# My baby might be pregnant?



## lolsavannahh (Aug 11, 2015)

Hey guys! So about 2 weeks ago I got a little baby rat around 4 weeks old maybe 5, and I got her from a dire situation where they didn't feed her right and she was bound to be snake food. She was housed with many males and females and well.. I think she's pregnant. She is showing a bump now, still no noticeable nipples but if she is pregnant she will most likely be due in a few days time. Anything I should know about caring for babies?


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

It is possible that she could preggers that young but unlikely. So if u r right about her age u may be lucky  Sometimes rats gain a bit of weight in a new home. So fingers crossed! If u post pics we may be able to guess.

If she is and that young it may be dangerous for her  Id look for a local vet and see if they can give u galastop and end the pregnancy. If not, atleast contact the local vet and make sure they treat rats and see prices/hours so if anything goes wrong u will be prepared. 

If she is then the pregnancy lasts 19-23 days (usually day 21-22). Put momma in her own cage with lots of nesting material. Something babies can not escape and is large enough for lots of babies and for mom to get away and have some piece. 
Mom will need some extra protein depending on what food u feed her currently.

baby rat growth guide:
http://www.afrma.org/babyratdevdaily.htm
http://tigertailrattery.weebly.com/growth-picture-journal.html


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## lolsavannahh (Aug 11, 2015)

Well I can't seem to get a good picture of her, but when I do I promise I'll update  

I know it's super super young for her to be having babies, but I contacted my vet yesterday and said they would not make her abort the babies at this stage ( If she is pregnant because she would be on her second or third week). I have a small animal vet near me that I go to a lot for my guinea pigs and she has a check up in a few weeks scheduled so I hope it'll be a false alarm and all, but hey, who knows.

She has shredded toilet paper, news paper, and a soft washcloth like blanket in there all for nesting, and 2 huts. I will update with any nippe appearances or anything else that will show weather she is pregnant or not Thanks!


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## Mojojuju (Nov 15, 2014)

My vet actually did an ultrasound and saw some of the pups to confirm ours! It was neat.

However, our girl had been living with a much older male for quite some time (loooong story), over a month, and we got her at about five to six weeks old. She didn't get pregnant till a month later.

So while it is possible that she's pregnant, it is still a bit young.


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## Mannie'sMom (Aug 3, 2015)

Mojojuju said:


> My vet actually did an ultrasound and saw some of the pups to confirm ours! It was neat.
> 
> However, our girl had been living with a much older male for quite some time (loooong story), over a month, and we got her at about five to six weeks old. She didn't get pregnant till a month later.
> 
> So while it is possible that she's pregnant, it is still a bit young.


How many pups did your young one have? I'm asking because I got what I was told was a male (pet store, would have ended up as snake food), and she looked sleek; then I noticed that she had all the traits of a female, and then was looking chubbier and chubbier, and as I handled her (Trust Trained her), she finally let me 'thoroughly examine her under belly': No testicles; now visible nipples (just today, actually), and she started a nest a few days ago (moved from her favorite thick, old towel burrow), and is sleeping almost constantly, very loving and playful for a short bit, then back to her home made nest. Today, we bought a clear big bin, gonna drill holes, put in fleece and paper towels, bedding, a hut for her to hide in, and shred some copy paper too, just get ready because she is ready, max six days, but from her behavior--oh, and we see movement, ripples, bulges now, and her look--her lowest abdomen is also fatter from just yesterday as though pups moved down--she is gonna have them soon.

So I was wondering at that age (she is about 9 weeks, 10 weeks MAX), not a large doe, compared to how many you had, I might estimate. We plan to keep two girls, and give all the boys away, and the rest of the girls, to as good of homes as we can find (weaning time, about five weeks to six weeks they can leave). Any experience you had, and the number of pups you could share with me: I'd be grateful.  P.S. I don't know that it matters, but Mannie is a mink hoodie.


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## kksrats (Jul 25, 2014)

Mannie'sMom said:


> How many pups did your young one have? I'm asking because I got what I was told was a male (pet store, would have ended up as snake food), and she looked sleek; then I noticed that she had all the traits of a female, and then was looking chubbier and chubbier, and as I handled her (Trust Trained her), she finally let me 'thoroughly examine her under belly': No testicles; now visible nipples (just today, actually), and she started a nest a few days ago (moved from her favorite thick, old towel burrow), and is sleeping almost constantly, very loving and playful for a short bit, then back to her home made nest. Today, we bought a clear big bin, gonna drill holes, put in fleece and paper towels, bedding, a hut for her to hide in, and shred some copy paper too, just get ready because she is ready, max six days, but from her behavior--oh, and we see movement, ripples, bulges now, and her look--her lowest abdomen is also fatter from just yesterday as though pups moved down--she is gonna have them soon.
> 
> So I was wondering at that age (she is about 9 weeks, 10 weeks MAX), not a large doe, compared to how many you had, I might estimate. We plan to keep two girls, and give all the boys away, and the rest of the girls, to as good of homes as we can find (weaning time, about five weeks to six weeks they can leave). Any experience you had, and the number of pups you could share with me: I'd be grateful.  P.S. I don't know that it matters, but Mannie is a mink hoodie.


It's really hard to say. Young rats do tend to have smaller litters, but I'd still expect between 2 and 12 pups. If she does have a larger litter, they'll likely be very small and some may be stillborn or die shortly after birth.


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## Mannie'sMom (Aug 3, 2015)

*Thank You!*

kkrats,

Thanks so much. I am hoping she does not have many because she of course should not be pregnant so young, and her body needs the nutrients to grow, so I am giving her the best recommended diet for not only a baby but one who is going to have pups, including oysters (bits of them), and some wet cat food (high in protein, 14% with main ingredients being beef, liver, not filler), and peas, carrots, squash, hard boiled egg, her usually food, of course, plenty of water available. 

I've noticed that in the past three days or so her once ravenous appetite has settled down. She still eats plenty but she isn't nuts about it like she was, as though she could not get enough food. Perhaps it merely means I am feeding her what she needs (oh, raw oats and organic cheerio oats--she likes those two), so she has stopped with the craving of certain vitamins, minerals and such.

Thanks again. I hope she has no more than six pups, but nature will do as it does, and I will do my part. Maddie (changed her name from Mannie to Maddie--short for Madeline--because she knows her name and the slight change is not noticeable to her. I had to change her name because my husband did not like the male name, anymore and began spontaneously referring to her as Grace, which meant nothing to her, and does not fit, anyway--she is an agile tomboy (ordinarily). The past few days she is hesitant to climb my shirt up to my shoulder so I help her, and also after saying, "Maddie, treat?" I often give her the peas lap or at most chest level, according to her comfort level.

She is gonna be a good mom, I think: She is cleaning her anus and her vagina, as well as the usually spots, "extra" as though for the anus she is preparing to her pups, and for her vulva, well, that is obvious, aye?


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## RavenTheRat (May 28, 2015)

I hope that her delivery goes well and the pups are healthy 
We demand baby pictures.


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## Mannie'sMom (Aug 3, 2015)

I think she got pregnant 'minutes' before she came to the other side of the aquarium in the pet store; thinking five more days, maximum: Still behaving as a pregnant mom, and now has slowed down her previous, ravenous eating. Also, three days ago, she began pooping 'less', not more--far less as though she is using up all the nutrients, or almost, and has no access to discharge as feces. She is otherwise the same--focused on hiding; on burrowing in her towel; on getting a few peas from us (she used to dash up my shirt to sit on my shoulder for them--now she prefers that I sit them down on my exercise mat, between my legs, and leave a few more 'for later'. She is more cautious about heights, and over all, other than a few quick turns (see, I still got the moves), she is sleeping, resting, and eating normal. 

So, I did the math, and I'm hoping she goes the maximum, which would be about Monday; extended max, a week from today: oh, she personally would grow so much more--not just her pups.

I changed her name to 'Maddie' because my husband could not tolerate the male name and had begun calling her 'Grace' which does not suit our tomboy, and also she knows her name, so Maddie is a fine switch. Now my husband not only easily calls her Maddie but if I slip, he corrects me. 

I got him working on getting a digital camera from a church member or co-worker; he is so focused, busy, I don't know but geez, I want photos myself--now, and of the pups and such!


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## Mojojuju (Nov 15, 2014)

Any news?

BTW, my gal had 9 in her litter.


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