Kit Handling

by Lisa
(Canada)

I'm not able to hold the kits until they are at least chubbier, more active, and curious. Though, I am still worried about what the mother will do. Sadly, after we moved some babies into their new cage with their mother while they were still tiny, the mother decided to kill any we had touched with our skin...

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Aug 02, 2011
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starstarstarstarstar 		RE Kit handling
by: Moderator

When the doe is your pet rabbit, she knows you, and then kills her babies, the reason is likely one of a couple options:

1) The doe for some reason felt threatened. The change to a new cage may have felt too uncomfortable to her. Another threat may have been a pet dog or cat that got too close.

2) The doe's maternal instincts are not strong enough. Does don't typically kill kits that have been touched, when they are familiar with the human's smell.

We're not in a position to say the exact cause for her behavior (you were there), but the above is usually the case.

Next time, just in case, resort to the vanilla-on-the-nose trick should you need to check the babies.

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