Baby Bun Care
Rabbit Advocates actively supports spaying and neutering all rabbits with help from a rabbit-savvy vet.
There are plenty of rescued rabbits who need forever homes. If you would like to care for a baby bunny, you can always foster-to-adopt with a reputable rescue! Rabbit Advocates often rescues female bunnies who are already pregnant and usually has litters in need of foster homes.
Preventing Bunny Pregnancies:
Check the sex of the rabbits with an expert, namely a veterinarian. Many people buy two “baby sisters” or “baby brothers” only to find a nest full of babies a few months later. Surprise! It can be very hard to definitively determine the sex of baby rabbits under 3 months old, and mistakes can have serious consequences. Male rabbits can be fertile by 2.5 months of age, and females by 3.5 months of age.
Keep female and male bunnies securely separated where they cannot touch each other. Bunnies are escape artists, especially when one or both are fertile. There are metal and fabric covers for exercise pens, and closet organizer cubes can help build barriers. It only takes a few seconds!
Spay and neuter all bunnies as soon as it is safe and recommended by your vet. Male bunnies can usually be neutered by 4-6 months old, assuming their testicles have fully descended and they’re at least 3lbs. Female rabbits need to wait until they are 5-6 months old. With small breeds under 3lbs such as dwarves, many vets prefer to wait until the bunny is nearly fully-grown at up to 9-12 months of age.
Watch out for rabbit fertility. Males can still make babies for up to 6 weeks after they get neutered! Female rabbits can get pregnant again immediately after giving birth. Many unintended litters have occurred when a freshly-neutered boy bunny was allowed to be near an intact girl bunny too soon, or when boy babies were left with a still-fertile mama past the 8-week point. After a spay, female rabbits are instantly infertile.
Confirm spay/neuter status. Rabbit Advocates spays/neuters all bunnies prior to adoption. Many people have acquired a rehomed rabbit who is supposedly already spayed/neutered only to discover that the bunny is intact. A veterinarian can confirm whether a bunny is actually spayed/neutered.
Schedule a vet visit. When in doubt, get help from professionals. Many of the signs of bunny pregnancy noted below can also occur when bunnies are sick or in pain.
Signs of Bunny Pregnancy:
Pulling fur. Pregnant bunnies often pull fur from their underbellies to form a nest and prepare to nurse the newborns.
Building a nest. Pregnant bunnies may start moving hay, blankets, and other items to keep their babies warm.
Eating more/less or a sudden change in food preferences. Pregnant bunnies need more food and nourishment during the pregnancy, but may nearly stop eating right before giving birth due to discomfort.
Hiding and/or resisting handling or other personality changes can be a sign of a mama bunny who is cautiously guarding her body and her space.
Feeling warm and/or breathing heavy. Pregnant bunnies may feel warmer and may breathe heavier due to the heat inside their bodies and raging hormones.
Expanding belly. As prey animals, rabbits have evolved to hide their vulnerabilities and many do not show any outward signs of pregnancy until the newborns arrive. Toward the end of a pregnancy, you may be able to feel the babies in the lower part of her belly near her private parts. The babies might feel a bit like big, hard grapes inside mama. Be careful, however, and defer to a veterinarian since many signs of pregnancy can also be signs of illness.
When Babies are Coming:
Female bunnies usually give birth overnight or in the early morning hours, and need to have a warm nesting box for the babies.
Mama needs to nurse her babies within 24 hours, and the babies should be plump and warm. Rabbit milk is very nourishing and mamas tend to nurse babies only twice per day for short periods.
Keep the babies together in a warm nest. The babies need to be in the same area where mama can nurse all of them at the same time.
Provide safe spaces for exploring babies. As they venture out of the nest, babies can get stuck between exercise pens and grid panels, injured, or even become lost. Start baby-proofing including using zip-ties to attach pieces of cardboard to the bottom of the enclosure. People often joke that baby bunnies are “liquid” because they can squeeze through tight spaces!
Make a plan. Be sure to have a plan for vet care. Line up appropriate homes in advance so that babies have a safe place to go when they leave the nest at 8 weeks old. Mamas can usually be safely spayed about 2 weeks after they finish nursing the babies for 8 weeks.
