Newborns – caring for baby kits

Baby rabbits are called kits or kittens. Once they reach adult size and mature at around 10-14 months old (depending on breed), a female rabbit is referred to as a doe, and a male rabbit a buck. Kindling is the term used for a doe that is giving birth. A mother rabbit is then called a dam, and the father is called the sire.

Rabbits are pregnant for around 28-31 days, although this can vary by a day or two each way, and have litters of about 4-6, but can have up to 12 babies. Kits go through a number of life stages as they grow up. As newborns, the first few weeks of their life are spent with their mother and siblings, developing and growing into perfectly formed little rabbits.

Kits are born deaf and blind and don’t have any fur, and in fact you may not even recognize them as being baby rabbits. They’re tiny when they’re born and only weigh around 25 to 40 grams depending on the breed. They’ll start wriggling around in their nest, which the doe rabbit will build before she gives birth, having lined it with her own fur to keep the kits warm. When born they will already be vocalizing. They’re very vulnerable when they’re newborns, so their mum will protect and care for them until they’re around 8 weeks old.

The first two weeks are spent in the nest with their siblings, drinking the doe’s (mother’s) milk. A doe’s milk is high in fat, protein and contains antibodies to help them build up a healthy immune system. This will help protect them from any diseases and infections. Doe rabbits don’t spend much time with their kits which is very normal. This stems from a wild rabbit instinct, not to draw the attention of predators to the nest and to help protect the kits from attacks, so do not worry if she is not with the kits much. They go back to feed them once or twice a day but will spend the rest of the time away from the nest. As their milk is so nutritious, the kits don’t need to feed several times a day, like puppies or kittens would. At this stage, the kits will also start eating their mother’s cecotrophs (cecal droppings). These boost the kit’s immune and digestive systems. A kit needs these essential antibodies and nutrients, to survive into adulthood. Kits will start eating their own cecotrophs as they get older which provides them with additional nutrients and energy.

By day 5 kits begin to hear, and by day 10 they’ll start opening their eyes. They’ll start gaining more weight, strength, and will start crawling out of the nest to investigate the environment around them. They’ll have grown a little bit of fur and will start to look more like mini rabbits.

During the first couple of weeks, it’s best to avoid handling the kits. If you need to pick one up because it has fallen out of the nest or you think one is ill, handle the doe first to reduce the risk of her rejecting it. Rejection is rare though, especially if the doe is used to you and your smell. Looking after orphan kits is very difficult, time-consuming and the majority do not survive, so avoid handling the kits at this stage unless it’s a case of life or death!

Unfortunately, there is the possibility of the doe cannibalizing (killing and eating) the litter, which is more common in young, first-time mums or if they feel the litter and themselves, is threatened.

Now the kits are a bit older getting them used to being handled even more, is a good thing. They’ll learn that being picked up and stroked is a positive experience, which will hopefully make handling as they become adults much easier. Don’t handle them for too long initially as they may find it stressful, but the time they are handled for each day can be increased gradually. Don’t forget they’re still very small and will be quite fidgety and nervous, so to prevent any accidents, only experienced owners should handle them at this stage and sitting on the floor with them will help prevent them from being dropped and potentially seriously injured.

By the time the kits are a month old they’ll have a nice thick coat and will start looking like proper little rabbits with much more energy and independence. All the littermates will start playing with each other and they’ll start to learn what life is all about. They’ll start searching out and eating bits of hay/food which their mum is eating. This means that weaning isn’t far off. Weaning is when the kits stop relying on their mother for milk and start to gradually eat an adult diet. It takes around 4-6 weeks to wean kits from their mother.

Kits can have their first vaccination from 7 weeks old. Rabbits need to be vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral hemorrhagic disease (type 1 and 2). Your veterinarian will be able to advise you the best time to vaccinate.

From 7 weeks of age, the kits should be almost if not fully weaned. They should be eating lots of fresh hay, some pellets that their mum is eating and as long as the doe rabbit has been eating fresh food throughout her pregnancy and the lactation, the kits can also be eating this. Chewing on hay is very important for their teeth and digestive system. Rabbits are born with teeth that grow continuously throughout their lives. Rabbits have to constantly wear their teeth down to prevent dental problems, especially overgrown teeth Kits are usually fully weaned by 8 weeks, but it can take longer, especially if they’re a large breed. Kits should never be weaned too early otherwise they won’t develop a strong immune system and will be susceptible to diseases and infections.

When the kits are fully weaned, they can leave their mother. Remember that they shouldn’t be separated too early but leaving it too late can be problematic too. Rabbits become sexually mature at this stage and could start mating with their mother and siblings if left too late but leaving them with their mum until around 10 weeks of age shouldn’t cause any problems, but after this age the sexes should be split.

During this stage it’s also important to watch out for any health issues. Diarrhea is common in kits right up to a couple of months old and can kill them very quickly if they’re not treated promptly. Stress is a major factor, and at this age there are lots of potential changes that baby rabbits go through – separation from their mum, siblings, change of home and environment and new people.

The kits will soon be leaving for their new homes. Making sure they’ve been vaccinated before they leave is very important. Let new owners know what the kits have been vaccinated with and when they’re due their next course of vaccinations. It’s also useful to send kits off to their new homes with some of the food they’ve been eating to help prevent the kits from getting an upset tummy in their new homes.