# Boyfriend just put boy in wrong cage!



## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Was laying down when I heard some squeaking and Zach jumped up to go check on them. I looked over and squinted asking who that was cause the rat looked a little dark to be Toast.

He frantically opened the cage saying uhm, and pulled out Jorah. Claims he doesn't know how Jorah got in there and that he didn't put him in the wrong cage.

He was only in there a few minutes at most. And I'm terrified right now because I move in 18 days and rats give birth around 20. If any of them are pregnant then petsafe might not let me ship them.
And that terrifies me.

I checked them all and none of them have goop on them. They look very clean. Is there any way to tell?
Cappuccino was actually bullying him and him squealing is what alerted us.
I heard rats won't mate until they are older?
Boys are three months.
Is there any way to make sure he didn't mount them?
Kinda freaking out right now. I do NOT want babies. 

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

My rats squeaked during their mating. Check the female for a "plug" over the vagina.

My male was under three months and I still have babies. Age over 5 weeks = possibility of babies.

You can run her to the vet for an emergency spay, that will work as an abortion. It should be done before the babies are a week into development.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

What is a "plug"?

I have four females so I have no idea which one I would need to spay. I just dropped all my money on moving too.

It was definitely Jorah who was squeaking though. The girls had him cornered and he was trying to get away from them. They were intent on sniffing him and grabbing at him with their little paws

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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I can't believe this just happened....
Zach KNOWS which rat is which. I can't believe he'd accidentally put him in the girl's cage. I've caught myself about to do it before but I always realized, WAIT this is a boy, he doesn't go in there.

Remind me to never have intact rats of the opposite gender at the same time again.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Hm. Doesn't sound like they would mate. The male is usually dominant and they will solicit his advances, then they will mount. I know that when my girl last broke into my male cage their were squeaks but it was just them fighting over territory.

In fact, now that I'm thinking about it you are in my time zone. Your girls might not even be in heat! It usually occurs at night.
Can you post a picture of their genitals? A girl in heat has a gaping vagina -- usually it is closed. The plug then is a mucus barrier that covers the hole.

Edit: I'm surprised he didn't notice sooner, especially since everytime I've done something like that they start squeaking at each other and being bullies before I can shut the door!


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Gross warning.

A rat in heat: http://imageshack.us/a/img402/8022/reinavag002.jpg
Partial mucus plug (and a lot of semen): http://ratguide.com/breeding/figures/determining_pregnancy_figure_1.php


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

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This is the only photo it will let me attach for some reason. May have to post via photobucket or something.

Jorah DEFINITELY was not the dominant one. He is a lot bigger than them and they had him on the run. He was terrified, the poor little baby.
He was literally back to the wall squishing himself against the corner trying to get away


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

None of them have anything like that. They all look normal with no gaping or white stuff. Completely dry too.

For the most part the one picture there sums them up

I checked them all right after Jorah's removal of the cage as well. And I know he wasn't in there long enough for them to have cleaned up as far as I know.
Jorah had just been on the bed with me a couple of minutes before I heard him squeaking.

And they definitely had him cornered.

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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Everyone makes mistakes you said yourself you almost have done it. I wouldn't be blaming Zach for it like he did it on purpose which I am sure he didn't. I know if I had males to I would at some point get the cages mixed up.

Females when their in heat have a purplish dark spot above their vagina as well. Also sense they had him cornered I don't think he would have got any of them pregnant but it is possible.

Females are in heat ever four days I think it is every four, so it's possible any one of them were. Also I've never heard of rats being in heat at night one of my girls when she's in heat you can tell she has the purplish spot and is hyper and vibrates when ever you pet her.

I hope they aren't pregnant I know how much you wanna get out of that place.


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Doesn't _look _gaping. 
I posted rat in heat: this is a rat out of it: http://www.rattyrat.com/images/guidebook/female.jpg


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Mitsy said:


> Everyone makes mistakes you said yourself you almost have done it. I wouldn't be blaming Zach for it like he did it on purpose which I am sure he didn't. I know if I had males to I would at some point get the cages mixed up.
> 
> Females when their in heat have a purplish dark spot above their vagina as well. Also sense they had him cornered I don't think he would have got any of them pregnant but it is possible.
> 
> ...


Rats are typically in heat during their typical waking periods, which often translates to being after 6pm but before 5am.
My female shows no signs of being in heat other than the gaping vagina and a distaste of being handled.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I had to double check but none of my girls are in heat.
I'm not mad at Zach as it is a mistake I have almost done a few times. I'm just going to be absolutely devastated if it means having to delay my move home or anything.

But just a recap, no girls are in heat. None have a mucus plug, all are very clean down there.
And they terrorized Jorah for his very short unintended visit.

Makes me so glad that my boys are big pushovers...

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

Lol glad to hear it. Luckily if anything _did_ happen they usually give birth after day 21 so you would've been able to get them home and settle her in.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

I'm more worried that the people at petsafe would notice a pregnant rat and not let them fly.

But holy smokes I should really count myself lucky huh?
By the sounds of it anyway.
I'm going to palpate around 9 days was it?
Cappuccino has a belly that looks like the start of pregnancy. Always has, scares me sometimes because I can never tell. Thought I had bought a pregnant rat a week after getting her.

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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

My girl didn't show any signs of pregnancy until like a week before. Almost two weeks before I took her to the vet and got a confirmation. 

I just looked up PetSafe: http://www.united.com/web/format/pdf/travel/animals/CGO556_Live_Animal_Checklist_REV_Dec2011.pdf
If that's that, it does mention a health certificate ten days prior to departure. However, it doesn't say no pregnant animals: no surgeries, diseases, or illnesses though. I imagine the person probably won't know (or like) rats and you could just shrug her off as being fat or having a benign tumor.

I wouldn't try touching her belly too much if you suspect pregnancy, as the babies are real fragile and you can cause death.


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Eek I definitely wouldn't want to accidentally kill any babies if any of them did end up pregnant.

I've called petsafe many times before I booked the flight. Rats don't need certificates of health thankfully.

If any do end up pregnant finding homes shouldn't be too difficult as there are no ratteries where I'm moving. Or rescues as far as I'm aware.
But again I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. I can't afford anything vet wise here because the woman I'm living with takes all the money I acquire upon finding out I have money.
So really eager to move and hopefully get all my girls spayed soon after.

Both me and my ratties will be living a MUCH better life with my family.

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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

Have you had a chance to get on the computer yet, Volty?


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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

Boys checking out the container they are going to be transported in. Girls left a lot of poop in it from them exploring it.
Peanut Butter unloads on anything unfamiliar. She is a poop machine.

But yea I have double checked everything before booking their flight.
Their container is divided and iata approved. Even got some gel water to keep them hydrated.
It's hopefully to be a very smooth trip.

The toughest part is going to be getting them into their proper sides when the time comes

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## Voltage (May 15, 2013)

No not yet, sorry about that. Haven't been on a whole lot and going on another trip this weekend. 
I'll be bringing my laptop though and since there is going to be a lot of people I'll be hiding away most of the trip

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## Timberlee Fields (Aug 2, 2013)

Okay  even if you'd just scan through until you can respond. (; 

I'm patient, just curious. Aha. If the girls were being butts, I'm sure none are pregnant. 


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

Voltage said:


> I'm not mad at Zach as it is a mistake I have almost done a few times. I'm just going to be absolutely devastated if it means having to delay my move home or anything.
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Ok just seemed you were and I didn't think it was fair that's all.


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## Mitsy (Apr 8, 2013)

nanashi7 said:


> Rats are typically in heat during their typical waking periods, which often translates to being after 6pm but before 5am.
> My female shows no signs of being in heat other than the gaping vagina and a distaste of being handled.


The spot is something that can be seen on some rats, some show different signs of being in heat then others and my rats are more on my sleep scheduled then their own so their awake during the day more then they are at night so I notice it more during the day. I think that on the forth day they are in heat for the whole day but you only notice it when they are more awake and alert given the time your rats are awake.

As your rats show the signs that their in heat, some of mine show the same but not all of them my two oldest are the ones I notice the spot and their difference in how they act as my younger two don't show much of any sign of being in heat at all.


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