# Orphaned baby Rats



## Serepi (Jul 2, 2010)

I need some information on how to care for orphaned baby rats, does anyone here have experience with it or know how?

(Sorry for how short this post is).


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

If they're still pinky size, warmth is the main concern. Then they'll need some food in them, Lactol or EMP fed through an eye dropper or something similar tends to work, taking care they don't inhale the formula as they do a pretty scary looking power-suck when they get into it.
Then they all need wiping down around their bits with a warm slightly damp cloth to get them to toilet.
What happened to your ratties momma? 
The very best thing you could do for them at the moment I think is to find a surrogate mum, another lactating doe with bubs around the same age. If you rub her scent on them, she might just take to them as her own.


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## spoiled_rat (Mar 24, 2008)

Argent said:


> Lactol or EMP fed through an eye dropper or something similar tends to work,


EMP egg food is too lumpy, pinkies will choke as they are too small for solids.



> I need some information on how to care for orphaned baby rats, does anyone here have experience with it or know how?
> 
> (Sorry for how short this post is).


Where abouts are you located?


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Good thing I've not had orphaned ratlets myself yet then, thanks


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## Serepi (Jul 2, 2010)

The mom wasn't producing any milk, so there were no white bands in their stomachs. They were also freezing cold even though she was in a small enclosed space with them, she didn't seem interested in them but she was also sitting on them. (I let 6 hours pass because the first feeding I believe is crucial and after still no white band I took over).

So I posted here, didn't have time to wait for a response. Searched what I could and ran out and brought an eyedropper it was too big so we modified it (i.e. reshaped the eyedropper using a flame and a slightly curved metal rod.), I then brought human soy formula.

I warmed up some bags of rice and wrapped them around emergency bandages and then placed a baby blanket over it and pocketed the babies so they were getting heat. The mama did not like this change (it was just too cold for the babies so I had to adjust the temp. somewhat), and tried to get out, still no white bands, so I started feeding them the human soy formula--I was putting her in between feedings to keep them warm, hoping she would get some milk.

I kept an eye the entire time on hour and noticed that she began to lactate/intermittently feed them. I do not want to over feed them so when she took over the feeding I did not feed them, I am monitering 'their' progress as well.

She is even 'softening' up to the idea of being a mom and being less 'get me away from them!', to ease her into I was letting her out to be with her sisters <it's an accidental pregnancy due to her chewing through an entire plastic pan to get to the boys cage>. Being with her mom and sisters actually calmed her down a LOT. While I was working with the babies I would place her in, leave her for a few hours with the babies if she still wasn't feeding them or laying on them since I don't have any smaller containers than what she's in I would let her out to go to her mom and sister where she proceeded to relax and just eat and sleep with them like normal.

I am monitering her now and keeping an eye on her. I don't feed her in the containor with the babies so I have hours where she comes out for feeding and drinking and to hang out with her sisters (also if she wants out now I let her out) and I feed her snacks inside (I also fed her during the labour her favourite snacks which she ate during labour inbetween the contractions).

It looks like they're (the babies) are eating now, and she's warming up to it. But I am watching the progress, so far things are good when I do the intermittant shifting with her, she has 11 babies, I'd say she is improving. I was a little nervous because I was afraid I'd have to keep up her hectic schedule but if things continue to go this smooth :thumbup:

Thanks everyone!


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## MerlinsMum (Aug 2, 2009)

Contact Bellaratta in Florida (Florida RMCA/Ratguide/ [email protected]). She has recently hand-reared some orphans successfully, and can also point you towards information.

Is the mum a hairless? These very often cannot lactate.

Best of luck xxx


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Such a relief that she's lactating now! Keep us updated


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## Serepi (Jul 2, 2010)

Update:

One of the babies died last night from a lack of milk. I got a little relaxed about it and just didn't do all the checking I was doing as when I was having to feed them. I immediately felt bad when I saw that one had died because I hadn't been checking as much anymore because I thought she had it.

I don't know if this changed anything but I gave the baby to her while she was on break and <skipping the long story> when she got back she was more vigorous about taking care of them.

She wrapped them up in the blankets something she didn't before got in and stayed there. I gave her pieces of snack throughout the night, so she would take it and go back in.

It's looking very very good now. And it is a very surprising effect, I don't know if people here believe animals have feelings but I think she felt that in her heart because the parallel to her playing and then being handed the baby and uping up her responsibilities is just too...I noticed something similar a while back that I noticed the other rats I had years ago did when their sister died, they were normally playful and energetic and when their sister had died before I got her breathing again they laid around her and just laid there something unusual for them.

Well I've gotta clean cages and make sure everyone<ratties> is alright, thanks for listening.


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## momentofmadness (Jul 19, 2008)

Sounds like you are doing a great job.. Goodluck Hun. xxx


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## Serepi (Jul 2, 2010)

Out of all the mom rats I've ever met she is the most difficult!

Ok! Here are some facts:

-Now I know she's lactating. She's fed the babies.
-I have been letting her out regularly, she was out this time for 2 hours. I put her back in and she just stands up to get out. I leave her in for a few hours and she still ignores them.

I won't let her have the babies in the cage because it's unsafe...but perhaps she will feel more at ease if the babies are surrounded by her sisters and her? I was thinking of adding Her mother inside the baby tank with her or another sister? Would that be a good or bad idea? I'll have to try it out and see where that goes.

Sad Update:
-One of the rats got roasted an hour ago...:frown: I went in to check the temperture as I do every 30-40 minutes, and one of them was cooked. I didn't get it since the warmers were tightly wrapped...the only thing I can think of is, the heat coming from them and the mom rat's heat was counter productive, so he cooked.

I have been feeding the runts. I don't know if this is ok, but they are both so small, and not getting much milk. All the big ones are apparantly getting some milk. They're not as big as the other rats, but then I think they were slightly premature...this rat's mom(the grandmother) had been pregnant for almost 3+ weeks before she popped. Her babies were big and huge.

Now this one, gave birth at around or less than 2 weeks, or maybe just on 2ish weeks. She started with 11 and now there's 9. She seems uninterested in them.

She's like my problem rat because every rat I have ever had that has ever given birth has just known what to do! They were the perfect mothers I was actually envious and held rats as the model mother (lol), but then there was her...it just doesn't seem to come natural.

Are there any suggestions on how to make her feel more comfortable?

EDIT (UPDATE2): I don't know if this means anything but I put in the mother (grandmother) rat with the rats, and she went in and is now covering up the babies, with the mom. I am still watching to see if she does anything other than cover them up but I am watching them and hoping she'll be a positive influence on the new mom. <At least I think she's covering them up, it's hard to tell if she's covering them up or if she's searching for something like... a way out or a hole to chew in the wall>.


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## LisaLQ (Dec 19, 2009)

I think perhaps you must have got your dates mixed up, I've never heard of rats coming 10 days early before, and they certainly wouldn't be fully formed or have survived birth.

The best option for these babies is to find another mum. Hand rearing is often unsuccessful, babies can drown from the formula being forced into them, and also while you're feeding them mum's milk will be drying up.

I would ring around every breeder or rescue nearby and find a mum with similar aged babies to foster them. If that is not possible, I would leave mum alone - dont keep removing her from the nursing cage, put her somewhere quiet and dark and leave her to it. By all means try hand rearing then if she refuses to feed them still.

I do think some of this could be due to fussing over her and removing her from the cage, while most mums are welcome to share baby duties with their human, some do not like the intrusion so soon after birth, and most mums will come around if left alone.

Just to clear things in my head - how old are they, how old is mum, what cage are they in, and have they fed yet at all? What is mum being given food wise, also did she lose much blood?


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## Serepi (Jul 2, 2010)

LisaLQ said:


> I think perhaps you must have got your dates mixed up, I've never heard of rats coming 10 days early before, and they certainly wouldn't be fully formed or have survived birth.
> 
> The best option for these babies is to find another mum. Hand rearing is often unsuccessful, babies can drown from the formula being forced into them, and also while you're feeding them mum's milk will be drying up.
> 
> ...


I created a schedule that mom likes. I let her out whenever she stands up walks to the window, presses her face against it and holds her hands to the window...as if she's a prisoner. That means to me "Get me out of here!" So I let her out to be with her sister and mother, she eats, and drinks. She sleeps with her mom and relaxes. When she has had her 'me' time, I put her back in and she nurses them.

When I do not do this she does not touch her infants at all, I have monitered this through the night and day. But when I work with her and let her out as she wishes she will feed them.

Since I have been doing this the babies have been looking much better, even one I thought was going to die too. If I run into anymore problems I will post it here, but it has been a while since my post for help and since then I have had to just play a lot of it by ear.

She is definitely different from the other rat moms I know that's for sure!


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