How Rats Are Born

There are several things you should know before you bring a baby rat home. First, they cannot pee on their own. You will need to stimulate them to go to the bathroom by rubbing their anus and genitals. This is to ensure that their mother is able to ingest their waste. The first few feedings of the infant will be shaky, so make sure you keep them upright and hold them by the neck. Once they are able to eat out of the dish, they will grow quickly.

Most rats are born naturally. Male rats and female rats must have a safe place to give birth. Female rats are usually not in distress during delivery, but they may exhibit signs of pre-labor or a prolonged birth session. You should be prepared to provide constant observation and access in case of any complications. A safe place to observe the mother is important. If the pup is stillborn, it is likely that the mother will ingest the pup.

Female rats usually breed within a few days after giving birth. Their gestation period may be as short as two weeks, and the litter size is between two and seven pups. Female rats will continue breeding until they are 18 to 24 months old. Newborn rats are born without fur and are blind. They will grow rapidly, weaning in about 3 weeks, and will become sexually mature by the third month.