How should you clean out the cage of a rat whose babies are only 4 days old?

Answer 1

I'm sorry to contradict some of the other answers here but from my experience, and the experience of other rat-keepers worldwide (I'm an active member of many rat-only yahoo forums), rats are not like other rodents when it comes to parenting.

Rats make awesome mothers and unlike other rodents they are not at all prone to killing their babies, rejecting them if they are handled, or attacking their owner's hands. It has to do with rats being the most intelligent of rodents and their trust in their care-givers. Out of several litters over the years I've only had one nippy mom. By rights you should be handling those babies from day one to make them into wonderful pets.

I've had many litters of babies, as a matter of fact a litter of 5 was just born today, and I have to remove Xylia and her babies from the communial cage to a cage of her own.

Easiest way to go about it is to remove the messes and soiled bedding while mom and babies are still in the cage. Add some clean bedding around her

Or do you need to do a complete cage cleaning? You will need another spare cage, a rubbermaid tote will do, and a small box to transfer the mother and babies into to set them inside the tote. Keep a good handful of the old bedding with the mom, and now you can clean the empty cage as you normally would.

Is your mom rat protective of the babies? In that case keep her separated from her babies with a dust pan or a piece of cardboard. Away from her babies you can pick her up and put her into the tote first. Then you can collect up the babies in some of the old bedding and put them in the tote with her. Get the regular cage put back together with some clean bedding, food and water. Put mom back in first, followed by her babies with that old bedding you kept aside. By now your hands are going to smell like her nest which will comfort her.

Baby rats can take a bit of gentle tumbling, just don't drop them.

For more info on caring for your rats:
http://spazrats.tripod.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat

Handling your rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Handling+baby+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAncB_OvYAtWzhfq25lJmyJkazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DArxsVjsLrU4fK6kGXpbDWDwazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Handling+baby+rats

spazrats
Specializing in the health and care of pet rats since 1997

Answer 2

Rats that are very socialized rarely bite, litter or not. Have a temp cage/tank and scoop the whole nest up with some of the old bedding and put them in there, then put mom in with them. Alternatively, you can scoop out the rest of the cage they're in, and leave the nest undisturbed. Just clean around them. If need be, you can them move the litter briefly and replace the nest itself with clean litter/bedding material. Mom, of course, will have to rearrange this until it's how she wants it though! Sociallized rats are not nearly as apt to eat their young as say, hamsters.

Answer 3

I wouldnt clean the cage out for 2-21/2 weeks. You would be taking a chance of the mother killing her babies, plus you could be bitten, and lose the trust of your pet rat.

Answer 4

Keep the nest that your momma has the babies in and just scoop everything else out. If she is aggressive try to use a small dust pan to get out the worst parts and wait until they are a little bit older!!

Answer 5

it somewhat is generic contained interior the 1st week for rats to sneeze. They do it simply by certainty they're getting used to each and all of the present scents around them. After that first week, it fairly is not generic. If he keeps or gets worse, he needs to flow to the vet. If by technique of 'chitter' you propose grinding his tooth, than it fairly is an illustration of contentment. If he starts off off making chirping noises nonetheless, that is yet yet yet another sign of a complicated respiration ailment. Wait somewhat earlier getting too stressful. Many rats sneeze for the 1st week, and than are severe-high quality after that.

Answer 6

you are likely to get bitten by the mother, but you need to clean the cage. when mine had babies i picked up the mother in a towel, that way she cudnt bite me. put them in a box or somethin wile u clean the cage, be carefull with the babies tho

Answer 7

hay bro umm just wait 5 days then go in to clean the cage out but be
careful cause youll problly get bitten if u anit careful.

peace up 9 town catch u lata bro....

Answer 8

i would clean it out by first getting a plastic container that is not to big but not like really small, put a little bit of bedding inside of it then put the babies in there with the mother or without the mother your choice !
but be careful when you are setting them in there they are very fragile. and i am not sure if you should put the mother in there with them that is all your chioce right there

Answer 9

You should not touch them or the cage for a couple of weeks, so if you must do so very carefully and a little at a time, and be carefull you don't get bit.

Answer 10

do it one side at a time but dont touch the babies or the mum will reject them they will probably all be in one corner so do the rest and youll find the mum will move them to the clean bit and then you can do the dirty bit later although at some point they will all start using the same bit to pee +poo in bit like a toilet they will naturally do this