Six-week-old rat is pregnant

6323 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by Hidden Walrus, Dec 9, 2012

Hidden Walrus

Discussion Starter · Dec 8, 2012 (Edited)

I adopted two sibling female rats after a petshop employee's own pet rats had an unintentional litter and was giving them away free (this is a fish store and does not usually sell rats at all). Ginger is a beige hooded standard-eared and Jade is a black dumbo with a white belly. They were only probably 5 weeks old and Ginger especially is very affectionate already while Jade is more timid.

But late last week, Ginger's stomach was noticeably round. Figuring she was just eating well, I didn't think much of it because she was so young.

But it grew rounder and rounder and as of today she looks as if she has swallowed a peach and I know she is pregnant. I know this will be hard on her at only 6-7 weeks old. I figure she'll give birth within a week now based on her swelling.

So, I am wondering how to minimize problems. Do I have to remove Jade from the cage? I have nowhere else to house her except in my main cage with my three adult females which do not like the new babies at all. The two little rats are so inseparable and so young still I was wondering if they could stay together through the process?

Also, how many pups are likely for such a young rat? I once had a litter of 14 babies and know even more are possible and do not think little Ginger could ever manage that many.

I've given her lots of extra protein in the form of dogfood and cooked chicken to help with the drain on her body and she so far seems okay, but I'm worried about once she starts nursing. Will she be able to care for the babies, being just a kid herself?

And what's worse is that she is carrying the high-white genes. Neither she, nor her mother whom I saw at the shop, nor Jade have any high-white markings, but the litter had only four males that could have impregnated her. One was beige and white like herself, but two of her brothers were black and white with blazes and one was completely white with just a black patch over one eye.

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lilspaz68

· #2 · Dec 9, 2012

Hidden Walrus said:
I adopted two sibling female rats after a petshop employee's own pet rats had an unintentional litter and was giving them away free (this is a fish store and does not usually sell rats at all). Ginger is a beige hooded standard-eared and Jade is a black dumbo with a white belly. They were only probably 5 weeks old and Ginger especially is very affectionate already while Jade is more timid.

But late last week, Ginger's stomach was noticeably round. Figuring she was just eating well, I didn't think much of it because she was so young.

But it grew rounder and rounder and as of today she looks as if she has swallowed a peach and I know she is pregnant. I know this will be hard on her at only 6-7 weeks old. I figure she'll give birth within a week now based on her swelling.

So, I am wondering how to minimize problems. Do I have to remove Jade from the cage? I have nowhere else to house her except in my main cage with my three adult females which do not like the new babies at all. The two little rats are so inseparable and so young still I was wondering if they could stay together through the process?

Also, how many pups are likely for such a young rat? I once had a litter of 14 babies and know even more are possible and do not think little Ginger could ever manage that many.

I've given her lots of extra protein in the form of dogfood and cooked chicken to help with the drain on her body and she so far seems okay, but I'm worried about once she starts nursing. Will she be able to care for the babies, being just a kid herself?

And what's worse is that she is carrying the high-white genes. Neither she, nor her mother whom I saw at the shop, nor Jade have any high-white markings, but the litter had only four males that could have impregnated her. One was beige and white like herself, but two of her brothers were black and white with blazes and one was completely white with just a black patch over one eye.

You have ruled out megacolon? Can you weigh her daily with a digital scale and record the weights? Can you also put up a pic?

Your little girl was she in with adult males or babies like herself?

I had a very young girl who was pregnant, she ended up having 8 healthy boys.

As for keeping her with her sister, its not ideal but in this case, with no maternity cage available (once they are born you are going to have to sort out a cage for the separation of the sexes) I think you can.

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Hidden Walrus

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 9, 2012

Guess what - false alarm. Today she is back to normal. The swollen belly has gone down completely, after swelling bigger and bigger over a weeks time. I hadn't even considered that she herself could have megacolon, I thought that showed itself at weaning and not at seven weeks, but since she got SO bloated only for it to suddenly reverse, maybe she could have it. I will have to keep a watch out for future problems, but so far she isn't constipated or having any difficulty going to the bathroom and is growing well.

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