# Is Tiny Pregnant?



## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

As some of you know, a little over a week ago my friend had an emergency dropped her three supposedly female mice off with me to babysit until she got back. One day, about a week and a half ago, I heard squealing, went to check on them, and saw Teeny mounting Tiny. I pulled Teeny out and inspected her and discovered that she was actually a he. They'd been living together, along with the other female, Stubby, for about a week. I was told they were newly weaned so I'm hoping that I separated them in time, but I've noticed some changes in Tiny and I'm looking for some reassurance. Teeny has gone home with his owner, but she pretty much said that if I didn't keep the girls until I was sure they weren't pregnant she was going to give them back to their breeder to be used as feeders or breeder, so the short term plan is to keep the gals here until the danger has passed or their litters are weaned, then return them to my friend (which I now sort of have reservations about, but they're her pets so it's her call). Anyway, Tiny has been unusually affectionate the past week or so and her shape is different from Stubby's. 
Here's a pic of her being camera shy, then a pic from the front, side, and back. What do you think? It's been a week and a half since the incident I witnessed, but close to three weeks since they went home with my friend in the first place.


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## 3 ratties (Apr 6, 2013)

That tummy looks pretty round! I would say she looks pregnant..


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

OK,
I'm going by how she looks in the pictures....

First picture...Can't tell.

Second picture... Looks normal.

Third picture... Looks round.

Fourth picture...Looks slender toward the top and normal in the belly.

To me,
She doesn't look pregnant. Mice in general are more "round" than a rat. She looks like a normal healthy mouse.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Ok, I hope you're right! I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Stubby still looks all petite and little so I'm not worried about her. I'll just keep an eye on Tiny for the next week and hope she stays lovely and healthy and nothing else.


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Yeh really hard to say as every mouse I have owned has been tubby & round! If shes rounder than the other female that maybe a bit suspicious towards pregnancy. Shes really cute by the way!


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## Roxy the Rat (Apr 7, 2013)

I disagree. Personally, I think it looks like she's pregnant. It's hard to say without know how big she was before, but honestly it does look like she's beginning to show. And yes, a lot of mice get very round when they're pregnant but others might only be "moderately round", I guess you could say. Based on the shape of her stomach both by itself and in comparison to the rest of her, I'd have to say that the chances are fairly high. Of course it's nearly impossible to say and pictures can be misleading, so for now at least only time will tell. I hope that she's not though! It's good to see that you took them in (for now at least) to avoid having them being sent away as feeders or breeders. A lot of people wouldn't do that, so props to you.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Eden10 said:


> Yeh really hard to say as every mouse I have owned has been tubby & round! If shes rounder than the other female that maybe a bit suspicious towards pregnancy. Shes really cute by the way!


Yeah, I've noticed the males tend to get super tubby! When my two boys were babies they were thin and long, then as they started to grow they looking like tiny adorable balls with faces (but they aren't fat--it's just their build). Teeny (the male that we thought was a female) started to look like that, too, which is why, when I discovered his parts, I wasn't really that shocked. Both Tiny and Stubby had stayed pretty petite, though, so I wondered if females had different builds. I hope not... it'd be great if Tiny was just growing into her mousiness. She is super cute--these pictures are terrible and don't do her justice at all. I'll try to get some of her and Stubby later because they're total dolls.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Roxy the Rat said:


> I disagree. Personally, I think it looks like she's pregnant. It's hard to say without know how big she was before, but honestly it does look like she's beginning to show. And yes, a lot of mice get very round when they're pregnant but others might only be "moderately round", I guess you could say. Based on the shape of her stomach both by itself and in comparison to the rest of her, I'd have to say that the chances are fairly high. Of course it's nearly impossible to say and pictures can be misleading, so for now at least only time will tell. I hope that she's not though! It's good to see that you took them in (for now at least) to avoid having them being sent away as feeders or breeders. A lot of people wouldn't do that, so props to you.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Ok, I will definitely be vigilant. I've already done some research on pregnancy/birth/weaning in mice and I believe you gave me some advice on my other thread about when it's ok to handle babies, etc. I think finding them homes might be difficult as they'd probably be PEWs, and around here PEW mice are pretty universally viewed as feeders, but I'll do what I can. I just hope I don't end up with a whole ton of mice, because I do love them but they also smell and I think it's much easier to connect with them in small groups.


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

In your other thread, you mentioned that the mice were 4 to 5 weeks old when your friend got them. Then a week later you were babysitting them. It's "unlikely" that a female mouse will get pregnant at 5 to 6 weeks old. It can happen, but 99% of the time it doesn't. So, if the age is accurate and they were only 5 to 6 weeks old, then Tiny shouldn't be pregnant. 

So, unless you're in that unlucky 1%, I still say "not pregnant".

Keep us updated on how things go.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yes, they were supposed to have been just weaned when she got them just over two weeks ago so they shouldn't be any more than 7 weeks. I believe that means Teeny isn't sexually mature yet anyway, so I'm clinging to that and praying their ages are accurate. Is there a good way to tell how old mice are?


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

Mice reach adult "size" at 10 to 12 weeks, depending on how they're fed. Some will take 16 weeks to reach adult size. That doesn't mean they're done growing, it just means they're large enough to be considered a "large feeder"...... Mice will continue to grow for the first 6 months. They just grow a LOT slower after they reach adult size. 

A higher protein food will make them grow faster. If these mice were originally produced as "feeders" they might grow faster. So, on the outside, they looks like an older mouse. On the inside, they're still developing. 

People that raise feeders try to grow them as quickly as possible. They've also been known to "wean" them as early as 3 weeks. They do this, because by the time they're 3 weeks old.... The female is almost ready to give birth again. So, they want to get the ones that can eat on their own out of the way to make room for more. 

If the mice are the size of an "adult" mouse, they'd be between 10 and 16 weeks. It's all depends on how they were fed. If they're about half or 2/3 the size of an adult mouse. They'd be between 7 and 10 weeks. If they're "mature" mice, they'd be about 1/3 to 1/2 larger than an adult mouse. There's no way to tell the age of a "mature" mouse, without knowing when it was born. 

So, how big is Tiny? She looks.... tiny.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

She is pretty darn tiny, haha. Teeny is already a lot bigger than both Tiny and Stubby, but when he went back home on Monday he still wasn't as big as my two full grown boys. I'm out of the house at the moment but I can measure the gals when I get home. Is there a certain length they're supposed to be when full grown?


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

Each mouse is different. Some can grow to be huge, for a mouse, and other are just average size. 

Males will always grow much faster and be larger than females. Not sure what the max size is on a mouse. 


I don't like to keep mice as pets.... I sort of have a snake that eats them.... 

So, I'd sort of be the person buying frozen mice as feeders. 

I couldn't feed the snake if I had a mouse as a pet.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Kaliloca said:


> Each mouse is different. Some can grow to be huge, for a mouse, and other are just average size.
> 
> Males will always grow much faster and be larger than females. Not sure what the max size is on a mouse.
> 
> ...


Our snake eats mice, too! He eats frozen, but for a long time I was wierded out by the idea of having pet mice because the snake's in the other room slowly digesting other mice. The boys kind of fell into my lap, though, and then these girls (and boy) I was just supposed to be babysitting and once I grow attached to an animal I have a hard time letting it go. Bandit and Rogue are cute and hilarious and I've gotten past thinking about them when it's time for Arty to eat. But I totally understand where you're coming from.


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## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Size has nothing to do with gender but on the type of mouse. Show mice are very large and pet mice are much smaller. It all has to do with breeding. I currently have a female mouse that is larger than the size of my fist (she is extremely fat). I have never seen a male mouse even half the size of her, but she is not a show mouse (her body is too short).

The mouse from the pictures looks like it may be pregnant, but then again she may not be. Several of my females look just like she does if not rounder and they have never come in contact with any males. If she gets larger in several more days then I would assume she's pregnant.


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## TobyRat (May 24, 2011)

Can you get a picture taken from above? 

She does look a bit round but like others have said mice typically have a "round" appearance.


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

Awaiting_Abyss said:


> Size has nothing to do with gender but on the type of mouse. Show mice are very large and pet mice are much smaller. It all has to do with breeding. I currently have a female mouse that is larger than the size of my fist (she is extremely fat). I have never seen a male mouse even half the size of her, but she is not a show mouse (her body is too short).
> 
> The mouse from the pictures looks like it may be pregnant, but then again she may not be. Several of my females look just like she does if not rounder and they have never come in contact with any males. If she gets larger in several more days then I would assume she's pregnant.


I've never seen "show mice". I've only seen "feeder mice". 

In feeder mice the male will grow faster and be larger than a female of the same age. This is what I was told by a guy that breeds thousands of them each month. I'm guessing feeder mice and pet mice are the same thing. 

Not sure on pets and feeders being the same thing, since I don't keep pet mice. Both are mass produced for feeder and pet trade, so it's possible they are. 

I did see an extremely large mouse many many years ago.... Like 35 years ago. It was close to the size of a tennis ball and almost as round. It had this tiny head attached to this enormous body. It couldn't walk, but it scooted it's self along the ground and the fur on it's belly was worn off. This was an extremely obese mouse. I don't remember if it was male or female. It was my cousin's pet mouse. I've never seen another one like it since.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

TobyRat said:


> Can you get a picture taken from above?
> 
> She does look a bit round but like others have said mice typically have a "round" appearance.


When I get home tonight I'll try to get some more 180 degree shots and get them from above, etc.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

OK, 2-3 days later and I have more pictures. I know I'm probably just freaking out overmuch, but her abdomen is starting to look weird to me. If y'all tell me it's just how female mice look I will happily listen, but this whole thing has me on my toes, so here goes. From this morning:

View attachment 32090
View attachment 32106
View attachment 32098
View attachment 32082


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

OK,

Age counts a lot on "if" she's pregnant. Then the date she was bred comes into play. 

Your first post about them doing the deed was on the 11th of April. I went back to look and check the date. Now, "if" she was "8 weeks old" at that time. Then there would be a good chance she's pregnant. However if she was "5 weeks old", chances are likely she's not. 

Again, going by the pictures, I'm going to say, "not pregnant". Also, going by the date you saw them "doing the deed"..... If she was pregnant, she wouldn't be showing yet. It's only been 8 days, since you realized there was a male in the cage. If she was preggo.... She wouldn't be showing until half way through gestation. Gestation period for mice is 21 days. She'd have to be 10 or 11 days before she'd be showing. One could argue that she's smaller and she'd be showing sooner. That wouldn't make sense, because "if" she was carrying babies they'd be proportionate to "her size" and not that of a larger mouse. 

Since you thought she was showing 2 or 3 days ago,that would only make her 5 to 6 days into gestation. Again, I'm going to say she's a normal round mouse. 

The only way she could be pregnant is.... She was older than your friend was told when she got them and bred while in her care. BTW they would have had to be 8 weeks old. Although it's been said that a 5 week or mouse can get pregnant. In most cases they don't. 

Anyway, you'll know for sure in about....13 days.....Since that's when she'd be due to give birth. Just going by the date you saw them doing it. 

So, if you add up the facts, timeline and general roundness of mice.... It's more likely she's not pregnant.

The problem with posting pictures and asking if an animal is pregnant.....If there's a slightly round belly and a male was involved..... People see the belly and assume pregnant. You have to assess all the facts and then make a determination as to pregnant or not.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Ok. Thank you! I'll quit scrutinizing her.  I think you're totally right that I'm just seeing round because I'm afraid that's what it means. Here's to 13 days of waiting and trying to relax. 
Was that really only eight days ago? Wow... last week was a long week. Thank you for checking on that!


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

Any updates on Tiny?


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

She looks about the same size as my mouse that I thought was prego but wasn't. What I did is I put her in my hand and put my thumb on her spine just place it there no pressure, then I place my pointer finger on her belly with the just slightest bit of pressure and move it around the belly. if she is prego you feel little bumps if she isn't you feel big bumps which are her organs. you can do it toward the area you notice a bulge since the babies might be nestled there. .some mice don't even show pregnancy until labor. What also helped was weight. you can weigh her every day if you have a gram scale. I rescued three females,two were not pregnant and one is. the one that is is so big that she sometimes gets her belly stuck on the slippery floor of the cage and her legs move but she doesn't. its so sad, I have to help her by giving her a little nudge.


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Here are some pics of my pregnant girl to help you.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Not pregnant.  she's just a fatty!


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

Rumy91989 said:


> Not pregnant.  she's just a fatty!


Congratulations 

I'm glad it all worked out well for Tiny. 

Sometimes it's better to be a little fatty than a little pregnant. LOL


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm super relieved. While I'm sure babies would be cute, finding homes for them would be a bear... Mice are much harder than rats to rehome in general, and there's not a huge pet mouse market here. :|


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## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Ya I'm worried about trying to find homes for the babies that I have.I might just have to keep them if I don't want them to be snake food. She had 7 babies last night I'm guessing right after I took the pictures of her. 6 black eyed ones and 1 Pink eyed. I can't believe how tiny they are!


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