Need help with rats?

Question

ok my female rat died and i dont know if the babie rats can eat and drink on there own they got fur and they have eyes open and move around but the mother died cause she was to young to have the babies and she was in bad condition when she had them she couldnt stay up straight and i think its cause of having babies but i need help cause i dont know if they can eat and drink on there own they got furr but there small

Answer 1

If the babies have fun and have their eyes open they should be old enough to eat for themselves.

They should be fairly weaned at 3 weeks of age- do you remember how old they are?

You can try to get some milk formula from your local vet- or try feeding them puppy milk or lactose free milk that has been warmed so they can have a go at drinking that.

You should also stock up on some baby food- rats love it and it should be good for the little babies- its not hard to chew and it tastes great! I feed mine anything sweet, really. They love pureed fruit and egg custard the best.

Make sure the babies have enough bedding so they can stay warm- although they will most likely rat pile on top of each other to stay warm it is good for extra protection.

Make sure they have plenty of food and water- you can leave out your usual rat food- they will probably have a go at it.

If they are still not eating or drinking you may have to try feeding them with milk by putting it into their mouth with something like a syringe- the milk needs to be warm- but not too hot- just like any baby. I imagine they would need feeding every few hours.

Good luck

Answer 2

same thing happened with one of my hamsters once.

feed the babbies lots of fruit!

something that they can eat. not apples, becuase beinf so little, they can not bite it. something really soft, like bananas, and stuff. I dont know my friuts lol. they sould be fine. male sure you keep them warm!!

I wish you luck!

Answer 3

If the babies are attempting to eat solid food on their own they should be alright. Maybe just soften some food for them with water so they can eat more effectively.

If the babies look kinda skinny or small you could offer them soy human-infant formula (the powdered kind you add water to...NO LACTOSE) mixed up in a very shallow dish every few hours, or see if there is a pocket pet rescue orginazation in your area that may have a lactating female or may have more experience with orphaned baby rats. Raising orphaned rats is a lot of work as they need fed and cleaned up several times a day as well as kept warm if they are too young to maintain their own body temperature. Anyways, I'd say soften some solid food in water for them and seek out someone able to assure they are raised well.