*Taps fingers on table*

[NZminilops]

Clover, the bunny I am baby sitting, I am 99%sure is expecting kits. Today she built a nest and pulled a hugeamount of fur at around 6:30am, but since then, nothing (it's now3:52pm). She has definite breasts (teets?) and her lower abdomin isvery large and firm. A few days back it was softer and her pregnancyweight was higher up behind her ribs.

I've been outside with her most of the day hoping to be there for herwhen she kindles but she has shown no obvious signs of wanting to do ittoday. I have the feeling she will do it over night, and I was reallyhoping it would be during the day in case something went wrong.

Is it worth setting the alarm for the wee hours of the morning just tocheck up on her, or should I just leave her alone? She's getting kindof grumpy with all the attention I've given her today. Just now shesnapped at me for petting her along her back and spun around and glaredat my hand :shock:, like she was gonna eat it! I'm pretty sure she justwants me to leave her alone .

 

[TinysMom]

I'm the type who would be setting the alarm andchecking every hour....then again - with my first litters - I'd movethe recliner into the rabbitry and sleep in there and then check everyhour....

I guess its up to you and her. I don't think I'd be moving mama - but you could probably peek in the cage!

Peg

 

[NZminilops]

I'm the same type too but thought it might seema little silly , hopefully the Mr doesn't mind me getting up. I wontgo to sleep till around 11ish and get up at 5:30 so not much timeinbetween then anyway. I wish I had a rabbit shed or something likethat I could do sit in with her. I would bring her inside if it wasn'tso **** hot in here. No air-con and the windows have these annoyinglatches on them and they dont open more than an inch :?. BunBun alreadylooks hot and bothered and it's isn't even summer yet!

I am quite excited but sort of sad at the same time for the littlebunnies having to be born into a world with too many buns anyway.

 

[NZminilops]

I guess it's like that old saying, how does it go? A watched kettle never boils?

No kits yet, and it's 6:15am. She went in and messed round with hernest making the hollow deeper and shoving the hay further in but thatwas it.

 

[RABBIT#1]

Any kits yet clover? I am waiting on you aswell.

 

[NZminilops]

No kits yet :? and as I have no idea when theneighbours stupidly let her go with the male I actually don't know whenshe is really due. She has plucked yet more fur for her nest but apartfrom that is acting totally normal, eating and drinking and wanting toplay. Her tummy feels large, round and firm but there isn't much, ifany, movement in there that I can feel.

 

[Haley]

aww..so excited for those kits!

I hope she has them soon so you can take care of them as much as possible before those neighbors get back!

keep us posted!

 

[NZminilops]

Thanks Haley - oh nice new avatar! Glad you're taking care of Tumnus for me until I can bunny nap him .

Perhaps Clover isn't even pregnant and just fat anyway? The vet and Icould be wrong. She might just be having a very convincing falsepregnancy.

 

[Haley]

thanks! I like your new avatar too!

Didnt you say you could feel the babies (or the vet could)? plus ifshes pulling hair and everything. I would just keep an eye on her. Itwill probably happen when you least expect it-isnt that how everythingis?!

It looks like you lost all that sleep for nothing..what a good foster mommy you are

 

[Michaela]

Thay can have very convincing false pregnancies!Berri had one last year; she pulled fur made a nest, she was (well atleast I thought she was) fatter and she was acting very strangely. Butshe wasn't even in contact with a male so it was kinda confusing!!:?

If she is pregnant I hope it all goes well for you and you'll enjoy watching those little babies grow!:hearts

 

[NZminilops]

I was sure I could feel babies! Therewere shapes moving around...long and baby shaped...and I could see herfur rippling. But now I can't feel any movement :?. Her stomach isreally big and firm. Unless she birthed them and ate them :shock:? Nosign of blood at any time on her or any part of the cage though.

Was going to type more, but my partner wants to boot me off to play warcraft .

 

[naturestee]

It's also possible that she reabsorbedthem. When rabbits miscarry, they reabsorb the fetuses sothey don't waste nutrients. I think this is supposed to bemore common when they're not getting proper nutrition or if they'rereally stressed.

This apparently happened last year to Tank, a pregnant bun thatRabbitgirl rescued (Bub's mom). Tank had been kept inhorrible conditions by a very bad breeder, and she had been bred beforeshe was rescued. Rabbitgirl could see and feel babies andthey responded to her touch. She poked them, theywriggled. Then Tank got an abscess on her neck and the babiesmysteriously disappeared.

 

[NZminilops]

Is that what happened to Tank! Once when i wassearching for a topic I found the earlier posts on Tank and coudn'tever seem to find the rest of the story. That's really sad .

It is possible she felt stressed or threatened perhaps by the smell ofmy rabbits. If the vet was accurate with her estimate of pregnancy,Clover would be 31 days approx. I am trying to think back to Dodgesbabies and how she looked and felt in the last few days. The babies didbecome unfeelable towards the end of the last week and she did startbreathing harder but I didn't really take much note of the signs seeingas I never wanted to have baby rabbits again. Don't get me wrong, theyare the most beautiful amazing little things and oh so lovable andadorable, but here in Auckland there are far too many unwanted bunniesalready.

I'll still keep checking up on her every hour or so to make sure she'sdoing ok. If it goes too many days with no activity I will take herback to the vet in case she does have a stuck kit or something similar.She is still plucking fur every day - at this rate she'll be bald soon!

 

[naturestee]

Yeah, Tank had a rough time. Did yousee the threads about her new home? She was adopted by Gypsy,so she needed transportation from Wisconsin to New Hampshire.That's like halfway across the continent! I was lucky enoughto have her for two weeks, during which her abscess came back althoughI was able to get her treated. It never came back again.

She made it to Gypsy safe and sound and was doing great, but severalmonths later passed away during a spay surgery. But from thesound of it she really liked her new home and really liked all theattention and love she was getting. I'm glad she was able toget at least a few months of happiness because her first home was soawful.

Anyway, I think I've heard that some rabbits can give birth prettylate, maybe like 35 days? So there's still time. Aslong as she's not showing signs of pain, I'd think she'll be okay.

 

[NZminilops]

No I havn't read more about Tank...I justchecked google earth and boy did she have to go a long way, poor girl!I'll see if I can find the story.

Clover seems perfectly fine, she is active as usual and eating well.Every day she goes and plays with her nest and moves the fur and hayaround a bit. I'm still checking on her as often as possible, thankgoodness I only work a few hours a week so I can keep an eye on her.

Thanks for the support, this is the only place I can talk 'rabbit'!

 

[RogerL]

Just remember that a watched pot never boils.

She may be waiting to be alone for awhile.

I have a doe that just kindled yesterday that was a day late.

I was in the rabbitry most of the day cleaning and she waited until

I was done and had quiet time before she kindled. I think that she

just wanted to be left alone and a doe can hold off when

she wants to.

Roger

 

[Michaela]

So, still no babies?

 

[NZminilops]

Still nothing, and I think she may have beenpregnant but reabsorbed them now. I wish there was a definete way totell without having to stress her out and take her back to the vetagain!

I was told to remove her nest (keeping it intact but storing it away)and if she builds another one then she's 'certainly pregnant'. Abreeder I bought a rabbit from once said this, does it sound right? I'mat a loss as to what I should and souldn't do with her. She is itchingto get out for some exercise in her fenced off area I've made heroutside but I'm scared that something may happen while she's out...I'mgetting really paranoid about her! I don't want her to possibly havebabies outside of the cage and a cat find them as I can't be outsidethe entire time she is out too.