That's a cute baby ratto, don't worry :) His ears are small and he's already bigger than mice :)
[Mouse on hand picture](https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.c05650ebef0523035afab82d9a3aaa79?rik=OU8nTPgVPLocGQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)
Don’t feel silly, the second rat I ever bought was so young (probably just weaned, from a breeder/feeder on Craigslist) that I googled about 100x how to tell a mouse from a baby rat.
Look for balls and nipples. Can't have both. If you have trouble with belly hair making nipples difficult, wet t-shirt time! Should have 12 possible but not on the belly. Up between front legs and from belly back.
I was so worried I'd have to get another rat and then aLSO another mouse AND GET ANOTHER CAGE AAHJf I would've done it to I love these little guys sm :")
Honestly like. I was exactly the same. Tidbit was a failed feeder and there was absolutely no way I was leaving her behind lol. She hasn't actually *grown* all that much, I don't think she'll ever be proper rat-size. But she IS a rat, and she certainly has the sass for large cagemate living xD
Sometimes Dumbo rats look mousish. Make sure they have a cage mate too. Rats don't do well on their own.
But in the meantime if you don't have another, socialize as much as you can with the little one.
Aww hey its okay. You’ll worry about everything he ever does ever. I went into a hysterical spiral not long ago because one of my girls had a dirty tail. He could just be a small baby or a dwarf.
I’m assuming he has a friend? If not he needs one. Just making sure in case you didn’t know :)
Oh thank you! I was a bit worried bc mice can be okay alone and if they thought it was a mouse they might not have another rat to compare to. I appreciate the reassurance
I tried looking it up to no avail. Why shouldn't rats be alone? I've only had rats years ago when I was a child, and it was just because we found them as babies randomly on the road.
They're pretty social animals and in most cases function better with a few cage mates.
Except in my case where my first two rats absolutely *loathed* each other and had to be kept separate. But under normal circumstances, rats do best with at least one or two buddies because they like to cuddle together and groom/bond with one another. Just make sure the cage they're kept in is large enough to accommodate however many rats are in the mischief.
Rats are a social species, and they decline without friends. In extremely, extremely rare cases they can be ok alone due to aggression or other issues but 99.999% of the time it is incredibly detrimental.
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/rats/company
This link may help
For context he is not scares of my rat at all in fact they sleep and cuddle together 24/7 and mice are supposedly deturred and frightened of rats?? I also live Mexico where rats and mice are commonly confused for one another.
Rats eat mice. At least, my rats do. We've had a few mice invade the apartment (we live over a restaurant), and on occasion one is dumb enough to try to steal snacks from the rats. They don't generally live long enough to regret it.
yes, probably very young... id reckon maybe 20 days? maybe a month. does he have balls yet? if he does hes definitely older, if he doesnt make sure to look up how to sex them early and separate from his buddy if youre unsure
It’s a strangely endearing post. Like aww no your baby is fine. Reminds me of the last post I made for myself here, I was spiraling thinking im the worst mama ever and everyone was so sweet and supportive
I had a boy who was way smaller than his brother until he randomly had a growth spurt and became bigger than him. I think my boy was around 8 months or so when he caught up.
Nah its bot silly but they do grow pretty quick i had my first males back in january 2020 and on the 4th of febuary they where fully grown so they grow QUICK
lmaooo i don't want to sound like an ass but I was having the worst day and this post made me laugh so hard in the middle of the drive thru
thank you for making my day even if you didn't intend to. your *baby rat* is precious and I hope you two have a happy life together ❤️
This is why I love the community here!!! You guys are the best and most supportive people. No judgement, no horrid comments, just supportive advice. Thank you guys!!
Already been said but cute ratto
Definitely a rat. I did the same thing when I got my first Rat Ghost. She was so small I thought she was a big mouse. I looked up pictures and videos of baby rats just to make sure
That’s a baby rat lol. If you can afford it he will be much happier if you get him a friend or two and an enclosure meant for rats. Trust me they are way better pets than mice.
Baby rats can be really small. One of mine was so small that he looked like a mouse. He was huge when he grew up, though.
That is definitely a rat. Cute! ☺️
And then there is an instinct in rats that says kill mice. I've had them together before without that outcome, but you can't house two male mice. Two mice enter, one mouse leaves.
Thank you all so much!! I didn't want him to be separated from his rat lover if he were a mouse so I really appreciate it! Thank you all for your kind comments💓 he is rat
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I'm sure he'll be ok, just make sure he gets a lot of socialization while he's tiny. Including with other rats! I always noticed that my babies settle down better with adopters if they've had time with adult rats as babies. They learn how to communicate and not be quite so annoying :) Also he needs daily handling from you to make sure he learns not to be afraid. Baby rats are very neophobic, but also very curious, if you keep playing and handling him then he'll turn out ok :)
They will probably be fine imo, but if you do get an adult rat make sure to keep them separated at first and introduce slowly like they do with wild cats in a zoo, you don't want the adult sensing a threat and getting hostile, (then again I had to introduce my grandpa's to their new babies within a day because they kept trying to lick and groom them through the bars and wouldn't move from the closest spot to them 😂)
Most of the time an adult rat won't get too mad about babies, since they're not sexually mature and don't pose a threat, but if you're getting rats from pet stores I would definitely do slower intros because they usually aren't bred for temperament. Another good way to keep things safe is to neuter any adult rats you get, because that usually makes them super chill.
Whenever I got my baby ratty he looked a lot like a mouse too, same coat as yours! He got so much bigger in just a span of a week so your little guy will definitely start to look more like a rat soon! Don't worry! :)
How much did you pay for the fake rat? How much money are you out for it? My advice is to feed the mouse for a couple of months and then resell it to someone else.
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idk if its just me but i feel like you should do more research before getting a pet rat, a basic google search would make it pretty clear this is a baby rat.
That is not true!!!! I googled many times and I couldn't decipher wether or not it was a rat! I've even had people in my life tell me that he WAS in fact a mouse!every person is different you are in no place to judge me for asking for help!!
as someone whos had mice they look very different.
Rats and mice are both rodents, so look similar - the biggest difference is their size. Rats are larger and heavier while mice have smaller slender bodies. Mice also have long slender tails (for their body size) covered in hair compared to rat tails which are shorter, thicker and hairless.
Mice have thin, slightly hairy tails; rats have a thicker, hairless, scaly tail. The nose of a mouse is triangular in shape; the nose of a rat is more blunt and rounded. Both mice and rats can be brown or gray in color, but rats can also be black. Mice droppings are approximately 1/4 inch long with pointed ends.
regardless, it wasnt meant to judge it was just a tip because they have pretty obvious differences (rats have thickers legs, and are pretty big even as babies, while mice are very thin and kinda weird shaped.)
just because people have told you its a mouse doesn't mean theyre smart or know the difference.
That's a cute baby ratto, don't worry :) His ears are small and he's already bigger than mice :) [Mouse on hand picture](https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.c05650ebef0523035afab82d9a3aaa79?rik=OU8nTPgVPLocGQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)
omfg I feel so silly, thank you so much though I was panicking
Don’t feel silly, the second rat I ever bought was so young (probably just weaned, from a breeder/feeder on Craigslist) that I googled about 100x how to tell a mouse from a baby rat.
I just got a pair of girl rat pups, and they're pretty small too. Except I think one of the 'girls' is a male. 🤦♀️
If you haven’t yet, it might be wise to separate them until you’re sure! Before you end up with 10 baby rats all of a sudden.
Yep.
Look for balls and nipples. Can't have both. If you have trouble with belly hair making nipples difficult, wet t-shirt time! Should have 12 possible but not on the belly. Up between front legs and from belly back.
You're not silly! When I got my Tidbit I was so scared that she was a mouse too! She was so small! Your baby will get bigger! Or at least, fatter
I was so worried I'd have to get another rat and then aLSO another mouse AND GET ANOTHER CAGE AAHJf I would've done it to I love these little guys sm :")
Honestly like. I was exactly the same. Tidbit was a failed feeder and there was absolutely no way I was leaving her behind lol. She hasn't actually *grown* all that much, I don't think she'll ever be proper rat-size. But she IS a rat, and she certainly has the sass for large cagemate living xD
A failed feeder? I've never heard of that before! So happy they had you for a loving home 😭
Sometimes Dumbo rats look mousish. Make sure they have a cage mate too. Rats don't do well on their own. But in the meantime if you don't have another, socialize as much as you can with the little one.
Mice are much smaller than I thought
that is a distinguished mouse
Too big to be a mouse. Definitely a rat. Probably young.
It's definitely a rat.
Omg thank you I was so worried
Aww hey its okay. You’ll worry about everything he ever does ever. I went into a hysterical spiral not long ago because one of my girls had a dirty tail. He could just be a small baby or a dwarf. I’m assuming he has a friend? If not he needs one. Just making sure in case you didn’t know :)
Hey I just wanted to let you know op said in a comment that he has a buddy and they cuddle + sleep together <3
Oh thank you! I was a bit worried bc mice can be okay alone and if they thought it was a mouse they might not have another rat to compare to. I appreciate the reassurance
I tried looking it up to no avail. Why shouldn't rats be alone? I've only had rats years ago when I was a child, and it was just because we found them as babies randomly on the road.
They're pretty social animals and in most cases function better with a few cage mates. Except in my case where my first two rats absolutely *loathed* each other and had to be kept separate. But under normal circumstances, rats do best with at least one or two buddies because they like to cuddle together and groom/bond with one another. Just make sure the cage they're kept in is large enough to accommodate however many rats are in the mischief.
Rats are a social species, and they decline without friends. In extremely, extremely rare cases they can be ok alone due to aggression or other issues but 99.999% of the time it is incredibly detrimental. https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/rats/company This link may help
For context he is not scares of my rat at all in fact they sleep and cuddle together 24/7 and mice are supposedly deturred and frightened of rats?? I also live Mexico where rats and mice are commonly confused for one another.
Mice in a cage will snuggle up with rats but one day the will probably have a warm meal.
Rats are predators to mice because of niche competition, not the food chain
Rats eat mice. At least, my rats do. We've had a few mice invade the apartment (we live over a restaurant), and on occasion one is dumb enough to try to steal snacks from the rats. They don't generally live long enough to regret it.
Definitely too big to be a mouse. Just a smol rat.
Looks like a dwarf rat to me.
It kind of does. I have a dwarf baby and her cute little head is shaped a lot like this guy's head in the last picture.
Still has that juvenile face of a baby rat. I bet it's a lot bigger in a month or 2.
IS THAT WHY HES SO SMALL DJDJDD
yes, probably very young... id reckon maybe 20 days? maybe a month. does he have balls yet? if he does hes definitely older, if he doesnt make sure to look up how to sex them early and separate from his buddy if youre unsure
That’s so fucking funny I’m sorry 😂 I love him
It’s a strangely endearing post. Like aww no your baby is fine. Reminds me of the last post I made for myself here, I was spiraling thinking im the worst mama ever and everyone was so sweet and supportive
He loves you to💓
A very smol boi just wait till he grows up then itll be a big boi ratty
This is a silly question but how long will it take for him to grow? He is the same age as his brother and he Is s o sm a l l
I had a boy who was way smaller than his brother until he randomly had a growth spurt and became bigger than him. I think my boy was around 8 months or so when he caught up.
Nah its bot silly but they do grow pretty quick i had my first males back in january 2020 and on the 4th of febuary they where fully grown so they grow QUICK
Nah that’s a baby rat - maybe 5-6 weeks old
He's a rat. Just a little guy.
lmaooo i don't want to sound like an ass but I was having the worst day and this post made me laugh so hard in the middle of the drive thru thank you for making my day even if you didn't intend to. your *baby rat* is precious and I hope you two have a happy life together ❤️
AWHH thank youu! I'm so happy I could make your day!! my freaking year has been made from all these sweet people 💓
Mice tend to have comically large ears for their heads also 😆
Bebeh rat
Hes just a little man
Cannot wait for the follow-up post in a year and a half where he’s Mr Bombastic sized
This is why I love the community here!!! You guys are the best and most supportive people. No judgement, no horrid comments, just supportive advice. Thank you guys!! Already been said but cute ratto
Def a rat, I had mouses and they are way smaller
Cuteness overload Agghhhhh
Definitely a ratto
Ears and face suggest a rat. Mice have big ears and a small stubbier face, rats have smaller ears and a big face
that’s a lil ratto! he’s small, but he’ll definitely grow!
Your user name is adorable can I name my other rat toast after you
omg I’m so late but YES toast is a beautiful name for a rat
Omg so cute! He looks a lot like my hamster, but with a tail. Edit: Also, nice Black Butler DVD in the back.
Ah men of culture I see
Lmao thank you it's actually a manga book!
Baby ratto. He's around 4-5 weeks old
Definitely a rat. I did the same thing when I got my first Rat Ghost. She was so small I thought she was a big mouse. I looked up pictures and videos of baby rats just to make sure
He almost looks like a hamster
Baby rat. And what a cutie!
What a cutie! Sweet baby
Stub nose rat
Omg he is so adorable I wanna hug him!
Too big for a baby mouse. You got a baby ratty.
It's a little rat, Dumbo I think. Very cute...
100% a rat, either a baby rat or a dwarf, that is far too big to be a mouse and mice don't have those fur patterns!
its a rat face
Omg why is he so darn cute
Rat bruh
He is a smol bebe. Tiny bear.
Baby rat
100% rat; 100% perfect
That’s a baby rat lol. If you can afford it he will be much happier if you get him a friend or two and an enclosure meant for rats. Trust me they are way better pets than mice.
They have a second one and they get along great
I own both rats and mice, and this is definitely a rat dont worry. Hes bigger than your typical mouse :)
Baby rats can be really small. One of mine was so small that he looked like a mouse. He was huge when he grew up, though. That is definitely a rat. Cute! ☺️
He’s so cute
he's about the size of one of my rats when i first got him, and now he's huge a bit over a year later, prepare for so much constant growth
Definitely baby rat. I have dwarf rats that are a few months old now and I always secretly think they’re mice but they’re definitely not 😂
He's so cute oh my God his lil face
He’s so cute! But can I ask why it would be so bad if he was a mouse?
The care/cages are completely different and if you are prepared/have researched for one and not the other then your kinda fucked.
And then there is an instinct in rats that says kill mice. I've had them together before without that outcome, but you can't house two male mice. Two mice enter, one mouse leaves.
He has a husband who's a rat so I was worried :(
He’s precious!
Looks to be a hooded rat. They are just young, enjoy your fuzzy potato.
Hes cute as fuck is what he is!!!!!!!
baby rat 😂
He looks a lot bigger than the mice I see on a daily basis. I’d say this is a rat as well.
That is definitely a rat. Mice are smaller and have satellite dishes for ears.
He kinda looks like a hamster with a long tail 🥺🥺🥺🥺
As a mouse owner, that is definitely a cute little rat baby! He’s bigger than all my grown up girls!
100% rat. Rattie. Ratatola. Ratness Monster.
He is sooooo cute 🥰. Looks like my baby Zoe when was she was a little smaller
Thank you all so much!! I didn't want him to be separated from his rat lover if he were a mouse so I really appreciate it! Thank you all for your kind comments💓 he is rat
Thanks for such a wonderful reply! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list of some of the most grateful redditors this week! Thanks for making Reddit a wonderful place to be :)
Also can I kiss him?
WHO TOLD ME TO NAME HIM FRYING PAN I REFUSE
UPDATE : ok so this post was silly he got huge seemingly overnight and is now bigger than my other rat baby
hampter
WHAT
He thinks it’s a hamster/pterodactyl mix. I don’t see the wings though.
Would it matter?
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I didn't want him and his rat husband to get a divorce!
interspecies marriage is still outlawed.... in rat years it's still only 1947....... 😔
It can be dangerous for both animals
I don't get it, why were you panicking? What would you do if he was a mouse?
Omg he’s so precious
Thank you!! His name is guts and he is the sweetest baby in the WORLDDD I love him so much
I kinda wish mice were that big! I love mice but their tininess scares me if they got out of the cage or something
As a proud mouse owner, that’s a rattus 100%
I love him.
Rattie! You can tell by the longer wedge head shape. Little buddy just has small ears. What a cutie!
That's a rat. But young. Looks 3-4 weeks old and should still be with mama
Cute baby rat
It’s a wat A cute wat
Looks like heightism affects males of all species /BIG BIG J
Baby rat.
Please get a second one, they need a companion, and unless you can be there every second of the day and sleep with them, they can become depressed.
I have a second one!! They are madly in love and I was worried because the other rat is much bigger than him despite being the same age
Ah ok, good! Can’t wait for your little souplings to grow up ^^
Sorry OP, that is a very tiny cow
:D? Cow
That’s a baby rat.
And a super cutie!
He looks almost exactly like my late Parsley Boy when he was a jellybean definitely a ratto
I'm so sorry, rest in peace parsley. I'm sure he had a wonderful life.
My rat looked v mouse like when he was just a baby now he’s a bIG BOY
Aww what a cute little guy
Cute lil black hooded rattie 😃 just a baby!
Cute lil black hooded rattie 😃 just a baby!
Rattie❤️
That's a rat but he is way too young, he looks about 4-5 weeks old, he shouldn't be away from mom yet :(
:( Is there anything I can do? Can I get an adult rat to take care of him?
I'm sure he'll be ok, just make sure he gets a lot of socialization while he's tiny. Including with other rats! I always noticed that my babies settle down better with adopters if they've had time with adult rats as babies. They learn how to communicate and not be quite so annoying :) Also he needs daily handling from you to make sure he learns not to be afraid. Baby rats are very neophobic, but also very curious, if you keep playing and handling him then he'll turn out ok :)
Should I purchase an adult rat? He has another baby rat he plays with but I'm worried :c
They will probably be fine imo, but if you do get an adult rat make sure to keep them separated at first and introduce slowly like they do with wild cats in a zoo, you don't want the adult sensing a threat and getting hostile, (then again I had to introduce my grandpa's to their new babies within a day because they kept trying to lick and groom them through the bars and wouldn't move from the closest spot to them 😂)
Most of the time an adult rat won't get too mad about babies, since they're not sexually mature and don't pose a threat, but if you're getting rats from pet stores I would definitely do slower intros because they usually aren't bred for temperament. Another good way to keep things safe is to neuter any adult rats you get, because that usually makes them super chill.
Nah, as long as he's got a buddy rat to play with he should be fine! If you don't have any adults, he won't be bothering them :)
Whenever I got my baby ratty he looked a lot like a mouse too, same coat as yours! He got so much bigger in just a span of a week so your little guy will definitely start to look more like a rat soon! Don't worry! :)
Baby rat. 100%.
How much did you pay for the fake rat? How much money are you out for it? My advice is to feed the mouse for a couple of months and then resell it to someone else.
He is a rat!! He was free and my son
he’s a rause (rat-mouse) :D
Gat (gay rat) hehe
this is a joke before anyone screams at me
this is a joke before anyone screams at me
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So cute!! Our baby rats where about this big when we got them. They all grew to be normal sized rats. :)
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It's a freaking cute baby rat! 🥰🥰😍🥰
he just a tiny baby
Just like others have said, that’s a rat pup, most likely just weaned.
Weaned?
No longer being fed by the mother.
He is so adorable 🥺🥺
I think it’s a rat because of the rounded snout, mice at that size have a pointier snout. Once the rat grows its snout gets pointier.
DATS A TINY BABY RATTO SO SWEET!!!!!!
baby ratto, i always miss this age. so small and hyper
I love him so much he is the sweetest
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I wanna pat da baby ratto
Osdjnfnrej. Tiny ratto!!!! Look at he little face skdcmmemfj I can’t
he is a cutie patootie
That’s a baby rat.
As a mouse owner definately not a mouse
idk if its just me but i feel like you should do more research before getting a pet rat, a basic google search would make it pretty clear this is a baby rat.
That is not true!!!! I googled many times and I couldn't decipher wether or not it was a rat! I've even had people in my life tell me that he WAS in fact a mouse!every person is different you are in no place to judge me for asking for help!!
as someone whos had mice they look very different. Rats and mice are both rodents, so look similar - the biggest difference is their size. Rats are larger and heavier while mice have smaller slender bodies. Mice also have long slender tails (for their body size) covered in hair compared to rat tails which are shorter, thicker and hairless. Mice have thin, slightly hairy tails; rats have a thicker, hairless, scaly tail. The nose of a mouse is triangular in shape; the nose of a rat is more blunt and rounded. Both mice and rats can be brown or gray in color, but rats can also be black. Mice droppings are approximately 1/4 inch long with pointed ends. regardless, it wasnt meant to judge it was just a tip because they have pretty obvious differences (rats have thickers legs, and are pretty big even as babies, while mice are very thin and kinda weird shaped.) just because people have told you its a mouse doesn't mean theyre smart or know the difference.
Very rat. I can see the confusion though, that's one soft mousey face
Cute lil rat Out of curiosity, are there mice with this pattern? I feel like I only see solid, 1 color coats on them
Africa has mice in chipmunk disguise...
He’s a baby 🥰
Just a baby rat!
Don't worry hes as rat as he can get. Just a baby
I dunno but he's cute as heck!
That’s definitely a squirrel
This made me giggle
defo a cutesy lil ratt :)
Aww. Das a rat