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I have three female bunnies in one big cage and one of them had babies. How can I be sure that I put the right mother with the babies??

I have three female bunnies in one big cage and one of them had babies. How can I be sure that I put the right mother with the babies??

Updated On June 22nd, 2016

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Female | unspayed

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

This question includes photos that may contain sensitive content. Click to view.

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I am not sure if you bought all the rabbits together and were told they were all females, or if you accidentally bought a pregnant rabbit, or if you mated her. This may sound silly, but you should make sure that all the rabbits are female, because if there is a male in the cage, he needs to be separated from the females and the babies. Nursing mothers are very secretive, and usually only nurse once or twice a day. They only do so when they feel safe, usually just before dawn and/or just after dusk. It's unlikely you will catch the mother nursing, so that can't be used as a clue. Rabbits who are about to give birth will pull their fur out to make a nest. If any of the female rabbits are missing fur, she is likely the mother. Should you have one male in there accidentally and two females, they both could have had babies. In that case, the male should be separated, and the mothers can stay together because it will be impossible to tell which baby belongs to which rabbit. Just make sure the cage is extra large so they both have plenty of room for their nests.

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