You’ve Found Baby Rats – What to Do Now?
Most baby rats – wild and domestic – will be cared for by their mum, which is the best thing for them. However, sometimes as a rat owner you may find or be asked to care for abandoned babies. What’s the best thing to do if it happens to you?
(If you have to care for newborn rats who have a mom, read our post on baby rat care instead.)
Note: although I’ve never encountered any problems in rearing baby wild rats, it is important that anyone who handles a wild animal takes appropriate hygiene precautions, and consults a vet about giving prophylactic treatment for parasites or bacterial diseases that may be carried in your region.
Check They Really Are Abandoned
Wild rat mums leave their nests daily to feed and drink. If you find a nest containing babies the best thing to do is to leave it alone and keep an eye on it from a discreet distance or check back in a few hours.
Mum might be waiting nearby for you to go away. If a nest is disturbed, she’ll still probably come back once the coast is clear to move her babies somewhere safer. As with all wildlife, its best to leave babies alone unless you are certain they are in immediate danger or mum can’t come back.
Sometimes you’ll know mum is dead, or the nest has been disturbed in a way that place’s the babies at immediate risk. Or maybe a well-meaning person has already taken them into captivity and is asking for your help. In that case, what’s best?
A Surrogate Mum is Better Than No Mum
Domestic rat breeders foster their orphaned litters onto other lactating does if possible. That’s because hand-raising rats has a low chance of success. The babies have a better chance of survival with an unrelated mum, even allowing for the risk of her killing them. This is doubly or triply the case if the babies are pinkies – i.e. less than a week old and without fur.
However, finding someone with a lactating doe willing to foster wild rat kittens is difficult. It is worth trying, but there is a fair chance the rescuer will end up hand-feeding.
How to Hand-feed Baby Rats
First up, ask yourself honestly if you are the right person to do this. It’s a big commitment. With rats say a week old, you are looking at around 2 weeks of hand-feeding every 3-4 hours, including night feeds. Some people just skip the night feeds, but it puts the babies at risk of dehydration and a much higher chance of death.
Is there a more experienced carer nearby who you can ask for help? Everyone starts somewhere but caring for baby wildlife is generally better left to trained carers. However, as many wildlife rescues won’t take rats, rat owners can end up plugging the gap.
Essential Equipment
- A milk substitute. I use Divetelact, which is a standard milk substitute for baby animals sold by my vet and used by the local wildlife shelter. I know some other rat carers swear by soy-based human infant formula. Either way, cows milk, or cows milk-based formulas aren’t suitable. If you are caring for very young pinkies, you may also need a colostrum supplement. Given the urgency with which this would be needed, you might need to beg and borrow from a local wildlife shelter.
- A way to feed them. Rats are too tiny to use a teat bottle. We use a wide bore iv line (with needle removed) attached to the end of a 1 ml syringe, both supplied by my vet.
- Somewhere safe to live. Baby rats can’t climb until after their eyes open, but they do wriggle about. I use a small plastic animal carrier.
- A heat source. It’s essential to keep baby rats warm, but also essential that they can’t get overheated or burned. I use a snugglesafe microwaveable heat pad wrapped in fleece and placed in the bottom of the carrier.
- Bedding. I use a mixture of fleece offcuts and torn up kitchen towel. I cover the nest with another piece of fleece to keep the heat in. It’s essential not to use anything the babies can get tangled in.
- Cotton buds or cotton wool for toileting.
The three things baby rats need are milk, warmth and toileting, so let’s look at these in turn.
Milk
We make up the milk substitute with boiling water in a sterilised egg cup, according to instructions on the brand. Technically it can be kept a while in the fridge, but I prefer to make fresh for each feed as it is such a tiny amount.
The milk obviously mustn’t be fed hot – it would scald the babies’ gullets. I feed it when I can put a drop on the inside skin of my elbow without feeling it as hot.
There are two risks with hand-feeding baby rats:
- Letting the milk flow too quickly so they aspirate it into their lungs or noses. This is incredibly common and one of the leading causes of death in babies.
- Getting air in the feed so they end up with air bloating in their tummies (also frequently fatal).
To control the flow rate, I use a 1 ml syringe and apply little if any pressure to the plunger. It’s very hit and miss and basically you get good at it with experience as you adjust to each rat’s feeding style.
Avoiding air in the milk is easy enough by making sure there are no bubbles in the syringe or tube. Stopping the babies from gulping air as they try and latch onto the milk is harder. It comes down to having a practiced technique so they latch on quickly.
How Much and How Often to Feed
Advice varies on how often and how much to feed baby rats.
I’ve found:
- every 3 hours to be about right for pinkies and
- every 4 hours for kittens nearer weaning
How much to feed depends on the size and age of the rat:
- In tiny pinkies, it can be as little as 0.1 ml at a time.
- Larger rats will feed more vigorously and may take up to a ml in a single feed.
I prefer to feed less milk more often in younger babies, as it gives their digestions a chance to cope. A big rich milky feed on an empty tummy in a newly rescued pinkie could overwhelm the digestion and kill them. Some people recommend feeding a small amount of sugar water in the first feed before changing to milk. It has to be judged on a case by case basis.
Fortunately, pinkies can show us whether they are well fed. Because their skin is so thin, you can see the milk as a band in their tummy. If they have a nice milk band after feeding, then they’ve had enough.
Dehydration can be a big problem in orphaned babies, especially if they have been unfed for a while, or with a carer who didn’t do night feeds. If I suspect dehydration, I take babies straight to the vet for assessment for subcutaneous fluids. You can spot dehydration by gently pinching the skin on the back of the neck. If it tents up and doesn’t spring back into place then the rat is dehydrated.
Warmth
Pinkie rats can’t regulate their own body temperatures, so a warm nest is essential and cold is a major cause of death.
That said, you don’t want to get the nest so hot it causes heat stress (also a major cause of death). I microwave a snugglesafe until it feels hot to my hand, wrap it in one or two layers of fleece and pop it in the base of my carrier. Then I use other layers of fleece above and below the babies to regulate the temperature.
I aim for a nest that feels warm and cosy to my hand, and I also look at the reaction of the babies. If they are warm to the touch and healthily pink, the nest is about right, whereas any baby that feels cool to the touch needs to be warmer.
I keep the rats living on the snugglesafe in the carrier (reheating it every couple of hours) until they have open eyes and are moving about. Then I move them to a narrow-barred cage (ones designed for mice are ideal). I put a fleece-wrapped snugglesafe with nesting material in a cardboard box so they still have somewhere warm to retreat to.
If a snugglesafe isn’t available, I’ve used a sock filled with oat groats or wheat and microwaved as a heat source.
Toileting
Baby rats can’t poo and pee for themselves, so it is absolutely essential that their carers help them, otherwise they’ll die.
I toilet shortly after feeding. I use a cotton bud dipped in warm (not hot) water, and gently stroke across the genitals and anus. It’s not always possible to see the wee, but it’s obvious when they’ve had a successful poo.
It is important to stimulate toileting at every feed until you’ve witnessed each rat toilet independently (usually around 2 weeks, but they’ll show you!)
Conclusion
As you can see, hand-raising baby rats isn’t for the faint-hearted. I’ve raised two litters. The most recent were 4 tiny pinkies who were found in a DIY shop. They were only a day or two old, and quite frankly had no chance. We were able to feed them and keep them warm successfully, but because they were so young when they lost their mum, they hadn’t had much colostrum from her. Without it, they had no chance to get their immune system going. They all died by a week old.
My first litter was a happier experience. The babies were about 11 days old when they came to me, and had been in care since around a week old. That gave them a good head start as it meant they had had a week’s colostrum and milk from their mum, and their immune systems were working well.
We still lost one on the first night, as the previous carer hadn’t provided heat or night feeds, and one of the boys was too weak to swallow safely. However, we pulled the other three through (with a little help from my vets who gave subcutaneous fluids to the weakest girl for several days running). They lived with us for the rest of their lives, which turned out to be over 4 years.
FAQs
Newborn rats should feed on their mother’s milk every few hours. So the babies are not likely to survive for very long if something happens to their mom or she abandons the nest.
If you’re caring for newborn rats without a mother or surrogate mother to nurse them, you should hand-feed them a milk substitute.
I use Divetelact, a standard milk substitute for baby animals sold by my vet and used by the local wildlife shelter. I know some other rat carers swear by soy-based human infant formula. Either way, cow’s milk or cow’s milk-based formulas are unsuitable for baby rats.
In the case of very young pinkies, you may also need a colostrum supplement.
Baby rats can survive without their mother if someone else takes over the care and provides replacement milk, warmth, and toileting.
But even when doing everything right, survival rates are quite low, especially if the rats haven’t got fur yet. They have a better chance of survival if they are already furry, which means they’ve had time to feed from mum and build their immune systems with colostrum.
In the wild, mother rats leave their nests daily for food and water. If you find a nest with baby rats, don’t disturb it. Keep a watchful eye from a discreet distance or return after a few hours. But even if the nest is disturbed, the mother rat will likely come back once the coast is clear to relocate her babies to a safer place.
Give it time to see if she returns and/or relocates them. If they don’t have fur yet, their chances of surviving without their mom are very poor, so it’s probably best to give her the time to return.
Poor baby rats… How could anyone abandon those sweethearts. Thank you for caring for rats!
I found 8 to 10 rat so please save them
If you are completely sure they are abandoned and have no mom, then it is best to find a local animal rescue that would take care of them. If there is no local animal rescue where you live, please try to follow the advice from our post to help those poor little rodents. If you are located in Australia, Alison (the author of this post) might be able to point you in the right direction. Where are you located?
I called the only place and they don’t take wild rats so I have 9 baby rats and I am still in school have no clue how to do this I did it over the summer and that rat is not a year old and a really healthy boy. I live in Pinellas Park Florida any place u know will take them? They are 2 weeks just opened there eyes today and are doing amazing just don’t wanna risk them being here without food while I’m at school.
Hi, did you try to get in touch with Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation located in Seminole, Florida http://wrrfl.org/ ? It says on their website that they welcome all animals so, hopefully, they can take care of the rats you found too.
My Momma rat had 14 and it’s her first litter. Some feel cold and she seems to not be feeding all of them.
Hi,
If she is feeding them they will have milk bands – that should happen well within the first day. Female rats have 12 nipples so with 14, they need to rotate being fed, Occassionally, females will decide not to rear all of a large litter and will push some babies out. If she isn’t feeding them, your best bet is fostering them onto another mum with babies of a similar age, If that’s not possible, then you can try and hand feed those without milk bands, but at that age, it is sadly rarely successful.
I have seen people use a new tiny paintbrush. Make sure it’s a new unused one of course. instead of a syringe to feed tiny amounts of milk. It works better than the syringe when they are so tiny and the small amount of milk the brush bristles hold, can’t drown them as easily.
Hi .I found 2 baby rats picked I don’t have heat for them.we leve in my van.can any one in Torrance cal.help save the babys..I can’t get them to eat.what do I do
Hello, I’m going to be fostering 1 to 2 week old baby rats. How often should I feed them at night, what time? Thank you!
Hi Brianna,
I fed every 3 -4 hours at that age, although it does depend a bit on how well they are feeding. I would start with 3 hours and see how you go. As they get nearer weaning they tend to eat more and you can push to 4 hours.
excuse me, me and my sister found some rats in our water purifier with the mom dead and 7 baby rats with fur but their eyes closed and wrinkled skin. my mom hates rats and my dad grew up killing rats.
im 12 and my sister is 10 my dad has agreed to keep them but if they are outside. i have no clue how to do this, im scared of coming home and finding them dead. i have nothing. i live in chesham ,england
we’ ve got a dog please help
Hi, they should be safely kept in a cage or a big aquarium if you don’t have anything else and taken care of as we described in the article. But given that you are very young, it would be best to find a wildlife rescue near you that would be willing to take the babies. Maybe try this one https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064559747600 ? Good luck!
Did the mom abandoned them or was she kill in a rat trap? If she was killed by a rat trap, then it means these rats are an infestation and need to be killed before it grown up and become another generation of rat infrectation.
We are not JUST discussing wild rats and it’s not the babies fault momma got killed. Or in some cases rejects her babies. Have a heart…jeez. I’m pretty sure you can give advice on a chat ABOUT infestations as your clearly familiar with the idea of inhumane killing traps
What a horrible person you are, John.
That’s a really sad comment
Is there anything you can do to build the immune system if they’re a little less than a week?
Not a lot, unfortunately. There are replacement colustrum supplements on the market for use in agriculture and wildlife rehabilitation, and providing those is an option in some circumstances. I’ve not used them though as getting delivery of them where we are was too slow to be of use.
Can you use a paint brush technique for babies which are 11 days old?
Hi. I’m not entirely sure as I’ve never tried that with baby rats – I think it is mostly used in smaller animals such as mice and shrews, and I don’t know if it would get enough milk into a rat (they are pretty greedy at that age). My preference is a short piece of iv tubing attached to a 1 ml syringe as they latch on well. However, the main issue with any technique is to make sure they don’t aspirate the milk (and also try to minimise their swallowing air) – that’s probably more important than exactly how you get the milk in.
yes I’ve seen it on the video’s on you tube with pinkie mice successfully.
I am currently looking after 2 abandoned baby rats which are about 2 weeks old , should I let them back into the wild (if so when) or keep them as pets . Also will they carry harmful diseases?
Diseases depend on where you are – I can’t really advise on that. A wildlife centre or vet in your area would know.
There isn’t a right / wrong answer on release vs keeping, it depends on how they have been handled and how they react to captivity when weaned, as well as where you are. If they are imprinted then releasing is unlikely to have a good outcome for them. If they are less so, then they might not take well to captivity. Some countries also have laws against rereleasing rats as they are invasive.
I chose to keep mine as one was very heavily imprinted on humans, and all three had a strong attachment to their cage as territory – plus we are in Australia where I think rereleasing an invasive rodent species would be unethical.
Help!! My cat brought me an abandon baby rat I checked it out it has no injuries I’ve been giving it milk warmed slightly to it and keeping it warm..it doesn’t hardly make a sound but it wiggles alot iam not sure if iam doin everything correctly or not any advice would be greatly appreciated
Sorry for the delay in getting to this – I guess the situation has resolved itself one way or the other by now. Generally warmth, replacement milk and toileting are the only things we can do, but even doing everything right rates of survival are quite low, especially if it hasn’t got fur yet. Many babies don’t make a lot of noise, especially if they are on their own – it depends a bit on species. But wriggling is usually a good sign.
I found a wild rat baby wedged between the garage door. Has fur, but eyes still closed. Don’t see mom anywhere. Possibly abandoned. Been feeding it puppy milk replacement and got it to poop and pee. It can crawl . How long before it opens its eyes and can start feeding on its own?
Hi Nelly,
Eyes open between 11 days and 2 weeks. Mine started weaning themselves just before 3 weeks, although they still needed some supplementary feeds until they got the hang of it.
If it has fur then if you can keep it warm and hydrated it has a good chance.
My cat got a baby rat probs about 2 weeks old I’ve hand reared it . Due to floods and terrible weather I delayed releasing it. Can’t release it near me as many cats and people putting traps down. Won’t be handled now about 10 weeks old. Can I release it, will it still have instinct? I know where there are others about a mile away but I read they will attack it . Just don’t know what’s best. Please advise me.
Hi Stephanie,
The first question is whether it is legal to release near you (varies with country and state) as that is a deciding factor. If it is legal, then at that age if it is unhandlable it probably still has healthily wild instincts – you can help these by minimising contact, scatter feeding so it has to forage etc. It’s likely that whereever you release it will have other rats around, but I wouldn’t release directly where you know there are others.
Hope that helps.
Thankyou for taking the time to answer my questions. There is a woodland area that is near to water. I am legally allowed to release it. It spends most of its time in the rat tube within the rat cage and has blocked itself in with nesting materials, it’s a wonderful piece of architecture! I am worried it won’t survive but I am wrestling with my conscience. Is it better to keep it fed, warm and safe or give the freedom of the outdoors and take its chances. I am so worried about the right thing to do.
Making an epic nest is quite normal behaviour in itself, but if a wild born hand-raised rat isn’t showing a bond with you or interest in people (e.g. coming to see what you are doing when you put the food in, or taking food directly, even if it isn’t keen on being picked up), or visibly exploring / enjoying the rest of the cage, then I would personally lean towards releasing where legal and letting it take its chances. A cage is a high stress environment for a wild born animal who doesn’t want to be there.
Where I wouldn’t release is where the handraised rat shows a bond with its raiser or a noticable interest in people, as those rats do very well in captivity and are likely to seek out people in the wild (and get killed as a result).
Notes to passing readers:
1. none of this applies to domestic born rats. Domestic born rats who don’t like people need trust training – releasing will most likely get them killed.
2. this all relates to rattus rattus and rattus norvegicus only. Other wild animals should ideally be dealt with by licensed rescues who will avoid bonding during raising, and be able to do soft releases
Thankyou for your wonderful advice, I found a wonderful spot and left it’s rat tube and extra bedding and some food and cut some big ferns and covered the tube with them and sticks and moss. It was well hidden. I hope the little one has a chance at life in its natural environment. You are doing great work. Thankyou again stephanie
No worries – it’s why we’re here 🙂
I was told that releasing an orphaned baby rat is basically a death sentence as they are very social animals and need to be in a family or extended family setting. Is this incorrect? Or can you release a solo rat into an appropriate setting?
This is beautiful
I found a litter of Pinkies in a Tupperware bin and saw the mom run out into the garage. I covered them back up and left the garage. Will she likely come get them and move them? I am so worried she just leave them because I unintrnionally disturbed the next. I don’t want them die because she won’t return ☹
If you know Mum is alive, the best thing to do is leave the nest alone – she’s very likely to come back to them. Pinkies have an extremely low survival rate when hand-reared, so although it feels hard-hearted, the best thing to do is let nature handle it, and most likely their Mum will come and get them. I only advocate “rescuing” pinkies when Mum is known to be dead.
We found a nest of six pinky rats in our compost bin. My husband had been watering the bin when he saw the mom run out and then heard the babies. We left them alone for 24 hours but when we checked on them they were wrinkled and cold. We brought them inside and fed them Esbilac from an eye dropper after reading a few different websites. We haven’t been able to get them to toilet but we have only tried twice and they were obviously dehydrated when we brought them in. How long do you try rubbing them to toilet? How long after feeding do we try? We know the survival rate is low but we couldn’t just leave them outside. The ants were beginning to find them. Thank you.
Hi Megan, I toilet for a few minutes about 5 minutes after every feed (which should be every 2-3 hours at that age) – it can take a few goes to get the motion right (I find dabbing or circling the genitals with a warm damp cotton bud works best). Urine isn’t always obvious if you are using a damp cotton bud. Faeces is easily visible, but may take a few goes to come out, especially if the baby hasn’t been recently fed. Good luck.
Hello,
I live in Australia and was given 3, one week old rats. I am raising them and they seem to be doing well. Im just wondering if they are very bonded to humans as they grow and i decide to keep them as pets. Is there risk of disease to my other rat or myself. They seem healthy and clean to me. But i have been warned that they carry lots of diseases. Thanks
Hi Jamie,
I can’t tell you what your specific risk is – I can only say that in my own experience I’ve not had any problems and I’m personally comfortable with taking in wild born rats. To give background on that so you can make your own assessment, my experience is hand-raising (and keeping for nearly 5 years) three wildborn Rattus rattus in Australia; taking in a wildborn and raised, but clearly genetically part-domestic, injured adult Rattus norvegicus, also in Australia; raising a domestically born but genetically half-wild R. norvegicus in the UK; and taking in innumerable fancy rats who had been dumped in the wild and spent varying amounts of time out there before being found.
When I’m given rats who have spent time in the wild, I treat them for internal and external parasites, and also give a course of prophylactic amoxycillin in case they carry Weils or similar bacteria. With the babies, I did this once they were old enough to be medicated (about 4-6 weeks, but it’s best to talk to a vet who would need to prescribe some of the drugs anyway), and used sensible hygeine precautions (washing hands after handling etc) in the meantime.
If you decide to keep them, other things to be aware of are that they will be able to move VERY fast (and jump high, and climb brick walls, sweeping brushes, table legs etc), will need an all metal cage (plastic cage bases are too chewable). If they are Rattus rattus (long tail, big ears and eyes), they may have very idiosyncratic personalities – one of mine was cuddly up to three weeks old, decided she didn’t want to know me for the next 9 months, and then decided she loved cuddles, literally (and I mean literally) overnight. Her sister was cuddly from the word go and never changed. Their brother varied on a daily basis. Also be aware that rattus sound like someone disembowelling a banshee when they are even mildly annoyed – I spent about a year jumping out of bed in the middle of the night, because I was convinced no one could be making a noise like that without being in severe distress. then I’d stagger into their room and find two of them contesting ownership of a small piece of newspaper.
I am personally very cautious about introducing Rattus rattus to fancy rats as norvegicus have a much stronger bite and can injure or kill the rattus. I’ve done it as same age babies, but it is not something I’d choose to do with an adult fancy.
Hi Alison,
Thanks for all that infomation, you certainly know you’re stuff! I have a probelm with one of them that im quite worried about, so im wondering if you’d know what to do. One little girl, is 13 days old now, eyes and ears are opening, drinking lots, very eager and full of energy. Shes climbing, running etc. Im feeding very 4-5 hrs and until now shes always done poos after her feeds. But now she hasnt pooped even once in 24 hrs! I know that if they dont poo then they can die in their own toxic waste being stuck inside their bodies. So she must be consipated or something. Is their anything i can do or give her to help her poo? Have you had similar experiences with your rats? And what did you do? Any information will help me alot. Thank you so much. – Jamie
Hi Jamie,
If she’s moving about freely, I wouldn’t be surprised if she has started toileting without help and is doing some tiny poos independently and they are lost amongst the bedding. I can’t remember what age mine did that, but it was pretty early, certainly before they weaned (which was around 2 weeks).
I’d carry on stimulating her to toilet after feeds just in case – you are obviously doing that right if she’s been pooing – but I wouldn’t worry too much if she’s feeding well, happy and energetic. If you are concerned, or she seems off then it would be a job for a vet check – there isn’t much the owner can do alone if they do get constipated.
Good luck!
Do you still need to help a 14 day old rat go to the bathroom?
Hi Jay,
Mine had all started toileting themselves by that stage. However, if you haven’t seen them toilet, or you can’t see stray poos in their bedding, I would probably keep going with stimulating after feeding for a few more days until you are sure they’ve got the hang of it.
Hi, I adopted 2 baby pet rats after my old one just died. The guy who had them has let the parents breed
and the next generation so I’m not even sure which Mom is theirs. My first male is (I’m guessing) 4weeks old and is very lively and eats independently of good quality hard rat food. He’s very affectionate and loves to interact. The pet store recommended I still feed him goats millk. He only drinks that even though I have water in the jar lid next to it. I went back the next day to get another friend for him the same age, but then saw a poor little one without his mother. I estimate him to be 2 weeks old. He’s got all his fur, his head is bigger to his body and his paws and ears look bigger proportionately than an older baby. This baby was in the cage with a tame Siamese coloured tame male rat. Since I was there many hours I was worried that the baby would be hungry. At the time the baby (who has silver fur), was climbing the cage bars and escaping several times. He was seeking a place to hide. He liked being warmed next to my skin. I was able to feed him goats milk in a jar lid, but he doesn’t have good eyes. He doesn’t seem to see what I’m offering him and reaches higher on the lid to lick it. When I put him in the cage with the older baby he runs to him and tries to nurse but the other one seems to attack him, so far not biting, but I take them apart right away. I haven’t got the hang of toileting him. No result. He’s losing interest in feeding. I use a syringe but he turns his head away. I’ve seen him sit up and eat a crumb of muffin, and clean his own face. Does this mean he’s old enough to eat by himself? I noticed the baby rolls over on his back for my other rat. But I can’t get him to let me hold him on his back to toilet him. What do I do?
Hi Torrie,
If the baby is interested in milk in a jar lid and in crumbs, I’d carry one encouraging him to wean. It is very early though if his eyes aren’t open, so you will need to carry on offering syringe feeds as well. If you have access to it, soy baby formula for human babies is a decent substitute for rat milk (not normal soy milk – that’s mainly water). Other things I have used in weaning include scrambled eggs, and baby porridge made with soy milk. I offer a wide selection of foods and see what tempts them.
The good news is that if he’s sitting up and grooming himself, he’s probably also self-toileting (mine were all peeing amd pooing happily by two weeks – it’s when they are pinkies it is very important to help them out if mummy isn’t around).
In terms of interaction with the older baby, they both need ratty company, but if there is aggression you are right to take it steadily. The little one rolling on his back means he is submitting. One good approach I’ve found with babies is to get them out when they are sleepy and pop them both inside my top. It helps them bond with me and each other and the warm dark is reassuring.
Hello, we’ve found a little black rat that looks to be about 2.5 weeks old. Am I right in thinking we should offer it some formula every 4 hours and also try some solid food? Do they need night feeds at this age?
Hi, Sarah, sorry we didn’t spot your comment earlier. Yes at 2.5 weeks you can start offering solid food, but should do milk as well until it is weaned. I do night feeds until they wean as it makes sure they don’t get dehydrated.
Hope that helps!
Found a baby rat? Has fur, but eyes are closed. Was in the street under my van and 98 temp so couldn’t leave it. Had some kitten powder tried to feed, it took some, now its nestled in my sports bra lol not really sure what to do now. Read the past comments tried to get it to potty, no poop yet. Its wiggling and moving so that’s a good sign. What to do now, what to do?
Hi Stephe,
If you don’t feel confident, then trying to find a local rat rescue organisation, owner, breeder, or wildlife carer willing to take it would be your best bet. However, if that isn’t possible it needs a secure place to be (I use a small animal carrier, but something like an ice cream tub with plenty of ventilation holes will do at this stage) with a nice warm nest (should feel warm and comfy but not hot to your hand), and then feeding and toileting every 3 hours or so. They don’t always poo straight away, especially if they’ve missed a couple of feeds – so that’s a matter of just keeping trying. If it has fur and closed eyes, it’s probably between 7-14 days old, and has a better chance of survival than a pinkie.
Got it to poop, it made it through the night. It’s starting to open its eyes sort of. Unfortunately it is covered in dried milk. We both had a hard time trying to navigate feeding lol still not good at it, either of us! But some is getting in its milk cord. So wondered if I should take it back where I found it and see if mom comes back?
It’s probably a bit late to return it now. It’s good its pooping, and eyes are opening. Once the eyes are fully open, you can start offering things like baby porridge, scrambled egg and mushed up chicken a rice to encourage weaning – in tandem with the milk feeds (I use the baby milk to make up the porridge). If you can keep it warm and hydrated, that’s half the battle.
Unfortunately none of the wildlife places take wild rats 🙁 I will post in my local FB animal page and see if anyone knows a rat rescue here. If does have fur and started opening eyes about an hour ago.
We found 3 baby rats after moving a shed. We left them in a box with tissue overnight but I don’t think the mom came back. Their eyes are closed, they look like they have fur and they are wiggling. We’ve put them in a fleece baby toque and covered it. I’m scared, I don’t know what to do. Please advise. Thank you so much.
Hi Caroline,
If you don’t feel comfortable handling this you need to get them to a wildlife rescue that takes rats, or a rat owner / rescue asap, as they need care urgently. If that’s not possible, then you need to follow the advice in the article – keep them warm, feed them every three hours or so with either a vetinary replacement milk or soy baby milk, and toilet them after feeding. If you can manage those three, they have a good chance of survival as they are already furry, which means they’ve had time to feed from mum and build their immune systems with colustrum.
There is a facebook page called Wild Rats whose members will likely offer support – depending on where you are, they may even be able to help you find a carer.
Hi Alison, I have wild rats in my house. I’m trying to decide what to do with them. I think they are roof rats. They are cute, but they are breeding. Today I watched a younger follow his/her mother out from under a cabinet to forage. Our plan is to place a contraceptive, in hopes the population will decline naturally. We’ve been doing live trap and release. Would you say this is a sound and humane plan?
Hi Mary. It’s lovely to hear you don’t want to kill them, but I absolutely agree that you do need to do something – wild rodents in the house can be a health issue and are certainly a nuiscence (I sometimes get them in my roof, where their population is controlled by the resident goanna, but they can’t get inside). I’m not familiar with the available pest control contraceptives for rats, so you’d probably need to talk to a qualified pest management company about that. However, the number one issue is always finding how the rodents are getting in and having those gaps sealed or blocked, plus removing any accessible food sources. Wild animals of any type move into human spaces because there is a nice ecological niche that provides shelter and food. Until that is closed down, whatever you do to remove the rats (killing them, contraception, live trapping and relocating) will only be temporary, as more rats will see the great place to live and move in. Obviously, once you’ve blocked their way in, it’s best to have a trap down for a while to catch any who were inside when their door was closed off.
Good luck in finding a solution that works for you.
I live in arundel gold coast i have just found a nest under my kitchen sink theres 6 baby rats. Eyes are not open yet. We dont no where to take them so they dont die. They would be a few days old. Is there a number to contact locally? Please contact me on http://[email protected] thankyou
Hi Nicci,
I’m afraid I dont know what your local options would be. You could try the wild rats facebook group, or google for local rescues. A local vet might also be able to advise.
Good luck
Hi! I recently found two baby’s rats that seem to be around 7-14 days old they both have hair but their eyes are not open. I live in Ontario Canada. They seemed to have been orphaned and were struggling with no sight of a nest or mother nearby so we took them home. I have been feeding them every few hours with evaporated milk using the tip of a paintbrush and toileting then after each time. I’m not sure what I should do next. Should I be worried about and diseases? I have been washing my hands and just started using gloves. Have I done the right thing by taking them in? Should I take them to a wildlife Center? Hope to revive some answers!! Thank you!
Hi Emilie,
It’s good of you to give them a chance. If you aren’t confident with them it would be best to contact your local wildlife carers as they have lots of experience in dealing with wild animals. If they aren’t interested in helping because the babies are rats, then contacting your local rat-owning community is also an option. It sounds like you are doing the right things, although I wouldn’t use evaporated milk – the best option is an animal replacement milk (usually available from vets) followed by the soy milk formula designed for human babies (not the type of soy milk adults put in coffee – that’s basically water).
I’m afraid I don’t know anything about the disease situation in Canada – again your local wildlife community can probably advise.
Good luck!
Hello Alison,
I hope this message finds you quickly. I recently came across 2 orphaned rats about the size of and adult thumb. They have fur, however the eyes are not open yet. My wife and I have been trying to feed kitten milk substitute multiple times, but not so often that we feel they are getting stressed, but have not had a successful feeding yet. We are using a 1ml syringe with warm formula. Any tips? I brought these little ones home about 6 hours ago and they have not eaten yet. I’m worried we are doing something wrong.
Hi Christopher, sorry I didn’t see this earlier – hopefully you’ve now been able to feed them. A 1 ml syringe may be a bit big for them to lock onto – we usually use a cut off iv tube from the vet which fits on the front of a syringe. We’ve also used a pippette nipple thing. Dehydration is the biggest threat – if I have babies who aren’t feeding well, I usually get the vet to give them subQ fluids to help out. It’s also worth asking around the local rat or wildlife community to see if there is anyone more experienced who can take them in, or give you help..
Hi,
Where is the best place to relocate 8 week old rats. They are wild but the mum is dead. I saved these from poison they have been feeding well, but they are wild I just want them to have the best chance of survival. There is two of them. Thanks Claire
Hi Clare,
It depends entirely on where you are, and what the legal situation is. Assuming it is legal to release them in your area, I’d go for somewhere quiet with good cover, and away from other people’s houses where there is a risk of poison etc.
Hey I’m in North Africa and came across your page. Rats here are not pets by any standard. But few days ago daughter was out cleaning kennels and found baby on the ground in early morning. Very cold but alive. There are rat holes but we believed abandoned due to flooding by water when we clean kennels. Well we do rescue work but never a rodent. We’ve done rabbits and birds, dogs and cats..farm animals. Didn’t want to let it die but as I said they’re not pets here. Very few supplies as we are very rural and country just beginning to have pet items..no vet would take a rat..
Anyways we determined male but eyes and ears still closed. I’m guessing 8 to 12 days when found based on online images. Very active..climbs everywhere. Nearly lost last night due to very hot water bottle and not enough circulation in container. We just got hamster cages here but priced very high. We do most stuff out of our own pocket and on fixed income.
Can you suggest basic items to feed and if it stays tame my older daughter may keep or we will release off the farm as farm animals surely would get him..thankfully our Rottweiler wasn’t out..nugget meal.
For now he’s in a wash tub after last night’s near death. Weight is 14gm but he drinks just drops of milk. We usually have kitten and puppy milk..baby milk that has reached dates.
Suggested foods to wean..I prefer what he would find naturally. Guess I can’t post image for you to judge age.
Hi Faiszah,
Kitten or puppy milk is ok for feeding him pre-weaning. If he lives ok to wean then I would do scrambled egg and any kind of grain porridge made up with his normal milk to start with. Minced up cooked chicken meat is also good, but if that’s not available the egg will be ok – basically they need plenty of protein at that age. Once he’s holding and gnawing food then introduce grains, seeds, and bits of fruit and veg, but I’d keep up the porridge and protein while he grows. Good luck!
Good morning. I’ve put my baby rat in my top and it made a lot of ting squeaky noises. Can you tell me why plse.
Hi Alta,
Sorry we didn’t spot your comment earlier. Squeaking in baby rats usually means they want food, or they are uncomfortable / excited.
Hi! I’ve been following this article pretty successfully, and the two babies I found are about a week and a half old and seem to be pretty healthy. However one of their tails started shriveling up at the tip. Is there anything I can do about this?
Hi Caspian,
It’s hard to say without examining the rat. It could be an injury, or it could be an infection or a hydration problem. The best bet would be to show it to a vet.
Good luck!
Hey there! I’m not an expert by any means but I have bred and raised rats. If the tail is shriveled and appears to turn black or fall off, then there was likely an injury that occurred. Rats can, to an extent, “eject” the skin of their tails as a defense mechanism, like if their tail gets caught in something or something is hanging on to it. It results in that area of their tail that the skin came off of shriveling and falling off.
Hi. We found 2 baby rats after moving a huge pile of tree trimmings. We couldn’t locate a nest so I’m assuming we unknowingly destroyed it. The babies were about 2 inches long not counting tail, covered in fur, but had their eyes closed. This was 2 Saturdays ago. Within 2 days both had their eyes open and have fed really well from the start on goat’s milk in a 2ml syringe with a tiny teat on it. After they opened their eyes I started them on baby cereal mixed with goats milk which they took through the syringe and teat. I have been leaving some porridge and some goats milk in their cage between feeds. One seems to about a day ahead of the other in terms of development (eye opening, eating a little porridge off a spoon). Today is day 9 of being their mum. I’m guessing this would put them at the 3-4 week mark. Yesterday and today they have been refusing hand feeds. When I get the teat in their mouths the bigger more developed will take 5-6 mls, but the littler one will only take 1-2mls before she really struggles to get away. They are currently on 4 feeds a day. Some of the food i leave in the cage gets eaten between each feed, but i don’t know if both are eating it or just the little fatty. Should I continue to be trying to get the teat in their mouths and feeding them even though they aren’t interested and don’t know if both are eating the food i leave. The more developed one is quite a lot bigger than the little one. Should I reduce their feeds from 4 to 3 a day? Help please.
Hi Mandi,
If they are rejecting feeds then they are telling you they want to wean. I’d make sure they have plenty of food and fluids (milk and water in separate bowls) in the cage, and take some time to watch and see if they are both feeding. I’d also increase the range of foods fed to include things like scrambled egg and some veggies as well as a grain mix, as they sample lots of things to develop their tastes during weaning. You can still offer them hand feeds but at this age if they refuse them, then they are saying they are done with that stage of life and its time to learn about big rat food.
Btw, you may find they refuse to be handled at all for a bit – that’s not unusual if they are Rattus rattus, who are completely idiosyncratic about these things. My current hand-raised group refused to talk to me between 1 and 3 months, then suddenly became interested again.
Hi Alison,
Thanks so much for the advice. And yep, with the refusal of the food also came complete disinterest in being handled after absolutely loving it the first week. I’m so glad they are developing normal little rattie behaviours. Like most people who have cared for rats, I’ve only ever had fancy rats before that were at the age to leave their mums.
We’ll continue to offer hand feeds several times per day, but I won’t be so stressed now if they refuse.
They are beautiful girls and will be much loved pets.
Thanks again, this article has been invaluable as has your advice.
Hi Alison,
Thanks so much for the advice. And yep, with the refusal of the food also came complete disinterest in being handled after absolutely loving it the first week. I’m so glad they are developing normal little rattie behaviours. Like most people who have cared for rats, I’ve only ever had fancy rats before that were at the age to leave their mums.
We’ll continue to offer hand feeds several times per day, but I won’t be so stressed now if they refuse.
They are beautiful girls and will be much loved pets.
Thanks again, this article has been invaluable as has your advice.
Hi I’m in Fnq Australia and found 2 baby malomys, their best was accidently moved yesterday as it was inside a speaker. They were squeaking today and we unskrewed the speaker to see them inside. The mother hasnt been back yet and I’m wondering if I should take them in now or wait until night to see if their mother comes back ? Please help idk what to do
Hi Amber,
Sorry I missed this at the time. Hopefully you found a solution. For reference, with melomys the it is best to phone a wildlife rescue or the equivalent of the wildcare helpline in your state as they are native, so the rules around touching them and who can look after them are different.
Help. So my friends mom found 5, 4 day old baby mice and told us that she can’t kill them , we asked if we could put the babies back with the mom(who is alive and in good health), but she said no(they have a big rat promblem and are trying to get ride of the rats so putting the babies back was a big no). Anyway……so we have no vet close by and are having to feed them with a paint brush and cows milk. What should i do
Hi Justine. I’m not an expert on mice, so I can’t really give more advice, but I’ve passed your question on to Beri, who is my mouse go-to. In the meantime I’d follow the article and do as for rats. Veterinary replacement milk, goats milk or soy formula might be better than cow.
I just wanted to thank you for the guidance.
My girlfriend and I came upon a litter of 5 baby rats in the sun next to our patio.
I watched them for a full day, trying to keep them in shade without touching them.
The mother didn’t come back, even after dark, by which point one had sadly died.
We brought them in and have been syringe/bottle feeding and bathing them. Their eyes aren’t open, but they’re getting a nice thick coat of fur, and their teeth are coming in. They’re interested in our hands, and come to us for feeding.
I appreciate your thoughts on whether to keep or release; I’ve been thinking that we’d let them decide(based on their behavior as they mature). They’re still babies, but they seem really bonded to us.
Anyway, this isn’t a cry for help, just a “thank you” for the help you’ve already provided. If interested, I can update here with developments.
Hi Mike,
Glad you are having success with them.
I don’t release rat babies I hand-raise – partly because it wouldn’t be legal where I am, but mostly because even the ones who don’t talk to me much in adulthood tend to have adjusted to a safe life in captivity (a cage, no predators) and probably wouldn’t adjust well to the wild. A wild rat who is normalised to humans is also more likely to end up poisoned as a pest. Hand-raising wild animals for successful re-release is a different, more specialist process, which is why I always take any other type of orphaned or injured wild animal straight to a licensed wildlife hospital.
That said, if it is legal to release them around you, and they seem stressed in a cage, then working through a soft release process is an option. That’s something only you will be able to judge. But given the age you’ve been hand-raising from, I would expect at least some of them to end up obviously bonded and tame, and some maybe a bit more aloof but still adjusted to captivity and attached to their cage territory.
P.s. if you are keeping them, then my one big piece of advice is using all-metal cages. They may not bother to escape a plastic cage, but they WILL destroy it.
Thank you for the reply, Alison.
Their eyes opened, and they IMMEDIATELY bonded to my girlfriend and I.
The next day, during bottlefeeding, they started licking formula off my skin, so I tried a small jar lid with warm formula, and, though messy, they definitely DID figure out that it was edible. This definitely helped them be less manic when bottle-feeding, since they get very excited, and I can only feed one at a time.
They’re at the “cute kitten” stage already, and they know our voices, don’t bite, and are experimenting with mushy solid food(baby rat food pellets mixed with warm water). they’ve been doing little “popcorn” hops around their(glass) tank, and one of them peeps back when I look at him and say “beep!”
It’s incredible how fast they grow & learn. They each have their own personalities, and the runt is easily the most bonded to us.
I know I said we’d have to wait & see how they respond to us…
Looks like they’re family.
I’ve definitely learned a lot here. I’ve bottle-raised kittens(I.E, cat kittens) but never rat kittens.
I’d like to offer what I’ve learned, but If anyone is reading this, understand that I add these “tips” as a total amateur, and if one of the experts sees anything I add as wrong or dangerous, I trust that they’ll correct me in a reply.
So, a couple things I’ve learned:
-They’re FAST, even before their eyes open. If you’re bottle-feeding, sit on the floor with something soft around you. If there’s a noise, they may try to take off, and a tiny fall could be very dangerous.
-Keep the food/formula warm. They can be messy eaters, so we kept a small tupperware with a few inches of warm water and a soft hand-towel. The formula gets sticky quick, and if they get messy, a(QUICK) dip and dry with the towel(warmed by breath) can help calm them for another round of feeding. Only wet them long enough to get the formula off, not long enough to soak the fur. Remember that they’re prone to respiratory issues, and you have to weigh the risks. If they only have a little milk-splash on them, they’ll clean it off themselves. If they’re drenched, you don’t want the fur to stay wet or get matted.
-They learn voices. Their vision isn’t great, but their other senses are phenomenal. I talk softly to them in a certain(high-pitched) voice when feeding, and they recognized it quickly and knew what was going on. Now, if I say “Hi, Beeps!” as I approach, they all wake up and stand up to look at me. If it sounds like I’m gushing, I am.
-If you’re bottlefeeding and they’re too excited to work with you, try to give them a little, set them aside, and try again in a few minutes(after they’ve relaxed). It helps a lot.
-Food matters. Be sure the formula you’re using is suitable for their dietary needs. I cannot overstate the importance of this. We were using (cat) kitten formula, since it’s what we had while waiting for the *Right* formula to arrive. We found out(the hard way) that cat formula doesn’t provide enough calcium, and the runt went lethargic, weak, and almost died. The *RIGHT* formula arrived the same day, thank god, and he was spry & energetic within minutes of feeding. We got REALLY lucky.
BTW, the formula we’re using can be found on that online shopping site named after the rain-forest. Search for:
“Fox Valley Day Day One Formula for Eastern Cottontails, Squirrels, and Opossums”
So. THAT ended up being longer than intended, but I’d like to help wherever I can, and this site has helped me and my new little family, so I’ll end as I started.
THANK YOU ALL.
ALSO!
When mixing the formula, if there’s concern of dehydration, you can add some Pedialyte to the mix. The mix instructs 1 part powder, 2 parts water. We substituted 1 part water for unflavored Pedialyte, and it’s made a difference in their visible health & energy.
If anyone reading this finds it useful, then I wish you the best of luck, and salute you for trying to save these tiny, sweet, intelligent creatures. Ours are only a couple weeks old, and they’re already part of the family.
Hi Mike,
Tips are all good – sounds like they have found a home! One thing I’d pre-warn you about if they are Rattus rattus is don’t be freaked if they stop talking to you / stop being handable at about 4 weeks old. It’s pretty normal (happened to me with all but my first runt) and generally they do start interacting again. I think it is the age they would normally leave the nest and they are genetically programmed to get a bit more wary and predator alert. Then they remember where they are a few weeks / months later and go “oh yeah, cuddles are cool”. In my first group I had one girl who refused interaction with us from 1 month to 9 months, then literally overnight went “I’m cuddly now, pick me up”. If they are Rattus norvegicus, they’ll generally stay tame throughout after handraising, but R. rattus are a tad idiosyncratic.
Btw, if you have more than one sex, I recommend splitting them into separate cages at 5 weeks.
Hi! My rat is a first time mom. Im new to this also. She had a litter of 8, but one died. Of the 7 remaining, she’s got them all buried in substrate and I haven’t seen her feed consistently in the last day. I’m worried some of the babies may be dead, but I read not to mess with the litter. Should I move some of the stuff off of them and help them? Has she possibly abandoned them? I don’t know what to do.
Hi Kayla,
I would get Mum out the cage (let her have some safe free-range, or pop her in a carrier with something yummy to eat), and have a look at the babies. We often don’t see the mum feed them as she will do it in her nest, but if they are being fed and are only a few days old, they should have visible milk bands. Once the pigment starts to come in, the milk bands aren’t visible, but at any age they should also be warm and wriggly and not cold or limp. Burying them in substrate is quite normal nesting behaviour, especially if she doesn’t have a nest box, or a lot of other nesting material (its a good idea to give mums LOTS of paper towel to make a giant nest with).
As to whether to help them, it depends on what you find – if they aren’t thriving, then yes, you can try hand-feeding, although it is not often successful with pinkies. Or you can try fostering to another mother if you know another breeder with same age babies. If they are warm, clean and hydrated, then you can let her get on with it.
You people are insane.
Rats are more than available and disgusting, destroy gardens, food supplies and homes.
They do not need you humans to save them and they tend to carry diseases and dig through garbage.
If you find a rats nest you destroy the mother any way you can then throw the pinky’s in the garbage disposal or feed them to a snake or something.
The PLAGUE was spread by fleas and rats so exactly what the heck is wrong with you people.
NEED TO BE APPROVED! HAH!
My comment is NOT going to be approved because it goes against your moronic narrative.
And this is exactly how bad crap happens because you silence decent and live in an echo chamber of yes men…
Oh, you are so fantastic, no one is better than you…I know, get your rat a bed and feed it the most expensive cheese.
Jesus H you people are sick in the head and void of reality.
Rats don’t destroy anything, humans destroy things. The main reason for the spread of the plague was human filth and sqalour. You appear to take an active pleasure in the suffering of small animals, I recommend you see psychiatric help for your condition and address your anger issues.
I have 18 2 day old pinkies with no mum , will they survive the night?
Hi Tim,
Hard to say. You can try, using the advice above (they will need to be kept warm, but not overheated and fed and toileted every three hours). However, at that age, they have probably had little colostrum from their mum, making them vulnerable to infections, and it is very hard to feed them without aspiration or ingesting air, so I’m afraid the odds are probably against their survival.
I raised a baby wild rat , he is getting wilder as he’s growing , should let him go ?
Hi Jade,
It’s not really something I can decide for you. It depends on what age you raised him from (brain pathways are more adaptable before their eyes open), how you raised him (raising wild animals for rerelease is a different, much more hands off process to raising a baby rat to be imprinted on humans), how old he is now, how he is in his cage etc. And of course, what is legal in your area. In the case of my babies, although some of them don’t like being handled much, they are all bonded on their cage as safe territory, and they all see humans as a source of food – so they would do very badly in the wild. I’ve also found that wildies often go through a phase of not being tame from about 4 – 12 weeks, and can then suddenly go smooshy again. On the otherhand, if I had a wild-born rat who clearly found being in a cage and around humans stressful, then I would consider soft release where legal.
There is a Wild Rats page on facebook which you might find useful – there maybe other people on there in your region who can give advice and help you make a decision.
Hi,
Someone brought me a baby something? Mouse, rat desert SW CA? It was small pink (end of pinky) and now I have kept it alive 5 days. It is now darker in color and more active, its ears are extending but has not opened eyes. I am worried that the milk band is hard looking, bulky and never disappears between feedings (every 3 hrs). Am i feeding it too much,? or not keeping it warm enough> is it not digesting (Esbilac goat milk 1 part to 2 parts water). It is difficult to make it poop urinate, I only see small blackish drops like pepper, (not yellow looking as others have said)
Hi Diane. Poo colour can vary, but I think your best bet would be to take it to a local vet or wildlife carer / shelter, as they’ll be able to identify it and decide the best course of action.
Hi Alison,
We are in Victoria (Australia). While cleaning our garden yesterday and found 5 baby rats, mother died next to them.
I don’t have the heart to throw them away. Their eyes are closed, ears tucked to the side, pink with black tiny tiny amount of fur….crawling around/ wiggle on their tummies. They like to cuddle up together.
I have tried feeding them baby formula with syringe that we used to feed medicine to our cat. Our plan is to care for them and release once they can move by themselves (need to check if this is allowed).
Thanks for the tips above – really useful.
My questions are:
– Can we handle the babies with bear hand while feeding ? would this be dangerous (transmitting disease etc) ?
– How much to feed them ?
– What age should I start placing them in metal cage before they run fast enough and we can’t catch :)?
Thank you so much
Hi Shana,
At that age, I would use a 1 ml syringe and feed up to about 0.4 – 0.5 ml at a time, depending on what they will take (the older they are the more they will need – mine started on about 0.2 ml per feed when they first arrived and were taking 1.5 ml by weaning). They will need feeding every 3 hrs, including overnight, and they will need toileting and keeping warm.
I’ve always handled babies with bare hands – I just wash my hands properly before and after, and cover any cuts or scratches.
They won’t get active until their eyes open. Mine started pootling around at 2 weeks and were climbing by 3. They were easily handlable up until 4 weeks, when they suddenly stopped pretty much overnight (although the boys went tame again a couple of months later). I had mine in a small tank from 2 weeks, moved them to a very narrow barred mouse cage at 3, and a bigger cage at 4. I split sexes at 5 weeks.
If it is legal and you plan to release, it is important to minimise handling, and keep them somewhere quiet where they won’t normalise to human activity. Although my girls aren’t as tame as my boys, because they were weaned and kept in a normal “pet rat” way, they would still do very badly in the wild – they are fully adjusted to living in a house and feeling safe around people.
On the flip side, if it is not legal to release them and you’ll need to find them homes, they need to be handled as much as possible as young as possible to encourage tameness – they’ll still probably do the 4 week old not-talking-to-humans phase as that seems to be hard-wired in to most of them, but they are likely to come back tame a month or two later, especially if offered regular treats.
On Oct 4th of this year a friend found an abandoned rodent(eyes still closed). I took it in and cared for it. What they thought was a squirrel ended up being a wild rat, which is completely fine. He’s grown a good bit and very healthy. My issue is that when handling(daily) him his safe zone has always been in my shirt crawling around. The last 2-3 weeks I’ve developed whelps all over under my shirt that burn, feel warm, and itch a bit. I’m assuming I may be allergic to him. I’m told I should just release him but I’m afraid that he won’t be able to survive in the wild since he’s been cared for by me pretty much his entire life. Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Hi Chalette,
That’s very unfortunate, but well done for saving him. You are right that being imprinted on a human, he would be at high risk in the wild. I can’t advise on your allergy (other than to consult a medical professional), but if you are unable to safely keep him, then the best option would be rehoming with another ratty owner. Quite a lot of people have contact allergies to rats (especially to bucks – I think it is something in the urine), and rehoming for that reason is not uncommon, so you might find it helpful to ask on your local / national rat groups for options and advice.
Good luck,
I just rescued 9 little rats, still have their eyes closed. I’m feeding them cat formula with a pipet. every two hours, I will try to help them go to the bathroom on their next feeding…. I am open to any advice anyone may have (May 20, 2022_)
Just make sure to do the toleting as described in this post, and it should be fine 🙂 If you have any specific questions, let us know.
Hi…Yesterday morning we found a dead rat in our kitchen and in the evening we found 10 new born babies, out of which 1 was already dead. The rat that died earlier in the morning was probably their mom. They are so tiny, not even a few days old. They don’t have well defined eyes or ears and no fur at all. I’ve kept them in a box stuffed with cloth.. I tried feeding milk with a paint brush but they aren’t opening their mouth. I don’t know how long they will survive without food. I live in Goa, India and there are no rehabilitation centres around. My parents are refusing to keep them inside our house. Is it okay for me to leave them in this condition? I’m feeling disturbed for not being able to take care of them…
Hi Auysha,
Sorry we didn’t spot your comment earlier. Unfortunately, you could only do what was possible. It is extremely hard to hand raise newborn baby rats as they need their mum’s milk in the first few days for their immune systems to develop, so even had you been able to care for them, they were unlikely to survive.
Well I’ve got 2 new born rats.having a hard time feeding then goats milk.1 born to day..others born 4 days ago..what do I do.to help them
Hi Sheila,
It is very hard to hand raise newborns – if they haven’t had a good amount of colostrum from their mum they are extremely unlikely to survive. It is possible to buy colostrum but it is hard to get if not a wildlife carer / farmer. Their best bet is an experienced carer – either of wildlife or rats, or being fostered onto a nursing doe if a local breeder has one.
Can I keep this tiny rat I found in a bird cage with a plastic bottom? Or would an aquarium be better with a lid? I have 3 dogs. I wonder if he will be ok with them around? Maybe contain him to one room?
Is the rat still a baby that can’t care for himself? If the rat is a healthy adult, then he should be set free. A bird cage could work temporarily if the bar spacing is 0.4 – 0.6 inch. If it’s any bigger than that, the rat will be able to escape. An aquarium doesn’t provide enough ventilation unfortunately. It would be best if he’s away from the dogs so the environment doesn’t stress him out. I would suggest contacting wildlife rescue in your area to see if they can take over the rat.
Hello all, yesterday I was working in my backyard and accidentally dug into a nest of mice or rats that was built in a pile mulch. Some how I didn’t kill any of the pups with my shovel despite only realizing that I had dug into the nest when I saw several of the pups my spade. They were pink and didn’t have fur or sight. I read this article and several of the comments and built a nest using a shoe box and old flannel shirt and covered it back in mulch hoping the mom would come back over night. When I went out this morning to check the nest, the pups were all gone and there was a plastic golf ball in their place. There wasn’t a golfball near the nest, so I honestly don’t know how to explain that other than to apply a human emotion of gratitude. Regardless of whether that’s why the golf ball was there, I’m really grateful for your post and comments, so I wanted to say thank you.
Such a lovely story 🙂 Thank you for saving them.
I found what I believe are abandoned rats. How many hours do you think I should wait for their mom to come back before taking them in? How long can baby rats survive without their mother? Thank you.
That’s a tricky one as mum could be coming and going and there isn’t a full-proof right answer. In that situation, I’d do a hydration check – if you pick one up and gently pinch the skin into a tent, does it spring back straight away, or does it stay pinched up. If the latter then they are probably dehydrated and mum is gone. If the skin springs back, then I’d give it 4-6 hours to see if she comes back and/or relocates them. If they don’t have fur yet their chances of surviving handfed are very poor, so its probably best to give her the time to return.
I was walking my dog and saw a baby rat on the concrete I almost stepped on it I took it somewhere safe so the mama cold get and a few hours later I saw the mama come get it’s baby
It’s wonderful to hear how you took quick action to ensure the safety of the baby rat. I’m glad everything worked out well for the baby!