Is She Pregnant? *WARNING* graphic details

[kelsey514]

This is my new girl Misty, formerly known as Timothy. Technically, I'm fostering her til her pregnancy watch is over on May 17th and I can adopt her. She was seperated from her brother on April 26th when they discovered she's a girl! I'm only asking out of curiousity because I've never seen a pregnant rat - the experts at the rescue will be getting back to me to let me know what they think as well. Just kind of killing time while I wait for Theodor to come out of hiding!! :gaah:
Top two from yesterday

This afternoon

 

[DadRat]

I'm gonna go with yes, she is indeed preggers.

 

[KayleeBby]

Definitely pregnant!!

Also, she is gorgeous! *steals!*

 

[kelsey514]

Wow! I can't believe I'm gonna have babies! LOL

Thanks I've only had her for three days and I heard she's really snuggly. Apparently she's too uncomfortable to be picked up right now, but she LOVES scritches more than any rat I've ever known.

 

[KayleeBby]

too me, its looks like she has about a week too go

 

[kelsey514]

I was thinking that too by reading through some information...but that would make her pregnancy 23 days even if she got pregnant on the last day they were together! That seems strange to me. I don't have a very accurate scale because I wasn't expecting this but she weighed about 10oz on Tuesday and is possibly 10.25 tonight. She's only 2.5 months old.

 

[Dazzle87]

Like with people, the times vary a bit. She could well be due very soon though, some rats show in the belly more than others.

Do you have her in a maternity cage yet?

 

[kelsey514]

I will get her in there today, now that I have a second (third fourth) opinion I know that I should put white bedding in with a light hidey house so no babies get squished. Anything else I should know right away? I'll be doing more research tonight and getting advice from the rescue.

Problem is, I'm using that cage to try and catch Theodor right now, but that's OK, I can use the cat carrier for him. I'll just put his used bedding into it.

 

[lilspaz68]

I don't use houses for expectant mom's now...I give them a ton of nesting material (fleece and quality white paper towel) to make nests, but no box to hide in. Its harder to check and see if anythings wrong, etc...

what white bedding would you be using? If its paper-based have you frozen it for 48 hours? Having a mom and litter with mites and lice is just awful.

 

[KayleeBby]

a friend uses a cage like this and gives her mums as much shredded plain white paper as they want, but not enough to lose them in it

 

[kelsey514]

I'll probably go pick up some white stretchy tshirts or some white fleece, I don't like using paper very much. If it was regular white shredded printer paper would that still need to be frozen?

 

[AshleyRayeRats]

With my foster mom rat, I used scraps of polar fleece and shredded paper towel. I would think regular white printer paper wouldn't be very soft and cozy.

I had a small box (with only three side and the top open) for my momma to corral her babies in. I completely cleaned the cage and replaced the fleece/paper towel at least once a day.

Good luck with your mommy! Here's to easy labor and a small litter!

 

[kelsey514]

Ack! It was nap time here and towards the end a bunch of squeeking woke me up....BABIES! Guess where...On top of the cube which Misty has so courageously staked as her own since day 1. It's way up high and I'm afraid to even move the babies out of it, I know I have to though. Ahhhh....

 

[lilspaz68]

Ohh dear!!!

First put piles of soft cushy papertowels below the cube...then offer her the back of your hand, she may nip or even bite to protect her newborns. Let's hope she had the babies then moved them up there afterwards.

Remove any hammocks, ramps and levels if you can, and then put everyone back.

 

[kelsey514]

She was still in girls' cage! She definitely *had* them on the cube, she literally never left it since I brought her home Monday. I even had to hold her next to the water bottle to get her to drink. She was still eating the placenta when I woke up! (was praying it was not a baby til I could get a better look lol)
I fixed up her own cage, kind of folded up the cube and detached it from the top very carefully. I put it in the cage

OMG SHES EATING THEM WHAT DO I DO

 

[lilspaz68]

She was still in girls' cage! She definitely *had* them on the cube, she literally never left it since I brought her home Monday. I even had to hold her next to the water bottle to get her to drink. She was still eating the placenta when I woke up! (was praying it was not a baby til I could get a better look lol)
I fixed up her own cage, kind of folded up the cube and detached it from the top very carefully. I put it in the cage

OMG SHES EATING THEM WHAT DO I DO

She's not eating them, the babies are likely dead and she's "cleaning up". Its very sad but very natural.

 

[kelsey514]

They're all alive and wiggly. THey look fine to me.

 

[lilspaz68]

They're all alive and wiggly. THey look fine to me.

then she's cleaning the placenta off of them? You would see corpses if she was actually eating them.
Just relax and try not to disturb her just in case she's in the middle of birthing.

You moved them all into their own cage now?

 

[victoria]

How are they doing now?

 

[kelsey514]

one hour ago:
Yes I moved them into their own cage.

but I know that I saw at least 6 living breathing babies with eyes and tails and now there are only three.

thank you for replying I'm not trying to be a jerk, just sad

just now:
They are all gone