Help! Baby question - Paw Talk

Andikristine · #1 06-27-2009, 12:48 PM

Yesterday I went and picked up a litter of 6 babies, all 5 weeks old. Sooo cute!!! When we got home we handled all the babies for a couple hours and all of them were soo sweet. After that we let them lay down and take a nap. About an hour or so later (maybe 2 hours) my parents stopped by to see them so I went in to wake them up and out of nowhere one of the baby female started acting horribly aggressive. She sat back on her hind legs and I could sware she was hussing and she had her mouth open...stupidly I still tried to pick her up to calm her and she continually tried to bite me.Her previous owners said when we got them that they have all been held from birth.Thirty minutes later she was find and sweet. I separated her from the others anyways last night, but this morning I put her back with her brothers and sisters. I don't know what to think...Anyone have any thoughts as to why she acted that way? I'm befuddled

bokuza · #2 06-27-2009, 03:21 PM

Some rat HATE being woken up. I know that from birth some rats are just fussy and if you play with them too much in day they throw a hissy fit.
Other than that I dont see a trigger. Just be careful to suddenly wake them and try to pick them up.

I wake my little guy up by cooing and letting him stretch then i reach for him.

ShannonMarie · #3 06-27-2009, 11:32 PM

She may just be stressed a bit from moving, and was startled when you woke them up. I'd recommend giving them a day or so to settle in and calm down and get used to their new home. But don't be afraid of her, the more you handle them, the more used to you they will become and I'm sure she will calm down soon!

Also, if there are mixed sexes, you should separate the boys from girls soon so they don't end up pregnant. It can happen at a surprisingly early age, haha.

Don't give up on your little girl, a bit of patience goes a LONG way!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

ShannonMarie · #4 06-27-2009, 11:39 PM

Oh, and I forgot to say, One of my rats was a huge brat when she was young, she would bite toes and ears and fingers and just about anything that looked tasty. And when I say bite, I mean draw blood, lol. But she stopped doing it one day, I have no idea what changed. And now she licks, CONSTANTLY. She once laid on my neck on her side when I was laying on the couch and licked my chin for about an hour straight. So now when shes out on the bed with me, I don't yank my feet away when shes walking near them anymore lol.

So, some ratties are just weird like that, maybe it's an adolecent thing.

lilspaz68 · #5 06-28-2009, 08:34 AM

If the babies were handled in a group and she looked similar to some of the others she may not have been handled as much as the others...which is why when I have a rescue litter, I have one-on-one time with the babies as much as possible.

A biting baby like that is frightened not aggressive. I have a half-wild girl here who will bite over and over if I have to pick her up...she's just scared I am going to eat her. Time, patience, and keep working with her and she should be just fine.

As for the wee one who landed on the floor with your dad. It happens, and its likely that the little one was NOT damaged, but just a fearful rat all her life...bad petstore genetics can create rats that just cannot be socialized. I have met some, and you just live on their terms...as long as they are happy with their cagemates thats all that matters

Brighteyed · #6 06-28-2009, 05:50 PM

some cats react funny if they smell the sent of a dog on your fur. maybe the rat smelled something she was scared of on your parents clothes. just make sure they get individual attention, and i cant tell you enough that rat babies can get pregnant at such an early age. i mean 8 weeks, yeah im serious. on of my friends had a litter of rats and at nine weeks 3 of her females were pregnant. they died during labor. i dont mean to be depressing i just want you to know that it is not a thing to put off.