Unlike other animals, bunnies are the animals with the shortest pregnancy period, and the mother rabbits have chances of getting pregnant several times a year. But, the mother rabbits often have to split up with their baby bunnies at an early age.
After the separation of the babies, the mother rabbits won’t miss her babies. Bunnies are not maternal animals. Mother rabbits have access to numerous litters every year. Soon after the babies are born, the mother rabbits can again get pregnant. If the scent of the baby rabbits changes, the mother rabbit can not even identify them.
When you are worried about the pregnant rabbit facing any separation issues with her babies, or baby rabbits suffering from aborting, you have much more to learn.
The rabbits are unique and have a completely different life from the humans, so you have to know how to treat them.
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Do I Need To Keep The Mother And The Baby Rabbits At The Same Place?
It is better to separate the mother from the babies when they reach a certain age and have the potential to find food by themselves.
When the babies are in their eighth week, you should place the mother in a different pen from them. The kits have high energy levels when they reach eight weeks, and it might annoy the mother rabbit.
As the bunnies are not maternal creatures, sometimes the mother rabbit may harm the babies like a warning sign. When you see the mother hurting the baby rabbits, you have to keep them separately without any late. If you want, you can take the injured baby to a certified veterinarian to check its wounds.
Do Mother Bunnies Eat Their Baby Rabbits?
Sadly, in some cases, the mother bunnies do eat their baby rabbits. Generally, when there is something unusual with the baby rabbit, the mother rabbit’s instincts will kick in, which causes the mother to eat the baby.
In a sense, it is good as the predator animals can no longer locate a dead rabbit in the wildlife. It is difficult for the predators to find the mother and baby rabbits when there is no dead body in the area.
When the mother eats her babies without having any wrong issues with the kits, it might confuse the mother rabbit. When you find that this situation is happening, you can go to the veterinarian for information about what you have to do. It might be tempting to interfere with them, but getting advice from a professional before going to the rabbits is always helpful.
You might find it terrifying to see a mother rabbit eating her babies or knowing that this is somewhat natural. Do not punish or scold the mother rabbit for eating her babies as it is only natural for the rabbits.
Can Baby Rabbits Identify Their Siblings?
The rabbits can identify each other’s siblings only if their smell is not changed. Rabbit is born with a sensitive nose, making it easy to recognize other rabbits through their scents. They identify other rabbits through appearance, which rarely happens because several rabbits have the same looks as their siblings and mother.
When you do not separate two sibling rabbits, they can quickly make a bond together than others. As the rabbits are aware of each other, it is easy for them to be a pair with bonding.
When you take one bonded rabbit with you even for a short time and if it changes its scent at that time, the other bonded rabbit can not recognize it, so when you again place the first rabbit with the other rabbit, they will start acting aggressive. The rabbits feel that their bonded pair is missing, and a new and unfamiliar rabbit entered its place even when it is the same rabbit.
If your rabbit behaves aggressively towards another rabbit when you have taken it out with you for some time, consult the veterinarian. Inquire about the ways to improve the rabbit’s nature for developing a new bond between the bunnies.
What Is The Right Time For Removing The Babies?
When the kits, also called baby rabbits, are eight weeks old, it is best to separate them from their mother. But, removing the babies at a young age is also better. Till their fourth week, baby rabbits rely on their mother’s milk for food, and later on, they start searching for food on their own, and this behavior is crucial for rabbits living in wildlife.
When the babies are four weeks old, most adult rabbits or mothers start to feel new breeding hormones, and mother rabbits can have another gestation period immediately after giving birth to their kits.
If you have both female and male rabbits in your home, it is better to separate the father rabbit from the mother after the babies are born as the male tries to impregnate the female on the same day. Besides, the father rabbit might try to impregnate its matured female babies. From the human’s view, it seems immoral and wrong. However, it is the life of the wild rabbits which helps the rabbits to maintain their population.
Do Bunnies Have A Good Memory?
The rabbits have a long-term memory which is quite good. When there is a game (activity) that bunnies like the most or a person who visits them often, the rabbits are most likely to memorize the game and the specific person. The rabbits take a long time to remember, which means constant replay of the activity or daily visits from the person is necessary.
However, bunnies do have a good enough short-term memory which can last for about five minutes. After five minutes, the rabbits will forget every recent activity. But the rabbits depend on their instincts and emotional sniffing sense for guidance and takes care of their baby rabbits.
The rabbits can remember the memories that lead their life to danger at some point of their life, and they recollect the source of the threat and completely avoids the recurrence of the danger, be it an action or a person. Even when the rabbit came across the threat only once, it will remember the memory.
Rabbits like certain routines or repetition as it helps them to memorize persons and scents. When you frequently play with your rabbit using some toys, it will remember every toy you use and then responds accordingly.
Rabbits love the activities that develop emotional bonds either with humans or other bunny buddies. When you repeat the activities which help you to get close to the rabbits, they will feel safe and comfortable with you and your home.
Is It Possible For My Rabbit To Identify Me?
When you play, cuddle, or pat your rabbit repeatedly, it will start to recognize you and your smell. It is better to use the same body scent every time you visit the rabbit, as it can recognize you immediately. It also applies to other guests who visit your rabbit. When you wear different cologne every time you are with the rabbit, it becomes confusing for the rabbit to recognize you.
Bunnies always make sentimental bonds with humans and other bunnies, and they identify them through sight and scent. According to some sources, “The rabbits remember the things that hold an emotional bond, be it humans, other rabbits, or its siblings.”