Orphan Rat Babies (Help)

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I found five orphaned rat babies (mama's dead) and relocated them. They have with them a box (small and cardboard) with a handful of hay in it. I had a busy day and didn't think much of it at the time, only that I'd prevented them from getting killed my by not so rat friendly housemates, but now I've had time to sit, I realize this maybe wasn't the best idea.
I'm not sure how old they are. They have fur and can move (one even sprung forward when I tried to pick it up). I can't recall if their eyes were open, but I think they were. I have some pictures. I don't know if you can tell their age by them, but they're attached anyway.
I apologize for the ramble, but I want to do best by them. What do you guys think I should do? Will they be okay on their own? Should I take them food regularly, or will that make them dependant? Should I bring them back here and feed them until they're older? When can rats survive without their mamas?
I'm not sure if it makes a difference, but they're wild, black rats.
(I have no idea what I'm doing, if you couldn't tell.)
 
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sweet babies ..... I doubt they will be ok on their own
I will ask a couple of others who know better then me to respond
Are you anywhere near me?

I posted some links on your other thread about how to care for them. Here is what I wrote:

Where are you located ... asking because I rescued a nursing mama rat and her babies

They are likely too young to survive on their own. Depending on how young they are, they may not yet be weaned, if weaned may be too young to be able to find food, and not know how to find food, water shelter, how to avoid predators etc.

If they have fur and their eyes are open then they may be starting to eat solids in addition to nursing. I have read that squirrel milk replacer is better for baby rats http://www.mcssl.com/store/17128612/milk-replacers
Baby rats hand raised can not be released into the wild as they will not know how to survive.

Here are some links: http://www.rmca.org/Articles/orphans.htm
http://www.afrma.org/orphanrm.htm

See facebook group Deer Mouse Domesticated & Friends ..... it discusses raising wild babies

Many people have taken in and raised wild baby rats and kept them as pets - because they will not survive if released because they have no mama to teach them how to survive and care for them.
Most Wildlife Rescue/Rehab places will use rodents like baby rats as food for other animals

I hope that you can go find them and raise them .... poor babies
 
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SQ said:
sweet babies ..... I doubt they will be ok on their own
I will ask a couple of others who know better then me to respond
Are you anywhere near me?

I posted some links on your other thread about how to care for them. Here is what I wrote:

Where are you located ... asking because I rescued a nursing mama rat and her babies

They are likely too young to survive on their own. Depending on how young they are, they may not yet be weaned, if weaned may be too young to be able to find food, and not know how to find food, water shelter, how to avoid predators etc.

If they have fur and their eyes are open then they may be starting to eat solids in addition to nursing. I have read that squirrel milk replacer is better for baby rats http://www.mcssl.com/store/17128612/milk-replacers
Baby rats hand raised can not be released into the wild as they will not know how to survive.

Here are some links: http://www.rmca.org/Articles/orphans.htm
http://www.afrma.org/orphanrm.htm

See facebook group Deer Mouse Domesticated & Friends ..... it discusses raising wild babies

Many people have taken in and raised wild baby rats and kept them as pets - because they will not survive if released because they have no mama to teach them how to survive and care for them.
Most Wildlife Rescue/Rehab places will use rodents like baby rats as food for other animals

I hope that you can go find them and raise them .... poor babies
Click to expand...

Oh no :( That's what I was afraid of. My housemates are very against me bringing them back, but if that's what they need, I'll have to find a way to do it.
Not really - I'm on Vancouver Island.
How old would you say they are?
Thank you for the links - I'll give them a read. Would you say bringing them home and taming them is the only solution now? One housemate of mine in particular is very much against rats in general - especially wild ones - and does not want them coming back. I doubt they'll like me taking them in and handling them, but if that's their only hope, I'll do it.
Is leaving food in their "nest" (the box) until they're older not an option? Is it tame and rehome them or they die?
I only repeat myself for the reasons stated above. I love animals, and they're babies, so I'll do what needs to be done, but I just want to make sure. Also, do you know how I'd go about rehoming them afterwards? Do they need to be taken to the vet?
I don't suppose you know anyone closer to me who'd want them?
 
foods - baby food, rat blocks available all the time (oxbow or Harlan Teklad 2014), peas, carrots, cooked sweet potato, berries, cooked squash, other vegs, grains (buckwheat, oatmeal, cooked quinoa etc), occasional pumpkin or squash seeds, organic soy infant formula thickened with baby cereal so they can eat it out of a dish

Fresh water that is filtered so it does not contain chlorine and water that does not contain fluoride ..... need a water dish because babies can not get water out of water bottles because their tongues are not strong enough to move the ball bearing
 
What do you mean by rehomed?
They will likely never be able to be released because mom will not have taught them how to.

If they are handled a lot, then they may be happy as pets .... but that depends on how old they are and how much they are handled/socialized (joinrats.com has ideas re socialization)

Please join the facebook group Deer Mouse Domesticated & Friends as they can likely give a lot of suggestions and may know someone in your area that would give the babies a good home.
 
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SQ said:
What do you mean by rehomed?
They will likely never be able to be released because mom will not have taught them how to.

If they are handled a lot, then they may be happy as pets .... but that depends on how old they are and how much they are handled/socialized (joinrats.com has ideas re socialization)

Please join the facebook group Deer Mouse Domesticated & Friends as they can likely give a lot of suggestions and may know someone in your area that would give the babies a good home.
Click to expand...

I'm not in a position to be able to keep the rats myself after they've been handled enough to be pets, so I was wondering at what age it would be best to start seeking new homes for them.
Is that what's best for them here? Taming and then homing them? Just want to do what's right for them. I know people often don't like rats, especially black ones, but I feel like these guys' welfare is on me.
 
You will only want to let them go to very good caring Edit: experienced rat owners .... not just the average person. Someone who is committed to ensuring they have a good life and spending the time and money to make that happen. Lilspaz68 and Jorats may be able to give you helpful info

I have read that spaying and neutering them when they are old enough may help them to adapt to living in captivity in huge cages

I presently have a rescue litter of pet rats .... if you would like to see them, see Sunshine Rat Rescue on facebook ..... many of them have the same agouti colouring as your wild babies

A good rat rescue might know of experienced rat people who would be willing to take the babies
 
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Will do.
I went back to the site, but there were only two left. I searched around for the others, but they were gone. I have the pair now. They're in a new box with some hay, a place to hide, and some pieces of carrot and celery (a friend did the box up while I stayed with the babies).
How old do you think they are? What steps should I take in order to care for and tame them properly?
 
they need a dish of water, rat blocks as previously suggested and a variety of food as previously suggested

See the link I previously posted for good info on socializing them

Please go back, leave a covered box containing bedding that smells like their siblings - with poop in it, and water and food for the others and keep returning several times a day to see if you can find them ..... they may still be alive
 
I've already returned twice, and I made sure to leave the original nest box there when I left with the remaining two. I'll ensure it becomes routine to check for them incase they come back.
Thank you for the help. I'm new to this and am trying to do my best, so I really appreciate the information :)
 
Sorry, not trying to be difficult just having a really bad day
Make sure you leave food and water for the babies in case they return
I am glad that you are doing what you can to help these poor babies

You should be able to buy a bag of oxbow rat blocks at a pet store or Global Pet Foods.
The organic soy infant formula is sold in grocery stores as is baby cereal (the kind that says add milk) and baby food.
You likely have grains in your cupboard such as long cooking oatmeal, quinoa, 12 grain cereal etc ...... peas (fresh or frozen/thawed) are a favorite among rats ...... baby kale, broccoli, etc are also favorites .... mixed greens also make a nice treat ...... remember that these babies are likely not yet weaned, since their eyes are open they are old enough to start eating foods ..... but pet rats don't completely wean their babies until they are 4 weeks old - 2 weeks after their eyes open ..... and wild rats develop more slowly then pet rats. That is why I suggested giving them formula (no, I have no idea how old they are) ..... but it is great that they are old enough that they hopefully, should be able to eat and to drink and you will not need to hand feed them every few hours

I hope this helps
Please read the links I posted as they will give you a lot of info

You might want to make a bin cage ..... I use one as a carrier ... I took a blue Rubbermaid container and 2 sturdy baking cooling racks (grocery stores or stores like Walmart & Canadian tire sell cooking racks for baking) and some zip/cable ties and cut a hole in one side and in the lid that were smaller then the cooling racks. Then I poked holes in the plastic and used the zip/cable ties to attach the cooling racks over the inside of the container and lid. (There are videos on the internet showing how to make bin cages). Makes a small, inexpensive, temporary cage that they are less likely to get out of then a box ..... I attached a pic of a small bin cage and a large bin cage that I made awhile ago and pics of my current rescue mama and a few of her 2 week old babies.
Rats also need 12 hours of darkness a day

If you check out the different sections on this forum you will get some ideas of housing toys etc

It is a bit difficult because I have never raised wild orphans or had a wild rat and I don't want to tell you the wrong thing. Most orphans do not survive because they are so young when they lose their mama, but your babies are older and should do ok with all of your hard work.

The recommended diet for older rats is access to a good rat block at all times, daily vegs, and healthy treats of a piece of fruit, berries, grains (often cooked), and pumpkin or squash seeds.

Here is the forbidden foods list http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=590
some seeds are not ok such as apple seeds contain arsenic. Avoid giving foods with added salt, added sugar or added fats.

good luck
 
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here is some more info. about orphaned pet rats ...... the other links I gave give info re feeding and stimulating babies to poop - extremely important

see:
http://www.rmca.org/Articles/orphans.htm
http://www.afrma.org/orphanrm.htm

Moving from the Nipple to a Dish
*
When the baby is a week old he will start to get hair.* At two weeks of age his eyes will open and he will start to grow teeth.* When his eyes have been open for 3 days he will be able to start eating formula out of a little dish. The best thing to use for a dish at first is a tiny lid from a bottle of molasses or mustard.* You must place this on a flat magnet (upside-down) to keep the baby from tipping over the lid.* The first time you put formula in the dish, do it just after feeding the baby so he can investigate it when he’s not really hungry.* Otherwise, he will literally dive into the dish and get the formula up his nose.* It will still take him a little while to learn to lick from the dish and you will need to give him a bath after almost every meal.* After a few days, if you are feeding a group of babies, you can switch from the catsup lid to a larger baby food jar lid.* Once he seems to know how to eat out of the dish, offer fresh formula in the dish at least 3-4 times a day.* At this point, the baby should be able to urinate and defecate on his own, but it doesn’t hurt to continue to stimulate elimination before putting down fresh formula.
*
Once the baby is eating well out of the lid, you can stop the night and bottle feedings.* You can also start offering foods such as rat blocks, dry oatmeal and other grains, and little pieces of fruit and veggies. (Soft food can be very messy for babies, and they can eat solid food fine at this point.)* From the age of 2 weeks the baby will gradually start pooping and then peeing on his own. Depending on the individual, you can stop stimulating him to go to the bathroom when he is 2 ½-3 weeks old.
*
Weaning
*
Until their fur becomes fluffy (at about 3 weeks of age), baby rats can’t keep themselves warm and you must continue to give them supplemental heat.* By 3 weeks of age the rat will be eating mostly solid food, although he wouldn’t be weaned yet, so you should still be offering some formula.* At this age you need to move the baby from a box into an escape-proof cage with a water bottle.* When a domestic rat baby is about 3-4 weeks old, it is a good idea to get him or her another rat companion of about the same age.* Rats are very social and need to learn how to get along with other rats as a baby.* At 4 weeks you can completely wean your baby and stop giving formula, and congratulate yourself on a job well done!
*
Click to expand...

So you will need to keep the babies warm a hot water bottle etc under one corner of the box so they can get closer or away from it might be a good idea.

hope the babies are ok
 
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Username said:
Oh no :( That's what I was afraid of. My housemates are very against me bringing them back, but if that's what they need, I'll have to find a way to do it.
Not really - I'm on Vancouver Island.
How old would you say they are?
Thank you for the links - I'll give them a read. Would you say bringing them home and taming them is the only solution now? One housemate of mine in particular is very much against rats in general - especially wild ones - and does not want them coming back. I doubt they'll like me taking them in and handling them, but if that's their only hope, I'll do it.
Is leaving food in their "nest" (the box) until they're older not an option? Is it tame and rehome them or they die?
I only repeat myself for the reasons stated above. I love animals, and they're babies, so I'll do what needs to be done, but I just want to make sure. Also, do you know how I'd go about rehoming them afterwards? Do they need to be taken to the vet?
I don't suppose you know anyone closer to me who'd want them?
Click to expand...


I'm in Colwood, if you need an emergency foster home for them let me know!
 
SQ said:
Sorry, not trying to be difficult just having a really bad day
Make sure you leave food and water for the babies in case they return
I am glad that you are doing what you can to help these poor babies

You should be able to buy a bag of oxbow rat blocks at a pet store or Global Pet Foods.
The organic soy infant formula is sold in grocery stores as is baby cereal (the kind that says add milk) and baby food.
You likely have grains in your cupboard such as long cooking oatmeal, quinoa, 12 grain cereal etc ...... peas (fresh or frozen/thawed) are a favorite among rats ...... baby kale, broccoli, etc are also favorites .... mixed greens also make a nice treat ...... remember that these babies are likely not yet weaned, since their eyes are open they are old enough to start eating foods ..... but pet rats don't completely wean their babies until they are 4 weeks old - 2 weeks after their eyes open ..... and wild rats develop more slowly then pet rats. That is why I suggested giving them formula (no, I have no idea how old they are) ..... but it is great that they are old enough that they hopefully, should be able to eat and to drink and you will not need to hand feed them every few hours

I hope this helps
Please read the links I posted as they will give you a lot of info

You might want to make a bin cage ..... I use one as a carrier ... I took a blue Rubbermaid container and 2 sturdy baking cooling racks (grocery stores or stores like Walmart & Canadian tire sell cooking racks for baking) and some zip/cable ties and cut a hole in one side and in the lid that were smaller then the cooling racks. Then I poked holes in the plastic and used the zip/cable ties to attach the cooling racks over the inside of the container and lid. (There are videos on the internet showing how to make bin cages). Makes a small, inexpensive, temporary cage that they are less likely to get out of then a box ..... I attached a pic of a small bin cage and a large bin cage that I made awhile ago and pics of my current rescue mama and a few of her 2 week old babies.
Rats also need 12 hours of darkness a day

If you check out the different sections on this forum you will get some ideas of housing toys etc

It is a bit difficult because I have never raised wild orphans or had a wild rat and I don't want to tell you the wrong thing. Most orphans do not survive because they are so young when they lose their mama, but your babies are older and should do ok with all of your hard work.

The recommended diet for older rats is access to a good rat block at all times, daily vegs, and healthy treats of a piece of fruit, berries, grains (often cooked), and pumpkin or squash seeds.

Here is the forbidden foods list http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=590
some seeds are not ok such as apple seeds contain arsenic. Avoid giving foods with added salt, added sugar or added fats.

good luck
Click to expand...

No worries :) Thank you for all of the information. I'm heading to bed now, but I'll be sure to give it a proper read in the morning.
 

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