I’m an idiot. My bunny may be pregnant.

[Kerfluffle]

I recently got 2 bunnies one male and one female that I planned to slowly and carefully bond and spay/neuter. I’m a first time bunny mama and thought I had done my research and knew the basics of what to do. Boy bunny is 16weeks and girl bunny is only 11wedks.

I have two cages that I put next to each other to slowly get them used to each other and then after a few days I put them out into a neutral area where they could run and I introduced them.

Enter my miscalculation.

I had been under the impression that bunnies could not reproduce until they reached adulthood which I believed to be 6mo. Also that you should get the fixed around that same period. So my plan was to let them become friends and then get them both fixed at the appropriate time.

They were introduced. Boy bunny did some humping but I did not think it was physically possible for him to actually do anything. Girl bunny didn’t seem too enthused by his advances but she would run some then let him.

Well after a few minutes I noticed boy bun do this weird fall over thing after a little hump session and I was unsure what the heck had happened. I was watching him to see if he was ok and when he went back to humping I thought “well he must be fine.” Then it happened again and when I lifted girl bunny up to separate them and realized he had made a “deposit” that was now on my carpet. 🤢

So I looked up more info and discovered some startling info. I though everything was ok just wouldn’t let them out together until I could get boy bun fixed.

However my girl bunny has started behaving differently and I has me…concerned. She’s just a baby! 😭 She has started to dig and tear things up in her cage, is pooping/peeing everywhere (after being liter box trained), has started nipping a bit (not much but before she was NEVER temperamental) and today when I was switching the bunnies out for floor time they were on the ground together for a few seconds and she started whimpering and shaking when he came near her.

Can anyone give me any insight. My sweet girl is way too young to be pregnant it I know it’s technically possible and I’m scared.

 

[Wick & Fable]

Baby-young rabbits will get along with any other rabbit since hormones are not actively coursing through them, so in terms of letting them become “friends” prior to spay/neutering, I would not try that, due to what has occurred and also that young rabbit relationships tend to evolve naturally once hormones are in, and this can sometimes be a “reset” of the relationship, so there are no consistent benefits to having them interact prior to being able to formally bond once fixed, aside from maybe off-setting loneliness in their general environment… especially if there is humping. Sometimes people leave baby rabbits together because they were raised together with the mom or seem to enjoy cuddles consistently, but even then it’s always advised to separate ASAP because the relationship can turn sour and potential pregnancy is looming as hormones arise.

Pooping and peeing everywhere is actually a very natural behavior, pregnancy potential aside. She is marking her territory, which is usually amplified when there is another rabbit in the household. Digging and tearing up things can be non-pregnancy related as well– that can be boredom, frustration, stress, or her keeping herself occupied. A rabbit’s personality changes a lot as they are developing during this time — in fact, it wasn’t until my rabbit was 3.5 years old that he started enjoying digging! So unfortunately, I’ll say that both your rabbits are probably going to become less docile as they grow up! Have toys and bunny-proofing prepared accordingly!

She is just on the cusp of being old enough to become pregnant, so it is a possibility. At this point, there’s not much you can do except make sure they are separated (to prevent more opportunities); no more play dates or anything like that. Pens cannot share a wall either. I would monitor her behavior and if pregnancy-exclusive behaviors become apparent, such as nesting, then you can go to the vet to figure out next steps in terms of assessment and litter care. Like a human pregnancy, there’s really no signs so early on.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Kerfluffle]

This was so very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to help me!

[Author]

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