eek help

[Matty Day]

I was just doing a clear up of the cage and I lifted up the food bowl to refill it and found two pups asleep under it way from the rest what should I do should I separate them all from mum now?

Advice much appreciated

[Holly]

Remind me what age they are again, Matty? If it's earlier than the time you are supposed to separate them then I'd say no, don't separate. Yours all have eyes opened now and this means they'll wander all over the cage and sleep in different little groups - all quite normal.

[Matty Day]

ther just under 3 weeks at the moment so they will be 21 days on monday. i was going to seperate on 24 days

[Matty Day]

i was going to move mum and pups into a rody tomorrow. i was of course going to do all the precautoins ie half old substrate/bedding etc.

should this be ok

[souffle]

I personally would not move mum and pups as this stage Matty as it could be stressful for them. Why not wait one more week with them in the nursery tank with mum then separate them into boys and girls in the rodys and leave Athena to recover in the tank she is used to. You can't rush these things and the less stress the better for both mother and babies. They always go off into little groups and sleep together as they get bigger. Nothing to worry about. You need to start lifting the pups now and taming them. You can do this in the tank. Herd them into a box and start holding them now as it is a window of opportunity you should not miss. They tame easily at this age and they have very tiny teeth even if they do nip!!

[Matty Day]

Originally Posted by souffle

to start lifting the pups now and taming them. You can do this in the tank. Herd them into a box and start holding them now as it is a window of opportunity you should not miss. They tame easily at this age and they have very tiny teeth even if they do nip!!

is it ok to open the nest when mums out of the cage as its hard to get all seven out other wise

[souffle]

Yes I would carefully open it then take one out handle it and put it in a box in the cage, then take another out till they are all done. Only a minute or so each at first. Then when they are all done let them out the box back into the tank, handle Athena well and pop her back too. They should all smell the same then They will soon remake their bed.

[Matty Day]

because of the shelves i havent got a box which will fit in the cage so is it safe to put them in a box outside the cage? i also want to have a go at sexing them so i have an idea on numbers as i must let the pet shop know wow many there getting roughly as im going to send most of the girls down there

[souffle]

I guess so Matty, I was just thinking an ice cream tub or something similar which would fit in the tank I imagine. Put a bit of the bedding in your box and then tip it back in with the babies. How many are there?

[Matty Day]

we have 8. 5 boys ,2 girls and one i could not id very well so thats a fiver to hc