Wild Baby Rat Suggestions Wanted

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What should I do?

  • Keep them all

  • Release them all

  • Keep some

Results are only viewable after voting.
F

Farrah

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Messages
152
Location
Florida, US
Alright so as some of you already know I have 4 wild rats.
I have 2 males and 2 females. I was being really really REALLY irresponsible by leaving them together for too long while raising them (since they can stay together for 12 weeks, Rattus rattus).
One got pregnant and had 9 healthy babies I was perfectly fine with that. (I wasn't fine, I was mad at myself but I was happier with that than what happens next...)
I found a friend who would take a "few" of the same gender and then I planned on keeping the rest. Here comes the omg part..
Then my friend on facebook messaged me about finding 12, TWELVE babies with a dead mother rat in a bucket so she asked if I would take them since the pet stores wouldn't.
Of course I took them. I'm not going to let a helpless animal die if I could help.
So I'm hand raising them now since 21 babies would be WAY too much for a single rat to take care of.

I need suggestions, should I raise them to release them or should I keep them all? I don't know what their chances of survival would be if I released them at whatever age.

Also I've noticed the the boys are way flightier than the females so should I keep the ladies and release the males since the females are nicer???

Opinions and suggestions please lol.
Oh and both groups are about a week old.
 
Not ours here, they are very good with all wildlife and give them a chance at life. I would hope all wildlife refuge would do that too.
 
You won't be able to release any of these rats...they don' have a mom to show them how to survive in the wild, they will have gotten too used to humans by then as well. Unless you find a wildlife rehabber be prepared to keep ALL these babies.
 
lilspaz68 said:
You won't be able to release any of these rats...they don' have a mom to show them how to survive in the wild, they will have gotten too used to humans by then as well. Unless you find a wildlife rehabber be prepared to keep ALL these babies.
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1+


though the difficult thing is keeping wild rats is illegal in your state.. So in the future I suggest not getting involved with wild rats.
 
Would definately get in contact with a wildlife rescue center, and ask them if they take in and care for wild rats then hand them over. If its illegeal for you to keep wild rats then you don't want to get i any trouble, though it be good your heart is in the right place, you gotta do whats best for you and the babies. Try to find a wild rescue center would be my advice.
 
& can someone send me a link to where it says they're illegal to be kept as pets? I've googled and googled but I can't find anything!
 
& I have older wild rats that I hand raised and the males aren't that used to humans even though they were given the same treatment as the ladies their temperament is just flightier so being used to people wouldn't be an issue??
 
Farrah said:
So what would be wrong with releasing them if I follow the steps on the post I last posted?
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I believe it wouldn't work because they haven't been raised by their wild rat moma (as lilspaz said) so they wouldn't know what to do & wouldn't be able to survive.
 
Did you read the link? It says I should release them especially since there's a group of them.
I'm sure their instincts would kick in and it even says to feed them food that they would find outside.
 
I did read the link but it's still highly doubtful that it'll work. Releasing a domesticated rat would be like sending it to its death bed.. the same with these honestly.

It seems as though you only have 2 options.. try to find a wildlife rehabber who can help or you'll have to keep them all. I just wouldn't get any more intentionally of course.
 
Kelori, I believe it's illegal to take wild animals from one place & relocate &/or keep them.. They just don't want you to remove them from the wild.
 
I know that raccoons can learn to live in the wild even though they have been hand raised. However, it is a gradual transition over the course of many months, not abrupt. Perhaps you could do the same for the rats? Release them in the warm months, but keep feeding them for a few months so they can get used to foraging and finding their own food.
 
Joanne said:
I know that raccoons can learn to live in the wild even though they have been hand raised. However, it is a gradual transition over the course of many months, not abrupt. Perhaps you could do the same for the rats? Release them in the warm months, but keep feeding them for a few months so they can get used to foraging and finding their own food.
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I was thinking about that too.
I honestly think the older ones I have now could make it in the wild if I released them (but I don't plan on it). Just how they act makes it seem like their instincts would kick in.
I've looked and looked all over google and I haven't found anything saying they can't be kept as pets.

Check out this site: http://exoticpets.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi ... 368A-6.002
 
Ahh that article is Debbie D. I assume that's where you got the info about sexual maturity being 12 weeks as well? What you didn't realize is that some people say 6 weeks, others say 2-5 months...and these people also say the same thing about Norway rats!! We separate them at 5 weeks too.

The one thing Debbie doesn't mention in her article on releasing wild rats is IF they survived more than a week after letting them go.
 

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