panting fast

Question
so glad to find this site. my female rabbit had 8 kits 8 days ago.  yesterday i noticed i could hear her breathing and she is breathing very fast, short puffs. she doesn't sound congested, no nasal drainage or eye drainage. she is eating normal and drinking well. she is stretching out and laying a lot but i have her confined to a cage because i have 8 cats also. (soon as i moved into a house i began getting friends unwanted animals)this house stays pretty cool as it is old so i do not feel she is overheated. what do u think i can do for her? and thank you for your time.

Answer
Dear Susan,

If she had eight babies, it's not all that likely that she has another one inside.  But it's not impossible.  Does her abdomen still look swollen at all?  If she's eating and drinking normally, it's a good sign.  Do you see any discharge from the vulva?  If in doubt, get her to a good rabbit vet for a check up to be sure that all is well:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Note that she's expending a lot of energy feeding that many babies, so it's possible that her metabolism is cranked up a bit right now.  That, too, could make her pant, as she's using more oxygen to build more milk and keep herself well.  Provide unlimited, good quality pellets and plenty of fresh timothy hay and fresh water.  For a good rabbit diet, please see:

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

If the house is no warmer than the mid 70's Farenheit, she's probably not overheated.  But if it's warmer than that, you might need to provide her with a frozen water bottle to lie against to stay cool.

Once she's got her babies weaned (be sure to leave them with her for a full 8 weeks!  To wean them sooner is to risk *severe* and possibly life-threatening intestinal disorders, which you can read about at www.bio.miami.edu/hare/poop.html), please read:

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

Hope this helps. Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana