If you know alot about rats, please read and help me?

Question

i am thinking about getting a baby rat.

not a pinkie...but a baby rat that has A LITTLE bit of fur...like this:

http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/blog/nestofbabyrats.jpg

and they DO sell those, and they ARE able to live without their mother.

well, i would like to know what to feed it until it's eyes open and it can actually eat on it's own.

Answer 1

it would be very irresponsible to buy a baby rat at that age....they need their mothers milk!! they wont eat solids until they open their eyes..they try but arent able to actually eat food.

a baby will feed from its mother untill at least 5 weeks of age...although not very much as from 4 weeks as they will be eating solids without problems by then...they need to learn from their mother which is why any responsible rat breeder will not sell the babies untill they are at least 5 weeks of age.

i dont let my babies go until they are 6-7 weeks old...so they are introduced to older rats by this time so they arent frightened of older rats. and they are all fully vet checked and have a clean bill of health before they are homed with anyone else.

i would say who ever is selling these babies have no idea what they are doing and are completely irresponsible to be letting them leave their mother this young. (this is my opinion)

please seriously think about getting a rat baby that is much older than the ones you want. (at least 5 weeks old) as you will be a much more responsible person for doing so.

Answer 2

well i doubt anyone would sell one and for good reasons 2. no offense but im sure that your intentions are well but its just plain irresponsible for whoever owns those rats 2 sell them at such a young age since theyre so tiny and helpless. you'd most likely have 2 find a website that says how to care for orphaned rats (look up the fancy rat and mouse association- i would give u the link but i highly doubt u will need it since im sure you wont find rats for sale at that age...)

they need round the clock care, warmth, specially prepared food im sure, and its wrong to keep them from naturally socializing with their siblings while theyre developing physically as well as mentaly (or at least in my opinion thats how i see it, orphaning a rat on purpose isnt good for it)

but honestly if ur serious about doing this, RESEARCH it ALOT and look for feeders and just say u need it that size for a snake if they sell rats live and in good conditions -_-

Answer 3

sorry, but no rat should be able to be sold until it's 4-8 weeks old.

by this time it should have it's eyes open and be able to start eating on it's own.

Answer 4

There are chows you can buy at pet stores for rats. The only problem is how young it is. You may have to mix the chow with water to form a kind of "paste" similar to baby food so it is easy for the pup to eat. Babies of any species can sometimes be difficult to raise. They must be fully weaned from their mother for a good chance of survival. You may be forced to somehow bottle feed it milk or formula. This is not easy. Good luck.