# Caring for a feral pregnant momma.



## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I adopted a feral hairless rat who may be pregnant. She's not a real hairless, she has fuzz around her nose and paws.

I've never had a feral momma before.

My game plan for the next couple of weeks is to feed her like she is pregnant, and do my very best to give her comfort and make her feel safe. She has several hides and all of the bedding and nesting materials any rat could ever need. And if she does end up giving birth, I am planning to only check them for milk bands - how often should I do this? - until they are old enough to be weaned off of her. I wish I could handle them from an early age to get them used to it, but she is so scared of anything that isn't another rat, I'm sure she would panic. 

I'm considering adopting a heavily pregnant feeder rat if/when she starts to show, just in case she cannot feed them, or is too stressed to care for them, because I cannot be home enough due to work to hand-feed babies, and I know they would do much better with a foster mom. 

Any other advice is appreciated, I want to give her and her potential family a fighting chance.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

If she is extremely scared it might even be worth it to move her to a Bin cage for now since you'll need to move her to one (or an aquarium) if she is pregnant. Hopefully it having mainly closed sides will make her feel more comfortable if she really is scared of everything. Along with providing her plenty of boxes. If you can't do a bin cage right now, try covering the cage with a blanket.

She could have issues producing milk, so you getting a heavily pregnant one would be up to you. Just remember that in that case remember that rats normally have up to 12 babies, so that's 24 to rehome, and feeder rats normally have more then that depending on if the breeder actually put thought into his line.

Other then that, sounds like your doing all the right things.


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## Lotus (Feb 6, 2013)

I'm really curious to see how your little friend does, so I'm marking this page, so I can stay posted.

Good luck!!


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

She is. She behaves much like wild rats that I've fostered (babies caught in traps). I was TOLD that they used to actually abuse her, and that she's a biter. She will take food sometimes through her cage, but no directly from my hand. She hides when I'm in the rom unless I'm in there for 30mins-hour. I'm spending a lot of time in there just being calm and quiet and giving lots of treats hoping to make her more comfortable with me just being around. 

Do you guys think it would be a good idea to make the bin cage accessible to her current cage? I'm thinking that might be too much room for her with babies, though. 

I've prepared some shoeboxes for her so I can just gently lift the lids to check on her and possible little ones without really causing a disturbance. 

I'm not worried about rehoming the little ones.. I've fostered a few litters in the past and I foster adults every so often, I never rush to rehome, I take in fosters knowing if I don't find the perfect home, they will stay with me. And they're adopted with 'rules', such as they will return to me if the adopter cannot care for them. And they must prove they know what they're doing to adopt from me. It takes a while for sure, but it's worth it. 

This place with the feeders seems to go with 'fancier' rats to breed, oddly. Such as blue, beige, lilac, hairless even from what I've been told. I have no idea why. 


I will definitely keep everyone updated.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I wouldn't connect a bin cage to her current cage, if she does have babies she'll most likely move them back and forth which can be bad. 

Some places breed the "fancier" ones cause often they get bored with albinos and black hoodeds, ect.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

im not sure if its practical in the US, but the medicine galstrop is sometimes used here in the UK as a 'morning after pill', it may be better to use it, to save the strain on her as well as the risk of her not lactating.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I really don't see aborting them now any better than just knocking them all in the head when they're born, except she won't have gone through the stress of birthing them. 

I'm not against others doing it, but I wouldn't. 
But yes, we have morning after pills here too that you can just go pick up, no questions asked. They might not give it to me if I said it was for a rat though. lol


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Well, not much new to report.. It may be that she is more comfortable with me, but she seems to be hungrier. She was willing to eat while I was in the room. I made her a high calorie mash and she seems to enjoy it. She is putting on weight, but it's hard to tell if its from the food or not. I guess time will tell. She hasn't gone into heat as far as I can tell.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I know your not planning on using it, but in case anyone is I wouldnt use a human morning after pill on a rat, if you use galstrop, which is a med often used to help with hormone induced tumours, it can have the effect of aborting the babies early in the pregnancy. Not one ive used myself but I do think in some situations its better for the mum, as there is a risk to her as well as the babies.

Best of luck, I hope it goes smoothly for her a d she calms down soon.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

She doesn't sound like a genetic hairless so should have no issues lactating, anymore then a regular furred mom that is. Are you weighing her daily to determine if she is pregnant? It will be hard since she's unsocialized and scared but try. Work on getting her trusting you and IF she is pregnant you only have a short time...babies from spooky or aggressive moms often turn out spooky themselves and difficult to work with even into adulthood...they learn too much from their mama. Has she tried to bite you yet, or is she still just avoiding you like the plague?


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Just avoiding, she hasn't bitten at all or tried to, she freezes sometimes when I've cleaning the cage or offering food and I can even stroke her head/face and she's does nothing but close her eyes most of the way and look like she wishes she could turn invisible. She's just very unsocialized, as far as I know, she has never been handled in a positive way. I don't know if she's been bred before now - she's about 8 months old I was told. She's very pitiful. 

I don't have a scale right now that I could get her on, the only one I have it about 2" wide. She does look rounder, today. I will try to get a picture for you guys.


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## HelloClarice (Feb 1, 2012)

usually half closed eyes is a good thing. sounds like she has the potential to be a great rattie =]


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

We're working on it. She showed a little interest in sniffing after a little while. Her first reaction is to always climb right to the top of her cage and pretend to be invisible.

She really doesn't seem interested in food today. So, I'm going to go get some really irresistible stuff for her. And that's great to hear, about the lactating, I kept hearing conflicting info on it. Some say it's only true hairless and others were saying the mock ones have the same problems. I may still adopt a feeder momma, just because I got prepared to and I'd love to give one a chance at a good life.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

She has been nesting, I can't get a good shot of her tummy.
She pulled all of that out of her stuffed toy. Silly girl.


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## Lotus (Feb 6, 2013)

Oh!! She's SOOOOO cute!!! I didn't know (maybe I wasn't reading, or just don't remember). . . is she a hairless, then? Adorable!!!! I can't WAIT to see them


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## Lotus (Feb 6, 2013)

By the way! I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure those stuffings from the toy will be a very big potential danger to the little babies. Their little noses are tiny and making sure things don't plug them up is important.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

She is hairless, but not a true hairless - and yep! I'm definitely putting baby-safe stuff in there when/if she starts showing. Paper towels most likely. She chose to nest out in the open, oddly.


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## Lotus (Feb 6, 2013)

Good!! Hey, I found something fun for my mama rat. Take strips of paper towels or napkins (or whatever you give her) and stick just a little bit through whatever bars you have. It's so fun to watch her choose which ones to take and decide where to put them. ; )


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

My boys love to do that, I'm sure she'd do it if I wasn't in the room. Maybe she will calm down if she has a litter - I know my last rescue mom did. She went from biting every time you were in reach (not near the end of her pregnancy or with pups, just because she was a witch) to letting you pet her after she weaned her litter.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Well, she hasn't been eating much of anything unless it is sweet (Yes, I'm having to bribe her with goodies and treats to eat), despite that, she still has a rounded belly. Not a big one, though.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Poisoned said:


> She is hairless, but not a true hairless - and yep! I'm definitely putting baby-safe stuff in there when/if she starts showing. Paper towels most likely. She chose to nest out in the open, oddly.


She looks like the true hairless to me, its fairly normal for hairless to have soms on there face here in the uk, shes got such a perfectly bald back.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

It's hard to get a picture of it, but she has light fuzz all over. I keep hearing that true hairless sometimes don't even have whiskers - I have no idea! lol
I'll see if I have any pics showing her fuzziness.

Edit*
Well, you can see her leg fuzzies here:


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

She looks likes a true hairless. some hairless rats will have some fur on their noses and paws.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

So I should worry about lactating... I'll pick up another girl today if I can.


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## HelloClarice (Feb 1, 2012)

True hairless are completely bald, no whiskers or anything, at least thats what everything I'v read says, but then again my old hairlesss Sushi had no issues with her surprise litter I was so uneducated back then I'm lucky she didn't have any issues, though she did kill 5 of her 8 pups.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Genetic hairless rats can have a fair amount of hair despite there name, personally I thjnk those with at least whiskers and some face fur are better off, rats need there whiskers.

I hope she doesnt have the lactation issues, not all do, or better still shes just chubby and not pregnant.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I hope so too. I don't want to deal with her and babies, but I'll do anything I need to for them if it happens. 

She has very curled whiskers, does that mean anything? My friend had a boy who was totally smooth, no fuzz or whiskers, I thought that was the true hairless. I've heard so many conflicting things. 

The father is likely a Rex. I'm hoping if she has pups, they will come out furred because of how much more difficult it would be to find good owners for nakeys with their special needs. I wasn't sure because I'm not sure about genetics and how hairless/vs mock hairless works, and which one she is.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Hairless is recessive (hr/hr) Double rex "mock hairless" is 2 genes of the rex gene (Re/Re) Rex is one rex gene (Re/re). From what I've seen on reptile forums when a rat is Re/hr (rex carrying hairless) they look like double rexes. If the father was a rex then half will be rex (that might look double rex) and the other half standard (that carry hairless). so you shouldn't have any issues with finding homes.

Hope that helps a bit.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Thank you! It did help quite a bit. I find genetics very interesting.

I also found that if I play with my male rats and then go to her, she will gladly come up and touch me, and sniff all over. Which is a huge breakthrough.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Thats an interesting one, my mums would turn into fluff balls and huff at me through the bars if i'd been handlng my boys first (which has led to my personal rule that you always see to the girls and babies first). Saying that this was when they were on the nest as such.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I noticed she came creeping out of her house when I was holding a boy, and she wants to meet them all. And when he was running around the rat room he came up to sniff her through the bars and she went crazy trying to pull him in with her. Maybe she's in heat (hope so!). 

I think she may have stopped eating because she misses her female friends. She ate find with them. She does not appear to have any kind of ailment, she is just refusing most of her food.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Okay, best side-view I could get of her (as you can see, she was scared), what do you guys think?
She's barely touched any food for the past couple of days. She's been moving every bit of bedding from the cage bottom and stuffing it in her shoebox.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Will food dye work to dye baby skin at all? I'm thinking way ahead, I know, but if she IS pregnant and has them, and I need to get them with another momma who's babies are close in appearance I want to be able to tell them apart. I was thinking of dying their tails with food dye, but wasn't sure if it'd work.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

She doesnt look massive, or particulalry pregnant, how many days pregnant could she be? If shes lonely enough shes not eating then I would introduce her to any suitable females, maybe a calm gentle girl or two to put in with her. You can always seperate her if she starts looking like shes swallowed a orange. I would be more concerened about her being unhappy right now.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Maybe seventeen days. I moved her cage back next to her female buddies, and I'm thinking I can put her younger friend in with her. A 4 month old girl who is very sweet and submissive. They were best buds.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

I would go for it, if sheis pregnant you dont need to take her friend out until shes ready to pop, I typically move them into there birthing cage plus friends at 21 days and take their friends out the morning of day 23. 

I woild expect her to be bigger than that at this stage if pregnant, however it may be a small litter or have been affected by her not eating. Also day 17 nesting is a typical time for phantom pregnancys to come to an end,


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I moved her cage back next to her lady friends, and she ate some egg, cottage cheese, banana, shredded wheat and some chicken, She looked at the lab blocks like a foreign object.

In her last home she was kept on reptile carpet in a 10g tank - I saw no hides- and being fed what looked like bird seed. And no previous handling. The owner rehomed her to me saying she was shy but sweet.. I posted an ad on craiglist for some foster rats I had and the owner emailed me saying it was her rat (she thought on of them was this rat the thread is about) and went on to say she rehomed her to someone (me) and knew she could not be rehabilitated. But she wanted her back, and the two other babies I had listed. NOPE. It wasn't even her anyway. This lady it seems adopts rats free/cheap, along with other animals maybe, and then turns around and sells them for $10 each, and $30-$60 with their stuff. She told me she had 80 personal animals at her house of all kinds. 

This rat came from a bad place, and that was her second home. According to the hoarder lady, she came form someone who actually used to torment/abuse her. 

It's pitiful, I'll never REALLY know what happened, but it's obvious she's had it rough.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Poisoned said:


> I moved her cage back next to her lady friends, and she ate some egg, cottage cheese, banana, shredded wheat and some chicken, She looked at the lab blocks like a foreign object.
> 
> In her last home she was kept on reptile carpet in a 10g tank - I saw no hides- and being fed what looked like bird seed. And no previous handling. The owner rehomed her to me saying she was shy but sweet.. I posted an ad on craiglist for some foster rats I had and the owner emailed me saying it was her rat (she thought on of them was this rat the thread is about) and went on to say she rehomed her to someone (me) and knew she could not be rehabilitated. But she wanted her back, and the two other babies I had listed. NOPE. It wasn't even her anyway. This lady it seems adopts rats free/cheap, along with other animals maybe, and then turns around and sells them for $10 each, and $30-$60 with their stuff. She told me she had 80 personal animals at her house of all kinds.
> 
> ...


I'm glad she found you and is getting some real care. I also hope she's not pregnant, as it seems she's dealing with enough stress as it is. Are you going to put her back in with the girls? I think earlier you'd said she was very happy to be with some friends, so it would probably be very good for her to be back with them. Also, I'm very happy to hear she's eating now.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

She has been mouthy today, with the other rats as well. Bleh. But at least she is actually touching me in order to nip! Lol


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Now that her buddy is in with her, she's been eating much better. 

I've giving her about another week and if she's not really showing, I'll just reintegrate her with her cagemates. She hasn't been nesting today, just scattered everything everywhere.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Im glad shes more herself, even if thats a grumpy self lol


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Well, this was her highness last night. 

She seemed to be a little under the weather yesterday.









She's loving the ensure and is active today.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

That does kind of look like a pregnant belly. If you want I can show you a picture of Molly (my hairless) when she was preggers to compare to.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Sure!

Well, I'm definitely keeping a close eye on her for changes. And trying to get pics and mark dates to see if there is a visual change.


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## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

She does have a bit of a belly...hmm! Will be interesting to see what happens. Shes gorgeous tho! I love my nakey ratties, they seem to have such strong personalities...perhaps to make up for their lack of fur? LOL.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Here's two pictures of Molly's belly if you want to compare them. Molly ended up having 6 kittens, and this was her 4th week of pregnancy. Her babies were also rather big.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Eden - she is such a dollbaby. I just wish she had a better start in life, I'm still optimistic that she will come around one day.

I also found that she is missing a toe on her rear foot, it looks like it's missing at the 2nd joint. Seeing as she never lived with other rats (I was told, may not be true) I wonder how it happened. They DID say she was abused, maybe someone slamming a cage top/door on it.. Poor baby.

Thank you Phantom. Your girl looked like a blimp, I can't imagine how she'd be if she had more in there.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

This is from this morning.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Yup. She looks preggers to me, at least if I were to compare her to Molly right now. I can get you a picture of Molly's normal belly to compare that as well.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I agree, the chubs don't seem to be evenly distributed enough for that to be just from extra food. But I could be wrong. I've never had/seen a pregnant rat in person so I'm just going off pictures, which probably isn't super helpful.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Here's a few pictures of Molly now. She's still wrinkly from her babies and a little chubby, but her body shape looks a little different then your nakie.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It is looking more like a pregnant belly definitly. It coild still be the extra food, fingers crossed.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

She really doesn't seem to want to eat much today either. She just wants the ensure. I mixed pea baby food and egg yolk into it to give her more nutrition at least and she still went for it. She's driving me crazy. 

Phantom, your girlie is so cute. I adore dumbos anyway, but naked dumbos are as cute as it gets. Thank you for the pics, too.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

If shes going quiet she may be getting close, or feeling a bit unwell. Is she nestjng at all? Or grumpy to her cage mates?


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

She's making herself a deep nest in the corner (outside of her box) and has been roughly grooming Eve (her cagemate). No real bullying or being snippy to her. But she is a very sweet little rat, and has never had an aggressive moment with my other rats, or even a defensive one if they got rough. So she might not work up the nerve to be agitated with her even, which is why I'm keeping a close eye on them, so she doesnt' get stressed.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Thank you. I hope everything goes well for your girl. I've found that some rats can be a bit picky when it comes to food. If they've spoiled at some point in their life with too much people food they tend not to go back to the food they are supposed to eat. I have a dog like that, she's crazily spoiled. >.<

Hmmm..... try dipping her food (lab blocks or whatever you feed her) in ensure or mix ensure into the eggs and peas? The ensure taste will still be there, and maybe you will trick her into eating it. Animals are tricky. You can't tell them what something tastes like, you just kind of have to try to mask it.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

If her cage mate gets relegated to the other side of the cage for a while I would take her out as its normally a late sign. You may be expecting babies iminantly. You could also try crushing her lab blocks up and mixing with some of the sloppy wet mix. Honestly if shes about to pop though I woild avoid fussing her too much and try and stay out of the room, they pick up on human stress very well.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Are there any physical signs that a rat will have lactating problems? Her nipples are barely noticeable.


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## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

Not that I know of. Molly's nipples were both the same before and after she was pregnant. (My guess is because there was no hair there she didn't need to tear it away.) Lactating problems is usually seen by the milk bands the babies have after she feeds them.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Well.. I checked on her again, and gave her some more food (which she did eat), and she was cuddled up with Eve. However, she was stretching a lot. She really does not look very big, in fact when she stretches out you can barely see any belly at all.


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## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

I am fairly certain that is was either false, if at all, or she reabsorbed, because it seems like overnight that little bump disappeared, and I think she was in heat. 
Lets hope so!!


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