A bit of a novel BUT need advice ...

[helen88uk]

As you know I have 2 females, Peeka and Boo, both 10 month old. They live in the large cage me and my dad built. I planned on breeding them when they were old enough so that I could own a little colony as I think it would be nice to have 7/8 of them living together as I have the space.

Sooo, I was looking around for males in my area a while ago, they are really hard to come by in East Yorkshire. I found Stitch who is 2yrs old, the lady was wanting to sell him to someone who would keep him in a colony as he was currently living alone after having a fight with his brother (both intact, got rather nasty). She offered to keep him for a while for me as I wasn’t going to put him in with my two until they were 1 year old but we both decided that it would be best for me to take him sooner rather than later. He would still be living ‘alone’ at mine but in the same room as the girls so he would still have some company. I brought him home in November.

He was quarantined and then put in the room with my girls in their old cage. There was a lot of chattering, the girls were chirping at him, he was making a clicking sound followed by a wheeze which I’m guessing was some sort of ‘pulling’ noise lol. After a few week I decided to let them out to play together in the bedroom. They got on great, grooming, licking, playing, they even all crawled into the same pouch at the end. Obviously I took Stitch out and put him back in his own cage but I let them play together for about half hour every day so he was getting some interaction. After a few weeks some ‘funny business’ began. I separated them straight away and stopped letting them play together for a while as it was getting quite often. Sometimes the girls would mount Stitch which was rather amusing …

But anyway, about 3 weeks ago I told Marie I’d noticed Boo’s pouch was open, never seen it open before and I could see two little line things. Not really sure how to describe it. She told me I was a perve and that I’d probably just seen her nipples lol. Bit embarrassing! But for the past few days I’ve noticed she’s getting abit chunky around the bottom. I don’t think it’s fat as she is still on the slim side but there are two little bulges, I only noticed because they look dark, like the skin is stretched because of something under it, so her fur is spread and that’s why it looks a little dark. I’ve tried feeling it gently and I could feel lumps but I’d never felt her stomach before so I’m not sure if it’s just her. She has got a little crabby with Peeka over food but sometimes that happens.

I’m not quite sure how it’s happened (if it has) but I am wondering if she is preggers. It possibly does look like she is … I can’t believe it’s happened. I was so careful! The only time they have ever been left alone is if I’ve nipped to the loo (next door) and I wouldn’t have been away more than a minute. I’ve caught them startin to get jiggy but it must take longer than a few seconds to make babies surely!

BUT, now I’m wondering, if she is, should I be moving Stitch in now so that he can help raise any joeys? I’m guessing she’d need all the help she can get if she is. I’ve never seen a very pregnant female but I’m guessing when they’re almost ready to pop that it is 100% obvious they are preggers. So if she is I don’t think she’s nearly there, but obviously she’l be due to pop before I was planning on moving Stitch in. They get on so well I don’t think that it would stress her out by moving him in. I’ve had them all asleep in a pouch on my knee after playtime before so they are quite comfortable with eachother….

But if she isn’t and the lumps are, well, I’m not sure what else they could be, but by moving him in I’ll probably definitely end up with joeys soon, probably from both girls.

Sorry this is such a novel but I just wanted to share and let you guys know the crack as I’ll probably need help at some point if Boo is carrying. I just don’t know when it could have happened! I cant get a pic as I’ve broken my phone but there are two lumps, either side of the bottom of her belly and they look dark as her fur is stretched.

[munshkin]

CONGRATULATIONS !

she can wear a baggy jumber to hide it for a week or two but i suspect Stitch has had his wicked way while your attention was elsewhere!
I will leave it to the more experienced to give you the correct advice

[lou]

Is your male ok with both your females? have you left them together for a while now?

[helen88uk]

I don't know whether to be happy or not! Lol, of course I was hoping for joeys EVENTUALLY but this is definately earlier than expected.

They get on fine, like I said they've been playing together for a while, they cuddle up in a pouch together. I'm still pouch swapping, have been for about 8 weeks now. I can't imagine it being any trouble moving him in and if she is carrying I think that it would be best for him to be there to help once the joeys are OOP if everything goes ok, but then it is likely that he may do the business with my other girl. Not sure what would be best x

[helen88uk]

Just examined her belly whilst she was sleepy, there are definately 2 lumps. Not like circles, like tubey lumps, does that sound like joeys? Definately sticking out x

[Rhianna]

if they snuggle up together, id keep them together. im sure we suggested this a while ago? i cannot remember...  no matter when you put him in whether it be now or 6 weeks, he may end up getting her pregnant, and if they are snuggling up together, it sounds to me like they have bonded. keeping them apart and keep ripping them apart is going to be heartbreaking for him and them eventually, and will put stress on the females.....

i personally would move him in now. just have a read through the breeding stickies and make sure you are prepared just incase....

[Rhianna]

is there any way you could get a picture of her belly?

[helen88uk]

I'm being sent a replacement phone sometime this week so i'll post a pic as soon as I can x

[Rhianna]

cool! in the meantime, make sure she has plenty food (which im sure you do anyways) and nice and warm.

i think my Neela might be "in the way" too. Loki is being very protective of her and she has a slight swelling on one side, but it might just be me getting excited! lol

[Amalthea]

Aww babies all over the place!!

[Marie]

Females often clean their pouch and sometimes they don't close it properly hence nipples!  Lol!  I guess that's what she was doing, spring cleaning the pouch to make way for the littluns! 

[helen88uk]

Lol, I guess

What's the best way to go about this then? Like I said, they get on great (too great it seems ....  ) and they do cuddle together but I guess it may be different actually living together. Should I give them a playtime late afternoon, see if they all go in the same pouch at the end and if they do, put it in the cage so that they wake up together?x

[Amalthea]

I think putting them all together seems the logical thing to do.  The girls' cage is mahoosive, so as long as you have plenty of sleep places and food places, all should be fine.

[helen88uk]

Well they all have a food dish each at, 2 in the girls cage and Stitch has one. Then I have a dish for gliderade for each of the cages so there will be 5 altogether. They all have a sleepin pouch each, obv the two girls share 1 tho. 2 water bottles. I'll put the food dishes at opposite ends of the cage. Anything I should change regarding the diet for her?

With the gliderade, it's full of vitamins aint it? I give it maybe 2 or 3 times a week atm but should I offer it everyday now or is it now that beneficial?x

[Mark]

If yr diets good you don't need to change it or do anything special, maybe just do a tiny bit more.