New Born Kit Care Guide first 72 Hours
Newborn Kit Care Guide Summary
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Critical First 72 Hours:
- Move Dad away from Mom ASAP.
- Mom can become pregnant once she delivers.
- Move Mom, Dad and kits indoors
- Each Minute means LIFE and Death for the kits.
- Kits who are cold have a High Risk of passing away.
- Create Nesting Box for kits.
- Keep Mom/kits in safe in a quite area away from other pets.
- Do Not Post or Google Read this guide and then post. ACT NOW
- Contact a Rabbit Rescue Group for assistance if needed.
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Housing and Nesting:
- Use a secure, warm nesting box with soft bedding.
- Keep the mother and kits indoors and away from stress.
We have cared for hundreds of new born kits over 15 years for several 501 c3 Rabbit Rescue Groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have worked with well know Exotic Rabbits DVM on the care of kits. We have lost several kits but have saved many critical kits. We will give our advice that we have learned through both saving and losing kits.
You find that Mom had delivered kits.
- If you have both Mom and Dad. You MUST move Dad into his own housing NOW. You may need to pick up EACH rabbit and look at their Private Parts located above their tail. The male body parts should be seen just above the tail near their private part. The Mom can become pregnant after she delivers. She may have a “back to back” delivery in 28 to 30 days. If both are female you should see if you can match the color of the pulled fur to the female. You can also check each female to see one had pulled fur from her stomach or neck area. The female of course became pregnant prior to 28 days.
- You need to move Mom and kits if outdoors into indoor housing. Kits who are cold have a high risk of passing away. Rabbits unlike cats cannot move their kits. You must search her area for any kits who were delivered outside of her nesting area. If the kits were born outdoors place the kits and all of her nesting material in a small box i.e. shoe box size. You can then move Mom and kits indoors.
- You need to create a nesting box for the kits.
High Back Litter Box, soft fleece, clips and baby electric heating pad.
Kits (older day 1 of rescue) in a litter box with fleece. Kit born in litter box
Cardboard box top place soft material and kits fur Soft fabric place kits nesting material kits and mom's fur.
The nesting box will where the kits will live for the next 3 weeks. The nesting box can be cat litter box, cardboard box top (or cut to size) or a soft fabric. Time is critical you should use what you on hand to create the nesting box.The nesting box should be large enough for Mom to hop in and out to nurse her kits. You should place a soft material to line the nesting box. You will then place as much of her nesting material on the bottom. If she did not pull a lot of fur save it place on top of her kits. Once you have the nesting box you can place the kits in the center of the nesting box with her fur on top of her kits.
4. Create a Safe Place for Mom and her kits.
Note Kits on soft fabric, Mom's nesting material and then kits with Mom's Fur.
The next stop is now to create a Safe Indoor Place for Mom and her kits. The place should be indoors in a room away from pets. Place the nesting box and kits in the quite room.
5. Food for Mom
Mom will need to have unlimited Alfalfa Hay and Young / Baby Pellets. We only give our Mom romaine lettuce, carrot tops and spring mix. Do not give parsley or similar as it may sour her milk for her kits.
The Mom and kits are now in a secure space. Please contact your local animal shelter or Rabbit Rescue Group for help.
The Guide was for just the Triage of the kits for the first 72 Hours. Please read https://www.townofimaginationforrabbits.com/baby-orphan-and-surrogate-mom-care
We go over the care of Newborn kits, orphans and surrogate mom care. We will go over in detail the daily health check that you must do for each kit. We will over how to handle critical kits and how to do one on feeding. You might need to change for triage setup for the care of Mom and kits for 8 weeks or more.
You can post and ask for help. Please read our baby, orphan and surrogate mom care for details. You can message us on our “The Town of Imagination for Rabbits” Facebook Page