# Worried about my girls...



## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

For a little background...

I got them about twenty days ago from a breeder. The same one I got Casper from. I've been to her home several times and everything seemed pristine, the sexes were separated and all that jazz. When I got them they were six weeks old [Maxine] and five weeks old [Lustra], approximately. 

Over the past couple of days I've been noticing their tummies growing seemingly over night! I wouldn't have any clue the difference between fat and pregnant, so I was thinking I'd get a second opinion...

I'm starting to feel like I'm failing at rat ownership, with the deaths and illnesses and now possible pregnancies... I love them so much but I can't help but feel it's my fault....
If the girls are pregnant, I may take them to an emergency vet. They're both so tiny and young, I don't know if they would live through it without assistance...
I'm also going to give the breeder an earful if this is the case. It's such a careless thing to let little girls get pregnant... argh! I'm rambling, I'm sure you want to see the photos...
Particularly, Lustra looks rather large to me. Max, could very possibly just be chunky but Lustra... I'm not holding my breath.
It was also difficult to get a good shot of Max as she's a wiggler. I just took these a minute ago with my cell phone.

This was the best one I could get of Maxine...









And here's Lucy, got two good ones of her...

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Should I go ahead and separate them just in case? I still have their old cage [a bird cage] an aquarium from old fish we used to keep, the old qt cage, and the boy's old cage. Which would be best? Gah. Any and all information is appreciated!


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## elizabethrae. (Dec 24, 2008)

Is it possible to get a scale and weigh them?

Maxine doesn't look prego to me but Lucy is a possibility.. 

I would leave them together for the time being and watch the nipples for any definition.


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## flying.spaghetti.monster (Aug 4, 2009)

I know how worrying it is waiting to find out - I have one week left before I'll know if mine are going to have babies and it is nerve-wracking! I have stared at their tummies so much I don't know anymore! Here's an example of how easily they fool me though:-

Because one of the girls turned into a boy, I had to split my crittur nation. As the girls are less tame, and possibly pregnant, I haven't want to risk letting them have outside playtime yet, so when Sasha, the boy, is out I let the girls have access to his section too, for some extra room. This happens several times a day, whenever my daughter wants to get Sasha out for a bit. 

Anyhow, yesterday evening I noticed the little grey girl, Aurora, asleep in the front of the cage. I opened the door and carefully scooped her out to look at her, expecting her to wriggle to get free. She was so good, and I held her under her front legs and supported her butt in my hands. Her tummy was enormous! I turned to my husband and said 'Look! She looks like she's swallowed an orange! She MUST be pregnant!' He just looked at the rat, then at me for a long, long moment. So I looked at the rat again, over the fat tummy, down, down... to the enormous balls below! Argh! It was Sasha I was holding, after he'd just guzzled a huge share of the roast chicken dinner we had. The cheeky git was just bloated, and the girls were still asleep in their own section. 

So now I have no idea what to think - every time I think one looks really fat, I think of Sasha and how he looked after a feast...


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

I've been looking for a scale since yesterday, empty handed so far. 

I feel so confused too... Because Cas is a fatty fat, but his fat is distributed all over his body [even making his head look strange and wide] but the girls' seems to be concentrated on their bellies. I'm really panicking in case you can't tell.


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## ChloeLouise (Apr 5, 2009)

If you are REALLY worried, I don't see the problem with separating them for 5 days or so, and if she doesn't give birth after that, you're in the clear. Its not a huge amount of time for them to spend apart. I am honestly going to say I think this an unlikely pregnancy. Rats give birth at around 22 days and neither of them look ready to pop... but you never know, some people say they never see it coming.


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## Corpseflower (Jun 12, 2009)

Well after seeing some preggo belly pics on GooseMoose, I'm pretty sure they're good. Buuuut, if any thing happens I'm going to be coming for help, of course!


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## teresaisaacs (Jul 31, 2009)

fingers crossed that they arent xxx


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