Family getting larger. Several questions.

[luvboyrats]

Okay, I posted last week that I thought that one or both of our girls that we rescued from a friend (not a friend after what I saw) may be pregnant. Lucy the PEW had been kept with her six week old off spring, and Genie our black berk had been kept with adult males in one big cage!

Anyway, this week it's obvious, either one of those alien thingies from the movies is about to burst out of Genie or she is very preggers. But the only sign I've seen so far is the pear shape and weight gain. She's not defensive or aggressive, she hasn't groomed hair away from the nipples, she's still climbing and jumping, and she doesn't appear to be nesting, though oddly enough Lucy seems to be nesting for her. Lucy has been gathering every thing soft into one spot, storing food in the nest instead of eating it and trying to get Genie to store some instead of eating it all. She even used her teeth to cut down the hammock Genie loves and added it to the nest, very odd.

So here are my questions. One, how long do we have before babies? Two, should we separate Lucy and Genie or leave them together because Lucy appears to be helping? (by the way they have flipped eachother on their backs a few times to prove dominance but no real fighting). Also, should I be worried about Genie's maternal instincts since she's not nesting or preparing to nurse yet? The previous owner said that when she was younger she ate the baby of another rat. Does this mean she's likely to do this to her own babies?

Oh, also, I have been feeding them mazuri rat lab blocks and supplementing with puppy milk bones broken in half and two tables spoons of the soft canned puppy food once or twice a week. I've also upped their water. Lucy has actually lost weight because she seems to be storing most of the food for Genie, so I think Genie's getting most of it. Is there anything else I should be doing?

[laydeerodentzz]

hmmm, this ones a bit confusing for me. If I were you I'd let them stay in the same cage as Lucy is probably just being like Genie's nurse, i've not a big knowledge on the breeding process, although I know that, yes some ratties will eat their babies, but it's quite rare and also other female rats will act like a second mum and help out with the babies too.

[fatratwitdachee]

be carefull lucy may try to steal her pups and raise them on her own cuz you did say she was just with a litter when you got her?
anyway it might be ok to leave them together just watch for fighting over the babies.

[mulder]

i would think it's okay to keep the girls together. i remember vanrat mentioning that they'll help each other. i've no idea why she's not nesting herself, but she may just figure it out soon enough. she may not feel it's "time" yet to hoard and nest. i don't think she'd eat her babies since she's certainly not stressed in any way. but again, not totally sure, just my educated guess. it's good you're feeding well with extra protien. i'm not sure of ratty gestation, but best wishes for new babies!

[luvboyrats]

Some of these questions have actually been answered by time. We expect the babies any second because Genie's gotten twice as big in the last two days, also we have separated them because Genie has finally started to nest and when she did, she and lucy started fighting over where the nest should be and what should be in it, just minor tussles, Genie has actually remained very sweet, but still I figured it was more stress than she needed. Thanks for the advice, though, I'll post pics as soon as we have little ratties!

[BrokenEclipse]

Hehehe, good luck with yours!
My Eclipse had her litter today! I wasn't expecting it for another 2 or 3 days, so i wasn't 100% prepared. I had a ventilated tank prepared for her already, but she was in her nomal cage with the other 2 girls, Sugar and ButterScotch and i hadn't separated her yet. And she had the babies on the top floor and 2 of the babies heads were sticking out the bars!
Luckily Eclipse was still so loving to me as always and let me pick the babies up carefully and transfer them to the new clean tank where her nest is in a little house!
Clippy (Eclipse) only made her nest on the last minute and i was worrying so much as if to whether she would eat her babies, or reject them or not feed them but she is being a wonderful mother and ive checked the milkbands on all the rats and they are all being well fed!
Good luck with your litter, hope it goes smoothly!