How Small Are Baby Rats?

It may surprise you to learn how small baby rats are! Newborn rats are quite small, with baby teeth and whiskers, and very little fur or pigment. In addition, their skin is thin and they don’t have a guard or under hair. In their first few days on the planet, they can barely move their heads and are limited to feeding on their mother’s nipple. This is a normal stage of development, and they will become much more coordinated once they reach three weeks of age.

Once they start eating solid foods, baby rats are ready to be weaned from their mother’s milk. However, the first few days may be challenging as they have a hard time getting used to their new nipple and taste. It is important to hold them upright and keep a firm grip around the neck. Baby rats will grow slowly until they are old enough to eat out of a dish, but they will grow rapidly afterward.

A healthy rat litter will contain four to eight pups. Usually, the size of a litter is larger than this. Mother rats typically have twelve nipples, so they can juggle a large number of newborn baby rats.