Any Ideas On How To Make A Baby Bottle For A Baby Rat?
I’ve been hand feeding a baby rat that got seperated from its mommy. It’s been with me since Saturday. I’m using baby bird formula and feeding it with my finger and I let it lick it but it takes so long and it’s really messy. It ends up drenched with formula. Any ideas on how to make a small baby bottle for it to suck on? The ones from the pet store are too big.
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
When I hand raise wild orphans, I usually either dip a piece of cloth int he warm formula (they’ll suck on it)
or, you can purchase very small orphan-teets from most vets/wildlife rehabbers.
Or, as others have mentioned, a tiny syrringe, be careful not to squirt too much at once.
Now, when he is older, you can either release him (as he is not domesticated, he will adjust to the wild). If thats your intention, don’t handle him too much.
But, you knwo what? There are so many wild rats in the world. I have known of many people who have found hand-raised wild rats to be just as lovely as domestic ones (how on earth did they get domesticated in the first place, Jack Black the rat-catcher fell in love with a litter of babies one of his captured females had, started to breed the odd-coloured ones and sold them to 1800s nobility. The rat was a pet of the aristocratic!)
Thats beside the point-
He could make a wonderful baby, or, consult a wildlife rehabber baout releasing him when he is older.
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
buy a doll that comed with one or get one of your sister and make sure its sucks all i can think of
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
You could try using a needless syringe and instead of a needle, put in a small rubber tube?
You could go to the link I have below and scroll all the way down. It’ll have rejected joey supplies. It should work fine for a little rat. You might even be able to find the supplies to make one at Wal-Mart or something.
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Ask a vet if they know a good place to get REALLY SMALL syringes, or thay might even stock them!
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
ask ur pet store, they should do smaller ones
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
small BABY medicine dropper
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
First off you should switch your formula to human soy powdered formula. Human milk is the most like a rat’s milk.
I would contact a wildlife rescue/rehab centre, they get tiny wee babies in all the time and should be able to help you out or point you in the right direction. After that you can ask at an exotic vets clinic.
How old is this wee one? Eyes not open yet? (Under 14-16 days), eyes just cracked open (15-18 days), eyes wide open (16 days onward). As soon as those eyes are open you can start offering solids and baby should be able to eat things on its own.
Depending on the age (you said licking off your finger so not a tiny eeper that suckles off of a syringe) you should get the smallest syringe or eye dropper you can and just let the baby lick it off of there, at least its contained. Baby feeding always takes a looong time.
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
You can usually get syringes from the pharmacy, obviously without needles. That’s how I fed my cat water when she had a urinary tract infection. Just make sure you press down slowly or it’ll spurt everywhere.
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Straw maybe?
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
If he licks it off your fingers have you tried letting him lick it from a bowl?
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Go to your local pet store.
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Try using an eye dropper, it should work.
on October 29th, 2009 at 11:31 am
too big? should be the same, like hamster or something. look again.
or you could wet a towel with some milk.