Saturday, August 9, 2025

If your rabbit is building a nest, it usually means one of two thing....

 If your rabbit is building a nest, it usually means one of two things—both of which are driven by strong instincts:


1️⃣ She’s Pregnant

  • A pregnant doe will pull out her own fur, gather hay, straw, or bedding, and build a cozy nest for the kits (baby rabbits).

  • This normally happens in the last few days before giving birth.

  • If you’ve housed her with an unneutered male in the past month—yep, you might be on “baby bunny watch.” 🐇👶


2️⃣ False Pregnancy (Pseudopregnancy)

  • Even without a male, a female rabbit can still go through hormonal surges that trigger nesting behaviour.

  • She’ll act like she’s about to give birth—fur pulling, nest building—but no babies will arrive.

  • This can be caused by ovulation without fertilisation or even being housed near a male.


💡 Extra Notes:

  • Nest building is purely instinctive—rabbits in the wild must prepare a warm, safe space to protect kits from cold and predators.

  • If you don’t want babies, make sure she’s kept away from unneutered males and discuss spaying with a rabbit-savvy vet—it reduces these hormonal cycles and prevents reproductive cancers.

  • If she is pregnant, make sure her nesting area is quiet, stress-free, and predator-free, and give her extra hay and water.


If you’d like, I can help you tell whether it’s real pregnancy or false pregnancy with a quick observation checklist. Would you like me to make that?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please drop a line

step-by-step pericardiocentesis guide for dogs

 Alright — here’s your step-by-step pericardiocentesis guide for dogs so you’ve got it ready when a tamponade patient comes through the doo...