How Do Rats Care For Their Young?

Rats care for their young in several different ways. Initially, the mother ingests the fetus. This is called placentophagy and is a perfectly healthy process. The placenta contains high levels of prostaglandins that help with the involution of the uterus, and small amounts of oxytocin, a hormone that helps ease the stress of childbirth and encourage lactation. The mother then retrieves her baby and places it in its nest. The mother will usually pick its baby by the back or nape of its neck.

The mother should be approached carefully, and should not be handled too roughly. Rats’ maternal behavior is facilitated by hormonal changes. A spike in oxytocin is responsible for the rapid onset of maternal behavior. A mother rat with a litter will move throughout the labor and birthing process, and will lay down or crouch when the first pups are born. After each pup is born, the mother will clean the vulva and lick its pups.

The babies can nurse from the mother, but it is important to keep them out of the way. While this is not a desirable situation, it is sometimes necessary because of the death of a cage mate. Introducing another rat to the environment can be a cause of aggression, but the behavior will settle down once they get used to each other.