Failed live feeding (rat got smart)

[Argentum]

So, update:

• Lucky is now pet Lucky and has a three-story cage (Merry manor)
• I thought Lucky was a boy, got her a boy cage mate from the pet store feeder bin (tried to look for a rescue/breeder but found none). Albino rat now named Snowy
• After seeing Snowy's package, I realize Lucky is a girl
• Now I have a girl and boy rat, both named, with nowhere to 'return' them without basically signing their death warrant. So I'm looking for a home for them. Harder than it looks.

This may be a cruel option but if Lucky does end up pregnant I wonder if the pet store would take her back and keep her alive as a feeder mom. That sounds horrible thinking about it but it feels like doing nothing means soon I'll have a bunch of baby rats.

In other news, my snake just successfully shed. Maybe that also played into why he didn't properly take Lucky in the first palce.

It's usually pretty easy to tell males from females as soon as they start to mature, but... well, now that you've seen, you know exactly what I mean for future reference. If you have one of each, you will very quickly have many of both. Either be prepared to feed the offspring to your reptiles, or separate them! There is no such thing as platonic relationships in rodents, and if left together you'll have pups born litter upon litter, which isn't good for the female. When I was breeding, I always made sure to cycle females away from the males as soon as they were confirmed pregnant, and give them at least two months in a 'sorority cage' after they weaned the pups, before they went back with a male. Otherwise, they'll be pregnant again as soon as they've given birth.