not stuck we pulled it appart). she is all nestled in that...

 

[victoria]

If you can get her on fleece or paper towel it will be safer for the babies. She really needs a box to make a nest out of... a large cereal box, a shoe box, something. Is she in the cage with other rats? They should be split immediately as they can harm the babies.

 

[lilspaz68]

remove the fluff for sure, that stuff can be dangerous to rats even adults.

 

[PuzzledBTs]

We were originally looking for a friend for her as she is our only rat... *sigh*...
i will have to remove it a bit later i am on my way to work

 

[victoria]

How many babies BTW? And what are you feeding?

 

[PuzzledBTs]

ok so just got home from work. did a head count and see 9 lil babies with full bellies...
we have her on Martin little friends Mouse & Rat rations... is it the same for dogs/cats and rats? Do i need to find her a food thats better for the babies??? here she is with them

 

[Spork]

You should probably change the threat title to something like "Babies! What do I do?" It'll help people who have experience find the thread.

Good luck!

 

[SQ]

You can add baby cereal mixed up with soy infant formula in a shallow dish a couple of times a day, as well as a bit of boiled egg;
to a regular diet of a good quality lab block (suggest Harlan Tech 2014) and daily veg.

I recently rescued a baby girl who ended up being pregnant. viewtopic.php?f=58&t=23281
She built a nest out of shredded paper towel in a shoe box. I made a hole in one end of it.
If you are able to use a shoe box I would recommend it as it is roomy and easy to clean bedding or check on babies by just removing the lid.

 

[mamarat]

What a cute little momma.

 

[PuzzledBTs]

thanks SQ, i loved looking at them grow. they sure grow fast, and what a variety you have!!!
i guess i could get out my scale and start weighing these guys too...
I called the place i got her from today, they said they keep only one rat at a time in one cage, blah blah blah.. but she will talk to the guy that they got her from and find out what to expect. lol i dont mind having them, it was a HUGE Shock. luckily im going to pick up a bigger cage this weekend, so i will be able to keep a few lol

 

[victoria]

She is stunning. She can probably stay in the smaller cage for a while, it may actually be better for the babies. You may want to look into a different block for them, Martin's is sadly pretty crappy. WAY to much protein. Jorats put together a lot of good info together for reference in the diet section of the forum.

 

[Moon]

She is stunning. She can probably stay in the smaller cage for a while, it may actually be better for the babies. You may want to look into a different block for them, Martin's is sadly pretty crappy. WAY to much protein. Jorats put together a lot of good info together for reference in the diet section of the forum.

Actually, the Martin's should be a good choice for a lactating mom and babies since extra protein is needed during this time. But after that a different block should be explored.

Well, at least you have time line for her now. She would have had to be about 6 weeks old when you got her, about the earliest they can get pregnant.

You need to petition your store to not carry rats to sell anymore, apparently their "supplier" isn't doing a good job. *sigh*

 

[PuzzledBTs]

I checked on the babies tonight, one had passed. She didnt remove it, but it was laying at the bottom of the pile. I removed it, because it was pretty gross...
Anyways, the rest look well, are growing nicely and their colors are starting to come through... here is a pic

 

[lizmo1221]

Very cute! Looks like they will all be the same colour, but with different patterns. I am not too experienced, but they look a bit thin to me. Do they all have lots of milk in their bellies?

Sorry about the wee bub. It's not uncommon for that to happen, unfortunately

 

[tinytippytoes]

I noticed that too they look look a little thin. Adorable bunch and momma looks so pretty too.

 

[Moon]

They look thin to me too. Make sure you are giving mum extra protein, like boiled egg, tuna, chicken etc.

 

[PuzzledBTs]

thanks all for your advice...
I picked up a larger cage, 30Lx 20Wx30H. so once the babies are old enough i will be able to put them in seperate cages (male/female) and have room for a friend or two
all babies are doing well today... they all seem to have full bellies.

 

[PuzzledBTs]

i also picked up a new bag of food, one from your diet list... ummm, now should i gradually switch the food, is it like dogs where it can upset the tummy??? when we first got her she ended up with lots of watery poo, so im just curious if this could be a food issue so do it slowly?

the babies are very talkative today