How to Care for Infant Hairless Rats
Infant hairless rats can do little more than roll around and squeak during their first week of life. If their mother neglects them, or if their mother dies, raising the babies will be your responsibility. Doing so can be challenging, especially because you'll need to keep up with feeding them. Even so, several babies may die. But with dedication and a little luck, you can help the litter pull through.
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Instructions
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With Mother
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1
Touch every baby, as well as their mother, after the first day of birth so that all the rats smell the same. If you don't, the mother may put any that don't smell alike outside the nest.
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2
Keep track of how many babies there are so you can tell if the mother has pushed one to the side --- for example, if she hides a baby she thinks is ill.
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3
Take the mother into another room when you handle the babies. Reunite them with their mother within a couple hours so they can nurse.
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4
Add another nursing female if the mother isn't caring for her babies.
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5
Rotate the babies on the mother's nipples if there are more than 12 babies. (Mothers only have 12 nipples.)
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6
Separate the males and females after the first five weeks. Put the males with their father in a separate cage, and leave the females with their mother. (If you don't, the females will become pregnant.) At this time, the babies can drink milk from a bowl.
Without Mother
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7
Look for a nursing female to replace the original mother. You will have to raise the babies yourself if you can't find one.
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8
Fill an eyedropper with dog milk, cat milk, goat milk, baby formula or soy milk.
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9
Put the eyedropper in the baby's mouth. Rub the baby's belly after feeding it to help the baby digest its food and process any resulting waste.
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10
Feed the baby every two hours during the first week. Leave 3 to 4 hours between feedings after the first week. You will also need to interrupt your sleep at least once to feed the babies.
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11
Leave milk and water in the cage after the babies' eyes open.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Look for a milk band --- a white line along the stomach --- to show that each baby is eating and filled. The band will be visible for the first few days.
The babies will wean for about four weeks.
