# Amira's Pregnancy Diary



## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

Meet Amira. Rescued from a feeder bin six days ago, I'm suspecting my little angel is pregnant. For those of you who read my introduction thread, you know I went into the store with no intentions of coming home with a rat. I came home with the lone female. 

She's right now living in a 50 gallon tank while I await the arrival of her cage, though she's probably will be staying in the tank while I await pups just to be safe. 

Two days ago I noticed she was getting the belly bulge. I bred Syrian hamsters for years, and frequently take in pregnant mice, so I know that look. And today she got more of the bulge. So I'm about 95% sure she's pregnant. 

So I've been treating her like I would a pregnant mouse. Scrambled eggs or yogurt daily, milk bones to chew on, a bit of dog food added to her food for protein. A box full of paper towels for a nest. 

Of course Amira has her own opinions on this. She's dragged all the paper towels out of the nest box and into the corner of the tank. Under her water bottle of course. 

I have a few questions of course since this is not only my first rat but a pregnant one. 

Nest Box: What size should the nest box be? Does it need a top? I usually use an open topped box with a towel covering half the tank for privacy. Is that okay with a rat?

Nest: She is building it under the water bottle. I've moved the water bottle because of occasional drips, but is there anything I can do to encourage her to use the box?

Food: Any protein rich foods that she should be eating?

Basically anything you guys can think off?

Here are some pics of her from today. I'd love it if you guys said I was just paranoid and she's not preggers.


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## Binky (Nov 15, 2014)

I seem to be post following you lol, as I commented on your introduction thread. But in the first picture she does seem to have a very round and firm belly, which is what my females have looked like when pregnant. If you really want her to use the box, try cutting an arch into it and flipping it over so that way she has privacy and will make her nest in there. My females have all made their nests inside some sort of hide-away. Other than that, you seem to be well off in knowing what to feed her!


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## ratbasket (Apr 26, 2014)

Hard-boiled egg is good for protein. Also some people just put the towel over the tank and don't use a nest box so that they can keep an eye on how things are going with the babies. She is very cute


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

First off she does look pregnant, based on my typical pregnant rat she's probably around 2 weeks ish, but its harder to tell as it can vary with litter size and age of the rat. They typically birth from day 22-24, after about a month you'll be in the clear. Shortly before birth she will look like shes swallowed on orange, start to become more reserved in the cage and her belly will drop a bit lower (she'll look more pear shaped the morning she's giving birth vs the higher bulge shes got now).

Nest Box: I don't use nesting boxes for rats, generally speaking unless its very cold its not a good idea, kittens tend to be more badly affected by overheating in nexting boxes, whereas a proper nest can be opened up and moved around to better regulate heat. In colder weather or for a mum whose not settling I might put a towel over half the cage, but mostly its open and I let them decide how much to cover the nest. I've had one build a full tunnel system to a covered cave of a nest at one extreme and another have an entirely open shallow dip at most (most of mine build volcanos)

Nest: let her pick where she feels the nest is safe to be, get rid of the box and just give her lots of safe nesting material to play with. I bed my pregnant ladies on shredded card and offer lots of different beddings like kitchen roll strips, safe bed (a kind of tissue/paper bedding), shredded j cloth and I also through in a couple things they can use as structure like toilet roll tubes and the odd willow twig.

Food: The main thing with this at this stage is not to over feed, you don't want her getting fat as well as pregnant. A fat rat is more likely to have birthing difficulties. I don't feed my pregnant girls any more than they would normally eat, I just increase the richness of it by removing some normal food and adding extra higher protein foods. If your girl is young and growing then she will be needing extra high protein food anyway. A good rule of thumb is replace 25% of there normal food with high protein food, be that a high quality dog kibble or wet meals like scrambled egg etc. Pregnant girls often have the appetite limiting switch well and truelly switched off, so if you offer them too much they will eat it, then you'll wonder why your girl gained over 100g and you only got 3 babies say (average baby weight at birth is around 5-7g for reference). If your struggling with the amount a good rule of thumb is 15g dry mix a day, so for a pregnant girl you might knock that down to 10g and offer a small wet meal (say a heaped teaspoon full of scrambled egg).

Longer term I don't change this for the first week after birth unless they've got a massive litter, and even then they don't get much extra. Once the babies are about a week old I offer mum more regular extra food, though if the litter size is small (e.g. my current trio) then she will barely need any more, at the other end a large litter (say 12) means she will need daily extras and as the kittens grow you will literally be throwing food down a black hole of ravenous fiends.

Generally most high protein foods are fine, some rats will take a dislike to certain types (one of mine wont touch fish dog kibble for example), you can also look into getting a higher protein regular diet, I mix my own but oxbow do a young rat diet that's not bad for pregnant rats. You want about 20-25% protein as a rule, and can top up with higher protein bits and bobs. Fedding regular things like kale and bones can also help meet the increased vitamins and mineral requirements


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

Thank you so much for the info! The food amount is great and the idea on her size change. Thanks so so much. 

I got a few belly shots today


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

She's definitely getting closer, I'd be thinking you'll see some little ones within the next 3-5 days, fingers crossed


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

She's in labor! Just got home and peeked in and she was lying on her back. Went to take a shower and came back and we have a pup with dark eyes. Looking at the size of this pup I doubt she's carrying more then three. I'll keep you guys updated. I hooked up a webcam so I can keep an eye out without pestering her.


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## MyrtlesMom (Oct 7, 2014)

Gah so exciting! Keep us updated!


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

Up to two! Bit worried about this one. Its about 3/4ths the size of the first born and not a wiggly but it appears to be nursing, so fingers crossed.


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## Binky (Nov 15, 2014)

How exciting. Don't worry too much just yet, the little pinky may just be the runt


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

We have either 7 or 8 pups. Its hard to count them they move so much! I already see milk bands. I put a box upside down and cut a 'window' up against the glass so I could peek in and I snagged a few pics. Amira is very chill about the whole thing. 

Runty is a bit worrying. Its face looks...odd. The best way I can describe it is a pug nose. Like the snout is smushed in. Amira had it pushed out of the nest, so I put it back in, and its nursing. Anyone else had this? I don't want to stress Amira to much with pics, but I'll take pics tomorrow when I do a count and an initial sexing. 

Of course what thread is complete without pics? 


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## Binky (Nov 15, 2014)

Yay! They are adorable.


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## MyrtlesMom (Oct 7, 2014)

Awwwww congratulations. I can't wait for more pictures of the little peanuts.


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## mis.kay (May 29, 2015)

She looks like a very attentive mother. =) Glad you were there with her during the process. And we love lots of pictures! xD


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Don't be surprised if the runt gets booted out again. You can get lucky and accept the baby but sometimes they sense something wrong and will consistently kick them out until they pass. Don't beat yourself up if it does happen as its nature but hopefully it was a one off thing


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

So we have 8 pups. It was 9 but the runt didn't make it. Looking at it appeared to be deformed the head was just wrong. But the rest off the pups have milk bands and look fine. I'm a bit rusty on sexing this young but I think 3 girls and 5 boys.


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## mis.kay (May 29, 2015)

They are looking wonderful! Do you have any plans for their future just yet?


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

One or two does are staying with me since Amira was the only female when I got her. The rest are up for adoption. I have a tentative home on two bucks, but unless the person gets a better cage, its a no. Her current cage is to small. 

If anyone is near Citrus County Florida is looking for pups, let me know!


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## mis.kay (May 29, 2015)

That's really awesome that you are looking deep into their future homes. =) I hope everything works out as its planned!


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

Amira just about killed me with cute a bit ago. I was refilling her food dish and she came out of the nest to investigate, accidentally taking a pup with her. She picked it up and brought it to me to hold, while she grabbed a bit of food, then came and took her pup back. This rat has been with me 9 days and the amount of trust. Just wow. 

Night check on the pups. We are still at 8 but we have a very tiny pup that I'm keeping a close eye on. Amira chilled on my shoulder while I took some pics and did another sexing. 

I'm going back and forth on one pup if he's male or female, but I feel pretty confident with 4 and 4. If not 5 males and 3 girls 

Girls: You can see the runt. She's the one who has her head on her sister. 








Boys:








Amira:


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## Binky (Nov 15, 2014)

How lucky are they that they ended up in the right hands! Best of luck with them all and of course their future homes. You will fall in love with all of them no matter how hard you try, especially when they get some fuzz


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

Everyone is doing good! And we are getting the start of markings! I'm getting a real soft spot for the runt, she's in the bottom left corner in this pic. If everything goes okay with her, she's staying. 

Anyone wanna guess on colors?


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## Rain Shadow (Dec 14, 2015)

Not much has been happening pup wise. Their marking seem to have come in and I'm 100% sure on sexes now. Even 4 to 4. The little runt is a girl that I've nicknamed Ivy. She's staying with me for sure. 

Here they are at 6 days old. 

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## mis.kay (May 29, 2015)

Ooooh!!! They have markings! That's cool you've picked one to stay. I wouldn't have been able to resist either. ^^


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## MyrtlesMom (Oct 7, 2014)

So cute. Can't wait to see more of these little ones


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