Releasing a weaned wild rat

Question
Dear Janell,

I would really appreciate your advice. Some weeks ago we came upon a baby rodent (I am unsure if it is a rat or mouse). My daughter decided against letting nature take it course and hand-fed the blind creature. Amazingly it survived, grew more fur, opened it's eyes and it's ears have developed. Now he is off 'soft food' and onto solids. he has been eating solids for nearly a week and helping himself to water.  I think maybe we can release him into the woodland, near a spring. Please advise as we are already worrying if he'll survive, know how to search for food, make a nest etc?  Oh should we get him a big cage and keep him although we have three cats!  How long would he survive a full life in the wild versus a lonely life in a cage - it's a real dilemma, please help.  Also to be honest we are unsure if he is a rat or mouse - he's about 8cm long not counting his tail which is thick at the base and I couldn't say if it was scaly?

Answer
After being raised from such an age; it's inadvisable to release him; however it can and has been done with amazing success. How much have you handled this animal? Generally if you are very hands-on, they generally end up lost and unsure of what to do, given they were never taught how to survive in the wild, and are unaware of how to 'hunt' for food (as food is just handed to them in captivity). If you've been very hands-off, just tossing food to him and not really handling him, you will have better success at release.

Wild rats and mice don't enjoy living with domestics, so he would have to live alone if you do decide to keep him; and provided you give him plenty of attention he would be fine and not too lonely. Can you send me a picture? I would be able to tell you rat from mouse - although I'm thinking he's a mouse, but I could be wrong, he could be a very small rat. Pictures would help :)