How to Care for a Pregnant Pet Rat

Female rats have strong instincts and know how to take care of themselves when they are pregnant, if they are given the necessary supplies to do so. They need extra food and nesting material and they require more privacy than usual.

Things You'll Need

• An extra cage (if you have multiple rats in one cage)
• Nesting materials: paper towels, unscented toilet paper, soft fabric
• High-quality rat chow
• Nutritious snacks containing extra protein (meat, seeds, eggs)

Instructions

1. Provide the pregnant rat with her own cage, if at all possible. During early pregnancy, this may not be that important, but closer to her due date she may become irritable with other rats. Male rats have been known to harm or kill newborns, so it is extra important to separate the female from the male. Rats are pregnant for only 21 days, so don't delay!

2. Provide the mother-to-be with extra nesting material, such as paper towels, unscented toilet paper or soft fabric. She will know how to make a nest for her babies; she just needs the supplies to do so. Make sure she has some kind of house (a small cardboard box will do nicely) so that she feels like she has some privacy.

3. Provide the pregnant rat with extra food. Give her an unlimited supply of high-quality rat chow. Look for food that specifically mentions rats on the label and has 10 to 20 percent protein.

4. Give your pregnant rat snacks with extra protein, such as bits of tuna fish, chicken, cooked egg, cheese, peanuts, almonds or other nuts.

5. Make sure the water bottle is always full! This is very important. Your pregnant rat should never be without water.

6. Change the cage, as needed, until the babies are born. After the babies are born, do not disturb the nest unless it's really a mess. Once the babies start crawling about, you can resume your regular routine of changing the bedding.