Why Do Male Rabbits Eat Their Babies?

Do male rabbits actually eat their babies? They usually don’t, but it’s possible. Typically, male rabbits are good fathers to their offspring. If one of them is lost, the father often finds it and returns it to the house. But, they have to kill or eat their babies in some cases.

So, why do male rabbits eat their babies? If the cage is small, and the father cannot freely move around, this could happen. Besides, the mother rabbit focuses on their young after giving birth. The male then doesn’t get enough attention from the female. Therefore, he is likely to kill or eat their kits to minimize competition.

Apart from that, there might be other reasons why male rabbits kill or eat their babies. To know more interesting facts about male rabbits and their babies, read on! Once you finished reading this, we’d recommend taking a look at why rabbits hop instead of walk or run.

Read Also: Why Is My Rabbit Not Eating Pellets? Click here

Should Bunnies Live With Their Fathers?

You shouldn’t keep newly born bunnies with their fathers. Male rabbits could hurt the young. They’re incapable of feeding the offspring and cannot even give additional requirements to their babies. Besides, they may perceive their babies as their rivals.

If you have a rabbit couple, and the female has given birth, you should keep the father away from the family. Purchase a deluxe home for the male. The MidWest Homes Wabbitat Deluxe Rabbit Home could be the best option. Check it out now!

Will Male Rabbits Eat Their Babies If You Touch Them?

Male rabbits won’t eat their babies if you touch them. It’s a myth that you should never touch baby rabbits. Besides, it’s not true that the mother rabbit eats her offspring as soon as she senses a human’s presence. This might occur if they see you as a threat.

When you’re handling the babies, don’t scare the parents. Don’t pull the mother out of the home. Give them love and affection so that the parents don’t seem you a potential danger for the family.

How to Stop Male Rabbits from Eating their Babies

We have already known that male rabbits don’t usually eat their babies. However, you must take several precautionary measures to keep the male rabbits from their babies.

1. Keep the Male Rabbit on Watch

Once the mother rabbit gives birth, you have to keep an eye on the male rabbit so that he cannot eat the newly born babies. Male rabbits are territorial, and they may consider the babies as threats to their territory.

To solve the problem, keeping the male rabbit from the family is the best decision. We suggest taking a look at some rabbit cages and choosing one of them for the male. Our recommendation is the Ferplast Rabbit Cage on Amazon.

2. Make Him a Huge House

In order to keep the male rabbit from his babies, you can make him a huge house. Your house will allow him to wander around freely. In this case, the DIY cage should be in the right size as per your rabbit species.

To know more about how to make a cage for your rabbit, we suggest taking a look at this WikiHow Article. The author explains everything step-by-step very clearly. You’ll be able to learn the right measurements for the cage you’d like to build.

3. Separate the Male Once the Female Is Pregnant

Once you know the female rabbit is pregnant, immediately get the male rabbit neutered. This is because the male tends to be quite interested in mating, which can be harmful to both the mother and the babies.

Apart from that, the female feel troubled during the pregnancy period. If the male approach, she may attack him. Here is another cage for the male rabbit: the Ferplast Krolik Rabbit Cage. You’ll get it here.

Do Wild Male Rabbits Stay with Their Babies?

Wild male rabbits don’t usually stay with their babies. This is because the mother rabbits build another nest for the babies immediately after they’re born. If the fathers stay with their offspring, many predators are out there to attack.

Final Words

In summary, male rabbits don’t usually cannibalize their offspring. But, this might vary across different rabbit species. We always have to be careful so that your male rabbit cannot kill or eat his babies.

By the way, we hope you’ve learned a lot about why male rabbits eat their babies. If you have such an experience with your rabbit, you can comment down below. Here are our Social Media Pages: Pinterest, & Twitter.

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