I saved 6 of my newborn rats from near death.

My mother rat got off the babies for too long yesterday. I went into my room to change the cages & noticed that all the babies were blue!

I quickly opened the cage & grabbed them.. they were ice cold!! They were hardly moving, taking deep breaths only & not squeeking. I held all 5 in my left hand & took the 6th in my right... held then against my body as my body is warmer then my hand.. I started to warm up the 6th with my hand & breath... I then rubbed it with my thumb to incourage it to keep breathing & to incourage all other organs to keep working.

He started squeeking, squriming & pee'ed on me (ewww).. then the squeeking started WOOHOO!... I made a nest in a container & put him in that & covered him. I then repeated with all the others... it was the last one I thought I was going to loose.. it wasn't doing anything.. it was a darker blue then the others & motionless 100%... I left him for last, as the others had a greater chance so I tended to them first... I used my breath to warm him & I rubbed him the whole time.. I gently rolled him on my hand to help stimulate his brething & heart beat more... then I got a BIG breath & a twitch!! He took a while to get him to turn pink again, but hes ok now...

I turned the heat up in my room & the momma was nursing them right away (after I cleaned her & Quinn's cage)... I checked on them this morning & I could hear them squeeking & she was still nursing them.

I don't think I lost any, but I'm so lucky I decided to clean their cage when I did, because I think a few more mins & I would have lost them.