# Do mamas get attached to their babies?



## Thumperina (Aug 27, 2012)

Is it traumatic for the mom when her bunnies are taken (given) away? In the regular case when she was nursing and taking care of them. Please share your experience.


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## CloverRabbits (Aug 28, 2012)

My rabbit had a litter of 7 about 9 weeks ago. She was basically the best mama ever :biggrin: and took really great care of every one of them (I thought it was amazing because it was a good sized litter, her first litter, and she's 4 1/2 years old!). So, I felt really bad taking the babies away at first. I had some homes lined up and I wanted to give them all at least a week away from mom so that stress would be over before going to their new homes. I took the boys away and put them in a hutch together at just under 7 weeks. Two days later I took the girls away but they only had a wire divided between them and mom. Well.... When the kids were out of the house mama bun I think was overjoyed! She was sprawling out sleeping and eating her food almost like, "yes this is mine I don't have to share"  It was very funny, but it was certainly time. Mom started gaining her condition back that she had lost, and now only two weeks later she looks fabulous! With that said though, I have two of the daughters that I'm keeping who are still divided from mom only by wire and they all enjoy the company.


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## MyBabyHasPaws (Aug 28, 2012)

Honestly I dont think they care. I wondered the same thing when Oreo had her babies. I was scared that it would send her into a depression (dogs get sad and I thought rabbits the same). When my friend took all 3 babies I think Oreo was super happy. She layed on the floor level a lot, what she couldnt do when the babies were there because they would nurse! I didnt notice a change in appetite or attitude. She didnt really care. We had a play date yesterday and I dont think we can do that again. Oreo tried biting and lunged at all the babies. Maybe she thought they were coming back?! LOL! Good luck!


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## wendymac (Aug 28, 2012)

Mine seem to all throw a bit of a mini party when their kids leave. LOL They leave the nest box around 2 weeks old, so for the next 6 weeks they can't stretch out (or kits take the opportunity to hurry and sneak in a drink) or hop around freely (always watching out for their babies under foot), etc.

Dogs, cats, and other animals are pretty much herd/pack critters. In the wild, they need their packs/herds to survive. Rabbits are pretty solitary critters. There would be a lot of danger if a bunch of rabbits always hung out together...it would make them MUCH easier for a predator to wipe them all out. So leaving their babies behind when they're old enough is built into their DNA.


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## majorv (Aug 28, 2012)

Agreed,none of our does have a problem when the kits are gone either.


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## Thumperina (Aug 28, 2012)

Thanks, good to know. 
I just think that the daddy (who is 8 months old and still is like a child) enjoys playing with the little ones.


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