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just had first litter?

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  • 05-28-2009, 02:47 AM
    gixxerrobballs
    just had first litter?
    OK my female rat gave birth to 11 healthy babies after having them only a day she tried to bury them...At first shes was caring for them even built a fort out of the bedding...so i clean her cage and she wants nothing to do with the babies now what should i do?
  • 05-28-2009, 03:04 AM
    oceancube
    Re: just had first litter?
    did you touch the babys with your hands??? if so say bye bye to them, first mistake i learned was never touch the babys with your hands cause then they dissapear one at a time!!
  • 05-28-2009, 04:30 AM
    gixxerrobballs
    Re: just had first litter?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by oceancube View Post
    did you touch the babys with your hands??? if so say bye bye to them, first mistake i learned was never touch the babys with your hands cause then they dissapear one at a time!!

    Yes,we touch them but not before she buried them...after she buried them we thought maybe we would make her a clean cage with less bedding...so how long before you can touch them
  • 05-28-2009, 04:34 AM
    gixxerrobballs
    Re: just had first litter?
    good news i went back in the rat room and she sleeping and feeding them right now SWEET i hope she take care of them i have no other momma rats soon again hopefully:gj:thanks
  • 05-28-2009, 06:32 AM
    frankykeno
    Re: just had first litter?
    Unless the rat is extremely shy or nervous, most of them will not reject or kill their own young just because you touched them or cleaned an enclosure. Wild animals may do this, domesticated rats - not so much.
  • 05-28-2009, 08:16 AM
    ThyTempest
    Re: just had first litter?
    How warm is your room? She may have been burying them because it is too cold. Make sure you give them something warm to nest in.
  • 05-28-2009, 08:28 AM
    trott
    Re: just had first litter?
    I know they're pretty protective. So its probably just natural. Everytime i buy rat pups or pinkies the mother is frantically trying to hide her young. She probably just tried to hide them from you thinking you could be a predator.
  • 05-28-2009, 08:42 AM
    Shadera
    Re: just had first litter?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by frankykeno View Post
    Unless the rat is extremely shy or nervous, most of them will not reject or kill their own young just because you touched them or cleaned an enclosure. Wild animals may do this, domesticated rats - not so much.

    Agreed. Rat moms have some of the strongest mothering instincts I've ever seen. Every time I've had to foster some to one mom or another, they willingly accept the new babies. It's to the point where I don't even try and scent them with mom's current litter, I just dump them in and she adds them to the pile.
  • 05-28-2009, 02:19 PM
    gixxerrobballs
    Re: just had first litter?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ThyTempest View Post
    How warm is your room? She may have been burying them because it is too cold. Make sure you give them something warm to nest in.

    it's like 65/70 in the rat room:)
  • 05-28-2009, 02:34 PM
    littleindiangirl
    Re: just had first litter?
    Burying them is normal. Just leave her alone and she'll do a good job. Bugging her is more likely to stress her out. ;)
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