Cat grooming baby rabbits: Is it mothers instinct?

Question
My spayed cat loves to lick rabbit kits.  She would hold them with her front legs and groom them.  Is she treating them as if they were cat kittens?  She used to lick me a lot but don't any morensaj now.  I'm don't know if she is mothering or just playing.

Answer
Dear Tom,

We can't get into kitty's head to know her motives, but as long as she's just grooming the babies and not chewing them (please monitor her carefully so she doesn't harm the babies!), she's probably just being motherly.  When cats play, it's a lot rougher than that.

There have been instances of a mother cat "adopting" baby rabbits and nursing them.  So it's not a big leap to think that your kitty might be having maternal feelings about the little fluffies.

Do be aware that rabbits are highly susceptible to the bacteria in a cat's mouth and on her claws.  Even a tiny scratch or bite can result in a fatal systemic infection with Pasteurella, Bartonella and other bacteria that don't affect the cat, but can wreak havoc on the health of other species.

Hope this helps.

Dana