LOST BABY HELP

[temblabamomo]

My friend L lost one of her babies during playtime, for a whole week there was no sign of him, then suddenly the cat alerted them to something living under a t.v. stand. He was sticking to the room where the other rats were housed. After another week, they caught him in a Havahart trap. Alls to say, they often stick close to what they know - other rats - and can be gone, in this case, two whole weeks before being caught. Fingers crossed your sweetie will turn up.

 

[nightmarevamp]

Sadly I've only had them since Sunday so nothing is familiar. It's a apartment so I'm hoping the walls don't go all the way through to the neighbours. I'll let out my big rat they seem to follow him and they have marked him with a lot of pee so here's hoping.

 

[temblabamomo]

Sadly I've only had them since Sunday so nothing is familiar. It's a apartment so I'm hoping the walls don't go all the way through to the neighbours. I'll let out my big rat they seem to follow him and they have marked him with a lot of pee so here's hoping.

Despite being new to your apartment, they are very familiar to each other. It's instinct. Keep faith, she may turn up.

 

[nightmarevamp]

I really hope so !

 

[nightmarevamp]

Where would I get safe mouse traps?

 

[RKEM]

The hardware store may have them.

With that said, I've had a less extreme but similar situation with a small female the day I got her (barely socialized and obviously would not come when called, etc.). She fled under the cabinets in the bathroom (I found out there was a tiny hole underneath ... bad construction I guess). Well in a panic, I constructed a "trap" of sorts. Basically a hamster cage top (the wire part), held up by a chew stick attached to a piece of dental floss attached to a lab block in the middle of the space under the wire top and I also hung a small bell.

I know it sounds like right out of a cartoon but what can I say ... first rat, I didn't know what to do and rattie girls was NOT coming out. Well lo and behold after a couple of hours I heard the bell. The little gall had come out and tried to help herself to the lab block, pulling the string and chew stick which made the wire top fall down (around her not on her obviously) and she was trapped. She was pretty scared but I couldn't just leave her in there.

Until you get a proper trap you can try something like that. And for the trap I read somewhere that cooked eggs are a favourite among city rats so you may want to try that. Whatever you put, make it something that can be smelled from far away.

You may also want to reduce the noise in the area where she disappeared and keep the lights dimmer. It may make it seem less scary. Any used bedding you may have could also help ... I'd put it in the trap as well so it will smell familiar ... or heck leave the trap in the cage with your other rats (unarmed obviously) so they can scent mark and pee all over it. Again. Who knows, it might make the "new" thing seem less scary.

 

[nightmarevamp]

Good news there has been a SIGHTING When I found the two of them yesterday I found them huddled under my minifridge, sure enough when I get home I move it to check and out she bolts, I watch her underneath the couch and she didnt stop got to one end and then *Poof* gone.

So I checked the sofa, nothing, all thats sealed up and no corners to hide in. Next was a bookcase which is sparse and nothing to hide behind. Then I see it, there is a pipe running from under my heating vent leading into the bedroom on the other side of the wall.

So the bad news, she is back in the wall. The good news, it's a seperating wall which means it's contained and no where to go, it's 20 feet long but thats about it.

I bought a catch and release mouse trap and covered the trap and inside with fresh tuna and squeezed it along the trap side. I also put some bedding from the cage underneath it and also put flour along the floor to see if there is any activity.

With any luck I'll have her back by tomorrow.

 

[Joanne]

I'm glad you have seen her tonight. Good luck! I hope she's home soon, and this will be just an adventure you tell of when she was just a baby...

 

[nightmarevamp]

I hope, we've been playing peekaboo over and over the slightest movement and she is gone. I made a cage trap so here's hoping she goes for it

 

[nightmarevamp]

Jesus christ you know what Im done, my place is covered in flower all my stuff if knocked over and when I finally think I have him it turns out the wall which is the bad one between me and my neighbour still have a gap in it and he went in!!!


****!!!!! I'm done, poor guys going to die in there and the thermast guy comes tomorrow to put in a new system and will probably seal the hole. ****!

 

[lilspaz68]

Can't you cancel the appointment?

 

[nightmarevamp]

No it's the building and I found the notice there is no date so were ok , still I can't catch her and I made things 100 times worse ****! And my floors are stained with flour , I'm done!

 

[lilspaz68]

You can't be done. You are going to keep trying to catch the baby,but you are going to learn to sit back and wait and watch for her to go somewhere you can catch her. we've all been through this, you don't just give up.

 

[nightmarevamp]

If I don't give up my caring consumes me and I can't stop trying to save . I need to stop caring. Sighs It's consumed me since 5am trying and now all night and I just have a trashed place to show for it and her in the wall that will likely be her tomb.

 

[lilspaz68]

If you care that much why do have rats as pets? They will stress you out more than anything else. I am not understanding this at all. You;ve seen her, so she knows how to get back to your place from the wall. This means once you calm down and stop rippng things up and scaring her, she will likely come back. Once she's out you BLOCK the hole and then go from there.

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

Take a deep breath and try to find something to relax. You can't just give up, she is your responsibility.
Accidents happen. I am sure you will catch her if you keep trying. Just hang in there, her only life depends on it.

 

[nightmarevamp]

I finally sealed off both walls and found her outside of them, but somehow and I have no idea how she was running around and disappeared in one of them again. Im at a loss. truly.

 

[nightmarevamp]

And now both are missing. I put the sister in a travel cage and left her out hoping the other would then be around her. I woke up to check the travel cage , took apart the bedding and now the sister got out to. So now they are together in the walls.

 

[nightmarevamp]

Maybe a exterminator?

 

[lilspaz68]

Those are tiny tiny babies,if your travel cage had bar spacing bigger than 1/2" then they would easily squeeze out. Only good thing now is you can use their cage to bait them back and leave it open...hopefully they will go in together. Just make sure water is down as that is the easiest way to kill them is dehydration