File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Sorry for hijaking your thread, but dizzy just looked alot like my rat and i though you could give me advice since you own many.

This is jimmy dean. I have her set up in an old hamster cage with some pressed paper bedding.

The babies are like 2 weeks old and still have their eyes closed. I am afarid to touch them because i heard things like rats wont take care of their babies if they smell weird (like birds) also i havnt been able to clean the cage because i am fearful to ruin her nest. I intend to get a bigger cage for her and her babies once they venture out of the nest, but they havnt yet.

I also dont think jimmy dean likes me very much because she wont let me touch her or take her out of her cage, but i figure this is because she is being protective.

Im not really sure when the best time is to touch the babies, or clean the cage because i assume that nesting and nursing mothers are very fragile, espically about their surroundings.

Sorry no pics of the babies (2 brown and 5 white) but she has them hidden in the nest and every time i come near she sits on them...

Maybe when they get a little older.
>> Anonymous
opps this was supposed to be a reply to "Rat head tilt? Voleta 11/22/06(Wed)14:30 No.48855"

but anyways, i bought this rat to feed to my snake, and he wouldnt eat her, so i put her up in this cage, and discovered she was pregnant.

She had 7 babies, and im not sure how to take care of rats or rat babies.
>> Voleta
No problem! I wouldn't worry too much about her letting the babie die just because you touched them, its a really really good sign that she is protective of them. At two weeks, you should be clear to handle them as much as they are able to stand (Ie, keep them warm, dont drop them and whatnot), as long as you are gentle.

A good mother will protect her babies, and the fact that she doesnt trust you makes your task of making her babies trust you harder. Try to put a piece of clothing like a sock or something in there that smells like you (Not a REALLY gross sock, but not a fresh from the washer one either). If they can get used to your scent when they are little, they may take better to you when you are older. Also, try to determine their gender, and in about three weeks, seperate them into boys and girls. Otherwise, you will end up with MANY more rats, as they dont care if its their mother or sister they're boinking.

Try to give her some cat food or some more meat, she will need more protein to produce milk. Kitten foods are great, such as KMR weaning formula.

(Durn field too long thing!)
>> Voleta
I would also suggest a bigger cage (well, you'll need two, if you intend to keep all of them). You're really lucky that she had a small litter! If she had had 12 babies, and they were evenly split among the sexes, you would need, at a minimum, four cages of the aproximate size as the one in the picture, and that would still be cramped. I'd suggest going to a pet store and getting a wire-sided cage with solid bottom platforms. Be careful that the bars aren't too wide, if you can stick your thumb in there, its too big.

As for cleaning the cage, it must reaaally reek, so do it asap. Get a nice cardboard box, drop some bedding in it, then put her inside (I'd suggest wearing a thick glove, if she REALLY fights, wait awhile and try again later). Use that time to try and determine the gender of the babies, check for birth defects, and take pictures (If you want to give them away, pictures when they're cute and tiny are the way to get people interested, everyone loves babies). Then put them in the box. Clean cage, and try to re-make a nest using similar materials. Put some of the old nest material back in that spot. It doesnt have to be perfect, she may not even use it, but you'll have tried. Then put the babies in the nest you made, then let her back into the cage =)
>> Anonymous
you dont think that it will traumatize her to be removed from her babies?

i really dont want to upset her, but yes her cage is rather stinky, i have been taking out the litter she isnt nesting with, but i think its the nest that smells bad.

She just donst want me near her babies, i shuffeled some of the nesting materials and she got very upset and started nosing me and re nesting.

Im sorta scared to get bit. How can i get her to warm up to me?
>> Anonymous
If she's just nosing at you and not being really agressive and biting, that's good. She just doesn't want you near her babies, not that she wants to tear you to ribbons.

You might also want to check out the Rat Guide, which has helped me alot in the past.

http://ratguide.com/
>> Anonymous
>>48948

Thank you, this is a really great resource... All of her babies are about 14 days, and seem very healthy, jimmy dean has been a great mom, and i just replaced her nesting today and although she was flustered at first she seems to be adjusting well.

I had to change the bedding because the babies were sticking the pellets in their mouth and i didnt want them to suffocate. I used the carefresh that the guide suggested.

I'm pretty excited to own 2 or 3 when they grow up.

Thanks for the help!