Don't expect babies in less than a month, (gestation is 21-23 days); my first litter was born 2 months after I got the rats. For first time moms, don't expect more than 10 babies, the numbers should go up as the females get older. For 1.2 rats I use a Sterilite 32q container, but be careful, the rats may chew through this. I add 1-2 teaspoons of imitation vanilla extract to a gallon of water, and it really helps cut down on the smell. I would put a hide in there, cardboard boxes work great. Also, if you use a Sterilite or Rubbermaid, put in a piece of wood for them to chew on instead of the cage. If you leave the male in, expect more babies in about a month, but this is hard on the females, you may get smaller litters and the moms won't last as long. I feed my rats a mix of Mazuri rat food and Iams adult dog food. They love Cheerios, apples, carrots, bread, and pizza crusts(don't feed too much of this; not very nutritional). Clean the cage once a week, I just dump the litter out and pour some new litter in. Use aspen, NOT PINE! I have heard it is best to have 2 cages so you can move the rats into the clean one then clean the other one. I don't do that though, I put the moms in a tall Rubbermaid and throw in some treats. Then I take the babies out and put them and some old bedding in a bowl. I dump out the litter and put new litter in, and add the wood and new hide box. Then I put the babies back in, then the moms. This way I don't get bit, (the moms are very protective of their young).



If you don't want to get attached to them, DON'T HOLD THE BABY RATS. I know that sounds stupid, but I am already keeping 2 pretty females because one fell asleep in my hand and the other has a perfect heart shape on her belly. (Guess I'll just have to get more snakes to keep up with all this extra food!)



Also, don't expect a lot of help on the feeder forum when you ask a basic care question. You might get more responses if you ask a specific question. Read through the old info, you will find a lot of answers from people with a lot of experience.



That's all I can think of right now...Good Luck!

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