prego mom

ok i have this rat this will be her first litter she is huge and ready to pop. when i have checked on her the past few time she is just layin on her back with her belly up she seems fine when i get near her she jumps up. is this normal i think she may be getting ready to go into labor.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dmaricle

ok i have this rat this will be her first litter she is huge and ready to pop. when i have checked on her the past few time she is just layin on her back with her belly up she seems fine when i get near her she jumps up. is this normal i think she may be getting ready to go into labor.

---

Sounds like it to me, i would leave her alone for a day or two just to be safe.

but you have seen this before? i guess i just never really paid attention.

well i get home from a night on the town and go in the snake room to find mice running across the floor some how one of the breeding tubs in my rack fell and they all got out i caught everyone but my 1 and only breeder male lol. oh and the prego rat has 9 live babies and i pulled out 1 still born i think she will produce more by morning.

well i wake up to still just 9 babies oh well she is a first time breeder i just thought she would have like 14 cause she was HUGE!!!

Mine lay belly up all the time. It seems to be relaxing? Sometimes they even lay like that when nursing.

10 babies is not a bad litter.

Hope you catch all your runaways..

Richard

I'm surprised sometimes how huge my mamas get and only have 9-10 babies. Good luck with you babies!

Yup, 9 live eepers isn't a bad litter. As far as the runaways, try the different live traps. Our cat will catch runaways and bring them to us without hurting them (well, besides scaring the living crap out of them). I guess it's all the "training" she had with "fetching" those fake mice... Lol.

all the babies are doing fine and me and my girl were sitting on the coutch watching tv and i looked up and there in the middle of the floor was our missing male i just walked up and picked him up he didnt run and actually seemed happy to be back with his ladies lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dmaricle

ok i have this rat this will be her first litter she is huge and ready to pop. when i have checked on her the past few time she is just layin on her back with her belly up she seems fine when i get near her she jumps up. is this normal i think she may be getting ready to go into labor.

---

That's a very normal position for a very pregnant rat to take. It often occurs for the last week or so of their gestation and I assume is just a comfie way for them to lie without squishing all those baby rats inside them. They will often lay that way too (I call it the "dead rat flop" LOL) and take a nap while their babies pile on them to nurse.