Bob Burnside, age 13, of Struthers, Ohio, for his question:
How should we care for baby rabbits?
Bob's female rabbit is expecting a litter. As a wise pet owner, he wants to give the proper care both during and after the fascinating event. As a matter of fact, rabbits give us less maternity problems than other pets. The female is no dumb bunny. She knows all about motherhood. Aside from adding a few extras to her usual routine, we can trust her to do what's best for the babies. .
The following advice applies only to pet rabbits who have been bred in captivity. Nature's wild rabbits are too nervous to live as caged pets. They soon die, and their owners are guilty of cruelty to animals, even if they were full of kindness and good intentions.
Our tame rabbits were domesticated gradually through countless generations, and many could not survive in the wild. Some are bred for meat or fur, and some are simply pampered pets. All of them depend on us to provide suitable shelter, plus a daily routine of feeding and cleaning. But when it comes to the babies, the mother rabbit knows best.
The female gives birth about a month after mating. Her body needs extra nourishment during pregnancy, and also for two or three weeks while she is nursing her kits. The temptation is to provide too much food, but overweight at any time is a handicap. The best plan is to serve her meals as usual and allow a few extra minutes of munching before you remove the leftovers. She may have an extra carrot between meals.
It is a good idea to exchange her sleeping box for a slightly larger one a week or so before the babies are expected. Line it with clean hay as usual. She will add fur plucked from her body to transform it into a suitable nest.
If you happen to be there when she gives birth, strive to mind your own business. Chances are there will be four or five kits in the litter, but there may be only two or as many as nine. In any case, try not to pry which means restraining your curio¬sity for two or three weeks.
The newborn infants are naked, blind and deaf, and their mother knows perfectly well that they should be concealed and left undisturbed in the cozy nest. She cleans them and feeds them on mother's milk. After a couple of weeks or so, the furry little fellows will frisk around the hutch. So far you have trusted the mother rabbit to do what's best.
You also can trust her to supervise the change from mother milk to a menu of ordinary rabbit food.
It is very, very important to leave the babies with their mother until she decides to wean them. As their teeth grow stronger they graduate from mother's mill: to nibbling and munching. This is the time to serve larger helpings. But it is wise to return to the usual routine of serving a mixed menu three times a day. Allow half an hour of munching for each meal, then remove the leftovers. After supper, a helping of something chewy may be left for a midnight snack.