i have babies.

Question
i am 15 and have no idea how my beautiful white rat named kitty gave birth, i have only had her 15 days and her cagemate is another female. so i called the pet shop i got her from. they said they couldn't help me and hung up. -_- i know really nice. and well i have had them for four days and i pretty much need a good and bad list, or what i should and should do.. and then maybe something like a guide line of what to expect. kinda' like the book "what to expect when you are expecting: pet rat" because i know very little about the babies. and a lot about how to treat mom. okay sorry for being so long. hope you have a great day!

Answer
Sounds like she got pregnant at the petstore.  Gestation is 21 days so she came to you a week pregnant.

First of all, you need to know how to tell their gender. By the time they are 4.5 weeks old, the boys will be able to sexually reproduce and can even get mom rat pregnant.  You will need a cage for the boys.  The girls can stay with mom as long as you have a large cage for them.  Depends on how many you have total.

Make sure mom is feeding them. Look at their tummies to see if you see what is known as MILK BAND. Their skin is transparent and you will see the white inside, like a white light in their tummies. Give mom lots of paper towels to shred for a nest.  What are the rats in now, a cage? How close are the bars spaced because if they are far apart, once the babies move around they can get out.

Here is a good step by step guide on how they age and what they will look and act like as they get older.  They are the cutest things so be ready!

Also most important, be sure you handle the babies starting NOW!  If you dont they will be terrified of humans.

Feed mom extra iron like some scrambled eggs and soy milk.  She should be on a good diet, like form my website not the seed mixes pet stores sell.  

Check out my website on rat care but be sure to look at the first site about the babies growth.

Their fur will start coming in soon and you will see patterns of color and the eyes open around 12 to 14 days.   They are so cute!!!!  I love rat pups!

http://ratgrowth.homestead.com/week1.html
The side menu will navigate you from birth to four weeks!!


My site

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/