For domestic/pet rabbits, do not force a mother rabbit to sit in the nest box.
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They build a nest with fur and grasses which helps to keep the babies warm in between feedings. Mother rabbits do not “sit” on the babies to keep them warm as do some mammals and birds. The milk is very rich and the babies “fill up” to capacity within minutes.
![petz 5 bunniez petz 5 bunniez](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51QX54AxFuL._AC_SY400_.jpg)
Both wild and domestic mothers will be in the nest early in the morning and then again in the evening. Rabbit mothers nurse their babies for approximately 5 minutes a day. Baby bunnies who have fleas are compromised and should be immediately taken to a wildlife rehabber or humane society, rabbit vet. NOTE: Babies should never be put back into a nest that has been flooded with water, has bugs/ants visibly crawling in and out, or if a baby has been killed and there is blood in the nest. She will scrabble away the surface area to feed her babies beneath her and then scrabble the earth, grass, leaves, back over the nest to hide it again so it’s pretty easy to see if the string has been disturbed and if the babies are warm. A moved nest should always be covered with string in a tic tac toe pattern and monitored to be sure the mother found it and came back to the babies. If need be, you can move the nest a few feet away where safer, even up to 5-6 feet away. If a dog has discovered the nest, keep your dog away from the area and reconstruct the nest with grasses. If you find a nest that has been disturbed, do all you can to restore and protect it. Rabbits hide their nests in plain view, often putting them in the open, sometimes in the middle of the lawn, as well as in brush piles and long grass. Please put back for her! I/My Dog/My Cat Found a Rabbit Nest! What Do I Do? You can call your Humane Society for referral and also check here: and here: If you find a baby with eyes open, and he appears healthy, leave him be!! If picked up, go put him back outside. Also search your state + wild rabbit rehabbers. If injured, please contact a wildlife rehabber or rabbit vet immediately! You can search Google for your state/country and wildlife rehabber. The best thing you can do is put the bunny right back where you found him, in the general area, as the mom will only come back at night to call and find him. The reality is fewer than 10% of orphaned rabbits survive a week, and the care that people attempt to provide can be illegal, unnecessary, and potentially harmful. Often they wish to “rehabilitate” them with some advice from others. Wild babies are most often not orphaned! Many people mean well when they contact HRS after discovering an “abandoned” nest of wild rabbits.