Bunnies are one of the most popular animals to take care. This is because of the popular cute and adorable. But, sometimes the baby bunny have to separate with it’s mother due to death, stress or unwilling to take care of their baby bunnies.
In that moments, if you want to take care them, so you have to do it by yourself. But, if you have a bunny cattle so you can find a stepmother for your baby bunnies. But, if you just keep some bunnies so you should do some guidelines below. Here are guides to take care a baby bunny without its mother.
1. Give milk to baby bunnies (Age 1-14 days)
Bunnies are one of the mammals that need milk to be their food when they are born. Usually, milk should not be given directly to baby bunnies before 2 days old. So two days after birth, we can just give baby bunnies milk. 2 days when they have born, we do not need to give baby bunnies milk, because there is still food reserves contained in the body after birth. Bunnies only need to drink about 1-5 minutes of milk a day, this is because they do not drink milk in large quantities. To give them milk, we can use an injection and replace the needle with a rubber nipple. In giving milk to these babby bunnies, we have to do it patiently because they are not able to drink in large quantities at once.
At about 5-6 days old, the baby bunnies stomach is stabilized so we can add the amount of milk consumed. Give milk regularly until 2 weeks old. In the selection of milk for baby bunnies, you should choose milk that does not contain lactose. This is because the baby bunnies do not produce lactase enzymes so that the lactose content will cause the baby bunnies to become diarrhea and end up in death. Several types of recommended milk for them are milk for kittens, milk for human (0-6 months) that does not contain lactose and goat’s milk (Etawa).
2. Provide Adequate Nutrition for Baby Bunnies
After two weeks, the baby bunnies can be given food in the form of soft leaves such as grass or celery. Besides that, we can let it play outside the enclosure so that they can play and find food by themselves. In this case, milk delivery can be stopped when they are 3 weeks old because they can already eat the grass even though still in small amounts.
3. When you take care baby bunnies, there are some foods that are prohibited for them
These foods include foods that contain too much water, coarse texture and too sweet. Foods that contain lots of water such as cabbage, this is prohibited because it can affect the feces of rabbits so it contains a lot of water and gas that can cause them bloating. Coarse texture foods such as elephant grass, which can cause injury both outside and inside the baby bunnies. Foods that are too sweet such as tomatoes, corn and others, it can cause the baby bunnies to get diarrhea that can result in death for baby bunnies.
4. Stimulate baby bunnies to waste feces
When the age of baby bunnies ranges from 1 to 6 days, you should give a massage to their stomach after giving them milk with cotton that has been given warm water. After reaching the age of more than 6 days, you do not need to do massage again because they have been able to waste feces by themselves.
5. Maintain the condition of the baby bunnies cage
In the age of 1-7 days, we have to maintain the condition of baby bunnies cage in order to keep them warm. This is because they do not have feathers when aged under 7 days. Besides to maintaining warmth, we should also keep normal temperature conditions inside the enclosure that can be made using a soft box with a straw. To keep that situation, so we can use the straw as their base in the cage. But, if there is no straw you can do it with cotton so long as you can clean the feces of baby bunnies diligently on the cotton. But, it will be more difficult for you to do it. I suggest you to use straw only. Also make sure the cage is protected from rain and sunlight directly.
6. Maintain the air circulation
Make sure that the air circulation in the baby bunnies cage of the is enough. Do not let the box cursed so that it becomes airtight and there is no light entering a bit into the cage. This will cause the baby bunnies to get lack of air, difficulty breathing and too warm. Make sure that the baby bunnies gets enough air circulation inside the cage.
7. Give Enough Enlightenment for Baby Bunnies
As we know earlier, a baby bunnies under 7 days old does not have feathers that cover his body so easily exposed to wind and cold. So, it takes sufficient light in the form of lighting in the cage to be a source of their warmth in the cage. Adequate lighting in addition to providing warmth also provides little light.
8. If you want to hold a baby bunnies, hold it properly!
Holding a baby bunnies is one of those things that are at risk if it is wrong. If it is too harsh to hold a baby bunny then it will cause baby bunny to be stressed. This is because they are still not too familiar with their new environment. If you want to hold a baby rabbit, it is recommended to use the palm of the hand as a center. We should not take hold of his ears and immediately lift them, because this is too harsh for them. Do it gently and lovingly !.
9. Protect baby bunnies from a variety of predators.
Baby bunny are often become a target of food for predatory animals such as cats, dogs and other predatory animals. So, place their cages far out of reach on predators.
10. Do not bathe baby bunnies.
Baby bunnies aged under 3-4 months should not be exposed to water. Sometimes many people who have bathed the baby bunnies when they are under 3 months. It can make them to be easy catching up with the wind and pain that eventually leads them to death. If you want to bathe baby bunnies aged 3-4 months, should bathe them by using warm water and soft towels.
11. Pay attention to the baby bunnies healthcare concept
Besides health condition of baby bunnies, you should monitor the behavior and weight of your baby bunnies everyday. If their body weight decreasing, then you can provide food that is a bit much but not too much. This is in order to provide more nutrition to baby bunnies. But, it is not advisable to give them overeat. Babies are usually vulnerable to disease, before bad news comes to you better handle them safely.
12. Understand your baby bunnies’ condition
Healthy baby bunnies are usually have a round, filled, warm, pink and not wrinkled stomach. The characteristics of a sick baby bunny are visibly lethargic, wrinkled, cold and bluish. If this has happened, then immediately bring your baby bunny to the nearest veterinarian.
So, those are some ways to keep a baby bunny without its mother. Animal babies are just like humans, which need our affection, warmth and attention from us. One of God’s favored actions is to nurture and love animals with love.