[curlycue]

Ok I took a quick look at mum and the babies and I really am having a hard time telling which rat is the mummy. Ummm help please. The babies are in two seperate piles one rat is sitting on one and the the second rat is sitting on the other. I feel sooo stupid but I need to know so that all the babies are going to be ok. Both of my females have become skittish one is showing her nipples off nicely while the other one doesn't have a lot of nipple sticking out. My curlycue seems to be smaller I haven't found any dead ones yet. they all sqeaking and all the placenta's are gone. It looks like they are doing their job but I was going to try to seperate them and now I don't know if one rat stole the other one's babies or if they both had a small set of babies. Is it possible for a rat that's preggo to steal another rats babies? Please please help me.

 

[Forensic]

Um, if it's a big litter, the mother probably split it in half and the other is - thankfully - watching them. In some situations the other female will attack the mother, or the mother will attack them. Or, it could be possible that they both had small litters.

I do hope you've an appropriate cage to hold all of them and one to hold in the males in five weeks?

 

[ladylady]

Some females will help Mums out so sometimes a joint effort can work but sometimes it can be dangerous. Try picking up the females up and feeling their tummys-if they are heavily pregnant thier belly will be moving. YOu could look around their vaginas for blood and stuff and Im not sure but i imagine soon after birth their bits would look different. Check each baby for milk bands-you can litteally see if thier stomach benith thier pink skin is full of milk. If thier tum is empty you need to hand feed them with a dropper, syringe, rag etc. Large litters are sometimes split up cus Mum only has so many boobs so she goes between two piles. Maybe they have both birthed

 

[twitch]

how big is the litter anyway? (assuming its just one). it is possible that they both had litters and it is also possible that mother is getting help from her "sister". what i would be worried about is if the part that sister is helping wit is getting enough to eat. i have heard of animals lactating for babies not their own and without going through a pregnancy themselves but they seem to be a rare occurance. check for milk bands on everyone. if they all have nice ones then i wouldn't worry about separating momma and sister as they seem to be getting along and helping each other. if they were going to fight over babies it would of happened by now. if one portion of the litter doesn't have milk bands that likely the one with sister. take sister out and put all the babies together with mother. then watch closely for the next for hours (i'd say at least 4). keep checking at least once an hour to make sure all the babies have milk bands.

but now i'm curious, how did you end up in this situation?