Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Little Ratsies Again

Well, it seems as though Mama Blavatsky had a total of 11 babies, not the 9 that I had originally believed. (Guess she still wasn't finished giving birth when I had last counted.)

Yesterday, while cleaning all three rat-houses, I discovered one of Ratsie's babies dead under a lot of bedding. (And I thought that nasty smell was from too much rat piddle and poop.)

Poor thing.

There was not a mark on its body; and it was flat as a pancake.

The other ratlings are doing well. The older ones are now eating solid food and drinking from the water bottle ~ even though they are still nursing.

Some of them have gotten used to my hand in the tank when I dole out pumpkin seeds to the moms. A couple have actually gotten brave enough to try to beg for those tasty morsels themselves.

I am disappointed that my local pet store won't be able to take Ratsie's and Patsie's babies as they still haven't sold all of the ratlings from Mama B's first litter.

I really hate the thought of bringing them to the snake guys, even though they did offer to buy the rats from me.

Hopefully a new home for the rat babies will manifest by the beginning of next week.

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