Rabbit Feeding Kits

We stock everything you need to keep your baby bunnies' tummies in top health!

When to help 

Rearing baby bunnies is notoriously one of the hardest rearing tasks in the pet world so it is super important that the mother rabbit is simply left to behave naturally unless you encounter the following exceptional circumstances: 

● Mother has passed away 

● Mother has no milk 

● Mother has mastitis
 

If you are concerned about any of the above then contact your veterinarian immediately or book an appointment here for advice on finding an emergency foster mum or treating mum to help get her milk flowing again.

Rabbit mothering is unique 

Rabbits are small prey animals unlike cats or dogs and so have a more hands-off parenting style which may cause concern if you are not familiar. 

● Finding a nest of rabbit kits with no mum in sight is normal! Kits feed once every 24 hours and mum hides the rest of the time to avoid predators finding her kits. She’ll be nearby, munching madly to keep up her milk production.

● Even the most affectionate pet bunny, once a mother, may seem distant or disinterested in her babes - as above, this is to keep them safe, not a sign of abandonment. 

● Handling rabbit kits can lead to a healthy mother rejecting her babies or causing the babies distress, so avoid unless there is no alternative. 

● Mother bunnies may not produce milk for the first 24 hours and this is perfectly normal

● A ‘lonely’ litter of kits that are warm, quiet, have round bellies, pink colouring, and look plump (not wrinkled) are actually well-fed and just waiting for mum 

● Fostering is dangerous for the kits and needs expert guidance, but will give a better chance of survival than hand-rearing 

● Mother’s natural milk keeps babies from getting infections via their gut and this cannot be replaced with any other product, even specialised replacer milk, so mother’s milk really is best for these little chaps!

How to feed kits 

If you have taken advice from your veterinarian and exhausted all other options then your next step is to get prepared to work hard! Rearing baby rabbits is notoriously heartbreaking as they are prone to lung disease from inhaling milk by accident and infections. 

Feeding tips: 

● Cold kits cannot eat, so keep them warm 

● Keep each kit the right way up to feed 

● Keep milk warm by monitoring with a thermometer 

● Dab milk on the lips first to encourage drinking and do not force feed 

● Record how much they have each time 

● After feeding clean the face and bottom with moist warm cotton wool to encourage toileting
 

What to feed 

Rabbit feeder kits such as the Mikki Mothering kit and Lactol Feeding syringes are suitable. Ensure you puncture a small hole that does not let through too much milk.

Which milk 

Our beloved bunnies are unique from their very first hours so finding milk for them is a tall task! Kitten and puppy milk is not high enough in fat or energy. Once you have spoken to your veterinarian, it’s safest to choose a product from a well-established, veterinarian-endorsed company that carries out quality control.

Replacers such as Beaphar small animal milk has been designed to resemble rabbit milk as closely as possible. For any milk replacer, follow the instructions for preparation and amounts to give. 

The tips above will give you a broad idea of what you might expect but nothing can substitute the advice of your veterinarian and the expert guidance of veterinary staff and associates who have experience hand-rearing rabbit kits.