Guess I'm going to be a rat "foster grandma"....

[undergunfire]

Bo...they are growing very quickly! They will be 7 days old tomorrow and their fur is coming in more now. They have white/silver hairs...very shiny. I haven't taken the babies out since Thursday night, as I wanted to take them out tonight to see how quickly they grew since Thursday. I will get a good look at them and be able to tell that we have all PEWs, as I am very sure they are all PEW. We could get surprised and have some himi's, though...not sure.

I'm about to go take the babies out now and mark their tails with colored Sharpies, then give them their names.

I will try to snap just a few pictures, as I want to handle them more now...rather than spend more time taking pictures.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I can't wait to see their fur! They look nice and healthy so that's a huge plus. We see the ones in the pet stores and want to cry cause they are being fed junk, and they seem not so healthy.

I'm glad you got that girl - at least they have a good chance now instead of what their fate could be.

 

[undergunfire]

The babies are all doing well! Still no eyes opened, yet! They are 2 weeks old today. Their eyes are supposed to open anywhere from 12-14 days, so I have been waiting for them to "see the world"!

They are soooo mobile, now. I think they are driving Mint nuts because she keeps gathering them up and putting them back in their sleeping spot.

It appears we now have Siamese and PEW babies. The PEWs will have pink eyes, but maybe the Siamese will have ruby eyes? I *think* all babies have standard ears, yet some are HUGE ears and might be dumbo.


Here are their day 13 (yesterday) pictures! If their eyes open today, I will be sure to snap more.

I did have some homes lined up, but as of right now, I have no homes lined up. A local girl did just show interest to their pictures on my myspace....so hopefully she would be interested.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Ooooo I thought I saw some color on a couple! YAY! I can't wait to see more when they open their eyes! They are so cute! Look at that nose!!! :hearts:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Yay more pictures! They're so sweet... I hope their eyes open soon!

 

[undergunfire]

As of 1 hour ago, only one baby girl had her eyes opened! I didn't snap a picture because Ryan and I were in the middle of playing Wii. The girl who opened her eyes is the biggest rattie in the bunch, normally the boys are the largest, I would think .

 

[YukonDaisy]

Awwww! Now I can say they're cute!! And my girls really like their Star Dome Homes, I'll definitely be getting more. Though Kaede did some "customizations" to hers, but she's always in it!

 

[BSAR]

I haven't checked this in a while!! They are sooooooooooooooooo cute!! I really don't like rats cuz of their tail but these babies are preicous!! I want one!!

 

[undergunfire]

BSAR wrote:

I haven't checked this in a while!! They are sooooooooooooooooo cute!! I really don't like rats cuz of their tail but these babies are preicous!! I want one!!

These baby rats will then grow up to be big fat squishy adult rats with the same exact tail :biggrin2:. Rats are rats, tails or not.




Anyway, I will take pictures of the babies tonight. I am going to put the kitties and dog away, then have the babies come into the living room on the couch with me.

All eyes are opened and they are soo precious. I am in love with two of the little boys, but I need to remember that they need to go to new homes!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Can't wait to see the new pictures! I love baby ratties. The tails never bothered me.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

I can't wait to see the babies today too!

I play with rats' tails LOL! Of course I love bats and rats and all sorts of things like that so I might be a bit strange......

Amy, each time I see this thread I think - "Ratty Grandmama!" Tabitha on Bewitched called her grandmother "grandmama"

 

[Michaela]

Oooh I missed the picture update the other day! :shock:

Adorableeeee!! :hearts WANT!

 

[undergunfire]

I'm totally slacking with pictures. I try to spend more time handling then snapping pictures .

Anyway, looks like 4 babies (2 girls & 2 boys) have each found homes. Two girls are going to a responsible 16 year as a birthday present from her mom. Two boys are going to a family who have wanted rats for years, but are finally taking the plunge.

This leaves Mint, 1 baby girl, and 2 baby boys that need a home. I am hoping I can get them adopted out VERY soon....as I am going to share some information that I just want to beat myself over....



I think Spice, my other foster girl who I am very seriously considering keeping, is pregnant . A few weeks ago I went into the animal room to grab water bottles....Spice's cage door WAS closed at that time. I went back into the animal room to bring their water bottles back in and her cage door was wide open....but she was inside the cage and I was only gone for just a few moments...honestly, like 1 minute while I put water in the bottles...so I didn't think anything of it because my boys were all passed out sleeping in their hammocks...like they had been sleeping for hours...I'm talking dead asleep!

I am now kicking myself because I don't get how she could escape, breed with my passed out dead asleep boys (who were in their cage), and then make it back into her cage....all within honestly 1 minute.

I'm very "rescue" and do what I can to save rats...I don't breed and I don't want more babies.



Ughhh! Ryan is being very supportive and doesn't understand how it happened, either. He said we will take it a day at a time and get the babies into good homes. I am happy I have his support through this.

Ryan and I were laughing (probably not the best time to laugh) that Louie left his mark before leaving this earth for rattie heaven. I told Ryan I was going to go outside and kick his grave if he did this....that little stinker.......

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Amy, what makes you think she's preggers? Could she have a tumor or something causing her to look that way? Could she have actually gotten to the boys somehow if they were all asleep?

I'm happy some of the babies have homes!

I'll forgive you for no pictures lately..... I'd love to see some tho! *hint* LOL

 

[undergunfire]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Amy, what makes you think she's preggers? Could she have a tumor or something causing her to look that way? Could she have actually gotten to the boys somehow if they were all asleep?

It is definitely not a tumor because a tumor doesn't cause nipples to be exposed more, she is pregnant . I just want to scream. I feel like a terrible person. I never would have imagined that an oops litter would happen to me.

I will be keeping girls in the rabbit room in the new house and the boys in the rat room.

I'll get belly shots tonight of Spice.

 

[TinysMom]

undergunfire wrote:

It is definitely not a tumor because a tumor doesn't cause nipples to be exposed more, she is pregnant . I just want to scream. I feel like a terrible person. I never would have imagined that an oops litter would happen to me.

I will be keeping girls in the rabbit room in the new house and the boys in the rat room.

I'll get belly shots tonight of Spice.

I'm sorry Amy - I'm dying laughing here as I remember you & I running around grabbing rabbits while you were here because I had an "oops" situation where a buck had gotten out. Remember how frantic I was?

I'm sorry about the litter....but I don't think you're a bad person. I think accidents happen and you'll do a great job with her and with the babies and by the time they're born - won't most of the other babies be gone or close to going to new homes?

I know it will be a bit stressful...but you can do it....and I am sure it won't happen again.

I didn't realize rats could be THAT fast...

 

[Luv-bunniz]

TinysMom wrote:

I didn't realize rats could be THAT fast...

I'll say this in a way most of you will understand...Rats breed like rabbits!

Sorry to hear she is possibly pregnant though

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Well that's good and bad I guess. At least she's with you and hopefully the litter will be small and easy to rehome.

You can't be perfect and sometimes things happen - don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't mean for it to happen!

undergunfire wrote:

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Amy, what makes you think she's preggers? Could she have a tumor or something causing her to look that way? Could she have actually gotten to the boys somehow if they were all asleep?

It is definitely not a tumor because a tumor doesn't cause nipples to be exposed more, she is pregnant . I just want to scream. I feel like a terrible person. I never would have imagined that an oops litter would happen to me.

I will be keeping girls in the rabbit room in the new house and the boys in the rat room.

I'll get belly shots tonight of Spice.

 

[undergunfire]

Peg.....I sooo remember that. It was terrible because we would be looking at the ladies in the rabbitry and thinking they looked fat...so we'd chase them down and put them into their own pen. It got to the point where all we could do was look at each other, blush, and just laugh it off. Definitely an experince I will not be forgetting !


Thanks, every one. I'm going to roll with the situation, stay calm, and get through it. I'm even willing to make the drive to Phoenix to get the babies into really good homes. So, that will help.

We are selling Sammy's dog run that we bought because our new house already has one. We are selling it for $120....so I would just need $30 more to get the new Critter Nation cage that just came out. It looks just like the Ferret Nation, but it has 1/2 inch bar spacing, so females can be housed in it without worry of them escpaping.

I am breaking the news to Ryan that I am buying that cage and keeping Spice and probably 2 baby girls from her litter. I will also probably keep 2 baby boys because my adult boys are slowing down and just....aging. The only part Ryan won't be happy with is buying a new cage...lol!

Ryan even said that with the *hopefully* economic stimulus check, tax returns, 3 pay checks in April, AND having our friend Garrett bringing us $250 per month for rent (hes our room mate in the new house)....we will, "no worries", have the credit cards payed off and be able to purchase our wedding rings. So, I'm going to use the $120 from the dog run as if it was "free money" because we aren't dyring for it....lol!!



Anyway, I am ranting. We got home late tonight because of dinner at Ryan's mom's house....so I WILL get belly shots tomorrow of Spice and update the "Breakfast Bunch" litter pictures .

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Two questions? one comment!

1. I thought you weren't going to have ratties after the boys were gone?

2. I thought you weren't going to have a roomie right now?

3. I didn't know you would be getting married!