Is my rabbit pregnant?

[laura21 10]

i have two rabbits that are supposed to be both girls. the smaller one has been running round all morning collecting twigs and paper and anything else it can get hold of. some of it the rabbit has put in the hutch and some it justy keeps in its mouth.

i thought it might be pregnant so its making like a nest thing but ive supposed to have got two girls

can anyone help and tell me what its doing.

[Fretlessbass 10]

it sounds pretty normal to me.

[funkymiss 10]

I say leave em to their own devices and let nature take its course!

[JBee 10]

How old were they when you got them and how long have you had them? It can be very hard to tell the sex of bunnies when they are young - even vets can struggle - so if you just bought them from a pet shop then they might well have got it wrong.

 

It does sound like one of the bunnies is nesting.

 

The best thing you can do is seperate them now and then see what happens. Male rabbits can be aggressive towwards newborns, and if your lady rabbit is pregnant she could also start getting aggressive towards her companion, so it's best you seperate them and put them into different hutches until you've worked out what's going on.

 

And in future, if you buy a pet, get it neutred!

[laura21 10]

neither of them are fat though, its the little one that trys and humps the big one and also the little one collecting. they are roughly about a year or so old

[Happy_camper 10]

Hi There,,

Also to bear in mind is the fact that when they reach puberty female rabbits can have false pregnancies and nest as if they were about to have babies. As soon as poss ie when you know if she's having babies or not at they're at least 4 months old, get them both neutered. Female rabbits will get uterine cancer otherwise and it will be very nasty for poor bunny.

 

I have a boy and a girl who are from a resuce centre and are both neutered and they're lovely

[laura21 10]

okat thanks very much all

[teeny 10]

its nothing to worry about this is normal rabbit behavour!!! if you have had them for a year now the likely hood of one being pregnant is very slim , unless you have wild rabbits nearby!!

i have a lady bunny who makes nests 3 or 4 times a year but has never had babies so you see its perfectly normal

[Moonbird 10]

My female rabbit also makes nests and no way is she pregnant, i think it's just a sign they are in season, i agree about neutering though i have also heard about cancer in doe's , i hope to have mine done asap.

[GrinderBloke 10]

Petshops and others, including many vets, often have problems correctly sexing rabbits, petshops especially as they tend to sell rabbits at a very young age. It is very possible that you have a buck and a doe rather than two does.

 

You are correct to think that your doe is nest building, however this doesn't necessary mean that she is pregnant, it could be a false pregnancy. Is she pulling any fur from her bib or tummy?

 

I suggest you separate your two rabbits, and try to find someone who can correctly sex rabbits, someone who shows rabbits is a good way to go as they are familiar with sexing young rabbit. just so you are sure you don't have one of each.

 

If you do have two girls you are very possibly looking at problems once they reach adolescence as female rabbits are very territorial and will fight, does which are neutered are slightly less so, but in my experience still difficult to bond.

 

As for neutering please find a good vet and get them both done, the consequences of uterine cancer is not nice and surgery is much easier on an healthy rabbit than it is on one which older and already has cancer.

 

Please also remember that your rabbits need both VHD and mixy jabs, some vets recommend mixy jabs twice per year. Also at this time of year when the weather is hot, you need to be careful that the flies don't strike, particularly on older, infirm and overweight rabbits. Make sure you bun can clean his or her bum.

 

Rabbits are not an easy option.

 

Good luck and enjoy your rabbits, we enjoy ours.

 

If you have more questions please just ask.

[teeny 10]

my vet says mixo is more important than vhd though!!

[GrinderBloke 10]

my vet says mixo is more important than vhd though!!

 

VHD is certain death for a rabbit, a rabbit with mixy can be nursed back to health. But both vaccinations are VERY important. Much cheaper to prevent thant try to cure.

 

But you are still wise to take advice from your vet, as vets are seeing local rabbits all the time, although they rarley see dead ones, so do not really know what is killing rabbits.