Help Domi is mommy!!

[southpawratties]

Domino had her babies sometime last night. I went to get a head count and check for milk bellies and she is very defensive of her babies. How can I safely move her just long enough to touch each baby and check for milk bellies? There looks to be at least 12 babies!! Please help! Pictures on the way if i can get them.

 

[jorats]

You might want to leave mom with baby for a full day if she's that defencive. Or you could open her cage door and allow her to come out on her own time to clean up and eat something yummy, then you can go in and check the babies.

 

[southpawratties]

Thanks! she came out on her own for a little bit and let me handle them. So i checked for milk bellies (of which there were none) and snapped a quick picture and put them right back. She doesn't seem to want to have much to do with them yet. What should I be looking out for? Im a nervous wreck lol. I wanna make sure momma and babies are ok. How often should I check to see if the babies are nursing? Momma seems to be bright eyed and moving quite a bit and looks well. I just don't know what to do. I am at a complete loss.

 

[mamarat]

Put mom and the babies in a smaller cage or a carrier would work too, so that she has to stay close to the babies. SQ did this with Eve and her bubs and it worked. Good luck and Congrats!!

 

[southpawratties]

Thanks Mamarat! My hubby and I are getting a smaller cage ready right now! I hope it works!

 

[Rachael]

I wouldn't stress too much right now. Moving cages might just be too stressful. If a few hours later she's still not feeding them then move them but as a last resort, some of my mums have seemed to ignore them but have been nursing them

 

[southpawratties]

I wouldn't stress too much right now. Moving cages might just be too stressful. If a few hours later she's still not feeding them then move them but as a last resort, some of my mums have seemed to ignore them but have been nursing them

We just did our last check and she is nursing them now, everyone has a milk belly! YAY!! so we are going to let her be for now and keep a close eye. Im so happy they are all eating!

 

[rat.charmer]

YAY! HOpe the new family is doing well....

Though I will admit...I enjoy how the human parents get just as anxious over the babies as the ratty parents!! It's cute hehehe

 

[southpawratties]

YAY! HOpe the new family is doing well....

Though I will admit...I enjoy how the human parents get just as anxious over the babies as the ratty parents!! It's cute hehehe

lol yeah I have never had experience with this kind of stuff. She was preggo when we got her. So far looks like Domino is gonna be a good mommy. But I am still gonna keep an eye out just in case. lmao for more my sake than hers hee hee hee. can't wait for more pictures.

 

[Rachael]

Glad that she is now nursing them.

 

[lindsayfawn]

That's exciting! It's pretty amazing to experience a litter to see how fast they grow and all the different stages they go through. Give the mom lots of good stuff to eat like eggs, chicken, tuna, kinda high protein stuff so she can keep up her energy and to keep on the weight for her and the babies.

Are you going to be keeping any of the babies or adopting them out?

 

[southpawratties]

That's exciting! It's pretty amazing to experience a litter to see how fast they grow and all the different stages they go through. Give the mom lots of good stuff to eat like eggs, chicken, tuna, kinda high protein stuff so she can keep up her energy and to keep on the weight for her and the babies.

Are you going to be keeping any of the babies or adopting them out?

I am giving her cottage cheese, eggs, chicken and veggie baby food (her favorite) and tuna and making sure she has lots of fresh water. As far as keeping the babies, we are keeping some looking at keeping 3 maybe 4 and my sister wants 2 females but the rest I am trying to find homes for now so when they are ready they go to good homes if you are interested. I will be damned if they ever see a pet shop. I want them to be safe and well taken care of. If I have to keep them until I find homes for them, my husband and I are already in the works of building bigger cages. lol We are looking at making 2 cages between 3 and 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep. I can't make up for the responsibilities of the pet shop but I can make sure they have the best possible life from now on :heart: :cloud9:

 

[Rachael]

Ah good luck finding them homes.... I can never rehome baby rats. I get way to attatched haha.

 

[southpawratties]

Ah good luck finding them homes.... I can never rehome baby rats. I get way to attatched haha.

Lol that is why i am building bigger cages now. "just in case" and if my sister takes at least 2 females then i can go see them and play with them any time i want to lol and she has a very nice happy healthy colony

 

[Rachael]

Good luck with letting them go if you manage to :giggle: At least you have nice places lined up for them.

 

[lindsayfawn]

That's exciting! It's pretty amazing to experience a litter to see how fast they grow and all the different stages they go through. Give the mom lots of good stuff to eat like eggs, chicken, tuna, kinda high protein stuff so she can keep up her energy and to keep on the weight for her and the babies.

Are you going to be keeping any of the babies or adopting them out?

I am giving her cottage cheese, eggs, chicken and veggie baby food (her favorite) and tuna and making sure she has lots of fresh water. As far as keeping the babies, we are keeping some looking at keeping 3 maybe 4 and my sister wants 2 females but the rest I am trying to find homes for now so when they are ready they go to good homes if you are interested. I will be damned if they ever see a pet shop. I want them to be safe and well taken care of. If I have to keep them until I find homes for them, my husband and I are already in the works of building bigger cages. lol We are looking at making 2 cages between 3 and 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep. I can't make up for the responsibilities of the pet shop but I can make sure they have the best possible life from now on :heart: :cloud9:

I bet she's loving all the goodies!

lol I love me some babies but we have 10 of our own plus run the rescue and can have up to 20 rats in the house sometimes so we really don't need to adopt in more ratties lol

babies are pretty easy to find homes for I'm sure you'll have no issues.