# Female rat nesting.



## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

All last night and this morning, Boomer has been taking items from the bottom of the cage to the top and building what looks like a nest. Most of it is cardboard and fabric, and now she's attempting to bring up a big plush rat that they all cuddle with at night. *It's too big, so I guess she decided to go piece by piece, starting with the tail haha. 
I'm sure this is pretty normal behavior, but I've never seen such determination before. She's just going up and down, up and down. Any thoughts?


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

How long have you had her?


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## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

Since June of last year. She'll be a year old in April


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Is there any chance she's pregnant? Obsessive nesting is usually an indicator of pregnancy, but if there's absolutely no chance she's pregnant it's more than possible that she's having a hormone surge as she leaves her "puberty" stage or that she's just... nesting. Haha. Sometimes it just happens.


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## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

My boy Ratigan started nesting awhile ago too. I don't know how common it is for boys to nest at all, but he only started after the death of his cagemate. I don't know if the two were related, but that is when it started, he could have also started due to cold weather coming in or just getting older. If there's no chance she's pregnant it could just be that she wants to be super comfy and cozy, since I'm sure that's why Ratigan nests!

He is even very determined about it like you describe. If I give him a paper towel or something that is large compared to him he will try over and over again to get it into the paper bag he likes to make his nests in. I rip up all the paper towels I give him now because if something is too big he will waste upwards of half an hour trying to nest with it!


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## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

If she were pregnant, there would be a lot of explaining to do... haha. We have 4 girls. All 4 of them are laying together in the "nest" right now, so maybe it is to keep warm. 
The first thing that came to my mind was that would be what a pregnant rat would do, but that would mean one of our girls is a guy, and I've never seen any "boy bits". Can't imagine those being hard to miss, right? ;D


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

Lol, certainly not! Perhaps it is a warmth thing, or maybe she just really wanted to make a nest. I know I have my nesting moments as well, so there you go! Pictures of the cuddle puddle, please?


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## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

I can try  If they move when I open the doors, here's pictures of them napping together while the big cage was being cleaned the other day.


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## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

So cute!


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

awww adorablee!!!! my babies dont like their cleaning time cage, so i usually let them run around while i clean it. it could be a warmth thing! i wish my girls were as well behaved as yours... they're so hyper!! 


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## PeachPeach (Jun 22, 2012)

They're so cute! I'd say it just sounds like entertainment/boredom/instinct, especially if they haven't been in contact with any boy ratties.


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## Willieboo (Oct 22, 2012)

I think some rats just do that, haha. My one girl, LouLou, will nest with everything she thinks would be comfy to sleep on. You can't get away with soft litter, tissues, paper towels, or anything else like that because she will rip it out of your hand/wherever it is and shove it in her and her sister's nest obsessively. Mocha's never been the nesting rat on the other hand, but she enjoys watching Lou do all the work to make them a comfy bed and then profiting from it without any effort, haha.


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## Rat Princess (Jan 28, 2013)

They are cute! I had a girl once who refused to stay in her cage, and just lived in my moms room in a corner of clothes. She lived a pretty long life for being so crazy. lol. I never found her body though so she might have gotten out of the house. She was crazy and no cage could contain her, she always got out when it was night time or we werent around. At night she would come to eat and drink and I'd pet her and try to keep her in the cage but she'd always be gone the next morning. While my mom was cleaning the corner one day she found a huge rat's nest that Skynard had made out of clothes and blankets and everything she could find. It was crazy. I think nesting is a normal behavior for females. My other girl I had also nested, even when she wasn't pregnant, she'd steal paper towels and start nesting lol. At least she's getting exercise, and enjoying herself!


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## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

Gannyaan said:


> awww adorablee!!!! my babies dont like their cleaning time cage, so i usually let them run around while i clean it. it could be a warmth thing! i wish my girls were as well behaved as yours... they're so hyper!!
> 
> 
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Haha oh they are far from well behaved! They were just very sleepy at the time.


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## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

Okay side question, and this may sound a little weird or silly... if the nesting is hormonal, and she's doing it out of pure instinct to prepare for a litter, do you think they're sad when that doesn't happen? I don't plan on breeding of course, I have plenty of responsibility with the four I have- just wondering your thoughts on this.


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