baby rat situation taken care of, thanks.

[Melissa&Paul-Kyle]

I know there are a few folks here that raise and care for rats...I am in need of advice ASAP.

Brought home 2 baby rats in flats of flowers from a greenhouse yesterday evening. Did not know they were there- They stayed in truck all night and it rained. Did not find them until this afternoon while unloading- 2:30pm EST. In the back of my truck...one fiesty and soaking wet, the other dry and lethargic.

BOTH HAVE FUR.

Fiesty has his eyes open- but not wide.

Lethargic not sure about eyes as he was...lethargic.

Quick read on internet, I have them in a plastic cup with ripped kleenex and a plastic med bottle filled with hot water in the middle. They are hunkered around it and napping with occasional shuffling and movement.

I do not think they are realted, not that it matters according to net- but they look pretty different in color and size. There were other nests in the flowers at greenhouse and I left those flowers for "momma" to move them...guess I missed the nest in these or they were scurrying about the flats while I shuffled through them and got caught in these.

WHAT DO I DO? I imagine they need water or food- well they had rain water last night and flowers to munch- but did they eat or drink? Are they old enough to feed on their own? I tried putting in some cheese and they didn't even notice.

One was cleaning his face with hands, the other- lethargic, not really done much except shuffle about...lethargic has a lazy hind leg- not sure if broken or sprained or what...moves, just not with the rest of him.

Anyway, I need to exchange phone numbers with someone who has rat experience and can tell me what to do.

I am considering taking them back to the nursery where I got the flowers and setting them in a nest there for "momma" to come get. I can do that in a few hours.

I just think I should give them some food and drink first? To give them a fighting chance until "momma" comes to their squeaks?

HELP!! PM a phone number or reply here quickly if you can, please! Going out to look for more babies while I wait replies-

THANKS!

 

[Hope + (((Baby)))GA]

Re: BABY RAT Help please!!!

I fed newborn baby mice, 4 of them, KMR with a bottle dropper. They also had to be burped, not easy on those little bodies, and their butts wiped to stimulate them to go to the bathroom. I would try KMR. FWIW, mice grew and I released them in MetroPark Nature Center.

 

[Snoops mom]

Re: BABY RAT Help please!!!

get some KMR and maybe some baby cereal (rats are lactose intolerant so no cheese)

and see if you can get some photos, that will help determine the age


and post here:
http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/

you will need to register but it's very quick and easy to do

I will copy and paste this post over there to get the best rat experienced ppl to see it right away

I have rats but no experience with babies. the ppl on this forum will know how old the babies are and what do to

finding the mom is a great first step, they are apparently extremely difficult to raise when orphaned though it can be done

are there any rescues in your area? where do you live?

 

[Melissa&Paul-Kyle]

Re: BABY RAT Help please!!!

I am in WV ( north-central) near college town- Morgantown.

I read about the pottying- I already helped the one potty, the other didn't potty. One of them pottied on their own as there was yellow streak on tissue when I got them out.

I have HARTZ precision nutrition milk replacer for kittens....main first ingredients are: skim milk, water, casein, soybean oil, egg yolks, powdered cellulose, and then a bunch of nutrient type stuff...potassium, phospahte, taurine, etc...

Can I give them that?

according to net descrption, they are about 3 weeks...maybe 2 1/2 weeks....fur and eyes open.

heading over to post on forum you suggested.

THANKS!

 

[squeem3]

Re: BABY RAT Help please!!!

I know there are a few folks here that raise and care for rats...I am in need of advice ASAP.

Brought home 2 baby rats in flats of flowers from a greenhouse yesterday evening. Did not know they were there- They stayed in truck all night and it rained. Did not find them until this afternoon while unloading- 2:30pm EST. In the back of my truck...one fiesty and soaking wet, the other dry and lethargic.

Keep them warm. Cold animals can get hypothermic very quickly, especially babies. Pet stores sell heating pads and lamps for reptiles. Give the rats a warm area and a cooler area to retreat to if they get too warm.

WHAT DO I DO? I imagine they need water or food- well they had rain water last night and flowers to munch- but did they eat or drink? Are they old enough to feed on their own? I tried putting in some cheese and they didn't even notice.

No, they need milk. Rats aren't able to eat solid food until about 21 days old. If their eyes are barely open, they're probably around 12 days. You can use KMR from the pet store and one of those pet baby bottles or oral syringe.

One was cleaning his face with hands, the other- lethargic, not really done much except shuffle about...lethargic has a lazy hind leg- not sure if broken or sprained or what...moves, just not with the rest of him.

just think I should give them some food and drink first? To give them a fighting chance until "momma" comes to their squeaks?[/quote]


Mom rat might not take the babies back if they smell like Humans.

Is there a wildlife rehab place you can take the rats to?

 

[squeem3]

Re: BABY RAT Help please!!!

I have HARTZ precision nutrition milk replacer for kittens....main first ingredients are: skim milk, water, casein, soybean oil, egg yolks, powdered cellulose, and then a bunch of nutrient type stuff...potassium, phospahte, taurine, etc...

Can I give them that?

Should be ok if you can't get KMR.

according to net descrption, they are about 3 weeks...maybe 2 1/2 weeks....fur and eyes open.

Pictures of rat development here: http://ratguide.com/breeding/baby_development/birth_to_weaning.php

 

[Melissa&Paul-Kyle]

thanks so much for the advice and links.

Definately between 13-15 days old...

I did keep them warm, got them dried up and fed them some of the kitten milk. One did not eat, the other ate twice and nibbled some wet bread. The good eater was also pottying on his own so I think he is pretty strong.

sadly, one of the babies passed shortly before I got to the nursery to return them to the nest- the one that would not eat. I brought her home to bury with a 3rd baby I found in the truck bed already passed.

The stonger one I left in the nest at the nursery. I could not offer it the things a mother rat could- socialization, self care, etc...at least returning it, I feel it had a fighting chance of having the momma find it. I am confident it will not suffer even if she doesn't claim him. He is strong.

thank you again for your help.

Life is so fragile.

 

[Snoops mom]

thanks so much squeem3 for your help with the baby rats, sadly the ppl on the rat forum were not nearly as helpful as they all assumed that Melissa planned to keep the babies as pets and no one told her that wild rats can't be taken from the mom, nursed to health and then returned to the wild

that's what happens when people make assumptions, I guess! grrrr!

I am very sorry I wasn't around to help out, at least to help clarify the issues about keeping the babies and what not

Melissa you did the best you could, better than I would have done, and I've got rats!
I"ve never even seen a baby that young in real life, all of mine have been at least 2 mos old when I got them.

((((Hugs)))