About Rabbits

Sad sad sad.  My bunny problem is gone, but only thanks to a nasty case of feline thievery.  I woke up this morning to find mama rabbits nest all dug up and empty. I thought maaaaybe she just moved them, so I decided to do a little reading about wild rabbits.

Turns out cottontail rabbits can't move their young, so she either did the harsh rodent deed of eating her young herself, or her little pinkies were kidnapped, most likely by a cat.

 Beyond that little nugget of wisdom, did you know that they spend a grand total of 10 minutes per 24 hours taking care of their young? They build nests out in the open in very conspicuous places, stuff them with grass and their own fur, and then give birth about a day later. After that, they nurse their young for 5 minutes at dawn, and 5 minutes at dusk for a couple of weeks.  They spend the rest of their time away from the nest so they won't tip off predators (That might be where this mama rabbit went wrong, she kept checking her nest all day which is weird). Once that insanely vulnerable period of being left alone all day and night passes, TADAH 4-12 baby rabbits pop out of the nest and live for about 18 more months.

I learned that this long period of being left at home alone each day is why so many humans believe they have found an abandoned litter of bunnies. If you find such an adorable little pile of bunnies, leave them be, unless someone ate her,  mom will be back within about 12 hours.  If you find one out of the nest just put it back, the belief that mom will reject babies touched by humans is a myth thank goodness! If your dog or lawn mower accidentally destroys a nest, you can do the same thing, put the babies back and try to put the nest back together if you are able. Baby bunnies with their eyes still closed are almost impossible for humans to keep alive even if they are professionally trained. They have a better shot at survival being left in the ruins of their nest and cared for by mom than if you try to care for them yourself. And finally, if you find a teeny tiny bunny alone but its eyes are open, it's good to go, it doesn't need rehabilitation (unless it's missing a teeny tiny leg or something).

For me the most surprising thing I've learned from all of this, is that bunnies don't hide their nests.  I thought this bunny was insane for putting a nest three feet from my back door in a garden bed it can openly see me working in, but apparently that is par for the course. I must admit that I am a little sad that I won't get to see the wee ones eating my lettuce, but I'm sure I'll have many more opportunities!  Now that I know what a rabbit nest looks like I can see old ones all over the yard.  Apparently they never nest in the same spot twice, so they just dig a new hole each time.  It's like a rabbit Hobbiton out there!