False Pregnancy?

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Morgan
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I got up at 6am to get milk for my son. I looked at my bun and she was asleep but there was fur all over her cage! Fur that wasn't there at 3am when I was awake. Fur that she has pulled out of herself!
Could she be going through a false pregnancy? She isn't spayed, but I'm about to find an exotic vet in my area to see her. She has been acting a little strange lately. Shes been a little distant and doesn't really want to be around me when shes out. I don't usually seek her out to pet her, I just sit in the floor and she comes to me when she wants some love and then wanders off when she wants to do something else.
Shes been eating and drinking the same, still eating hay.

Or, do rabbits pull their fur out when they're stressed? I did just make some massive cage adjustments a few days ago and it could be that.

Or, do they pull their fur out when there is too much fur? She hates being brushed. She'll tolerate it for about 2.5 seconds. I usually try to brush her when I clip her nails, but she doesn't like it. Nails she does okay, brushing not a chance. She doesn't like to be held, I think thats what it is.

I just opened the door to her cage and she has no interest in coming out, so I thought that was odd. Sorry this is so long, just wanted to give you guys all the facts, so you could help me figure it out!
Thanks!
 
there's two main possibilities - false pregnancy and molting.

if the hair is being pulled out from the stomach/chest area, that's a good indication that it's a false pregnancy (which is pretty common in unspayed females)

if hair is missing from other parts of the body, molting is more likely. if your rabbit doesn't like to be held and brushed, you can try having her on the floor and gently restraining with one hand while brushing with the other - I find I have better luck with that than I do trying to hold bunnies in my lap. you can also use a lint roller to collect loose hair. one of the best tactics is to dampen your hands and run them over the bunny - it picks up tons of hair! then rub your hands together to roll off the hair and repeat. whatever tactic you use, collecting loose hair during a molt is crucial to preventing hairballs.
 
She seems to be acting more normal now. Shes come up to me for some pets today and seems to be trying to play with the dog like usual. I need to look at her really good to see where the fur came from. She hasn't done anything with the fur, so I don't know if she's trying to make a nest or just get old fur out.
If she is molting then that means all my animals are molting! hahah.

Thank you Jennifer, you have just been so helpful to me lately!
 
My doe was nesting (but no bunnies) every 20 days since age 5 months. SHe would dig a burrow, stuff it with hay and her fur and then forget about it in a day or two.
 

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