false pregnancy???

Question
QUESTION: I have two mini lops who were living together until one turned out to be a male.  The 5 month old female built her nest and pulled out heaps of fur 2 weeks ago. It now seems that she has lost interest in the nest and I was wondering how long I should give her before considering it a false pregnancy?  Her belly feels fat and when I pick her up I can feel her nipples are swollen, does this happen with a false pragnancy?

ANSWER: If it has been 2 wks since nest building, I would probably count that as a false pregnancy, most does do not pull fur until right before birth (or when false pregnancy generally about 17 days) so if it has been that long and she has lost interest I would take the nest away, and give the cage a good cleaning.

As for belly fat, it may be that she has gained weight, as rabbits are generally easy keepers and it is easier to fatten up a rabbit than make one thin.

She probaby is also in the process of her milk drying up (they produce milk sometimes during false preg.) I would not consider this a problem unless you see a teat that has become red/blue/purple is crusty looking and causes pain, this is mastitis and needs antibiotics.

Good Luck
Amy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your advice but this morning her behaviour changed dramatically she was once again running around like mad gathering up paper, straw and all the fur she had pulled from her old nest and started building a completely new nest in the bottom of a cupboard on the other side of her room (she has quite a large tile floored room on the bottom floor of my house).  Does this mean she is finally about to give birth or is it likely that she is just starting another false pregnancy? If it is another false pregnancy will she continue to do this every few weeks if I don't get her spayed? Sorry for so many questions I am just frustrated trying to figure out what she is up to.

Answer
It is really hard to tell at this point, most rabbits nest (males and females) it is them building their "home".  However if she is pulling fur that does indicate a pregnancy.

I suggest you first make sure the male has absolutely no access to her, even through wire, or baby gate etc.  Motivated rabbits can and do breed through cage wires, so this is always a worry.  IF she has not had ANY access to a male in the last month or month and  a half. Then you can assume this is a false pregnancy. However if she has had some access to a male (even if you think it is not likely) then prepare and treat her like she is pregnant for the next couple of weeks.

I do suggest you get her fixed as it will take away the worry on your part and the hormonal issues on her part.  However if she is not fixed, she should not be going through false preg. all the time, rabbits don't have cycles they ovulate when stimulated. This means the female has to think she was bred, before she ovulates (which a person petting her back can lead to a false pregnancy) which is what leads to false pregnancies.  It is very easy to trick a female into thinking they are pregnant and they then act as if they are (nest building, milk, attitude change) for generally about 17 days.

I hope this answers some of your questions good luck
AMy