How can I tell if my rabbit is pregnant?

Question
how do you tell if a rabbits pregnant?

Answer
Dear Neville,

(Sorry for the delay.  My DSL has been down--they're having problems with Earthlink all over Florida--and only now am I able to access the AllExperts site.  I'm going to have to put myself on "vacation" on this site until they get the problem fixed, so I'm sorry I might not be available for followup questions right away.)

Physically, there is no easy way to tell if a rabbit is pregnant until the very late stages of gestation, when the belly will be enlarged and movements of the babies can be seen on the surface of the mother's tummy.  

If a rabbit is pregnant, she may become shy and withdrawn, and whimper when she is petted.  This is her way of saying, "Leave me alone!  I'm already pregnant and I don't want to mate!"  But not all rabbits become this way, and some rabbits having a false pregnancy do this, so this isn't a sure diagnostic tool.

Gestation is 28-31 days, so if the female rabbit has been with  a male since then, there is a very good chance she is pregnant. Rabbits are induced ovulators, meaning that they are stimulated to ovulate when they mate--so pregnancy is pretty much a sure thing.  If the rabbits have only recently mated, there may be still time for a spay:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

and please also read:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/breeding.html

I hope this helps.

Dana