How to Care for Mother & Baby Rabbits

Caring for a domestic mother rabbit and her babies can be intimidating for pet owners who have never previously experienced a rabbit's pregnancy or birth. Rabbits parent differently than cats and dogs. For example, mother rabbits do not lay on the nest and stay with their young, so pet owners might question whether or not the babies are being taken care of. Taking care of a domestic mother and her babies involves knowing when to interfere and when to let nature take its course.

Things You'll Need

  • Cardboard box
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Instructions

    • 1

      Separate the male from the mother and babies. The male will continue trying to impregnate the mother, as well as the female babies as they mature.

    • 2

      Build a man-made nest for the mother and babies if the mother did not build one herself. Place a cardboard box that is comfortable for the family but not large enough for the babies to scatter in the rabbit cage. Cut a doorway just large enough for the mother to enter, with a lip at the bottom tall enough to prevent the babies from leaving. Provide the mother with plenty of water and nutrient-rich food.

    • 3

      Verify that the babies are being fed by checking whether or not their bellies are distended and if they appear weak. If their bellies are sunken in, check that the mother is lactating by performing milking motions. If the mother is not lactating and the babies are not being fed, take the family to a veterinarian who is knowledgeable about rabbits.

    • 4

      Take the mother to the veterinarian to be spayed after the babies have been weaned at eight weeks of age. She can then be reunited with male rabbits.

    • 5

      Separate the male and female babies after they are eight weeks old until they have been spayed and neutered.