How do you care for a pinky without a mother?

Answer 1

Both rat and mice pinkies can be cared for without a mother, but it's highly likely they will not pull through. You will need to feed a mouse pinkie every hour to 2 hours during the day, no longer than 4 hours apart at night A rat pinkie will need to eat about every 2 hours during the day, no longer than 4 hours apart at night. You will need to buy milk replacer from the pet store, in the dog and cat section. I recommend KMR made from goat milk, I've had better success rates with it keeping rodent babies thriving than the cow milk based ones. A q-tip with the cotton pulled out a little bit and dipped in the milk is the best way to feed a mouse pinkie, the same can be done for a rat, without the need for pulling the cotton out quite so far. After each feeding you NEED to use a damp q-tip rubbed on their bellies toward the anus so that they can empty their bowels. They are not capable of doing this on their own, and this is why mother rodents lick their infant's tummy. You will need to replicate this. Do not stop until you see the rodent actually urinate and/or defecate, or it will die in a very short period of time from blockage. Keep the babies at a temperature of no less than 80 degrees, a warming bulb or mat from the pet store is the best way to accomplish this. Make sure if you use a bulb that is one of the ones that doesn't produce light. Good luck!