Motherhood is a concept that keeps getting complex as we try to explore it further. It is one of those elements shared among humans and animals almost identically. We say identically because some animals tend to eat their babies.
Bunnies are one of them. Bunnies eat their babies for many reasons. If you have a rabbit ready to give birth or are planning to breed your bunny, this would be your first concern. Don’t worry! You can learn how to stop a rabbit from eating her babies.
Rabbits eat their babies for any reason: some are logical, some mistakes, and some wildly animal behavior. Before you can act on preventive measures of nutrition, observation, separation of the kit, and so on, you need to understand your mother bunny.
To find a solution to any problem, you first explore the problem. Once you have mastered every information about the issue, only then you find the perfect solution. So, let’s dive deeper into the world of rabbit motherhood!
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Why Would A Rabbit Eat Its Babies?
Rabbits do not like meat. They have an undying love for hay, greens, fruits, and flowers. Nonetheless, a mother rabbit can act in defiance of her nature and sometimes eat her kit. It could be by accident, by choice, or out of fear. These are just a few reasons.
Bunnies are emotionally complex creatures. Raising a bunny is hard but raising a litter is even harder! To successfully prevent your bunny from harming its little ones, you should understand what can cause such behavior. Here are a few reasons your bunny is biting or has eaten its baby/babies.
The Baby Was Mistaken For A Placenta
Almost every mammal on this planet has a placenta during pregnancy. The placenta is a sack-like structure that provides oxygen and nutrients to the embryo as it grows before birth. Rabbits tend to eat their placenta after birth as it contains the needed nutrients for the mother’s recovery.
While eating the placenta, a rabbit can mistake its baby for afterbirth. As a newborn rabbit does not have fur, it is easier to mistake it for a piece of meat.
It Is A Stillborn
After birth, if your rabbit notices that her bunny baby was born dead, it will eat it immediately. It is an act of hiding this weakness and survival instinct from your bunny. Check the litter as soon as they are born for stillborn. If you see any, take them away to keep the rest of the babies safe.
The Bunny Is Panicking
Bunnies need to feel secure before and after giving birth. Birth is an anxious time for your baby, especially if it is your rabbit’s first litter. In the panic and overwhelming feeling of motherhood, your rabbit can start eating its babies.
Malnourishment
Bunnies are sensitive creatures, even the unpregnant ones. When they go through birth, they feel drained and weak. If was malnourished during pregnancy, it is likely to eat its babies as a source of protein and energy.
Reluctant to Sharing
Rabbits are serious about their personal space. The bunny can have a hard time sharing its cage with other bunnies. In a defensive act of taking its territory back, it can eat its babies to get its space back.
The Darwinian Approach
Survival of the fittest is a concept introduced by Charles Darwin. Animals love this theory. Rabbits can be judgemental about their little guys. Your precious bunny can eat the kit that looks the weakest.
Another way to ensure the survival of its fittest is the bunny neglecting its weakest babies and letting them starve. Keep an eye out for such behavior.
The Bunny is Hurting
If you notice that your bunny is biting her babies, she could be in pain. It could be due to inflamed mammary glands, meaning the suckling of her babies hurts her. In defense, she bites them and accidentally injures them. Get a vet to check your bunny if you observe this.
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Preventive Measures To Take When Your Bunny Is Expecting
Cute little bunnies eating even tinnier bunnies sounds gruesome. Luckily, there are ways you can prevent this before and after the birth of the litter. Here are a few things you should do for your furry friend:
Do Not Let A Young Rabbit Breed
It is advised not to let a 6 month or younger bunny breed. At this age, the bunny has not reached the optimal reproductive maturity to experience a smooth birthing process. Chances of malnourishment are high in younger mother bunnies. Furthermore, the bunny will be extra anxious after giving birth at this age.
Make The Mama-To-Be Bunny Feel Safe
Bunnies have a high emotional intelligence than many of their furry friends. Every animal experiences hormonal changes while pregnant, but bunnies are extra sensitive.
Give your bunny extra love and attention while it is expecting. The more your bunny feels safer before giving birth, the more she will trust her environment for her kids. It will remove her fear of attracting predators and stress-killing her kit.
Give Your Pregnant Bunny Lots Of Nutrients
Us humans take prescribed vitamins and supplements when we are expecting because our bodies need an extra kick of nourishment. It is the same with bunnies, but they cannot eat vitamins in the form of medication.
Provide your pregnant bunny with lots of nurturing food during her rough days. It will prepare her body and mind for birth. Keep greens, hay, and pellets at your bunny’s disposal so that it does not eat her babies for energy later on.
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Things You Can Do To Reduce The Chance Of Your Rabbit Eating Its Babies
Just like there are preventive measures before the birth of the litter, you can do some things afterward as well.
Keep An Eye On Your Rabbit
When your rabbit begins to eat its placenta, observe her closely. As mentioned earlier, rabbits have trouble differentiating their babies from their placentas. If you notice your bunny biting or hurting the baby in the process, interfere at once.
Removing the litter from its mother in the early stages is not popular, but you can make an exception here. Take the littler to another cage and bring them back later.
Distractions For The Doe
If you notice your bunny taking a cannibalistic interest in her babies, find ways to distract her. You can distract your bunny with food or toys. It will help her destress and calm down.
Plus, the food will reduce her cravings and give it that extra punch of energy it is searching for. You can try out new activities to do with your bunny to keep it occupied.
Take The Litter Away
If all efforts fail, separate the mother bunny from her cute babies. Prepare a nice, warm, and cozy nest in a baby-safe cage for the litter. Keep them there until the mother has calmed down. Be sure to feed and care for them as a bunny mom would. Once the litter is a week old, you can try introducing them again to their mom.
Separate The Male From The Female Bunny
There is a chance your bunny is eating her babies in hopes of mating with a partner again.
In that case, you can separate the bunnies till the litter is grown enough to start surviving on its own. Another solution would be to remove the litter, but the former is more fruitful for your bunny as it would need recovery.
Love Your Rabbit
With the new bunnies in town, your rabbit can feel jealous. Your attention will be diverted to the newly borns, naturally. Actively give your rabbit loads of love. It will make your bunny friend feel like she is still the apple of your eye. It will reduce your rabbit’s chance of trying to kill the competition and nurture its babies.
Final Thoughts
A pregnant human and a new mom are very emotional and require constant support. It is the same with bunnies. Plus, Rabbits need more attention, observation, and care than other furry animals on usual days. That need doubles when right after childbirth.
Observe your bunny. Pay attention to your little friend. Ensure that it feels needed, loved, and cared for. Birth is challenging for bunnies, and your constant emotional support can help your furry baby recover quicker.
