# New baby rat pregnant?



## brooklyn&cornflake (Mar 28, 2017)

I've had my two rats for just over a week and today I confirmed through loads of research on sexing that _my rat Cornflake is actually a boy_.. this news scares me because it now makes a lot of sense why my other rat Rosie (female) has been behaving strangely. She is a lot bigger all of a sudden (her and Cornflake were the same size when we got them, but now Rosie is noticeably bigger), was moving at a strangely slow pace for a while yesterday and has been stashing away a lot of the food I put out for her (she usually stashes food but today she's been stuffing her face absolutely full and taking it to her little house). 

_Now that I know Cornflake is a boy I'm scared that Rosie is pregnant_. I absolutely 10000% can not care for babies if she has them. These are my first rats I've ever had and a litter of tender fragile little pink jellybeans would be just too much for me to handle. There is no question whatsoever that I will be keeping Cornflake and Rosie forever, they are my babies. No matter what happens with this suspected pregnancy I will NOT be giving either one up for any reason. 

I don't know what to do because we've only had them for about a week and already things are going badly wrong. If Rosie is pregnant, would a vet take care of her during labor and for as long as the babies need her? To me it feels so cruel to separate babies from a mother but that would be the situation if she was pregnant..   
It makes me very upset and emotional to think that she could be pregnant and she would have to be cared for by someone else for a while, and that she may be put under a lot of stress. I just want her to be healthy and happy, but now this is really complicating things. 
_As I said, these are my first rats and I am absolutely clueless as to how to handle this situation. _

Thanks in advance for any advice .


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## Rattielover965 (Apr 26, 2016)

Take the girl to the vet and end the pregnancy, and make a bin cage.


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## Asiposea (Dec 16, 2016)

This is an unfortunate situation. First off, if you're sure of the sexes of the rats, you will need to separate them now. You might want to post a picture of them here if you need a second opinion?

I think the estimate is that these rats are about 8 or 9 weeks old? If this is the case, it will be very risky and have a negative impact on the female's health to deliver. One option would be to end the pregnancy, but I'm not sure what the timing would be with this and if it is too late for this- you will have to consult a vet. Also, some vets may refuse to do this. Because you said she is stashing/nesting, and showing a greater size, she may be due at any minute. 

If she delivers, this is typically not something that a vet would handle unless there are complications. Separating the babies from her when she delivers is NOT an option (unless she is not caring for them). You are right to say that this is cruel. The pups will need mom for their own health and it is very difficult for somebody to care for new pups. I know this sounds like a huge endeavor, but with some research and preparation you may feel more comfortable going through this process. If, as you've stated, you absolutely don't want to deal with pups, I would try to find a rescue or a person who will take care of her temporarily instead of separating her from her babies.

If you decide to care for her through delivery, know that she can have anywhere between 1-22 pups. They will need to stay with her for at least 4 weeks (preferably 5). At that point, males and females will have to be separated.

Here's some info on this sticky:

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?39482-Information-for-accidental-litters.


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

Were they being kept together in the same cage at the pet store? 

She may not be pregnant. Hoarding food is normal rat behavior and not a sign of pregnancy. Rats usually only show in the last week of their pregnancy, but many rats put on weight when you first bring them home. Can you post pics of her belly? Hold food over her head to make her stand up for the best shot.

You can take her to the vet to have her spayed and/or end the pregnancy. Talk to your vet. You can euthanize the litter when they are born, humanely (PM me for more info). 

I doubt a vet would take them in for that long, and if so they would probably charge a boarding fee. You could try to find a rescue or a breeder who might be willing to.


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## brooklyn&cornflake (Mar 28, 2017)

Sadly we had to return Cornflake today and it absolutely broke my heart (meaning completely bawling for half an hour..), but I got another female rat the same age to keep Rosie company. Her and Rosie are the exact same size so I'm thinking maybe her size is just normal and I was just being really paranoid. 
Thank you all very much for your replies <3


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