Do Rabbits Eat Their Babies? Vet-Reviewed Science & Info
By Kit Copson
Updated on
Animals can be unpredictable, surprising, and sometimes behave in ways that we don’t understand, especially when it comes to motherhood. Some animals, like snakes, don’t usually care for their young at all, and others, like wild cats, sometimes abandon their babies if they are too weak to survive. Some, like rabbits, go a step further and eat their babies (kits) under certain circumstances.
This fact may be surprising to some, especially given that rabbits are herbivores by nature. In this post, we’ll explain what may cause a rabbit to eat her kits and how you can help prevent this from happening with your own pet rabbit.
Why Do Rabbits Eat Their Young?
First of all, don’t panic—not every rabbit mother eats their young, and it appears to be an occasional thing that happens most commonly with stressed or ill rabbit mothers who feel they can’t provide for their kits properly and therefore choose to eliminate them. Other reasons rabbits sometimes eat their babies include:
Survival Instinct
Rabbits are very low on the food chain, so, if the mother rabbit feels threatened, anxious, or afraid in some way, she may eat her kits as a way of avoiding attracting predators. Though this may seem brutal, in the wild, the rabbit would quickly go on to have more litters, so, her instincts help her to survive and continue contributing to the rabbit population.
Dietary Issues
Another reason a rabbit may eat her kits is that she might be lacking protein in her diet. It’s possible that she would eat a kit to replenish her energy after the tiring process of giving birth.
Stillbirth
This one is tied to the survival instinct. If a kit is born dead, the mother may eat it to make sure there is no “evidence” left that could attract potential predators.
Weak Kits
If some of the kits are born weak and are unlikely to survive, the mother may instinctively kill them to offer the stronger kits a better chance of survival. Again, this sounds brutal, but it allows the mother to better care for and nourish her healthy kits, thereby contributing to the species’ survival.
How Can I Prevent My Rabbit from Eating Her Babies?
Sometimes, a rabbit eating her babies is just something that happens as a result of fear or inexperience, and you can’t always prevent it in time. However, there are some things you can do that may reduce the risk of this happening.
- Ensure your rabbit gets proper nutrition. You can provide alfalfa hay for a pregnant or lactating rabbit to give her a calcium and protein boost.
- Provide a safe, calm, and quiet environment for your rabbit.
- Show your rabbit lots of affection to help her feel safe and secure.
- Avoid breeding rabbits that aren’t fully matured.
- Keep an eye on the litter after birth in case she mistakes a kit for the afterbirth.
- Provide toys or treats to distract your rabbit if it seems like she’s going to kill one of her kits.
Conclusion
Occasionally, rabbits do eat their young, but it’s not something they do out of enjoyment. Often, it happens due to anxiety, stress, and survival instinct taking over. It’s also more likely in first-time rabbit mothers that don’t know any better.
Your best chance of preventing this from happening is to make sure your rabbit feels as safe and calm as possible, especially leading up to the birth, and that she eats a nutritionally rich diet. If your rabbit continues to eat her babies after the second or third litter, it’s time to stop breeding her, as this behavior is unlikely to change.
Featured Image Credit: Taras Atamaniv, Shutterstock
