Baby Rabbits

Few things trigger more panic — or more adorable reactions — than finding a nest of baby rabbits in your yard. Those tiny ears, closed eyes, and cotton-ball bodies make people want to scoop them up immediately.

But here's the truth most people don't know: the vast majority of baby bunnies found alone are not orphaned. Mother rabbits deliberately stay away from their nests to avoid attracting predators. She visits just twice a day — at dawn and dusk — to nurse her young.

Every spring, wildlife rehabilitators are flooded with newborn baby rabbits that were "rescued" by well-meaning people who accidentally kidnapped them from a perfectly healthy mother. Baby cottontail rabbits have an extremely high mortality rate in human care — fewer than 10% of orphaned cottontails survive even one week.

This guide covers everything you need to know about baby rabbits — what they look like at every age, what they eat, where they nest, when to help, and when to walk away. Whether you found a baby cottontail under your pine trees or in a hole in your lawn, you'll know exactly what to do.

What Are Baby Rabbits Called?

Baby rabbits are called kittens (or kits). Yes — baby rabbits are called kittens, the same word used for baby cats. The term comes from the Middle English word "kitten," which originally referred to any young small animal.

A group of baby rabbits born from a single pregnancy is called a litter, and a typical litter contains 4–12 kittens. A mother rabbit is called a doe, and a father rabbit is called a buck — the same terms used for deer.

The most common wild rabbit species in North America is the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). When most people say "baby bunny" or "baby cottontail," this is the species they're talking about.

What Are Baby Bunnies Called?

Baby bunnies are called kits — the exact same term as baby rabbits, because rabbits and bunnies are the same animal. "Bunny" is simply an informal, affectionate word for rabbit that has been used since at least the 1600s. Whether you call them baby rabbits or baby bunnies, the correct name for the young is kit or kitten.

People often assume "baby bunny" might have a different scientific term than "baby rabbit" — it doesn't. Wildlife biologists, rehabilitators, and veterinarians all use "kit" or "kitten" regardless of whether they're talking about wild cottontails, domestic rabbits, or the fluffy bunnies people keep as pets.

What Is a Group of Rabbits Called?

A group of rabbits is called a colony. Their underground burrow system is called a warren, though eastern cottontails in North America don't typically dig warrens like European rabbits do — they nest in shallow surface depressions instead.

While European rabbits are highly social and live in large colonies sharing extensive warren systems, North American cottontails are more solitary. You'll typically see a single doe with her litter, not large groups living together.

Why Are Rabbits Called Bunnies?

The word "bunny" comes from the old English word "bun," which was used to refer to squirrels and rabbits alike in the 1500s and 1600s. Over time, "bunny" became a term of endearment specifically for rabbits — particularly young ones.

Today, "rabbit" is the standard term used in science and wildlife management, while "bunny" is informal and affectionate. Both refer to the same animal. You'll hear wildlife rehabilitators say "rabbit" and kids say "bunny" — and everyone knows what they mean.

For the record, a baby rabbit is technically called a kitten (or kit), not a bunny — though "baby bunny" is by far the most common term people use in everyday conversation.

What Do Newborn Baby Rabbits Look Like?

Newborn baby rabbits look nothing like the fluffy bunnies you picture. At birth, they're tiny, hairless, and completely helpless.

Newborn baby cottontail rabbit in a ground nest — hairless, eyes closed, completely helpless at birth

Baby cottontail rabbits develop much faster than baby squirrels or raccoons. Within just 3 weeks, they go from hairless and blind to fully furred, eyes open, and ready to leave the nest.

How to Tell How Old a Baby Rabbit Is

Baby Rabbit Development Timeline

Cottontail rabbits develop remarkably fast compared to other mammals. From birth to full independence takes only about 3–4 weeks.

Days 1–3: Helpless Newborns

Newborn baby rabbits are completely dependent on their mother. They're hairless, blind, deaf, and unable to regulate their own body temperature. They huddle together in the nest for warmth and nurse when the mother visits — typically only at dawn and dusk.

Days 4–10: Growing Fur

A thin layer of fur begins developing within the first week. The kittens are still blind but growing rapidly. The mother continues visiting the nest just twice a day. The rest of the time, the babies stay hidden and silent to avoid attracting predators.

Days 10–14: Eyes Opening

Eyes open around 10–12 days old. Ears begin to lift away from the head. The kittens are now fully furred and starting to look like tiny versions of adult cottontails. They're becoming more active in the nest.

Days 14–21: Exploring

Baby rabbits begin venturing to the edges of the nest. They're nibbling on grass and plant material for the first time while still nursing. Their instinct to freeze when a predator approaches is already well-developed.

Days 21–28: Leaving the Nest

By 3–4 weeks old, baby rabbits leave the nest for good. At this point they're about the size of a tennis ball — which looks impossibly small to be independent, but they are. They can run, hide, forage, and survive without their mother.

When Do Baby Rabbits Start Walking?

Baby rabbits don't truly walk for the first two weeks of life — they wriggle, squirm, and scoot. Real hopping doesn't begin until around day 14, and full running speed isn't reached until day 21. In cottontails, walking age and independence age are the same thing.

Walking Age = Independence Age

A baby rabbit that can hop confidently is a baby rabbit that's ready to leave the nest. This is why size and movement are the two most reliable indicators of whether a kit needs human help — far more reliable than guessing age from appearance alone. A bunny that hops away when you approach has already passed the developmental milestone that signals self-sufficiency.

What If a Baby Rabbit Can't Walk?

A kit that should be hopping (size of a tennis ball, fully furred, open eyes, upright ears) but isn't moving normally — or is moving in circles, dragging a leg, or unable to stand — may have a head injury, spinal injury, parasite load, or infection. This is one of the few clear-cut cases where you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately rather than waiting to see if the mother returns.

Do Baby Bunnies Walk Like Adult Rabbits?

Not at first. Adult cottontails move with the classic rabbit gait — a powerful two-foot hop where both back legs push off together while the front legs reach forward. Baby bunnies don't have the muscle development for this gait until about day 18. Their early hops are uneven, often using one leg at a time, and they tire quickly. By day 21 the adult hopping pattern is fully developed.

When Do Baby Rabbits Get Fur?

Are Baby Bunnies Born With Fur?

No. Baby bunnies and baby rabbits — same animal, different words — are born completely hairless and pink. The full coat of fur most people picture when they hear "fluffy baby bunny" doesn't appear until around 10–14 days after birth. If you find a baby bunny without fur, it is less than one week old.

Baby rabbits are born completely hairless and pink. Fur development happens fast:

By the time a baby rabbit's eyes open around day 10–12, it already has a full coat of fur. This rapid fur growth is essential for survival — cottontail nests are shallow ground depressions with minimal insulation, so the babies need their own coat quickly to regulate body temperature.

When Do Baby Rabbits Open Their Eyes?

Baby rabbits open their eyes at 10–12 days old. Before this, they are completely blind and rely on warmth and smell to find their siblings and their mother during nursing.

If you find a baby rabbit with its eyes still closed, it is under 12 days old and too young to survive outside the nest. Return it to the nest if possible, or contact a wildlife rehabilitator if the nest has been destroyed.

Once the eyes are open AND the rabbit has full fur and erect ears, it is very close to leaving the nest on its own — or may have already done so naturally.

When Do Baby Bunnies Open Their Eyes?

Same answer — baby bunnies open their eyes at 10–12 days old, because baby bunnies and baby rabbits are the exact same animal. If you find a baby bunny with sealed eyes, it is under 12 days old and belongs in its nest. The phrase "baby bunny" gets used most often for kits at this age, when they're just starting to look like the fluffy, bright-eyed creatures everyone pictures.

How Big Are Baby Rabbits at Each Stage?

Size is the single most reliable way to identify a baby rabbit's age — and to decide whether it needs your help. Here's exactly how big baby cottontails are at every stage of development, using comparisons you can eyeball from across the yard.

How Big Are Baby Bunnies When They Are Born?

Newborn baby rabbits are about one inch long and weigh between 1 and 1.5 ounces — roughly the size of an adult human thumb or a small strawberry. They're hairless, blind, and weigh less than two stacked AA batteries. A typical newborn cottontail fits comfortably in the palm of your hand with room to spare.

What Does a 2-Week-Old Baby Bunny Look Like?

A 2-week-old baby bunny looks like a tiny, fully-furred miniature of an adult cottontail. At this age:

• Size: About 3 inches long — chipmunk-sized
• Fur: Fully covered, with adult markings beginning to show
• Eyes: Just opening or recently opened (10–12 days)
• Ears: Beginning to lift away from head but not fully upright
• Behavior: Active in the nest, may peek out, still relies entirely on mother's milk

A 2-week-old bunny still belongs in its nest. If you find one outside the nest at this age, return it gently and cover with the original grass and fur — the mother will not abandon it because of your scent.

How Big Are Baby Bunnies When They Leave the Nest?

Wild baby cottontails leave the nest at 3–4 weeks old, when they are about the size of a tennis ball — roughly 4 inches long and weighing 4–5 ounces. This looks impossibly small to be independent, but it isn't. A tennis-ball-sized cottontail is fully capable of foraging, evading predators, and surviving without its mother.

Cottontail Age by Week — Quick Reference

Where Do Rabbits Nest?

Unlike the deep burrows you might imagine, cottontail rabbits nest in shallow depressions right on the surface of the ground. They don't dig tunnels or warrens like European rabbits.

A rabbit nest is surprisingly hard to spot. The mother creates a shallow bowl about 3–4 inches deep, lines it with dried grass and soft fur she plucks from her own chest, and covers the babies with more grass and fur when she leaves. From above, it looks like a patch of dead grass.

Baby cottontail bunnies cuddled together in a shallow grass-lined ground nest — a classic rabbit nest hidden in plain sight

When Are Baby Rabbits Born?

When Do Rabbits Have Their Babies?

Rabbits breed from early spring through fall, with peak nesting season running from March through September across most of the United States. The gestation period is just 28–31 days — one of the shortest of any mammal. Climate determines when nesting begins each year, so the regional differences are significant.

When Do Rabbits Have Babies in Michigan?

In Michigan, eastern cottontails breed from April through August, with peak nesting in May and June. Eastern cottontails are found statewide across the Lower Peninsula, with snowshoe hares becoming more common than cottontails in the deep Upper Peninsula forests. A Michigan doe typically produces 2–3 litters per year, with first litters appearing in southern Michigan as early as late March during mild springs. Cooler springs in northern Michigan push first nests into mid-to-late April. On our 30-acre habitat property in Gratiot County, we find new nests in our lawn and under pine stands from mid-April through early August every year — usually 3–4 nests per season, often in the same spots the does used the year before.

Rabbits are one of nature's most prolific breeders. A single doe can produce 2–4 litters per year depending on region and climate, with each litter containing 4–12 kittens. That means one mother rabbit can give birth to 20–40 babies in a single breeding season.

However, the mortality rate is high. Predators, weather, and disease mean only about 15% of wild baby rabbits survive their first year. This is precisely why rabbits reproduce so rapidly — it's a survival strategy for the species.

You may find baby rabbits in your yard multiple times throughout spring and summer. Each nest is usually a new litter, not the same babies returning.

Wild Baby Rabbits — What You Need to Know

Wild baby rabbits and domestic baby rabbits look similar, but they could not be more different when it comes to survival, stress tolerance, and what they need from humans.

What Do Wild Baby Rabbits Eat?

Wild baby rabbits follow the same progression as domestic kits — mother's milk until 3–4 weeks, then transitioning to solid food. But the solid food must be wild-appropriate:

What Do Baby Rabbits Eat?

A baby rabbit's diet changes rapidly as they grow from helpless kittens to independent foragers in just a few weeks.

Birth to 2–3 Weeks: Mother's Milk Only

Newborn rabbits survive entirely on their mother's milk. Rabbit milk is extraordinarily rich — much higher in fat and protein than cow's milk, goat's milk, or even dog's milk. This concentrated nutrition is why the mother only needs to nurse twice a day and the babies still grow rapidly.

2–3 Weeks: Transition Begins

Around 2–3 weeks old, baby rabbits begin nibbling on grasses and plant material in and around the nest. They're still nursing but starting to learn what solid food tastes like.

3–4 Weeks: Weaned and Independent

By 3–4 weeks old, baby cottontails are fully weaned and eating an adult diet of grasses, clover, dandelion greens, wildflowers, and weed shoots.

Adult wild rabbits eat grasses, clover, wildflowers, garden vegetables, bark and twigs (in winter), dandelions, and plantain weeds. They're strictly herbivores — unlike squirrels and raccoons, they never eat insects or meat.

What to Feed Baby Rabbits by Age

If you're caring for orphaned baby rabbits under the guidance of a wildlife rehabilitator, here's what they eat at each age:

How Do Rabbits Feed Their Babies?

Mother cottontail rabbit at her nest — she visits just twice a day, standing over the nest while babies nurse from below

Mother rabbits feed their babies in a way that surprises most people — she only nurses once or twice a day, typically at dawn and dusk, for about 5 minutes total.

This seems neglectful, but it's actually a brilliant survival strategy. Mother rabbits stay away from the nest deliberately so their scent doesn't lead predators to the babies. When she does return, she stands directly over the nest and the babies nurse from below while lying on their backs.

Feeding Baby Rabbits

Baby rabbits are extremely fragile — more so than baby squirrels or raccoons. They have the highest mortality rate of any commonly rescued wildlife. Fewer than 10% of hand-raised cottontails survive even one week. The stress of being handled alone can kill them through a condition called capture myopathy, which causes internal organ damage.

What Rehabilitators Feed Baby Rabbits

Licensed wildlife rehabilitators use kitten milk replacer (KMR) for wild baby rabbits. They also add cecotropes (special droppings from adult rabbits) to the formula for the first several days, which gives the babies critical gut bacteria they need to survive.

They never use cow's milk, goat's milk, Esbilac puppy formula, human baby formula, or condensed milk for wild cottontails.

Emergency Care (Last Resort Only)

How Long Can a Baby Rabbit Go Without Food?

This is the question most people ask when they've found a nest and haven't seen the mother return. The answer depends almost entirely on the kit's age — and it's not as alarming as you think.

The 5-Minute Nursing Window

Remember: the mother visits for only about 5 minutes, twice a day, typically before dawn and around dusk. She does this in darkness specifically to avoid attracting predators. If you haven't seen the mother in 12 hours, that doesn't mean she hasn't been there — it almost certainly means she has visited and left without you noticing.

How to Check If Mom Is Returning

Rather than timing food intervals, use the tic-tac-toe test — the most reliable way to confirm whether the mother is still visiting:

Can Baby Rabbits Survive Without Their Mother?

This depends entirely on age — and the answer might surprise you.

Here's the part that surprises most people: baby rabbits are independent at just 3–4 weeks old. At that age, they're only about the size of a tennis ball. Many people see them and assume they're too small to be on their own — but they absolutely can survive.

Compare this to baby squirrels (independent at 10–12 weeks) and baby raccoons (stay with mom for nearly a year). Rabbits grow up fast because they need to — they're prey animals at the bottom of the food chain, and their survival strategy is speed and numbers.

When Do Baby Rabbits Leave the Nest?

Baby cottontail rabbits leave the nest at 3–4 weeks old. Once they leave, they don't come back.

Young rabbits that have just left the nest often sit very still when humans approach. This freeze response makes people think something is wrong. It's not — the rabbit is using its primary defense mechanism against predators. If it runs away when you get close, it's absolutely fine.

When Do Baby Bunnies Leave the Nest?

Baby bunnies leave the nest at the same age as baby rabbits — because they're the same animal. Wild baby bunnies (cottontails) typically leave the nest at 3–4 weeks old, when they're about the size of a tennis ball.

Some individuals leave as early as 15–20 days old — especially if the nest is disturbed or if the litter is large and food competition is high. Once a baby bunny leaves the nest, it does not return. Within days of leaving, its mother will breed again and prepare a new nest for the next litter.

How Far Do Baby Bunnies Travel After Leaving the Nest?

Once baby bunnies leave the nest, they don't go far at first — but they expand their range fast. Within a month they're occupying a full acre, and as adults they'll range across 5–10 acres of habitat. Here's the typical dispersal pattern for an eastern cottontail.

Do Baby Bunnies Return to the Nest?

No. Once a baby cottontail leaves the nest, it does not return — not that night, not the next day, not ever. The nest is single-use. Within days of her litter leaving, the mother breeds again and prepares a new nest for the next litter, usually in a different location.

This is one of the most common misunderstandings people have when watching a newly-emerged cottontail near a nest. They assume "the babies will be back tonight." They won't. If the nest looks empty after the kits were the right size to leave, they are gone for good.

Do Siblings Stay Together?

No. Cottontail siblings disperse in different directions within days of leaving the nest. There's no family bond after weaning — and staying together would mean competing for the same forage and attracting predators in groups. Each kit goes its own way to maximize survival odds.

You may see two or three young bunnies in your yard at the same time, but they are not traveling as a family unit. They were nest-mates that happen to be exploring the same area. Within a week or two they'll have spread out and established separate home ranges.

Found a Baby Rabbit?

This is the most important section of this guide. What you do in the first few minutes after finding a baby rabbit can mean the difference between life and death.

Young cottontail rabbit at a nest entrance — at this size and alertness, this rabbit is ready for independence and does not need help

Step 1: Assess the Rabbit's Age

Is it 4–5 inches long with fur, open eyes, and upright ears? If yes — leave it alone. It's old enough to be on its own. Walk away.

Is it smaller, hairless, or has its eyes closed? Continue to step 2.

Step 2: Check for Injuries

Look for bleeding, fly eggs or maggots, broken limbs, or obvious wounds. Check if the baby feels cold to the touch or appears limp and unresponsive.

If injured: contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Place the baby in a small box with a towel, keep it warm, dark, and quiet. Do not feed it. Do not pet it.

Step 3: Check If the Mother Is Returning

Mother rabbits only visit the nest twice a day — at dawn and dusk. She's not abandoning them. She's protecting them by staying away.

To test if mom is returning: place thin twigs in a tic-tac-toe pattern over the nest, leave the area completely, and check back in 12–24 hours. If the pattern is disturbed, mom came back. If it's untouched after 24 hours, the babies may be truly orphaned.

Step 4: Contact a Wildlife Rehabilitator

If the mother hasn't returned in 24 hours, or if babies are injured, cold, or covered in flies — they need professional help.

• Humane Society Rehabilitator Directory
• Search "[your state] wildlife rehabilitator"
• Call your state's wildlife agency

What NOT to Do

Do Baby Rabbits Carry Diseases?

Wild rabbits can carry several diseases, though the risk to humans from a casual backyard encounter is low.

Unlike raccoons, rabbits are not a major rabies vector species. Rabbit rabies cases are extremely rare in North America.

That said, always use gloves if you must handle a wild rabbit, wash your hands thoroughly afterward, and keep your pets' vaccinations current.

Do Baby Bunnies Carry Diseases?

Same answer as above — baby bunnies (which are simply baby rabbits) carry the same handful of diseases as adult rabbits. The risk to humans from observing a nest, or from briefly returning displaced kits to a nest while wearing gloves, is very low. The bacterial disease tularemia is the actual concern with wild rabbits, and rabies is almost nonexistent in this species — see the dedicated rabies section below for the full breakdown.

Do Baby Bunnies Have Rabies?

Rabies in rabbits — wild or domestic, adult or baby — is extraordinarily rare. According to the CDC, rabbits are not classified as a rabies vector species in the United States, and documented cases of rabid rabbits are vanishingly few. The disease people should actually worry about with rabbits is tularemia, not rabies.

Why Rabies Is Rare in Rabbits

When to Be Concerned

While rabies in rabbits is rare, it isn't impossible. Be cautious if you encounter a rabbit displaying:

• Aggression — wild rabbits typically flee humans; a rabbit that approaches and tries to bite is abnormal
• Lack of fear of people or pets
• Excessive drooling, foaming, or paralysis of the mouth
• Stumbling, circling, or unable to coordinate movement
• Sudden death of a previously healthy-looking wild rabbit

These signs do NOT confirm rabies — most are more likely to indicate tularemia, RHDV2, or head injury. But they warrant calling your local health department or animal control.

If You Are Bitten by a Wild Rabbit

Tularemia — The Actual Disease Concern

The bacterial disease tularemia (sometimes called "rabbit fever") is the real disease concern with wild rabbits. Unlike rabies, tularemia is well-documented in cottontail populations and can be transmitted to humans through bites, scratches, handling sick rabbits, or even tick bites from a tick that previously fed on an infected rabbit.

Symptoms appear 3–14 days after exposure and include sudden fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, and a slow-healing ulcer at the bite or scratch site. Tularemia is treatable with antibiotics but should be diagnosed promptly.

How to Protect a Rabbit Nest in Your Yard

If you find a rabbit nest in your lawn or garden, the best protection is simple: leave it alone and keep threats away for 3–4 weeks until the babies leave on their own.

Protecting from Dogs and Cats

• Place an upside-down laundry basket over the nest during the day (weighted with a rock)
• Remove the basket before dusk and after dawn so the mother can access the nest
• Keep dogs leashed near the nest area
• Keep cats indoors during nesting season

Protecting from Lawn Mowers

• Mark the nest with small flags or stakes at a distance
• Don't mow within 10 feet of the nest
• Always walk your lawn before mowing in spring and summer

Protecting from Predators

The mother rabbit chose this nest location specifically to avoid predators. The best thing you can do is not add foot traffic around it. Every time you check on the nest, your scent and path create a trail that predators can follow. Check once a day at most — and from a distance.

My Dog (or Cat) Got Into a Rabbit Nest — What to Do

Your dog or cat has just gotten into a rabbit nest. This is one of the most common spring wildlife emergencies — and the next few minutes matter enormously.

Step-by-Step — Right Now

Protecting the Nest Going Forward

Frequently Asked Questions

When to Enjoy Watching — and When to Intervene

The vast majority of baby rabbit encounters end one of two ways: you leave them alone and they thrive, or you intervene and they don't make it. The statistics are stark — fewer than 10% of hand-raised cottontails survive even one week in human care.

But finding a nest of baby rabbits is also one of the genuine wonders of a backyard spring. Watch from a window. Check for the tic-tac-toe pattern once a day. See how fast they grow. In three weeks, those hairless pink slivers will be fully furred, bright-eyed, and bounding through your lawn.

And if you find a baby that truly needs help — cold, injured, alone for days with no mother returning — now you know exactly what to do. Contact a rehabilitator, keep the baby warm and dark and quiet, and let the professionals handle it. Those tiny ears deserve a chance to grow up wild.