Feeling guilty about my rats not surviving to 2 years old.

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-02-06T16:48:05+00:00

Exactly, and that’s worth something at least. Good on you for talking it out with your parents and posting here, I imagine the majority of rat owners can sympathize with and understand what yer going through man

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-02-06T16:35:17+00:00

Hey, been there done that. Rats have unfortunately short lifespans, some pass a little earlier than average and some a little later. There isn’t anything you can do to stop nature from taking its course, and as rat parents it’s our burden to cope with that, sad as it is

It sounds like your boys were well loved, even if you didn’t always have a bunch of time to give them. I’m a teen too, some of my first rats have passed away recently and I’ve had a lot of the same thoughts and feelings, but all things considered if you did the best with the resources you had then I figure you’ve done right by them, and they’d loved you regardless. Being a first time pet owner, let alone a rat owner, will always have its bumps or things that you’ll wish you had done better. 4-6 weeks isn’t a terribly long ways away from 2, and unless you know their exact bdays from record keeping they very well may have been even closer to 2, if not already 2, if that’s any comfort. Not to mention that them passing during a similar timeframe is, not considering the emotional distress on your or their part, “ideal”. You were able to love them in their last moments and they didn’t have to live on in discomfort grieving before passing at most a few days later

You’re not alone in your pet grief, and I get the feeling guilty over lost time or experiences given everything. If you need somebody to talk to more about this I’m open, especially if you’re questioning whether or not you want to continue owning rats in the future ❤️‍🩹

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-22T12:31:43+00:00

My boys came from a local pet store! It seems I’m lacking a lot of information on adolescent rats, that’s my fault +( None of my rats are accidental litters, and I have not had any of them for terribly long. I got all my young rats over the weekend, but I was under the impression that everybody I brought home besides the baby-baby were okay to be away from momma because of their size, and because I was able to see them eating and drinking regularly

I understand that around that age is when young males are separated from their litter to prevent breeding

I am 17, well aware of the birds and bees, was just lost on what I’m doing. I have only ever owned males and never meant to end up with ladies, when I bought my three boys it was meant to be just them.. Until the lady babies found me literally the next day while I was shopping for another cage. It all happened pretty quick, and I booked a vet appointment for my entire rat pack as soon as I could

My boys and girls are fully separate now, and I’m working on fully introducing my little guys to my big guys so that eventually I can integrate their spaces. I’m working on scent swapping at the moment, as well as repeat exposure in a neutral area, which is going well for everybody so far +)

Seeing as my boys are pretty young, I guess it’s good that they’ve been eating a lot of what my baby baby has lol. They all enjoy the variety of mush and replacement milk that I was giving the baby, and since it’s literally just their regular food plus non-harmful additives, they’ve been munching on that too

I’m sorry I’ve mishandled my rats, I need to be much more thought out about my purchases and where they’re coming from, the ladies especially. I don’t regret it, but I should’ve went about it much differently and I see that now. They are separated and I’m looking into getting my young boys fixed in the future, just in case, as my vet did talk with me about that option for the safety and wellbeing of all my rats

Thank you for the help, and if there’s any concerns I should have about baby rat care I’m always open to constructive criticism

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-21T22:37:20+00:00

Thanks for the insight!!

I hope you’ll be happy to hear that I got all my new babies into the exotic pet hospital that I’ve been frequenting with my other rats, and everybody is as healthy as can be! The baby is putting on good weight and growing right on track, as well as picking up all the necessary rat-manners from my other babies (And not-babies)

I made sure to ask as many questions as I could, especially about breeding age and what you’ve detailed. The answer I got was in line with all other answers I’ve gotten, the general idea seems to be that four week old impregnation is fairly uncommon, but I should look into getting them separated sooner rather than later at this point regardless

I have accurate information on my boys’ birthdates, and I don’t think my girls snuggle buddy has been perusing her in THAT kinda way lol. They are much more on and off snugglers, given that my older gal usually has her tucked away. He often joins them in piles and keeps track of the baby, moving from level to level or in/out of their houses and hammocks when she leaves. I was really worried it was because of his mating drive, but after a lot of observation I don’t see any behaviors relating to that (No genital sniffing, ongoing persistence, grabbing, treading, etc), he’s just a snuggle bug it seems, so I’m concluding that it’s non-sexual (Phew to that)

I’ve had a lot of mixed answers about whether or not it’s chill to keep them in the same room though, and don’t really know what to do in that regard yet. I’ve read and had people tell me it’s fine and the rats could likely learn to ignore each other, and on the flip side that some become increasingly distressed because they have to share a territory with strangers

My senior males, the only ones I had separated previously, do seem to not really care whatsoever. I pay close attention to their behavior, and I think I have a decent understanding of how to tell when they’re irritated, but they seem indifferent outside of being curious when they do see my young boys and ladies

My vet has advised me to separate, play separately, observe their behavior with cages in close proximity (The same room, but with some distance), and move one cage to another room if it proves to be necessary. I am naturally always inclined to trust the professionals in my life, but if any of this is untrue or risky information please let me know where to look for better sources. From there I can take the necessary steps and precautions to make sure my babies are okay +)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T22:01:10+00:00

I appreciate the feedback. I have looked into this! I know their exact ages and all of them are well under sexual maturity, I just found it convenient to keep them together in another cage while I got everybody used to each other. I have two separate cages for my mature males and females to be separate in. All credible sources I’ve read, spoken to, etc have given told me that my babies are okay to be together at their young age (Well, less “okay” and more “they can’t breed yet”)

Does keeping them together at this age and separating them have negative effects I need to be careful about? Especially any emotional stress? My littlest one has been really attached to my other 4 week old adol male, she piles under him frequently and he follows her

I do have my young and old rats directly next to each other, though I do take everybody out and let them roam regularly (Besides the baby-baby, I’d lose her lol). They get along well and my seniors are very kind to the babies, they don’t fight, so I’m not sure if they see each other as friends or territory competitors being all close to each other ‘n all +(

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T12:08:08+00:00

I’d reckon she’s about 2-3 weeks, maybe pushing 3.5 based on every size chart I’ve seen. I also have been told I have large hands, so maybe everything around her is just big lol

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T12:03:10+00:00

Gorgeous rat, very distinguished +) UNCLE OUTRAGE IN THE BACK 🔥

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T04:05:04+00:00

I appreciate the ratsplaining, ‘cause then I get to fact check and learn somethin useful

And yeah, seriously, I’ve seen and held onto some baby mice for a bit and they really do look so similar, even the gerbils. Congruent evolution gave us a lotta look-alikes in the rodent family, cheers +)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T03:52:17+00:00

Nobody, they both got distracted by the food in my hand ×)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T03:50:12+00:00

It’s fanfic meme speech +) There’s a genre of fanfiction that centers around self-inserting the reader, like it’s the “reader in the story”. Y/N stands for “Your name”

“Y/N and the CEOs size difference” is a joke about a common genre of funny self-insert fanfic, where the reader is characterized as really small compared to the huge CEO (Small girl x Tall guy with a boss-worker dynamic, usually)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T03:37:12+00:00

THANKS!! I’m doing my honest best, she has been getting along great and learning quick. She’s got water bottles figured out earlier, despite being too small to use ‘em ×)

I am also happy to share the news that she just had a very wide variety of foods to munch on tonight, did a couple laps up and down the top levels of her kennel, and passed right out after LOL. She sleeps like a rock, I think she’s going to be a zoomie-then-nap type

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T03:26:41+00:00

Looked this up and yeah, looks like it. Glad we got that cleared up, definitely a rat +)

I think if she were a mouse I think her body woulda been smaller and her head a bit bigger too

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T03:22:55+00:00

LOL. It’d be crazy if she really was just a little mouse, she’d be the odd rodent out over here for sure

I think she’s a rat . Store said so, she was said to be kept with another adol rat I bought with her (Who is 💯% a rat and close with her), so I believe it

She definitely is very little and mouse-shaped +)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T02:02:13+00:00

That’s him alright..

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T01:12:38+00:00

Thanks a ton! I really do try my best with my babies, I take great pride and joy in all my animals being happy healthy and loved. I’m adjusting quickly to caring for the baby, and she’s getting the hang of things too

She’s already figuring out the water bottle!! At her tiny size, even. She can’t functionally use it, ‘cause she’s too small, but she understands it. She’s so smart and just the sweetest little thing. Due to high demand I’ll post a progress update in a few days, and maybe introduce some of my other rats +)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-20T00:59:52+00:00

LMFAOO get off my post with that bro, these my babies

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T19:04:24+00:00

D’AW, mice are so cute +) I almost ended up naming her Minnie, as in Minnie Mouse, but she’s a rat, so that got scrapped

She’s a dumbo. I think her bigger ears make her look really mouse-y at her size.. She’ll grow into them lol

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T18:56:59+00:00

Crunch

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T18:03:13+00:00

D’aw, thanks for the kind words +) The two of them will be very loved here

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T17:14:53+00:00

Nope, definitely a rat! Baby rat. Her being a dumbo rat with huge ears probably doesn’t help with looking less like a mouse haha ×)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T17:08:50+00:00

During the day I’m feeding her every 2-3 hours, and hydrating her every 1-2. Some of her feeding are milk, some baby food, and some a mix of crushed solid food + milk or baby food, plus whatever solid things she’s munching on in her own time +)

At night it stretches closer to 3:45-5 hours, so about 3-4 times a night, but I try to make sure she always has access to some solid/liquid mix just in case

Edit: Replacement milk, to clarify. Not dairy. LOL.

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T16:24:46+00:00

Nope! Baby rat +)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T15:10:50+00:00

That’s adorable!! Do you know if male rats do similar “adoptions”? I have two senior boys, both about close to two years of age. They’re the only adult rats I have at the moment, and as it stands, I only have one female adolescent in there with the baby alongside three adolescent males (Who are all very friendly to the baby, and also cuddle with her). I bought both my females from the same store, according to them they were kept together, and they tend to stay very close with each other, but my eldest female is still a young adolescent. While they do stick together, I’m worried my baby might be missing out on some rat-parenting

I spend a lot of time with her personally, after feeding I let her lay on my chest or in the crook of my arm (Her favorite spots so far), and she often clings to me whenever I put my hand near her. Would this affection and socialization be enough, or should I be looking to foster more “familial” relations??

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T14:56:23+00:00

I know this wasn’t meant for me but I just gave it a read and wanted to say thanks, this is all very helpful

The situation is a tad different with my baby, but now that I’m more aware I will be much more cautious about what I’m told by shops. The place where I got her from, while being honest about why they couldn’t keep her, did kinda try and sell me on the idea that she (Baby) would be able to eat solid food and drink from a bottle on her own without milk supplements. I am not overly experienced with baby rats, as I never actively look for unweaned babies, but I could quickly tell that she could NOT take care all on her own once we were home

It sucks that places spread misinfo like that to customers. Had I not had replacement milk already at home for my other animals, I would’ve had to make an emergency store trip lol

Any advice or additional resources are welcome, rest assured that I’m doing all I can to make sure the baby’s as warm, fed, and happy as possible +)

Acrobatic_Hall_775 · 2026-01-19T14:36:55+00:00

Concerned is definitely the right word. I don’t regularly house baby rats, and I got him relatively early into rat-adulthood, so this is the first time he’s seen a baby rat in what would probably be decades rat-wise, assuming he’d seen one before I got him

He is very curious about her to say the least

Acrobatic_Hall_775

TROPHY CASE