Baby wild rat

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Kloppie8

Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2012
Messages
6
Location
Chesapeake
I need advice on caring for a wild baby rat. My cat killed 5 of them but I found this one in the yard still alive. I have no idea where the cat got them so I could not put him back. I have had him about 36 hrs and he is still alive. I a, unsure of age but his eyes are not open yet, so I am assuming not 2 wks yet. My plan is to care for him until he is old enough to let go back in the wild. All the vets and wildlife places have told me to dispose of him because rats carry diseases, but my point is he lives in the yard so likely my dogs and cats have come in contact with their feces and other stuff and they are around us all the time. Last month my cat brought in an adult rat and dropped him on the kitchen table, I caught him and released him outside the fence, we live on a creek.

Please any and all advice is welcome, I know nothing of rats and I am just trying to do what is best for this baby...but I also have 4 dogs, 2 cats, 1 rabbit, and 2 small children...I don't want to put them at risk. I use to care for wildlife when I worked for a vet, so I know the precautions to take...but everyone seems to think rats are extra diseased, true??
 
http://ratfanclub.org/orphans.html

If you plan on releasing him, keep interaction to a minimum. Rats who are used to people or show any interest in them are really not liked in the wild.

I don't really think rats carry any more disease than squirrels, raccoons, possums, etc. and rehabbers aren't scared of them, I'm raised all three!

Good luck with him, and do not beat yourself up if he dies, it's very hard to raise a wee one. Any pictures of him? It would be easier to judge his age.
 
- keep him warm - does he have fur yet?
- make sure he has frequent feedings of soy infant formula (available at grocery stores and pharmacies), info re frequency in articles on raising orphans
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=27608
He may be able to lick it from your finger or you may have to syringe feed him - info in the articles as you need to do it carefully so formula does not go into his lungs
- make sure to gentely massage/wipe his tummy and botom after feeding so all waste is eliminated,

- I doubt he can be returned to the wild as he is alone, will not have learned how to survive from his mama, rats are social and need to live with other rats, and rats are territorial so if he tries to join a colony he will be killed.
- If he is not to be returned to the wild, you will need to handle him a lot so that he bonds with you.

The articles on raising orphans discuss these things in detail but if unsure, more detail can be given.
viewtopic.php?f=26&t=17673

A couple of people on this forum have raised wild babies.
Hopefully they will see your post and contact you
 
That is especially true if 'he' is a male. A young male being released into another's territory could be fatal.

If you can't keep him, but are successful in raising him, I could offer him a home. I'm fine with the challenges of a wild rat.

I wish I could be of more help, but the only wild ones I've raised were already about three weeks old -and wild! - when I got them.
 
First of all, once you take that little baby in, there is no releasing it. Unfortunately, if you were to release it, it would not survive, as it would become accustomed to you caring for it. It would not know how to survive in the wild, either being finding food, or staying away from another rat's territory as wild rats (and some domesticated) can become very territorial. So it is now your pet, the only safe thing is to find someone else who can take it in as a pet, if you cannot keep it.

As for hand raising babies, there are lots of helpful threads on here, these might help:

Information/Articles on Birth, New Moms, & Babies: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=17673
Information/Articles on Orphaned Babies: viewtopic.php?f=26&t=27608
Another person's experience of a baby orphaned rat: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=30255

There are lots of helpful people on here, so if you have any concerns or questions, please post them, and together we will help you get through this.
 
I wish I could offer you more help, I see you're in chesapeake - VA?
But I recently gave up a newborn squirrel that came to me, my schedule just won't allow it. It is SO worth it though.
 
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Thank you everyone for all the information. I do not want to keep him, nor can I keep him. I will however find someone to take him once he is eating on his own, or I will try and find someone now. I am very aware that the likelihood of him surviving is slim, but he is a very active little booger. He seems to be doing okay, I don't think he is eating as well as I would like, but I have never cared for something so tiny. He is urinating and defecating when stimulated. It seems like when he is hungry he comes to the top of his towels but when not he lays under it all and sleeps. I don't really know if he is a boy just seems fitting.


Yes I am in Chesapeake, VA
 
yes, you will have to keep simulating him to make him go to the bathroom, since his mother is not there. She would be doing that to teach him otherwise, if you do not then he will become backed up leading to other problems
 
I'm in Hampton, and I'd be glad to take him if he makes it. I adore wild rats, I owned a halfie before and fostered wild babies.

And my goodness he's cute. I would give him pedialyte too, to make sure he's hydrated.
 
I would love for you to take him if he makes it. I have been trying to handle him as little as possible, should I start handling him more. I have not made contact with it without a glove or towel...so it is okay to hold him with my bare hand. I am not going to lie, I am a little scared of mice and rats.
 
I really can't give professional advice, I've always handled the baby mice and rats I've caught in live traps if they appeared healthy, which is not wise. But it's a lot harder to feed and care for such a small animal if you're wearing gloves that are not snug to your skin.

You can use tight-fitting rubber gloves OR just wash your hands thoroughly after handling.

At this age, I'd handle him if he seems to like it, rat babies are always snuggled up with other babies and momma, mine seemed to enjoy being handled, even when their eyes/ears were closed.

Also, I'm sure you know, he's going to need some kind of heat source until his eyes are open and he's active, at around 3 weeks old. Since he's alone especially.
 
He looks very thin for a Norway rat, even if he's a baby. Since you can't release him/her, it is important you handle him as much as possible to try to socialize him. If he makes it to the point his eyes are open, you should start looking for a home then. It will not be easy to find a good home for a rat, let alone one that will need lots of socialization and the sooner he meets other rats, the easier it will be.
 
Well he is still alive, and has one eye open.

I am not positive he is a rat, but not a mouse either. I have tried to compare pictures of him to Internet ones but he has such long back legs and he is even smaller than a mouse. He is eating very. He is also starting to squeak and protest the potty stimulation. He is enjoying wandering around his box, he is still wobbly but he is very curious.

I had contacted a wildlife rehab and they contacted me yesterday but they said they would take him as food.
 
I was wondering about that... the proportions didn't seem right but it's hard to tell from a photo. Could he be a deer mouse?
 

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