This time on “From the Desk”, we’ll be discussing the one topic that many, many of you fluffy owners are familiar with: your pet deciding that “babies make everything better” and then proceeding to get knocked up while you’re out running errands or something. As always, I’m Butch, and no, I don’t want to hear about the more “creative” means of dealing with pregnant mares and/or unwanted foals that you readers have devised. I have to deal with enough fluffy misery at the office on a daily basis, thank you very much!
—————————
The Basics
Assuming that you’ve done your research before getting a fluffy, you should already know that their average gestation period is about six to eight weeks, though most pregnancies lean towards the lower end of that timeframe. Likewise, you should also already know that the average litter size is about five or six foals. Granted, you might think this figure is higher because the average fluffy mare is, in my experience, ready to produce another litter within a week or two after giving birth.
(For the record, fluffies reach breeding age at around 6 months, though most reputable breeders recommend you don’t try breeding them until after they reach their first birthday.)
—————————
The Baby Bug
Given how many fluffy owners claim that their mares got obsessed with babies after watching FluffTV, you’d think that the people running it are slipping subliminal messages into the broadcast. This is giving too much credit to said people, however— in actuality, this is most likely the confluence of fluffies being dumb as stumps, (typically) having no real impulse control, and finding babies cute. As such, your best bet to nipping baby fever in the bud (assuming you haven’t already done that by spaying your fluffy) is to make it abundantly clear that no, babies do not make everything better. If you want specific tips, I recommend you consult your nearest reputable fluffy behavioral expert— though that being said, one particularly amusing method that I’ve seen used is giving the wannabe dam a litter of foster foals and letting her run herself ragged trying to take care of the little things.
(Again, for the record, both the mare and the foals were fine afterwards— after all, the whole point was to teach her that being a mother is a big responsibility, not to torture her.)
—————————
My Fluffy Got Knocked Up— Now What?
If you’re a hugboxing sort or want to get into breeding, then you can let her have the babies, though make it clear that babies are going to find new homes once they’re old enough. On the other hand, if you don’t want to face the prospect of more fluffies in the house, then you’ll want to see the vet about an abortion— especially now that Foal-B-Gone is slated to become prescription-only.
And before you ask, no, I don’t recommend you take a DIY approach. Based on personal experience, parsley is overrated as an abortifacient, if for no other reason than if it gets administered late enough in the pregnancy, it just induces labor. That and it can mess up a fluffy’s liver and kidneys in sufficient doses.
Next time, we discuss foals, “bitch mare syndrome”, why your fluffy might play favorites with her babies, and the infamous “alicorn glitch”.