My hairless rats

Question
Hi my name is Amanda.....I was given 2 hairless rats for my 14 birthday and my brother sleeps with me in my room because he is little and we were just about to go to bed and we heard a noise coming from their cage....we turned on the light and come to find my hairless rats mating! It was a complete shock to me and i was wondering if they had babies how long would it take until they are born.....Because im in high school marchong band and i go away alot so if you could e-mail me back as fast as possible i would be so greatfull.....thank you so much..\
                 with love and respect,
                        Amanda

Answer
 Are you certain your rats are a girl and a boy?  It should be very obvious if they are each a different gender, especially with hairless rats.  If so, separate them immediately.  Sometimes rats of the same gender will perform mating behaviours, if they are both the same gender it is nothing to worry about but if they are male and female and you saw them mating there is a very good change the female is pregnant.  There is still a chance, though, that she isn't, so make sure you separate them so she doesn't get pregnant in the future.  You may want to get your male neutered or your female spayed so they can live together later on.

 The female is pregnant for about 23 days before giving birth.  It is VERY important to separate her from the male before then, as they can get pregnant again right after giving birth and this second pregnancy is hard on both her body and both litters of babies, plus you'll end up with twice as many rats to find homes for!

 For more information about pregnancy, delivery, and the growth stages of baby rats please visit my website at http://careguide.evergreenrattery.com/breeding.html and if you have any further questions please don't hesitate to ask!  Good luck with your rats!