# Gave a home to a pregnant rattie



## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Ok so I need to say this first, before anything else. I was thinking of breeding my rat, with a friend of mine, but I decided against it, since I had no solid proof of the backgrounds etc. just saying this since I was THINKING of it on another forum  but enough of that! 

So I decided to give a home to a rat who needed a home, and she is most likely pregnant. She had been housed with a BEW male, because the old owner thought she was a boy... She is almost an exact copy of my dumbo agouti moxy, except the new comer, has more white on her belly.
So now I have her, she is the most gentle thing ever! She loves to give kisses and licks :3
I am a bit worried however, since she looks about the same size as my 3-4month old girls. I weighed her with my amazing salad weight, and yesterday it said she was 242g, and today it says 252g, is that normal?
I have never weight ratties before, so im not quite sure if thats pregnancy growth, or something else.
Also, she doesnt look like she has swallowed a tennisball yet either. so fingers crossed for the best.

The girl (refering her as a girl, because i havent figured out a cute name for her yet  ) and the male bew spent together half a week, so is there a chance that she is not pregnant? 

I have raised couple litters from accidents before, so I know how to handle, I just have a hard time figuring out if she is pregnant or not. 

It wasnt really in my plans to get a pregnant rat right now, but I just had to give her a home.


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

There's a chance if they spent 10 seconds together. 

Weight gain of roughly 10 grams a day is what I was seeing with my doe. That's an average - might be 8, might be 15, (towards the end), point being it's a steady trend of daily gain. She didn't look like a tennis ball until the last few days. Keep weighing her for several days at the same time of day and you should have a very good idea.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

see if she gains weight each day or an average increase. Knowing from many snake people, just because they were together doesn't mean they will get pregnant. many of them have had a male and female together for 2 months with out babies, while with others its 2 seconds and she's pregnant. some females are just more picky, so just because she was housed with a male doesn't mean she is automatically pregnant. just keep weighing her.


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Yeah, I will 
Its a bit scary to see suchs a tiny rat pregnant though. She isnt super tiny, but she isnt fully grown either...


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

I'd say you're about right with your age estimate, and it is very young, but she may do just fine. They can also reabsorb a litter the same way rabbits can if they're too stressed. If her weight goes up steadily then drops sharply a few days in a row, that's probably what happened.


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## kazine (Jun 19, 2012)

Sorry, I was reading this and wanted to know... Reabsorb a litter? What does that mean?

Kaz x


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

It literally means exactly what it says - a doe can reabsorb her litter, or take them back into her body, if you will. It's kind of like a miscarraige. 

More here: http://ratguide.com/breeding/pregnancy/determining_pregnancy.php


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

So I have been weighing her everyday, at the sametime, and im wondering what you guys think of her weight gain, is it normal, does it seem like she might be pregnant?

242g
252g
258g
265g
and 266g today


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

Yep, I think it's possible. Keep weighing, and watch her for other signs like nesting. You can give her paper towel to do that with, she'll take care of the rest.  

It looks like she may have plateaued a bit from yesterday to today - if that stays the same or her weight starts to go down, you probably won't have the litter. I've had two do that and I believe it was from the stress of moving to a new place and/or their little bodies just weren't in shape to carry a litter to term. 

Meantime, you can feed her extra protein, (eggs, chicken, etc), and keep her bedding clean, (leave any nest area she builds), because once she has the litter you won't be able to do a good cleaning for a bit.


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Just some update  She went from 266g to 270, and today she was 278g

I also got a nasty bite on my finger!


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

LOL - A little rattitude, huh?  Is she working on a nest, kind of frantic like?


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Yep 

And yes, she has been building nests, but then again she still doesnt look like she has swallowed a tennisball. I think its the 11th, or 12th day of her pregnancy. The woman bought her on friday the 29th, last month, mistook it as a boy, but it in her boys cage, and on the 4th of this month I got her after she realised it was a girl. 
Im a bit concerned as when to put her in the "nursery" cage, a modified storage bin. Since Im not sure when she is going to pop. If she was pregnant already before she went to the woman, I probably should put her in the nursery now, but if it happened at her place, and if she was honest about the date she got her etc, then she is half wayish.
So would it be bad for her to spend 10~ days alone in a nursery, or should I just keep her with my other girls until closer time?

In the past when I gave home to the other pregnant ratties they already were showing the tennisball shape, and all, and one of them accidentally gave birth in the big cage, and I had to carefully move her, and the hammock she popped in to the nursery cage


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Oh, and I dont want the little girlie to give birth into the big cage, since I have 7 other girls in there ( critter nation cage), and I dont want anyone to get hurt


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## CarrieD (Nov 20, 2011)

I wouldn't move her until I absolutely had to, it will stress her. I think I might split the CN, and leave her with a particular pal, if she has one, or maybe even two. The others will be a little crowded, but it won't be for long.


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

The CN is currently split, since I have 2 older ladies there waiting for a rabbit cage to arrive. They cant be housed with the younger ones because they fight and draw blood.
so that is not really an option yet.

Also im not sure leaving a friend for her would be smart, what if she attacks her friends, or the friends steal babies? I think best option is to let her be alone with the babies. so I should keep her in the big cage until she is almost ready to pop, and then move to the bin? or?


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

everything has so far gone great. Shes eating properly, and active.
Now I got a cage for a bargain that is the size of 72 x 44 x 43 cm , it has very small bar width, so babies cant come out either. Should I use that for the rat momma as a nursery, or a modified storage bin?


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

Storage bins are better.

Babies can and will catch their legs and head and such in the bars. Use the cage when they get a bit bigger.

And, do not keep her with other rats when she births.


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Alrighty 
I just want everything to go smooth, so better to ask than be sorry 
She has started to show a little, and she weights 307g now  im going to stop weighing her since I dont want her to get stressed out


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Another update.

No babies yet, but she decided that she wanted to get out of her nursery tub. So I put her in small cage, with no levels, and plenty to build.
She is huge! her belly is like she has eaten a tennisball, so in couple days, she should pop.

Also, during her little escape from her nursery, she hurt her front paws middle finger, but she isnt making big deal of it. She came through the wire we had modified the cage with, and I guess she hurt her paw there. Luckily not badly.
Im getting all stressed out for her, since ive grown so fond of her. I just hope everything goes well. 
If my estimate of her pregnancy is right, this is her 19th, or 20th day, so 3/4 days to go... eep


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## Nenn (Nov 13, 2007)

Went and posted on a wrong topic earlier like an idiot. I need to sleep more ><! but was too terrified and excited for the babies to be born, so... sleep was .. not that great.

Anyway, my girl gave birth today, on 22/07/2012 to 10 babies, well 11 but one was stillborn.
She is being a good mommy, posted piccies on the meet my rat 

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?50130-Babies-are-here-Born-today!-)&p=419544#post419544


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