# Potential pregnancy?



## Elaneyse (Mar 29, 2012)

So, I posted on the behaviour boards about my new female Lemmiwinks, who I took from my local pet shop. I asked them a lot of questions about the two rats they had. Lady working there was really pleasant and really seemed to know her stuff, told me they were both 3 1/2 months old and hand-reared by their breeder (seemed correct since the first one I took home last week was very bright and friendly from the word go).
Lemmiwinks has been home two days now and even with Zoidberg's coaching she is very, very quiet. She sleeps literally all day and night, breaking only to eat, and I've noticed her taking food from the dish and moving it to her nest (which she refuses to share with Zoidberg). She doesn't curl in a ball either, she stretches herself out flat and I have noticed she is a considerable bit bigger around the tummy than Z is, although when she stretches out it is barely noticable. When I approach her to stroke her, she literally stops dead, ears back and shivers while I touch her. She'll happily approach and take liquid food from my hand though. I know it could just be shyness, but with the nesting and eating alone, as well as the obvious size difference for two littermates of the same age I'm really concerned. Any advice?


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## katkandy (Mar 3, 2012)

is zoidberg a boy? were they kept together at the pet store?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Can you weigh her? Its best to weigh suspected pregnant females...every day at the same time each day,and record the weights. A very significant daily weight gain is pregnancy. Have you thought of what you would do if she was pregnant?


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## Elaneyse (Mar 29, 2012)

No, Zoidberg is a girl as well, they were alone in the cage together at the pet store, but I can't speak for before that! She seems to be coming around now so I guess I'll wait and see!

I'd help her raise them and then see about suitable homes, a few friends are hoping to take same-sex pairs if she is


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## Iheartroxyrat (Feb 22, 2012)

souns like she might be prego to me. my doe just barely had pups a week ago and she didnt balloon out until three days before the birth. but i could see and feel the pups moving around it was so cute! bad news was my doe decided she didnt want any of the 14 pups and she burried them. i had to force her to nurse them and i still lost 8 of the babies the first three days, its been so much work and very stressful for all involved. shes finally taking care of the last five but it was a fight and a half! if you go and read all my Roxy threads it was pretty crazy! haha, its not common for that to happen tho, rats are great moms usually and can do way better then a human to raise their pups. i had to feed all of them every 3 hours, wipe their bums til they pottied, cleaned with a warm towel and keep them at about 100 degrees when not with momma  they are so cute and big now!! anyways good luck with your rat! just make sure if is to seprate her from the cage mate and give her lots of bedding materials ect


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