My rat gave birth unexpectedly! What should I do now?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are correct in planning for the arrival of the pups. I recommend separating the male as soon as you are sure that the female is pregnant, because females can get pregnant again very shortly after giving birth. It is important to keep the pups quiet and calm, to prevent the mother from eating them when stressed. You should also not touch the pups until they are about 14 days old. There are several types of nesting material available in pet stores, or you could use pieces of paperCut up into small strips. The pups should be separated from their mother when they are about 14 to 21 days old. At this point they should be able to eat normal adult mouse food. I hope this helps and I’m happy to answer any additional questions you may have!

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. This food is the best for pregnant/breeding/nursing rats: ( https://www.animates.co.nz/vetafarm-origins-rodent-food-350g.html ) You can offer small amounts of fruit and vegetables (such as: apples, bananas, peas, broccoli, sprouts and carrots). Cooked egg, cooked chicken and cooked pasta are also fine to give. If she is being a good mother you should not have to do anything to feed the pups. By about 3 weeks of age they are fully developed and will start eating solid food, though they are still being fed by their mother for about another week. Remember, after 4 to 4.5 weeks, the males should be separated from the rest of the pups and mom since they could impregnate their mother. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The gestation period for a rat is normally 22 days, but can vary from 21 to 23 (and rarely to 26). A postpartum pregnancy will last 28 days. Two weeks into the pregnancy the mother's abdomen will usually start expanding, but not always. As the birth approaches, you may be able to see the pups moving inside her, or feel them if you gently feel her abdomen. Her mammary glands will also start to enlarge two weeks into the pregnancy. The birth process normally takes about an hour or two. In general, the mother rat will deliver a new pup every 5-10 minutes. In rats, the average litter size is 6-13 pups. The first sign is a bloody discharge from the vagina. Next, the contractions will cause her to stretch out while her sides suck in, in a most amazing way. Once the babies start arriving, the mother will sit up and help deliver them with her hands and teeth. Then she will clean off the birth sac and lick the newborn. The mother will usually eat each placenta and the umbilical cord. During this process a healthy baby will wiggle and squeak, which inhibits its mother from eating it too. However, if a baby is weak or dead, this inhibition may not occur. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi there, Those babies are very cute. In the future, I would recommend breeding your female rats at 4-5 months of age when they are a bit older and have matured more to better carry the pregnancy. Good planning can also prevent accidental incestuous breeding. Rodents are prolific breeders and everyone makes mistakes. I wouldn't feel too badly, just learn from it and move forward. Here is a link for more information on rodent breeding: https://www.petcoach.co/article/rat-reproduction-mating-gestation-birthing-and-growth/#:~:text=The%20Rat%20Mating%20Process,the%20female%20is%20in%20heat. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach. Have a good afternoon.

Clean around the nest and cage until the pups are about 2 weeks old. Try not to disturb the nest before then. After 2 weeks, you can scoop the nest and pups up in one scoop, clean the cage and replace the nest.

Ideally, you should wait at least two weeks before disturbing the nest. If you must move it, scoop it and the pups up in one piece and relocate them to the larger cage. Be sure to transfer some of the cleaner used bedding as well.

I don't know but you need to check on them, if they are dead you need to remove them from there, if they are alive but she isn't taking care of them you need to feed them with a special bottle used for kittens and kitten milk replacer, you can find those in most pet shops.