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ok there is this rabbit that my hubby wants to get. problem is...she is pregnant. suppose to have the babies on the 20th. and i don't know one little thing about caring for baby rabbits. she is really cute and very gentle. doesn't kick or anything when you pick her up. i would love to have her. but the whole baby rabbit thing scares me a little. and they are mixed babies too. does that make any difference in the health of the babies? they are part lionhead and part drawf. anybody know anything about them? ↓
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| Name: Lory | Date: Mar 25th, 2007 6:08 PM |
| Hi hdc, I don't know squat about the babies...but, I do have a dwarf rabbit. We got him as a baby. Sorry I cannot be of much help w/baby thing! ↑ |
| Name: T-rabbit | Date: Mar 25th, 2007 10:37 PM |
Often times people are concerned that the mother rabbit "is not feeding the babies," sometimes because she is never seen with them. This is normal behavior for a domestic (or wild) rabbit and that mother rabbits do not "lay" with their offspring in the same manner as dogs and cats.
Domestic rabbits retain some of the genetic imprints of their wild European ancestors, who are animals preyed upon by others in nature. Mother rabbits instinctually sense that staying with their offspring would call a predator's attention to the nest. Adult rabbits have a scent, while babies do not.
Most mother rabbits will not hop into the nest (or box) to check on their infants during the day, although she is usually watching from a safe distance. This is normal behavior.
Rabbits feed their offspring only once or twice per day and will only do so when they feel safe, usually just before dawn and/or just after dusk. If humans and children are continually gathered around the cage, the mother may become too stressed to nurse the infants.
There is a way to determine that the mother is indeed feeding the offspring. Did the mother rabbit pull fur? Did she shred papers, or gather hay or rip up carpeting (if housed indoors) in an attempt to "make a nest?" Mother rabbits usually make a nest any time between a few days prior to the birth up to the day of birth itself. She may also do so without an actual pregnancy.
A mature female will often pull fur to make a nest, with or without a male present and regardless of whether actual mating has occurred. This hormonal behavior is known as a "false pregnancy."
If the mother has pulled fur in an attempt to make a nest, she will probably be all right if her nest is appropriate. It is safe to examine the babies and move them, with the mother, to a more proper place, if necessary.
If the babies are scattered, cold and do not have plump tummies, the mother needs help making a proper nest box, and the babies need to be warmed up before anything else is attempted. No baby mammals can successful digest foods if their body temperature is below normal. This is extremely important to understand.
In this case, warm the babies as follows: Place a hot water bottle, filled with warm water (not hot,) into a small box of any kind. Line it with clean, terry cloth towels and place the bottle UNDER the towels. A small plastic container or a leak-proof plastic bag can be used if necessary. Make a small space within the nest and put the babies within the temporary warming nest.
Be sure the babies are not in direct contact with the warm water (it may become too hot for them.) Be sure that the towels do not have holes in them and are not frayed, because the fine threads could cut their delicate skin and holes could strangle them should they squirm through one.
In the meantime, prepare a proper box and nest for the mother, so she will feel secure when the babies are returned to her. Get a cardboard box, or make a wooden one, which is just slightly larger than the mother rabbit. It should not be too big, or the babies may scatter again and miss that important feeding.
A doorway should be cut in the center of one side, which is just large enough for the mother to fit through. The doorway should have a lip of about one-inch above the floor to help keep the babies in the box (until they are old enough to venture out on their own.)
Place a large handful of straw, grass or hay in the box and place it in a corner of the rabbit cage. Be sure it is not in the corner that she uses as a bathroom! Make sure that grass clippings do not contain any pesticides or fertilizers. Do not use fabric scraps, burlap, gauze or anything else with fine threads or holes in it. If no hay or grass is available, felt is a good substitute as in does not contain string. Use white felt so that you can see any unusual discharge or blood. Change the material often in case it is chewed on to prevent small feet from getting caught in the holes.
The babies can be placed into the new nest as soon as their body temperature feels warm to the touch. (ONLY warm the babies if they have been scattered about on the cage floor. If they were huddled together in a good nest site, leave them alone, except to check whether they have been fed.).
Place the mother and the babies in a small, warm, quiet room. Give the mother a litter box, in the opposite corner of the nest, if she's placed indoors. If she is not used to being in the house, this may stress her more than being left in her outdoor cage. The only thing to do in that case is add a proper nest area. ↑ |
| Name: hdc_momof2 | Date: Mar 26th, 2007 1:40 AM |
wow thanks alot t-rabbit! i didn't expect to get such detailed info lol really appreciate it!
one more q though....
could it be too stressful on the pregnant rabbit to change her home? i would really like to have her but i don't want to risk having anything happen to her or the unborn babies ↑ |
| Name: T-rabbit | Date: Mar 26th, 2007 1:50 AM |
| If she has a nest built just move it to her new home. She should do very well. When you put her in the new cage put a blanket over the cage till she is comfortable. This should reduce a lot of her stress when making this transition. ↑ |
| Name: Lynlee | Date: Mar 26th, 2007 3:10 AM |
| i wuv wabbits they nice and fuzzy and sof and cudly to ok. i want to sleep wif one ok. they so soft ok. i wuse for piwwow ok. ↑ |
| Name: hdc_momof2 | Date: Mar 26th, 2007 10:33 AM |
lynlee...i could have lived a lifetime without knowing that lol
ok thanks t-rabbit
guess that settles it! next week we will find a cage and bring her to her new home! ohhh i can't wait! she's so cute and cuddly! and the babies! i just love them! i just hope i can care for them properly but i do believe i can:) ↑ |
| Name: T-rabbit | Date: Mar 26th, 2007 11:33 AM |
| Inbred, bad but two different kinds of rabbits its good, they're actually healthier, because they have a larger selection of beneficial chromosomes. ↑ |
| Name: question | Date: Mar 28th, 2007 7:21 PM |
| It will be ok.just make sure you give her her space and don't mess with her babies for the first couple weeks.don't let the kids play with them until they're older.or she may eat them.I raised rabbits for many years they can be picky especially in a new situation.she needs to lear to trust you first. ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Mar 28th, 2007 7:38 PM |
| Also do not use cedar or pine bedding! It can be toxic to animals, causing death! Aspen or any other kind of bedding is ok. ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Mar 30th, 2007 4:51 AM |
| Hdc did you get the rabbit, did she have her babys yet? ↑ |
| Name: hdc_momof2 | Date: Mar 31st, 2007 1:52 AM |
| we have decided not to get that rabbit. i'm just not sure i want all of those little babies to care for lol. we are however getting a rabbit either this weekend or next. i will let ya know when we do :) ↑ |
| Name: lindalu | Date: Mar 31st, 2007 2:09 AM |
Hdc
I guess if your not sure about how to care for the babys than its best not to get her. Have you tried the shelters or a Spca? They have bunnys. ↑ |
| Name: momof3 | Date: Apr 1st, 2007 1:59 PM |
| Go to petfinder.com THey have bunnies that you can adopt. Maybe there is a shelter near you. ↑ |
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