Pregnant?

Question
QUESTION: I just got an adorable black and white dumbo from the pet shop, and i think
she may be pregnant.

My mom says that apparently there was a male in the cage with the females
and she got it anyway because she wanted to save her from being snake food,  
and we have great homes for all of the babies if she is pregnant.

Her nipples are showing pretty well and her tummy is protruding a little more
than her cage-mate.

I want to know if that sounds like she is pregnant, and if she is, any info
about pregnant rats including gestation period, nutrition, ect...

thanks for your time!

ANSWER: Hi Nicole

It does sound like she is pregnant!!  Do you know how old she is? The protruding nipples are a sure sign.
The loss of hair around the mother rats nipples will make it easier for the new babies to nurse, and usually this sign is seen about a week before babies are born. This can give you an indication of when to expect the pups.

There may be some changes in behavior as well. You may notice she is building a very elaborate nest and this is a sure sign that babies are on ther way.

         
Gestation is around 21 days but there is probably no way to know how far she really is. She can give birth anywhere from 1 or 2 pups up to 20 pups, with the norm being around 8 to 12 pups.  The younger the rat is, the smaller the litter. However, complications are possible regardless of the rats age so its a good idea that you have a vet lined up in case there are problems, a vet that is skilled in rat care is preferred.

As for nutrition, its not a bad idea to increase the mothers protein, and feed her veggies, fruits and some lean meats such a chicken.

Hope this helps some!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I gave her some paper towels and she's been ripping them up and building a
huge nest in the corner, her female, definitely non pregnant cage mate has
been watching her and playing peekaboo under the unused paper towels. :P


My question is, if she has babies, would it be good to remove her cagemate?
I've read somewhere that non pregnant female cagemates will sometimes
help care for them, is this true?


thanks!  

Answer
Sounds like she is starting to prepare for her babies soon!!
Just remember to use white paper towels, no cloth or terry cloth since the threads from the material may fray and get wrapped around the baby or even a limb and literally cause it to fall off!!   As for the other female, its a good idea to remove her once labor starts. In fact, its a good idea to have the pregnant female ready to go into an aquarium to have her pups since this keeps the pups warmer and free from drafts plus this also makes sure the pups cant get out through the cage bars.
As for the other female helping the new mom with the babies, this can occur, yes, but sometimes the new mom has severe  changes to her personality during pregnancy and a short time after that is hormone induced. Once she has the pups, her sweet disposition will return, dont worry....but in the meantime, she may be more aggressive and even fight with the other female, jealous that she may try to take her litter from her etc...
Do you have them in a cage with the bar spacing so small that new pups could not get through?  It is still advised to use a tank for the new mom and pups though....I would put the pregnant mom in it now, as soon as tomorrow, and provide her with a nesting box such as an igloo or some kind of hidey house and provide her with alot of white paper towels aaand watch her go to town. Increase her protein, using either kitten or puppy food. Once mom has the pups and is comfortable with them, since its critical that you handle the new pups a few days after birth in order to get them used to humans and to get them social, you can let the mom play with her cagemate outside the cage. Once the pups are older and getting around, you can put them together again.

Hope this helps!