Is my rat pregnant?

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Louise

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Hello!
I have two rats, Mabel and Margaret. When I first got them I thought they were boys, because the pet store told me they were. I got them in March and they were a few months old, and it took me a really long time to figure out that they were girls. During this time I let my rats hang out with my friend's rats who are actually boys. Naturally once we figured out mine weren't boys we stopped doing this. But since then Mabel has put on some weight and I'm a little concerned that she's pregnant. I'm thinking about taking her to the vet but is there any way I can tell for sure? Like behavior wise, or something? Also if she is pregnant, anything I need to know or do?She's a very good girl (they both are) and I don't want anything to go wrong!

(I can provide pictures too, but not right now)
 
Okay. The reason I ask is that the gestation period for rats is about three weeks. If she’s pregnant, she’s probably bordering on spherical by now.

Back when I got Hannah, complete with an oops litter already on board, she didn’t start changing her behaviour until the day before she gave birth. She suddenly went into Hyper-nest Mode. No scrap of Kleenex was safe! Prior to that, though, she just seemed to be putting on weight much more rapidly than her companion. You might not notice any behavioural changes until she’s nearly ready to give birth.

When you say she’s put on weight, is it squishy weight or lumpy weight? Is it evenly distributed? Does it seem localized to her midsection?
 
It's very much localized to her tummy region, and quite squishy.

Okay. The reason I ask is that the gestation period for rats is about three weeks. If she’s pregnant, she’s probably bordering on spherical by now.

Back when I got Hannah, complete with an oops litter already on board, she didn’t start changing her behaviour until the day before she gave birth. She suddenly went into Hyper-nest Mode. No scrap of Kleenex was safe! Prior to that, though, she just seemed to be putting on weight much more rapidly than her companion. You might not notice any behavioural changes until she’s nearly ready to give birth.

When you say she’s put on weight, is it squishy weight or lumpy weight? Is it evenly distributed? Does it seem localized to her midsection?
It's very much localized to her tummy region, and quite squishy.
 
oboy :oops: I feel for you.. Damn pet stores! that happens Way too often...
Will your friend with the boys take the baby boys when they are 5 wks old while you look for good homes? You don't want to take the babies to the pet store...
 
oboy :oops: I feel for you.. Damn pet stores! that happens Way too often...
Will your friend with the boys take the baby boys when they are 5 wks old while you look for good homes? You don't want to take the babies to the pet store...
If you post a few pictures of her belly, we will be able to let you know
If you post a few pictures of her belly, we will be able to let you know
These are the best I can get for now. Such a squirmy girl!
 

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UPDATE!!!!
Mabel was pregnant! She had her babies last night at like 7:00 pm. I wasn't there when it happened, but my friend was and apparently she didn't react like at all. I've counted about 14, but it's hard to tell. Mama Mabel seems in excellent spirits, and the babies are all alive and very squeaky!
So do I need to do anything to help her in the next few days?
Can she see her sister? I think Margaret really misses her and I feel bad!
I will post pictures if anyone wants to see!

Also if anyone in the Olympia/Lacey/Seattle/Tacoma area would like a few babies or know someone who might, please tell me immediately! I'm out of town this summer and I only have accommodations for my two original girls, and I want to make sure all the lil beans have homes before I leave!
 
Wow! Great job Mabel! Mine had 16 babies almost 2 1/2 years ago now so I feel for you. I believe that they can only feed 12 or so babies at a time so you will have to check for white bands that show that they have milk in their little tummies. My mama rat was amazing at feeding and didn’t rest the first few days, so I took the babies out of her cage every now and then to make sure she got a break. When I took them out, I put them in a container lined with paper towel on top of a heating pad on low to keep them warm. My rat was very calm about the babies being taken away but would grab them from me when I brought them back to her but yours might not like you taking them, in that case I would leave them alone. In general I think rats are pretty calm about their babies.

I love baby rat pictures so if you feel like posting them and updating, please do! It’s crazy how fast they grow and how quickly they get fur and open their eyes!

Some of the babies might not make it through the next few weeks. It’s good to be prepared that it could happen so I just wanted to make sure that you were aware.

I only had one female at the time and can’t personally comment on putting another adult in with the babies so I would wait for someone’s advice who has more experience but I think it might be alright to let her visit with mama and babies or mama alone when the babies are away if she shows no agression when you first try it.
 
So glad that mama and babies are doing well. Congrats!!

Rats have 12 nipples (some only have 10) so as previously mentioned by Luna&Ralph, you will need to check for milk bellies (a white strip in their abdomen as for a few days you will be able to see the milk in their tummies.

Give mama strips of paper towel for nest building and remove everything from the cage that contains threads (threads can wind around little limbs or necks cutting off blood flow), get rid of hammocks, baskets and basically any high places mom could carry babies because they could fall. What is she in, if it is a cage, make sure that there is no possible way that a baby could get between the bars

The mama will need breaks from the babies - at first the breaks will be very short but can increase in time as the babies get older ...... you can take mama out to visit briefly with her sister while you check the babies for milk bellies and do any cage cleaning.
Continue to feed mama a healthy diet.
There are a number of threads on here about pregnant rescues and their babies

Here is some info re development: http://ratguide.com/breeding/baby_development/birth_to_weaning.php

Baby boys are separated from their mama and sisters at 5 weeks. Baby girls stay with their mama and sisters until at least 6 weeks and never need to be separated. Babies shouldn't be adopted out until at least 6 weeks old.

If you are looking for homes, here is some info: https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/rehoming-a-rat-or-accidental-litter-things-to-consider.22990/ and only adopt out in same sex pairs or same sex groups ..... babies need to go to new homes with at least one of their siblings as babies need another baby to play with and being taken away from their mama and siblings is pretty traumatic (rats normally live in huge family groups).

and btw, we looove pics, especially baby pics
 
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I'm so glad Mabel is fine. Congrats Grandma & Mabel (in spite of the circumstances), thank goodness Margaret isn't also pregnant, eh?
Have you tried putting Margaret with Mabel & the babies - closely watched of course - to see how Mabel feels about it and how Margaret is with the babies? Since Mabel & Margaret are bonded they might all be fine together, could even take some pressure off Mabel to have Aunty Margaret helping out..
 
Here are some picture!
I let Miss Margaret see Mabel and her babies. Margaret is more interested in the food in Mabel's nest than the babies so
that's good. I read that you're not supposed to handle the pups until they are 5 days old or the mom might reject them, but i didn't read that until after I picked all of them up to count them, should I worry about that, or is that not true? Mama Mabel doesn't seem to care though so it's probably fine.
Thanks for those links, they seem very helpful!
 

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Congratulations!

Seconding Fidget's idea. Back when Hannah had her litter, she and Midian stayed together because trying to separate them drove them both up the wall. Auntie Midian was much-loved by all eleven babies. They practiced nest-building on top of her, and she was so patient with the wee eepers. If your girls are bonded, odds are good they'll do well as a family. A great biiiig family.
 
Here are some picture!
I read that you're not supposed to handle the pups until they are 5 days old or the mom might reject them, but i didn't read that until after I picked all of them up to count them, should I worry about that, or is that not true? Mama Mabel doesn't seem to care though so it's probably fine.

I hadn't heard that. Some of it may depend on the rat. Hannah started bringing her babies over to me when I got home from work the night she gave birth, wanting to introduce the young 'uns. Many folks handle their babies within a day or two of birth in order to get them used to human contact and being handled.
 
Just noticed the pics. It might be a good idea to give her some nesting material-- Kleenex, paper towels, cloth, something to build with. The kids are lying on the bare floor right now.
 
No worries, mom won't reject them because of you touching them. As SqeakingJellybean said, mom's comfort with you handling them will depend on mom's temperament and her relationship with you, the worst mom will do is bite you if she doesn't want you touching them. It'll be fine!
Just keep checking for milk bands as Luna&Ralph said.. Good mommy, Mabel!
 
I hadn't heard that. Some of it may depend on the rat. Hannah started bringing her babies over to me when I got home from work the night she gave birth, wanting to introduce the young 'uns. Many folks handle their babies within a day or two of birth in order to get them used to human contact and being handled.
Awww Hannah! That's so pure!!
Just noticed the pics. It might be a good idea to give her some nesting material-- Kleenex, paper towels, cloth, something to build with. The kids are lying on the bare floor right now.
I tried to, she seems to want them on the floor! Next time she leaves, I'll sneak some toilet paper or something in there.
 
She may want them on the floor if it's too hot in the room. Could be a temperature control thing. Still, having some available to her would be a good plan-- she may change her mind, after all, or the babies might want to play in it as they get older and more mobile.
 
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