[New2rats]

Well, it is a long story you can read in my other posts, but the short of what I am wondering now is, could one of my new rats be pregnant? We have had them now for 4 days. The youngest is around 4/5 weeks, and I am pretty sure she was in heat already, hoppin' around like a spaz, and wiggling, (maybe just baby stuff, but I mean really spastic, lol, but the other one, the older one, is approx. 6 weeks I think, has me wondering. She sleeps at least twice as much as the other rat, but is healthly looking, and playful when she is awake. No signs of illness, just, very sleepy. Right now the younger one is playing downstairs and the older one is sleeping up stairs. When she was sound asleep earlier she suddenly jumped and squealed, looked around and then curled back up. Ratty dream? I'm worried because she is so young, it just can't be good for her if she is pregnant. I guess all I can really do is wait and see. Anyone have experience with rats this young? Could she just be missing a particular rat from her old mischief?

 

[Forensic]

My boys have generally been quite lazy. And I know some females do not display heat as vibrantly as others. Has she been nesting, gaining weight, does she have a belly?

 

[New2rats]

Well, gaining weight, dunno, only have a human scale, and she is growing tons right now anyway right? I put some paper towel shreds in there and she took it all and piled it on top of where they have been going potty, lol, what is she trying say? That my taste in paper towels stinks? No belly, I don't think, but given her age she can't be more than a week right? She is not as squishy as Bella but she's not rotund by any means. I'll keep watching her, over the next week it should be more apparent, that or she will go into heat right? Sigh, I hate waiting.

 

[New2rats]

We just had them out for some playtime, and she really didn't want to come out. I know she is new and still getting use us, she will usually let me pet her in the cage, but really doesnt like to be picked up. I picked her out first in the store because she came to me and crawled up my arm and curled up on me, now she doesn't want me to touch her, but she will take treats. Nothing has happen, we've been gentle and handled them at least twice a day. After playtime she went into the cage drank a lil and then went to a corner and was peacefully sound asleep within minutes, like she was just all tuckered out.

 

[Forensic]

Is it possible to get her to a vet? They could check for any illness that you may not notice and pregnancy at the same time?

 

[New2rats]

Yes I'm thinking about it, they need new ratty check ups anyway,

 

[Forensic]

Hopefully it's nothing. *crosses fingers*

 

[New2rats]

Well, I've come to the opinion that she is not. I did call the store tho and asked if they ever kept males and females together and the answer I got was, "not usually." I don't like the answer, but I don't think she is preggers either. Maybe just a lil chunky. Like Ozzy How ever new post on health forum...

 

[lilspaz68]

If she truly is 6 weeks old then there's a very good chance she is not pregnant. Babies have 2 speeds, Off or Zoom... so any extra sleeping is probably normal. Sounds like you have 2 growing girls on your hands.

 

[New2rats]

 

[New2rats]

I'm sorry if I seem to be asking obvious/trivial stuff, but being new to rats, I'm not use to what normal behavior is. I don't know I should just continue this under behavior, but since I'm here anyway I'll ask. Now earlier this evening, I tried to take Serena out for play time. She wouldn't have it. That rat did not want to come out and even got a lil nippy. I put some food in the cage and she began to DEVOUR it. I give a full rattie bowl of suebees and 3 blocks per rat a day (that not enough?) Poor Bella, kept gettin pushed aside, but she got some good stuff too. Serena ate at least twice as much as Bella,(maybe thats why she's my lil chunky monkey hmm?) Then they went their separate ways as Serena hasn't seemed to have much patience for Bella today. I noticed a lil while later that Serena was tugging at a towel I keep on top of her cage, fiersly! I decided to rip up some paper towel and give it to her. Boy, thats exactly what she wanted. She took it all up to the hammock in the top, and fought every last of it away from Bella. Then she chased Bella away from the hammock! Didn't look much like the playing they have done in previous days, she meant business! I'm pretty sure Bella has an honest bite or two on her tail and chest. Nothing serious, but poor Bella Aside from occasionally wrestling they have pretty much stayed away from one another and Bella seems lonely. She keeps going to sleep alone in the corner that is the closest she can get to me. (which of course I then get her out and put her back when I think she has to go potty.) Is Serena just antisocial? Their personalities and quirks are amazing tho and so very different!

 

[dragonegg]

I've been having the same problem with my two new girls. I had them for two weeks and they were in with boys at the pet store (I was told that they were too young to be pregnant, but then the pet store girl picked the rats up by the tail, too. So what do they know?).

Anyway, my two rats are as different from each other as night and day. The bigger one sleeps all the time and hardly ever wants to come out to play and the other is hyper, social, and loving and always wants to play.

I've been worried that the sleepy one is either sick or pregnant, but she's seems healthy and vital enough when she's up. And I guess I'll find out about the pregnant part soon enough.

 

[New2rats]

8O lol, sounds exactly the same. The lady I talked with also picked them up by the tail, I said "I've heard that hurts them" and she said, "no it doesn't," well, I consoled myself know that at least my two babies would never again be held by their tails. We'll just wait together She is driving me nuts, lmao, I can't decide from minute to another whether she is or not, but she is seriously nesting, and I can kind see where her nipples are now, (couldn't tell before,) however she and her sister are getting slone much better today, actually saw them cuddling,

 

[New2rats]

Update: It's been 14 days since we got them, and Serena has not gotten any rounder. When she sat in my hand yesterday with her tummy to my palm, I had a good chance to be able to tell that there was nothing moving in there, and even if she got pregnant the day we got her we would feel/see something by now, so I'd say we're in the clear. She still hates being picked up, but she will brux and let me pet her.