# How horrible...



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

I google image searched yesterday for a picture pf pregnant rats as I am almost certain my baby girls are pregnant :'( (it's two weeks since I got them from their mixed sex tank at the store) - their bellies are fat and hard at the bottom and very different from the boy rat (who was sold to me as a girl, but who developed testicles just days later and had to be seperated)...

Anyhow, one of the images revealed made me feel so sick - a dissection photo of a pregnant female rat. It seemed so cruel - breed the animal, who looked like beautiful girl, then just before she's due to deliver, dissect her, killing her and the babies? How cruel! I just can't see why it is necessary. I am not totally against animal testing, but surely if it was for a vet or something they could have operated on a rat they were trying to save, rather than needlessly murdering one? It made me so sad...

I'm finding this whole rat owning thing rather more stressful than I expected - I never even considered the potential for my 3 ratties to turn into possibly 20 within just a few weeks, or that one 'girl' would need neutering or keeping seperate. I rang different vets for cost of neuter, and was shocked to be quoted by only one place - $50 consultation fee + $201.03 for the neuter, plus whatever meds.... that seems an outrageously large sum. At the moment I have decided that if the girls do give birth, which is looking very likely, then I will keep a couple of the males to live with Sasha. Who now needs a new name... good grief, this ratty business is mad! The crittur nation cage is enormous, but I still feel badly that I will have to split it in two because of the sexes...


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## SpinningLoafers (May 7, 2009)

That is horrible, but are you sure they killed her right before she was to deliver? How do you know the female didnt die naturally during the pregnancy? Its disturbing either way, but im just not sure if she was specifically killed for this purpose or if she may have died already.

Im sorry to hear about your girls possible pregnancys. Im dealing with the same thing right now, my girl Juno is due any day now, Bella has yet to show signs of it, but im watching her closely. Junos symptoms didnt show up until just a couple days ago. Its why i never had girls, all boys, until Juno was mistaken as a boy, and now i have two beautiful girls, one of them being very very pregnant. It will work out in the end, we will find a way.

And i know what u mean about rat owning being a bit stressful. I just spent $700 on my rat Charlie, (more than ive spent on our dogs)for xrays, overnight hospital stays, and meds. Never ever thought id spend that much on a rat, or that a rat would ever even cost that much to stay alive. But i loved my babies, and ive realized after that, that i would do anything for them. They are worth it.


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