Nancy, Lila, and their 26 babies

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SQ

SQ

Senior Member - Vegan for the animals
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
Messages
17,208
Location
central New Brunswick Canada
I am fostering two young mamas Nancy and Lila - who are still babies themselves, and their 26 babies.
The babies were born on Wednesday November 25.
and I picked them up from the Fredericton SPCA on Thursday November 26




Newborn babies Wednesday November 25, 2015 .... as you can see, both litters are mixed together.
If you look carefully you can see some little milk bellies ....... awwwww .....
 
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Babies are 4 days old ... Sunday November 29 .......... you can see their patterns and hair color ....



Lila and the babies she is caring for



The babies Nancy is caring for (horrible picture but she was upset so I didn't take another one)



Lila November 29



Lila's cage



Nancy's cage



The girls are in the top of adjoining CN cages

The two girls are doing an excellent job at using their litter boxes :)
 
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December 7 .......... babies are 12 days old





Tiny baby April ... my little string bean is being hand fed to supplement mom ... April, along with 2 siblings (1 from each mama) were smaller but seemed healthy on Friday at 9 days old but on Sunday at 11 days old baby April was thin and weak with bones sticking out





 
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December 7 - babies are 12 days old

As you can see, poor April is very thin but almost as long as a sibling





My little string bean is getting stronger, taking formula from me, and gaining weight.
April's tongue is so sweet as April licks spilled formula from my finger.
My little string bean has a strong grip and hold tightly onto my finger with both hands.










 
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December 8 - Babies are 13 days old

April is filing out and is now my little sweet pea ....
April is now strong enough to nurse from mama when I take most of the other babies away.
My little sweet pea is becoming stronger and more active.
I also moved the larger babies to the other litter and now have the smaller babies and April in this group for a total of 12









 
December 9 - Considered trying to get a nursing mama and litter from the pet store but afraid of bringing in disease
and it seems like a stupid idea because there are 2 nursing mamas here.
- Tried putting April in with the mama Nancy in the hope that she would feed her as mama Lila wasn't feeding her much.
It didn't work so I put April back in with Lila. Still hand feeding April.


December 10 - babies are 15 days old

April is getting weaker, can no longer nurse but still takes formula hungerly from me. April grips my finger firmly with both hands and licks my finger.






April died Friday, December 11. 2015.
April was 16 days old, the hair on April's tummy finally grew in today and I saw an upper tooth for the first time.
By the evening April was too weak to drink and unresponsive. I put her back in with her mama who groomed her. When I checked a few minutes later, April was lying alone and had stopped breathing.
April never got to see the world as her eyes were not open yet.

I named my sweet pea, April because the world wakes up in the spring, plants start to grow, buds come out, animals emerge and birds return.
Life starts to bloom in April ..... and I hoped that baby April would grow and thrive and bloom as a baby rattie too.

I am devastated ......... I wish I had done something differently, but I'm not sure what .......
I love April, I miss April terribly ... I was going to keep April and a sibling ........... :cry5:
April was so sweet and tried so hard ...........
 
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December 15 - Babies are 20 days old, their eyes opened at 16 days, not the usual 14 days
and since then they have been very active little explores who enjoy drinking formula and trying different foods




Sleepy babies ... mama Lila gets a break

 
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December 19 - babies are 24 days old



Lila wondering what is down there ........






Nancy discovers the wheel and decides that she loves wheel running

 
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December 28 - Babies are 33 days old



ratties in their 6 foot long double CN cage ... they love running and bouncing from one end to the other



eating cooked quinoa in the play pen



 
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December 29 - babies are 34 days old and enjoying the playpen



babies and mama Lila in the litter box
......... some of the babies are quite small compared to their siblings ... I was told that the two litters were born the same day but they actually look like two litters born several days apart. Perhaps it is due to genetics and their early nutrition (RIP baby April)




little climber

 
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