Raising baby bunnies, The need to know basics part 1 – By Monvella Rabbitry ♡

MonVella Bunnies ♡
Feb 25, 2023
8 min read

Updated: Feb 25, 2023

Baby rabbits are called Kittens, their Father, the buck is referred to as their ‘Sire’ and their mother, the doe as their ‘Dam’

When the Dam gives birth it is referred to as ‘kindling’ From the date of conception, the doe will be pregnant for 29-32 days, but most typically 31 days. Prior to Kindling, the doe will begin to construct a nest made from bedding, hay & her own fur, she will pull the fur from her chest, tummy or sides to make a soft, warm nest. Sometimes she will nest &/or pull fur early, however I’ve found that usually an experienced doe will pull fur only a half hour or so before she kindles. Depending on the breed & size of the doe, she will have a litter of between one & twelve kittens. At Monvella Rabbitry we breed Mini lops & Netherland dwarfs, these small ‘dwarfed’ breeds typically only have 1-6 kittens per litter & the smaller the rabbit, usually the smaller the litter size.

kittens are born hairless with their eyes & ears still sealed closed. They can not generate or regulate their own body heat, so the litter must huddle together covered in their Dams fur, if they are not born into an adequately built nest, or they become separated from the others they will quickly get too cold & pass away, this is one of many good reasons to keep track of when a doe is due & to keep a very close eye once the kittens arrive. If any fall out of the nest they can be returned to their nest by you without any consequence, at Monvella rabbitry we handle the kittens to check them over for good health & hygiene at least once a day from birth (always with well washed & sanitised hands) So I can confidently say that handling domesticated rabbit kittens is perfectly safe, a doe with good temperament won’t mind.

Rabbits are mammals. The Dam feeds her kittens milk & they continue to feed from her for a varied time, some mothers wean their kits off milk as early as the fourth week & some continue to nurse past the 8th week. Though the kittens will start to nibble on hay & whatever other foods their mother is eating as soon as they open their eyes, which happens between day 10-16 & they will be capable to move completely onto solids from week four, it is extremely important to understand that this doesn’t mean they are fully independent from their mother yet!

Rabbits have a unique digestive system which amazingly evolves as they wean off their mothers milk. They gradually begin to no longer tolerate lactose & their initial feeding schedule (typically just a few feeds daily from their dam in the nest) is but a distant memory as they will instead require 24/7 access to a diet especially high in fibre, as the digestive system of a healthy rabbit is continuously moving. The reason why this is important to understand is because during this development the good bacteria in a kittens digestive system is established with the support of their mothers cecotropes (a dark brown, soft excrement that looks somewhat like a blackberry & is a nutritious part of the rabbits digestion process that is produced in their cecum) Kittens should stay with their mother until their 8th - 10th week to ensure that their digestive system is well established & healthy enough to support them. Kittens who are separated too early unfortunately are at a higher risk of death or developing digestive issues. Always monitor the litter for at least a week after they separate from their mother before rehoming them, it’s in the best interest of the rabbits AND their new families to do so.

Fun facts

Rabbits are not rodents as popular belief would have it. They actually belong to the Leporidae family, one of only two families classed under Lagomorpha & this is because they are unique from rodents in many ways, including, but not limited to for examples their dietary needs & how their digestive system functions.

Rabbits produce both cecotropes (the dark, soft excrement mentioned earlier) and faecal droppings (round, odourless balls that should be light brown to golden in colour & will look like powdered hay if squished) rabbits typically eat their cecotropes before people even notice them, however a mother rabbit will leave her cecotropes on the ground for her kittens to eat. Another reason why you might see excess cecotropes left in a rabbits litter box is due to an imbalance in their diet.

If you don’t see your doe feeding or fussing over her litter, don’t stress! It is still more than likely that she is adequately caring for them, she does not need to spend a whole lot of time tending to them each day & you might miss seeing her do it at all. If in doubt, you can ease your mind by looking at the kittens tummies. If you can see the kittens skin is hydrated, the tummy is full, the nest is dry & they are covered with fur then there is absolutely no reason to consider any intervention.

If you see wrinkly, dehydrated skin & a sunken tummy, or the doe hasn’t attempted to make any nest & left her offspring scattered around, these are some signs that something isn’t quite right.

Sometimes things don’t go to plan. A Dam who is too young, unwell, in poor condition, overly stressed out or who has had a particularly traumatic birth for examples may struggle to make a nest in time or actually kindle into the nest or not adequately care for her kittens. For whatever reason, when it is time for intervention there are some useful tools & methods for hand raising baby bunnies & it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself & already have these on standby at home just in case of the worse case scenario if you are expecting a litter.

The first method is called assistance feeding. This is when you hold the doe in your arms (I will hold her like a baby, head above heart, very securely but also making sure that she is comfortable & relaxed) then allow the kittens to feed from her. This is always the best option if at all possible, mothers milk is full of life & gives the kittens the very best chance of survival at this age.

The second method is hand feeding a kitten milk replacement (sometimes referred to as KMR) which is much more risky, as it is very easy to aspirate kittens lungs which is fatal. It is also very important to prepare the kitten milk replacer correctly & hygienically & not to over feed. I highly recommend always having a quality, purpose made formula on hand in advance, such as Wombaroo rabbit milk replacer (Remember to check your standby KMR is still within date from time to time & replace if needed) Sometimes these special items for rabbits are tricky to find locally & by the time they arrive in the post it could be too late.

There are a few options to try when feeding the little ones, you can use a brand new, small sponge such as a make-up sponge to soak up the milk & allow the kittens to feed off the sponge, or you can try a ‘Miracle nipple’ syringe, which is a very good option, the other thing you can try, possibly better for older kittens is a bottle with a species specific teat, such as the Wombaroo 100ml plastic bottle & C teat sized specifically for kittens.

If there is any opportunity to collect cecotropes from a healthy adult rabbit to mix into the formula then this can be highly beneficial for the little ones immune & digestive health.

If there is no way to source a kitten milk replacer or these ideal feeding tools & you need an alternative available at the local shops ASAP, goats milk & a 1ml syringe is also an option, though not ideal.

From birth up until the day the kittens open their eyes (typically day 10-16) at the same time as feeding them you’ll also need to simulate their mother cleaning them by wiping their genitalia with a clean, moist cloth or cotton ball, this will trigger the little ones to urinate/defecate, continue to wipe until they have completely finished & then wash the cloth or discard the cotton ball. This is an important step not to be forgotten.

From day 10 onwards (if there is no daily opportunity to collect fresh cecotropes from a healthy adult rabbit) as the hand raised kittens start to sample hay & other solid foods they are offered I believe it is a good idea to include a quality, multi strain probiotic into their diets, such as ProN8ure (Protexin) Multi-Strain Probiotic Powder (We use the Green one here), or Vetafarm Synbiotic 180-S Animal Probiotic Supplement, another we keep on hand.

What to do if the doe doesn’t make a nest?

A really good idea if expecting a litter is to collect the does fur out of the brush/comb while grooming her & put it aside in a zip lock bag or similar to keep it clean & dry, this is just in case for whatever reason you need to build your kittens a nest, or add to the one the doe has made. If it’s too late to do this & you can’t manage to comb or pluck any fur off the doe you can try to improvise. You’ll want to select soft, seed free hay & pack it nice & tight in something suitable to use as a nest box & make a little tunnel in that hay, line the tunnel with fur & pop the kittens in, covering them with more fur. This will be sufficient warmth for a litter of 2+ However, it is ideal to keep the nest in a warm, draught free room away from direct sunlight. We personally like to use litter trays with a removable ‘lip’ that is designed to help keep the kitty litter from spilling over, this is helpful in stopping anyone from managing to fall out. At Monvella Rabbitry we like to line the nests with a clean, absorbent micro fibre towel instead of wood shavings, I just find that the kittens little noses stay cleaner this way.

Regardless of if your doe raises her litter or you have to hand raise them, it’s important to check in on the little ones at least twice a day, are they all accounted for, clean, healthy & safe? Do they still have hay, pellets & clean water? Do their eyes need wiping? Are their bottoms soiled? Do they feel as if they have lost weight or are they behaving in an unusual way? A high survival rate is easily achievable by providing a safe & hygienic environment, doing extensive research, being well prepared for all scenarios & adequately caring for the kittens daily.

To avoid unwanted/unexpected litters it’s best to have your rabbit desexed by a rabbit savvy or exotic vet who has experience with the op & a good reputation. The investment in desexing your pet rabbit is well & truly worth it, not only avoiding unplanned litters, but also protecting your fur bub from cancer & reducing/eliminating unwanted hormonal behaviours. Keeping all rabbits separated until 8 week post op (regardless of genders) will eliminate any potential risk of injury or unwanted or underage pregnancy.

If you have any questions in regards to raising baby bunnies or you just want to share your experience you’re more than welcome to contact me on fb messenger, or via Email ♡

A very special thank you to Snuggly bunnies rabbitry and boutique for sending us a new kitten feeding set & Wombaroo bottle with C teat 🥰🍼 You can find this convenient kitten feeding set (Wombaroo rabbit milk & Miracle nipple syringe) & so much more for your bunnies conveniently online at www.snugglybunniesrabbitryandbptique.com