FOUND baby rats, no mom, what to do?

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Petunia

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
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Nov 21, 2009
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a person on my feline diabetic forum found two baby rats and needs help caring for them, here is what she wrote, I encouraged her to come here and post as I have no experience with babies at all!!


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!
 
she just registered here and will be along shortly, her name is Melissa

Good luck Melissa!!

I'll be back later, t storms moving in, I need to shut down the computer
 
I am the one that found the baby rats...Petunia sent me here ( I know her as Snopps Mom on FDMB!)

so, here is the update I left on the feline board:

I have already helped them potty- one did, the other did not, though there was a little potty streak on the tissue they are nesting in, maybe?

From internet description they are 2 1/2 to 3 weeks old...both have fur, both have eyes open, though not wide open.

I am keeping them warm against laptop heat on side and med bottle of hot water in middle of tissue. They are sleeping right now.

I have HARTZ precision nutrition milk replacer for kittens on hand right now. First main ingredients are: Skim milk, casein, water, soybean oil, egg yolks, powdered cellulose, dipotassium and then a bunch of nutrients like phospahte, taurine, etc...is this safe to syringe a little in them before I take them back to nursery to leave for momma rat to find?

I think that is the best chance they have at making it...likely mom is not around right now, but I can try to find another nest- there were severa as I went theough flowers, and if there are babies near I can put them together ( internet says rats will accept other babies if close in age to their own?) and if no nests occupied, I can put them where they were in empty nest and hope their cries are heard by momma and answered?

WHAT do I do, please?!

Thanks,
Melissa
 
If you cannot find any other babies when you go back I wouldnt leave them there as the mamma may not take them if not near her own or she may not find them. If they dont look very similar in age I wouldnt either. The best milk to use for rats is human baby soy formula as it is the closest to the proper nutrition for them.. Im thinking cat formula is way to high in protein? anyone else think its too high?
 
If its all you have on hand you can give them that.. cant hurt really , give them a few drops.. anyone how much? I know its easy to over feed and I know when they are wee pinkies they can choke easily from airbubbles, when they are fuzzy and eyes are open does anyone know if they can still choke?
 
is keeping them warm ( internet said 100 degrees) as important when they have their own fur?

It is in low 80's here and if I go to nursery to return them they will be fine with heated water in pill bottle, but if I don't find other babies to leave them with, they will be with me the rest of the evening away from home with them...I can keep filling pill bottle with hot water, but will that be enough?

I read about getting air in them and that they cannot burp...I will poke a drop of the HARTZ replacer at a time in their mouth and go slow....I won't be able to find the KMR until tomorrow- no shops open right now....should I water down the HARTZ? Label says Crude protein (min) 7.0%...is that too much?

Just in case I have to bring them back home with me- can someone please give me very detailed info on how to care for these little stow-aways through the night? I will be home tomorrow so I can bug you all further then, but I need instructions for through the night care please...how often to feed, help them tinkle, how warm to keep them and with what ( my heating pad auto shuts off every 2 hours) considering they are aprox 3 weeks old?

anything else I need to know?

cross paws there are other babies to leave them with, please...send vibes and prayers and anything else to give these litte whiper-snapers the best chance!

Thanks again-will check back in a few minutes, then I have to go to dinner with family.
 
um....what if these are mice?

they seem to big to be baby mice....they have really long feet and for looking so young are pretty big- but it occurs to me I am not sure the difference between baby mouse and baby rat! Gads!

What now?

:emb:
 
If they seem big for babies then they are probably rats.. do they have long bodies and long faces? Over night wont be too hard.. although I believe they need to eat a few times throughout the night.. I think 2 or 3.. cant remember . pay more attention to the lethargic one right now, he needs the most care, make sure he gets food first and stays warm, I've heard stimulating their bodies are good for them.. just stroke their backs a few times and gently massage their bellies.. I read somewhere it helps with something. I dont know if diluting will do much not sure.. but if you are just feeding them the cat formula for a little while it wont hurt at all so I'd say at this point it doesnt matter, just make sure they have full bellies.

You will get a lot more info when more members are on, this is a time of day were most people are offline, you should get more input tonight with experienced members in this situation.
 
every time you feed them try to make them tinkle just in case.. but they may be getting closer to the point where you wont have to. and the heat just make sure its a cosy warm.. no specific temperature I dont think.. just warm enough to keep a baby feeling comfy =) you dont want the weak one to get a draft and make him sicker.
 
feeding didn't go too well....I only gave each one about 3 drops of the HARTZ...one refused to swallow no matter how I got it- either all the way in an open mouth or through clenched teeth....the other swallowed a little bit, but not much. Both of them I wiped away more than I got in them.

I am pretty sure they are rats- by internet description they're tails are shorter than their body, muzzles are blunt and ears are smaller than their head...baby rat, yes?
 
if they have tiny ears probably rats.. mice have pretty big ears for their small bodies. mice dont get big so if they are already close to the size of mice they are definatly rats Just give them a bit and try food again.. they may be little buggers and may be stubbern, if you cant get a lot in.. as long you you are getting something in often enough its better then nothing at all.
 
thank you...lethargic seems to be coming around...I can't tell them apart by movement or lack of anymore...I'l have to be more observant to find a difference in them now!

I am not positive, but it is possible they ate some bread...I wetted a weensy nibble of bread with hot water and stuck it down in...I could not find it when I changed their tissue last. I will try bread again later and keep track of it this time....will they over feed themselves or stop when they should?

One Good thing...sort of! One of them peed on its' own while I was trying to use a closed writing pen to flip ears up to identify rat or mouse...bad part is he peed right onto the other one that was sleeping upside down under him! :sick2: LOL!

they have some sort of brown mite crawling on them, too...just a few- not covering them. I have changed tissue twice now in effort to rid them of these pests, but likey the bugs are just part of them and their world.

Their wee toes are no bigger around than a sewing needle! and I can see eensie white toenails on them!

I've canceled my dinner for now but may go later- they are all meat eaters and I am veggie head anyway...nothing lost, there really....just not sure if returning the babies to the nursery is best or try to feed them? Leaning toward returning them to nursery and let nature take care of nature...its usually better that way, right?

But if they are eating on their own, I could easily keep them in the spare room (dog and cat free) in an old glass aquarium for a few weeks until they are big enough to fend for themselves....

The one, when I tried to feed him, was squealing up a storm at me! I think it is the same one now arguing with the kleenex and trying to bite it...they are both very squirmy sleepers- is that normal?

If they are able to eat on their own, what is best to feed them? I have cerals here- organic rice/wheat/corn flakes with fruit, and some no grain cat kibble and canned cat food- also same for dog- wet and dry no grain...no cheese, right? um...I have wheat bread...I could cook some brown rice? how do I get water to them? Just a little lid of water or try to syringe? I have some fresh frozen peachslices, raspberries and cherries?

anything I can do about the mites?
 
thank you for the sites...I do have lactated ringers for my rena kitties...I also have 31 gauge needles for my diabetic...should I do the LR's sub Q? I am not sure either need them but I don't know how to tell on something so small!

I wouldn't even have any idea how much to shoot?!

These guys are VERY fitful with seeping....jerking and jumping and doing acrobats over each other...eyes are closed, ears back- I think they are trying to sleep? Seems more like an ongoing arguement to me? Truthfully they look like they are jostling for a teet that isn't there...like kittens do...

I am thinking to see if they will eat solids...watered down bread or something? If they do, I will commit to keeping and caring for them for a few weeks until they are ready to be set free.

If they don't eat solids- I am just afraid I will hurt them futher by trying to care for them...though according to the sites you posted and the ones I've read, these guys seem borderline old enough to care for themselves as far as feeding goes.

Putting them back at the nursery is 50/50....at best. WHAT TO DO?!?!?! :emb: :gaah:

I'm going out to garage to root around for aquarium...back soon.
 
I would try to take them back asap and I pray that you can find a nest to put them in. The longer they are in your care the more harm it could do to them since it doesn't sound like you intend on keeping them. They need their mom right now to teach them how to fend for themselves, if you are unable to find a nest then hopefully you can find a rescue in your area.
 
Soy infant formula is best.
You can put baby cereal mixed up with soy infant formula in a shallow dish if you think they might be able to eat a little.

If they don't go back to their moms, they will not learn how to survive in the wild,
 
Thank you all so much for all of your advice and links and such.

Sadly, one of the babies passed shortly after my last post to you all...it was peaceful and quick.

The other little guy was doing very well- he even ate a little before I left with them to go to the nursery. He was peeing on his own as well, so I think he is pretty strong. I did take him back to the nursery where I picked up the plants. I left the one in a nest there. I brought the other one that passed home with me and will bury her in the morning with another I found in the truck bed that had already passed probably sometime last night.

Life is so fragile.

I feel as if I gave the one guy a fighting chance by leaving him in the nest at the nursery. There is a chance his momma will find him and as strong as he was, he might even have a fair chance of making it on his own. If he doesn't, I am confident he will not suffer.

I think he will be okay, though...he was fighting with the feeding syringe, swallowing the formula and doing sommersaults in the nesting cup here at my house....very energetic and stong...squealing and squeaking in protest as I cleaned his little face....then he finished washing his own self with his tiny little front paws.

Sending prayers to the little squeaker that he is stong and his momma finds him.

Thank you again for your guidance.
 
Can you check tomorrow.
If his mom hasn't found him, you might be able to find a rescue to take him in and raise him with a litter of domestic rats.
 
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