Rat help

[billybobbs]

My step brother has a pet rat who escaped recently through a hole in the back of the toilet. She came back a few dawys later but it seems she has bred with a wild rat and has now had a litter of 12. He doesn't know what to do. The babies are 2 weeks old and are half wild rat so he hasn't got a clue what he should do. Any help or advice please.

[GhostsInSnow]

I don't know if there's a chance of any disease (I shouldn't think so but can't be sure) As they are babies then I should think they can be raised the same as regular baby rats as they won't know anything other than human contact and contact with mum.
If I remember rightly, babies should come away from the mum at 6 weeks, or at the very least the boys should be separated then.
The mum should do everything though. Just make sure the mum has plenty of protein in her diet and plenty of water and nesting material and everything should be fine

[billybobbs]

So you don't think there's any chance of disease? I think he's worried the mum might of caught something too. Also he dosnt know how hes going to rehome them, if they can be rehomed. Thanks for your help though. Ill pass it on.

[GhostsInSnow]

I shouldn't think the babies will be carrying any diseases. I'm not sure about mum, probably not, but perhaps he could take her to the vet for a check up? And the babies too? They should be able to be rehomed but beware of people just wanting them as reptile food rather than as pets

[crazygal330]

I am by no means an expert but they can and as long as mum is happy should be handled from day1 to make them as tame as possible. Mum can be removed from the cage to allow handling time with babies if she is uneasy about it. Is she on her own, i.e no adult friends? if so I would strongly suggest keeping two of the babies to keep her company, a lone rat is a very sad thing and they always develop very strange and unatural behavioural tendancies(doesn't affect human-rat interaction but they just aren't proper rats without company).
The reason for saying keep two babies is that babies need same age company to play with and grow up with, or else all their excess energy will just annoy mum.
They need sexing at 4 weeks and boys need to be separated from girls at 5 weeks old, though they shouldn't be homed until 6-8 weeks really. They should be homed in pairs or trios of either sex. Um. Mum should be getting extra protien to help her raise the babies.... I'm sure there is a load of other stuff I have forgotten but that is the stuff that springs to mind.
There is no way of knowing if she may have caught something or not but if she is still happy and healthy then you are probably ok.
If you need help rehoming then I would strongly recommend joining and posting on fancyratsforum.co.uk, as they are always Amazing at arranging fabulous rescue/interventions with scenarios like this and will always find all the babies good homes or rescue spaces.

Heres some links to take a look at if he can :)
why rats need company (http://www.fancyratsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=43)
sexing rats (http://www.ratz.co.uk/sexingrats.html)
advice about rehoming (http://www.fancyratsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=75)
socialising the babies (http://fancy-rats.co.uk/information/guides.php?subject=sockit)
loads of other stuff here too (http://www.ratz.co.uk/index.html)

[billybobbs]

That's great advice thankyou. Ill point him in the right direction. I think she is a lone rat. Ill advise him and keep my fingers crossed all wors out.

[Amethyst_ice]

I am always saddened that rats are homes separately. I am suprised that she escaped, met a wild rat and came back though to be honest. Was she not pregnant when he got her? what area is he in? I suggest contacting the local rat club for some help and advice here x

[PezPus]

Oh my, this is kinda interesting actually, the female bred with a wild rat, dunno if this is recorded in Norway ever...

The wild rat she have mated with is a brown rat, Rattus Norvegicus, so it is the same species as her, that is the only option caus black rats (rattus rattus) cant mate with the brown rat (rattus norvegicus) and this should not efect the litter other than the temperament, wild rats have not been bred to like human contact, they are wild and territorial with alot of agression, but your pups should be fine if you are good with the handling early. Keep byers informed that if they encounter any problems it may be becaus she had a litter with a wild rat. The health should improve tho rather than decline in this litter if they take from their father, because we have bred our rats to get tumours and breathproblems and much more healt issues than their wild cousins.

This should go absolutely fine, and i think if you are good with the handeling of the babies they will become werry social and good ratties :D This is important for litters where the parrents are both tame rats also so good advice no matter how she got pregnant..

Edit: if the father had a deciese of any kind, it should not effect the litter unless it was geneticly bound ;)

Good luck, keep us posted :D

[billybobbs]

Hi sorry, he lives in cornwall and she wasn't pregnant when he got her. She has escaped before and come back, just this time she has mated with a wild rat. She looked a little worse for wear when she returned and he cleaned her up. I don't think he realised she was pregnant straight away. The babies are 6 weeks now and have all been seperate for a week or so. It's up to him whether he keeps a lone rat. I wouldn't personally but he may keep a couple out of this litter. He's just really concerned about the babies.