Will Michigan Rodents Nurse Their Babies?

A newborn Ann Arbor rodent will not be able to defend itself against the dangers. They are born deaf and blind which makes it impossible for them to explore their surroundings. Luckily, the mother will be responsible in taking care of the babies. She will assume the task of feeding them; otherwise, the baby can die without their help. However, there are instances when these little animals will be abandoned by their mother. During this time, they will require human intervention in order to live.



How the Mother Ann Arbor Rodent will Nurse their Babies
Like dogs and cats, the rodents will be giving birth to a litter. Their litter will be composed of 5-6 baby rodents. However, they can still deliver a dozen of babies. It is the responsibility of the mother rodent to take care of the babies once they are born. Since the male will not play their part in taking care of the babies, the mother will need to work hard. Gestation period of the rodents is short, and the female will be ready to give birth again after a couple of weeks. Some rodent can give birth to 10 litters per year.

Dependency of the Baby Rodent
As aforementioned, the baby rodent will be blind and deaf when they are born. This state will last for a week. During this time that the baby rodents are vulnerable, the mother rodent will have to be responsible in feeding her babies. Just like the other mammals, she will feed them with milk. She needs to make sure that she will be properly nourished to supply her babies with the right amount of nutrients.

What to Do If the Mother Rodent Abandoned Her Babies
In case the mother dies or if she abandoned her babies, the survival rate of the baby rodents will be reduced significantly. There are species of rodents that will be willingly ‘adopt’ the kids especially if she’s already feeding her kids. Simply rub the orphaned rodents to the body of other babies to make the smell indistinguishable.

Make Sure the Baby Rodents Are Really Orphaned
When you encounter abandoned baby rodents, there are some things that you must do to ensure that they will survive. You need to make sure first that the babies are indeed abandoned. It is perfectly normal for a baby rodent to explore its surrounding after a couple of weeks. If the mother rodents did not retrieve the babies after a few hours, there is a possibility that the babies have indeed been abandoned.

Calla the Professionals
You will have to call the wildlife rehabilitation center to deal with them. While waiting for the rehabilitators to arrive, you should keep the babies warm. Place them inside the cardboard box and put the box in the dark area. You can use a heater pad but be sure that they will not be in direct contact with the heater. You can also fill-up an empty bottle with warm water. Wrap the bottle on towel before placing it near the baby rodents. Replace the content of the bottle regularly.

We do not recommend you to feed the baby rodent especially if the wildlife rehabilitators did not provide you a set of instructions. Your goal is to keep the babies as comfortable as possible.

Visit our Ann Arbor wildlife control home page to learn more about us.