# Nervous pregnant rat



## Mama (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum, I got a rat two weeks ago from a petstore, it was kind of an impulse buy, I love animals and never had a rat before. So the rats at this petstore were in a male cage and a female cage, I got a male as I heard males are often more laid back than females (at this point I was not aware that rats are better kept in pairs) after I bought him I did tons of research, and planned to get him a companion. I left him alone for the first day, and then started to hand feed him treats and pet him, he was very nervous so I went slow, after a couple days he would crawl into a hat and let me pick him up that way. So a couple days later he decided to crawl out of the hat onto my arm, and he kinda got at a angle from which I saw for the first time that he was definatley a she. So then I was like uh-oh...she was three months old kept in a cage with at least 5 males. Well, now the past couple days she's been looking like she swallowed two golf balls with her sides bulging out, and she can't jump up on her igloo very well anymore. So I'm assuming she's pregnant and will be giving birth within the week or so. I hadn't gotten very far with the trust training before it started becoming fairly obvious that she was pregnant, she's alright with me petting her for a little while and she will explore my hand when it's in the cage she's never bitten me except those little exploratory nibbles, I guess my question is- is it alright if I don't really mess with her very much untill after she has her babies and is finished nursing, and then resume trying to get her used to being picked up? I just don't want to stress her out before she has her babies, but I feel bad for not taking her out, especially since she has no companion.


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## meekosan (Dec 23, 2011)

Hi! First can I ask that you try to use paragraphs and some more punctuation. You post was really difficult for me to follow and needed to reread it a couple times to register it all.

Next, I didn't even know my girl was pregnant when I got her. She didn't look like she was about to give birth when she actually did. I found the babies when I went to clean the cage but I handled her regularly, got her to still trust me. Just try to be a little extra careful when you handle her around her belly but I've found that she was very resilient and strong girl.

I feel that my continuing trust and bonding times with Abby helped that she didn't go after me when I went to move her babies. Though there was still always that chance that she would protect them from me but a little trust of her to you can go a long way. Just because she is pregnant doesn't mean she doesn't want or deserve the same love and affection you would have given her before. Give her extra yummies like baby food and yogurt (protein!) and keep the cage clean, neat, a little nesting box for her, and fresh food and water so that she can be strong and healthy for her young now and after they are born.

Hopefully others will have better advice.


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## Kinsey (Jun 14, 2009)

First off, make sure she is in a tank or bin to give birth, a cage is not safe for the babies. And give her protein, lots of it.

That aside, you can handle her, but leave her be for a couple of days. She will want breaks from the babies, so let her out to play every day while you check them over, and handle them. You will need to hold the babies daily, starting from a couple of days old. (leave them before that, just because mom is not used to people)

When you let momma rat out, feed her yoghurt and oatmeal and baby food and things like that. Then sit with her for a while. If you are nice to her she will like you eventually. 

Don't keep her out for more than a half hour until the babies get bigger.


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## Mama (Jan 30, 2012)

Thanks guys, I apologize for the lack of structure in my post 

I have her in a large plastic bin with a wire top and paper towels as bedding, she has a nest box and plenty of food and water at all times. I've been giving her yogurt, baby food is a good idea, I don't know why I didn't think of that.

I have been able to take her out and sit with her on my bed and in the bathtub before, She seems like she's gotten a lot more weary of comming out since she's been getting further along, I'm very gentle when I try to pick her up, but she squeeks and squirms in protest. I haven't been trying to pick her up lately, but I spend a lot of time sitting with the lid off of the bin talking to her and petting her, giving her treats.

I've taken care of baby gerbils and rabbits and their mothers before, I'm fairly confident in my abilities, I've just never had rats before.


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