Bunnies (babies)

Question
We got abig surprise this morning. Our bunny of 2 weeks had babies. we had already removed her cagemate a week earlier because of nipping. We are taking her to someone who can handle her better as she has very long hair and is really matted and my attempts at daly brushing have been unsuccessful. With a litter of babies that we really don't know much about we felt that she would be better off with an experienced owner right now.

Now for the babies We are in Phoenix AZ. Our temps today should reach around 100 degress. W e are kinda letting mama do what comes natural with supervision. Any hints or tips that we will need to keep them safe? You can call if you want. Our number is (623)266-4114. Thanks. we weren't planning on breeding. The person who gave them to us said that a male spent one night with her. I guess that is all it took. Christie

Answer
Dear Christie,

With temperatures that high, the mama and babies should *definitely* be indoors in the air conditioning.  A rabbit does not thermoregulate well, and they have evolved in a climate where temperatures rarely exceed 80 Farenheit. When the mercury goes above that, it's critical for the bunnies to be indoors, fully protected from the heat.  They can very easily overheat and die from heat stroke--a very nasty way to die.

Sorry about the surprise litter.  The person who gave you your bunny was ignorant of the fact that rabbits are induced ovulators:  when they mate, they are stimulated to ovulate, so pregnancy is assured after only one mating.  It doesn't take much.

You can read more about what to do to help mama here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/surpriselitter.html

which tells you about feeding, weaning, etc.  You can also get tips on litterbox training, spay/neuter, etc. here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/rabbithealth.html

and

www.rabbit.org

It would be a good idea to keep at least one of the babies with mama.  Rabbits are highly social, and by keeping her own babies, you won't have to worry about bonding.  Just be sure everyone is spayed/neutered at the appropriate age so you won't have any more surprises!

Hope this helps.  Please write back if you have more questions.

Dana