SHUDDER!
Am I becoming "one of those"? I admit to being a rank novice and asking a ton of questions, trying to get it right the first time. But I swore to myself to never be one of those "My bunny blinked three times in a row, should I call the vet for an emergency house call?" people. Animals are animals. They did fine for eons without us doting on them. Yes, we introduced selective breeding and created certain problems. But Mother Nature its still in charge as far as I am concerned. If an animal can't cope with routine happenings in life, then they don't need to be in my life. Ex..... Everytime someone leaves my house, Nyx, the dog, escorts the car to the end of the driveway. They always roll down the window and ask if she is clear of the car. I tell them not to worry about it...if she is too stupid to get out of the way, then she's too stupid to live anyhow.
And yet, here I am, about to ask a question that quite frankly, I am ashamed to be asking.
My Californian doe was placed with the buck on 2/22/20 (NOT memory here, because mine is lousy..I entered it into the computer as soon as I came inside). So by Thursday or Friday, it was apparent that the breeding didn't take. No big deal. We'd try again this week.
Today, as I was near the cages, I noticed she was lying on her side, which has become habit in the last couple week's, as opposed to stretched out on her belly as she used to do. As I approached the cage, I noticed that she had prominent nipples. As in, sticking out above her fur. Red, her next door neighbor with 2 week old kits, raised up in her cage, and NO NIPPLES SHOWING. (She's feeding well, 7 kits, all keeping fat tummies).
Hmmm....so I watched awhile. Her breathing was regular, and she is especially lethargic....but it HAS been in the upper 70s & 80s this week. Appetite is normal. Water intake is normal. Hay intake is above normal, because I have been putting extra in her cage for nest building and she eats most of it before she shuffles it through the cage bottom. As I watched her ribcage and abdomen rise and fall rhythmically, occasionally I would notice an extra little "bulge" move across her abdomen. Not rhythmically, but sporadically.
It's been 37 days. I don't think she can possibly be pregnant. Thoughts? Observations? Panic?
Oh, in the early AM she is NOT lethargic. Bouncing around the cage like a six month old (she is 21 months).
On a happier note, of the newest kits, I have one precocious little Muppet who has learned to explore his (?) World. He was out when I approached the cage, but scrambled over the front of the box upon my approach. Saw him outside 4 different times today.....each time clambering back to "safety" upon my approach. The other 6 are quite content to "shelter in place". Guess they got the word on the Covid restrictions.
Just joking. She will or she won't.
