# Signs of pregnancy?



## Biku (Mar 12, 2014)

I have reason to believe my rat may be pregnant. Her belly is getting kind of big, but I think it might be because I started giving hrt more food. She's also been kind of bipolar the last few days, like she's really sleepy until I go to pet her, then she has endless energy. She's also started making her own nest. I gave her a box with some cloth in it and she took the cloth out to make a nest under her waterbottle then tore the box apart.Could these be signs that she's expecting? And are there any other signs I should look for?


----------



## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

Are her nipples very noticable they will groom there hair off from around there nipples when they are expecting. A picture of her underside will help too. Has she had any contact with males at all, how long have you had her for, and how old is she?


----------



## Willieboo (Oct 22, 2012)

^ Seconding thenightgoddess - pictures are the best way for us to tell, preferably of your rat from the side & being stood up. Basically what I've heard it that if you know your rat has been exposed to a male for even a few minutes, it is very likely that she may be pregnant (even if it's exposure to a male between the bars). But if you've just gotten her from the pet store and think she may have been accidentally exposed before you got her, things to look out for are the nipples and occasionally moodiness, and of course the bulging of the tum (on the sides especially), but sometimes the bulging only starts to show a short time before they give birth.


----------



## Biku (Mar 12, 2014)

Her nipples aren't very prominent that I've noticed. I can't get any pictures right noe because my only camera is my phone and it's not very good. She has had contact with my male, Crackers, while we were moving cages a few weeks ago. Her stomach doesn't appear to be very bulged, just bigger than normal.


----------



## thenightgoddess (Apr 2, 2014)

Well they only take 21 days to have there babies but they don't normally show until they are close to giving birth.


----------



## Biku (Mar 12, 2014)

I noticed it about a week and a half ago, so I guess I'll find out for sure soon enough. I just checked her and it is starting to look like her nipples are getting more prominent now. I also noticed her making a strange chirping noise and her stomach looked like it was convulsing. Could this be another sign?


----------



## Biku (Mar 12, 2014)

I was just looking at her. Her nipples do look more pronounced right now and, as odd as this sounds, her vagina seems very open right now. Not sure how else to describe that.


----------



## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

She could be in heat.


----------



## Hey-Fay (Jul 8, 2013)

I'm pretty sure that they can't breed through the bars of a 1/2 spacing.


----------

