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Rabbit Pulling Fur And Nesting.

F

funnybun

Young Bun
Hi,
I'm just wondering about phantom pregnancies.
I have 2 continental giant girls who shared a 12ft kennel and run.
About 2 1/2 weeks ago i had to seperate them due to one becoming dominent and humping and chasing the other, they are both around 10 months so figured their hormones were kicking in and it would be best to get them both spayed before trying to bond them again.
Anyway 2 weeks ago one started to build a perfect nest which she then destroyed the same day, i thought nothing to it until tonight when i went out to bed them down for the night and noticed the same girl was pulling fur franctically, she's built another nest and lined it with a massive amount of fur :shock:
Is this typical of a phantom pregnancy and how long before she's past it?
 
As far as I remember they don't last very long. Just a few days. Betty had one just after we brought her home, and I think she built two over a couple of weeks. It was awful and her tummy was so bald and they really do go for it with the nest building!! Betty built hers in her toilet too adding to the problem. :roll:

We waited for a couple of weeks after on vets advice and then had her spayed. She hasn't done it since.

You could always speak to your vet and see what they say :)
 
Spaying will definitely be done, i'll be taking them both to the vets on saturday.
I'd assume that i'd have to let this false pregnancy run it's course before they can be done, hence why i asked how long it take to come to an end.
Anyway this morning my girl is still pulling fur and is looking really patchy, the nest is just a massive mound of fur, i'm worried that she won't stop before she's completely bald!
I've tried distracting her with food and toys but she isn't interested in them at all...is there any way i can stop her pulling fur?
 
tonibun said:
It sounds like one of your girls is a boy! Are the 2 rabbits separated still?
Click to expand...

Please don't say that :cry:
Yes they are still seperated and won't be back together until they are spayed and re-bonded.
I'd check the others sex again if she wasn't too big and fiesty :/
 
I think it's best that you leave her to get on with "it" for now. It would be cruel really to try to stop her and she could just be having babies for real. I hope for your sake that she isn't but this sort of thing is very common ie thinking you have 2 girls and you haven't! If she isn't pregnant then you need to wait until she is calmer before having her spayed.
 
Female bunnies can be humpy and dominant too. With my larger old boy bunny it was very obvious he was a boy from his little white marks he left on things and from his testicles so you could always try to check this if you are worried before going to the vets. It's not an exact science by far though (we had a boy cat called Sophie who went in to be spayed...).
As for the fur pulling, it stops after a few days but it's a compulsion. Best just to let her pull it out I'm afraid and distract her if you catch her doing it. Betty did hers one afternoon while I was out. :cry:

Spaying will sort the problem out though so don't worry too much. :D your vet should be more reassuring though. If she is pregnant then your vet should be able to tell too and there are options for her.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about her being actually pregnant, it is probably just a phantom. It is pretty easy to check sex, a vet is needed to make sure, but most people can tell whether a 10 month old rabbit is a boy or not, as balls should be visible in most cases. If they are hard to hold, get a friend to help - one of your holding, the other one looking.

Your vet may want to wait till the phantom pregnancy is over before spaying.
 
buttons used to do this bgefore she was spayed, she is still really grumpy and dominant though - poor nibbles doesn't stand a chance :lol:
 
Thank you all so much, my mind is at rest now knowing she's quite "normal" :D
well as of tonight there's still no babies in the nest and I'm certain my other bun is a girl, but still doubted myself a little when i saw the amount of fur pulled this morning :roll:
So i will wait this thing out and take a trip to the vets, i'll be happy once they've been spayed and are together again, i hate to see them on their own :(
Thanks again everyone x
 
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