Article by Debra Spilar, images by Jen Howard
Approximate read time: 3 minutes
As you enjoy the nice weather, here are some important things to remember about baby Eastern Cottontail rabbits:
Cottontail rabbits time their reproductive cycles to align with the growth of their preferred foods—grasses, clover, dandelions, and other soft, leafy plants. Unlike some other wild mammals, Eastern Cottontails do not dig burrows for their young. Instead, the mother creates a shallow nest in the grass, lining it with her own soft fur. She visits her babies only twice a day—at dawn and dusk—using the cover of darkness to avoid attracting predators to the nest.
To us, the nest might appear abandoned, but these babies are doing exactly what nature intended. Although they seem helpless, they can go 12 hours or more without nursing. While in the nest, they remain completely still and silent to avoid detection.
Baby bunnies have not yet developed scent glands and don’t produce any odour of their own. In fact, they absorb the scents of their surroundings, blending in through “odour camouflage.” The mother, on the other hand, does have a strong scent, so she stays away from the nest except during feeding times to keep the babies’ location hidden.
We’re often asked if nests can be moved due to threats like curious dogs. The answer is no—because the babies are scentless, even the mother will not be able to find them if they’ve been moved.
If you find a Cottontail nest on your property, the best thing you can do is leave it alone. Intervene only if you see clear signs that something is wrong, such as:
– Visible injuries or bleeding
-Insects crawling on the babies
-A dead sibling in or near the nest
– The babies have been in a predator’s mouth (dog, cat, or wild animal)
If you suspect the mother hasn’t returned, you can gently place a ring of flour around the nest or lay yarn in a tic-tac-toe pattern over it. Check in the morning—if the flour or yarn has been disturbed, the mother has come back.
If a baby bunny does need help, carefully place them in a warm, quiet, dark box lined with cloth. Do not give them food or water—this can cause aspiration and do more harm than good. Keep them away from children and pets, and avoid handling them more than necessary. Then, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator like us at (905-729-0033) and with permission transport the baby as soon as possible to give it the best chance at survival.