Missing rat babies????

[angie_85]

My rat had 9 babies about a week ago, then 2 days later I could only find 6. I took them all out and searched the cage for the rest and found one burried in the nest the mother had built so we were down to 7. I have had 3 rat pups in there with her because in the other tank I have the 2 large males and 3 more females, if I had left the pups in with the males they'd have been eaten. When mama rat had her babies the pups licked them and helped get the umbilical cords off and everything, so cute. They're pretty small (the older pups) so I can't see them eating the babies. Now 2 more days later there are only 4 left :( They all seemed healthy at the time they were born, moving around and all. Did mom eat them? Is it possible the rat pups ate them because they were jealouse? Maybe they were sick? I have another female about ready to pop in about a week and am hoping to have better luck with her litter. Forgot to mention that these would be the first litter for the rat. Maybe that has something to do with it?

[mykee]

When starting a new colony with new mothers, expect the first clutch or two to be eaten until they get the hang of it. If it continues to happen after that, cull them all and start over.

[Chu'Wuti]

Angie, another trick some breeders use is to offer the mother rat an iron supplement (e.g., some meat or high-iron food) immediately after the birth. Baby-eating can result from iron deficiency anemia, which is not uncommon after giving birth; if she's suffering from iron deficiency anemia, the mother rat feels a strong urge to replace her iron, and if the only source of iron is her babies, then they'll get eaten.

Good luck!

[Smilts]

Ive had it happen with new mommys as well. Usually only the first litter.

[gonesnakee]

Also it can happen if the rats are not being provided for properly. If they run out of water or are low on food or if they are insecure due to overcrowding or lack of places to hide etc. etc. Stressed out ones do it too as well as new mothers. Some mothes do it all the time & require culling as suggested too. Mark
edit - sometimes the bigger ones will smother the smaller ones or not let them nurse & they starve. Any that die will be consumed as well. Its in their nature to do so.

[angie_85]

Ok so that all makes sense. A friend of mine also said that if the mother doesn't have enough milk to feed them all she'll eat a few to make it so the rest get fed enough. I think that may be the issue because the older pups seem to try and nurse from her at times still. They always have a large bottle of water in there for them, changed every day. They usually get baths once every 5-7 days when I clean their tank, unless they seem to need it sooner, however in the mother's case it's been about 10 days so far. I was worried that putting her in the bath may make her have her babies early and now I think I will wait a few more days till she gets the hang of not eating her babies. I have been feeding them cat food lately, got the suggestion from my rat supplier and figured it made sense. Would there be enough iron in that for the new mommies? If not I will definately be giving them some meat along with their food for the first couple days. As for her tank that she is in, it's a rat palace...lol. There is one large house that all 6 rats used to sleep in, one smaller house that fit about 3, one that will fit just one rat. Also there are 2 tunnels made out of pipe...pvc i think? there are ususlly wood shavings in there but i thought newspaper would be better for the babies so she has that and I cut up 2 shirts for her to make her nest with. She's the queen of the house. We did not handle her for the first week and have just pet her since, not picked her up. Hoping this was just because it was her first time. Thanks for all the info :D

[gonesnakee]

Well cat foods for cats, it is not a good staple diet for rodents, neither is dog food. If its your rat supplier suggesting it I would find a new supplier as well. Rodents eat rodent food. Most breeders buy a type of rodent block made specifically to meet all their needs. Most petstores carry pellets & grain mixes etc. all specifically aimed at providing a proper rodent diet. The metabolism of a rodent is nothing like a cat/dog & their dietary needs are significantly different. I feed my mice a big mix of hamster, gerbil & bird seeds to give them all the grains etc. & also mix in pellets usually Guinea Pig & Rabbit ones & they are also supplemented with fresh veggie scraps & dog cookies as treats. Mark
P.S. have to laugh at the bathing thing LOL I can honestly say I have never heard of anyone bathing their rodents LOL Something you may want to consider too though that too much interaction leads to stress & stress can lead to eating babies ;)

[Chu'Wuti]

cat foods for cats, it is not a good staple diet for rodents

Cats are carnivores, and cat food is designed with their nutritional needs in mind. Rats are not carnivores (though they are quite omnivorous!). As Mark says, rats and cats need very different diets.

Here's a link to rats' nutritional requirements:

the Rat Report (http://www.ratfanclub.org/nutreq.html)

You can compare it to your cat food to see the differences. Keep in mind, too, that protein and fat sources are important--even if the amount of protein in the cat food is about the same as what a rat needs, it's the WRONG source of protein. Good sources of protein for rats include nuts & seeds as well as other things.

[gonesnakee]

Cats are carnivores, and cat food is designed with their nutritional needs in mind. Rats are not carnivores (though they are quite omnivorous!).
THX I meant to point that out in my post. Mark

[Chu'Wuti]

Nah, you did well--I just like adding extra info--I'm a sucker for more info! ;)