About Cottontails
Cottontails nest in shallow, hand-sized depressions in the ground. The mother rabbit pulls fur from her belly to line the nest and covers it with dried grass, so you may not even notice the nest in your yard. Cottontails also like to nest in tall grass. If you haven’t mowed for a while, you may discover nests when you mow.
Cottontails are prolific, producing as many as six or seven litters between early spring and late fall. Females can become pregnant while still nursing. Although each litter can be up to 12 babies; litters of 4 to 8 are more common.
Baby bunnies open their eyes at 7 to 10 days and leave the nest at 3 to 4 weeks. Mother cottontails come to feed their babies at dawn and dusk, but otherwise stays away so she doesn’t attract predators to the nest. She sits on top of the nest to nurse for only a few minutes, and then she is gone again. If you are not looking for her, you may never see her feed the babies.
Signs of Immediate Need
If any of these signs are visible, please bring the animal to Lakeside Nature Center or call 816-513-6980. Location information is here. See below for instructions on collecting and transporting the animal(s).
- Smaller than a tennis ball, furless and not in a nest.
- Bleeding or broken limbs.
- Has multiple flies, fleas, ticks or ants.
- Drowsy and cold.
- Falls over when it tries to stand or move AND its eyes are open.
- Has been in a cat’s mouth, regardless of visible injuries.
- Has been in a dog’s mouth and has injuries. If it does not have injuries it should be returned to the nest. You may bring it to the Nature Center for assessment if you are unsure.
Important Information
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Do not move or relocate a nest.
You can’t successfully relocate a rabbit nest. The mother will not go looking for the young in a new nest. She will just abandon the young and they will starve to death or get taken by predators.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Do not give food or water to a baby bunny.
Because all wildlife have specialized milk and nursing specific to their species, it is not advised to give a baby bunny milk or food. Sometimes even offering water can cause unintended side effects such as aspiration.
Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Human scent on the nest or animal is not a problem.
Your scent (from being near or touching the animals) will NOT be a problem. Your scent is all over the yard so mom will have no problem taking care of bunnies you handle.
Frequently Situations
A nest with healthy bunnies was found. The nest is not in danger but no mother is in the area.
Mother rabbits only come by to feed her babies at dusk and dawn.
If the nest is not in danger, do not disturb the nest or babies. Trust that the bunnies are being taken care of.
While mothers are only at the nest for a few times a day, she is safely in the wings, out of sight, watching the nest. A disturbance to her nest will not deter her from caring for her young but do not continue to check the nest. Repeated disturbances will scare the mother and force her to abandon the nest.
Do not give food or water to the babies.
A baby cottontail was found outside of the nest.
Check the baby for signs of immediate need. (See above.) If there are any signs of immediate need, bring it into the Nature Center. If the baby is healthy, return it to the nest.
If a healthy baby cottontail is found outside the nest or someone has removed it, returned it to the nest and then cover with grass. The mother will be back to take care of them. Instruct everyone to stay away from the nest for a few weeks so as not to frighten the mother away.d.
A nest was mowed over.
Inspect the cottontail babies. Remove any dead ones. Check the other babies for signs of immediate need. (See above.) If there are any signs of immediate need, bring it into the Nature Center.
Healthy babies should be returned to or remain in the nest. Put all fur back into the nest and cover with a small amount of grass clippings.
The mother is the bunny’s best opportunity for survival. Leave it alone and stay away so you won’t frighten the mother. Flag the location to help avoid it. When the bunnies are about 3-4 weeks old they will leave the nest and you can resume mowing of that area.
Continue to be aware as they will be moving about in the yard. They are learning to hide and perceive what danger is. They may ‘freeze’ and not move when a mower or weed eater approaches. Give them time to move away on their own.
A cat found a cottontail nest.
A cat’s mouth is full of bacteria that will kill a cottontail in a short time. If a baby cottontail has been in a cat’s mouth, regardless of visible injuries, bring it to the Nature Center.
If the babies have not been in a cat’s mouth and don’t show any signs of immediate need (see above), they should be returned to or remain in the nest. Put all fur back into the nest and cover with a small amount of grass clippings. Leave it alone and stay away so you won’t frighten the mother. The mother is the bunny’s best opportunity for survival.
Keep the cat(s) inside until the babies have left the nest (about 3 weeks old, tennis ball-sized).
A dog found a cottontail nest.
If a baby cottontail has been in a dog’s mouth and shows immediate signs of need (see above), bring it to the Nature Center.
If it has been in a dog’s mouth and does not have injuries, it should be returned to the nest. You may bring it to the Nature Center for assessment if you are unsure.
Healthy babies should be returned to or remain in the nest. Put all fur back into the nest and cover with a small amount of grass clippings. Leave it alone and stay away so you won’t frighten the mother. The mother is the bunny’s best opportunity for survival.
There are several ways to keep a cottontail nest safe from dogs.
• Keep your dog(s) inside unless they are ties up, away from the nest.
• Cover the nest during the day with a milk crate or laundry basket. Weigh this down with bricks or rocks. A wheel barrel, kayak, fire pit cover or some similar object may also be used to cover the nest. Make sure there is a space big enough to allow the mother to come and go. Remove the covering before nightfall after the dog is in for the evening. Place over nest again in the morning before you let the dog out.
• Restrict access to the nest. Wire fencing can be placed around the nest. Make sure the gaps in the wire are big enough for the mother to fit through. You can also place cinder blocks, with the openings on the side, around the nest. This will allow the mother to move in and out. You can place a wire or a weighted-down board on top of the cinder blocks to keep dogs out.
Bunnies open their eyes after 1 week and are completely out of the nest after 3 weeks (tennis ball sized). Mother rabbits only feed their young at dusk and dawn so make sure the babies are accessible during these times and you stay away at these times.
A nest has been flooded.
If the cottontail babies are OK, take them inside and keep them warm and quiet. Warming items might include a heated water bottle, heated rice bag or hand warmer. To create a heated rice bag, fill a sock with uncooked dry rice. Microwave the rice-filled sock for 30 to 60 seconds. This heat source will last about 20 to 30 minutes. Place the heat source in the box or container under a towel, and place the animal on or near it, but not directly in contact with the heat source.
The most important thing is to keep them warm and quiet. Keep the container away from people, pets and noise.
If, by nightfall, the water has receded, return them to the nest. You can also help dry the nest by physically removing standing water and patting the nest dry with paper towels or rags.
If the nest is at the bottom of a slope or hill, you can construct a wall or barricade around the side of the nest that receives the rain run-off. Plastic landscaping border works well in these situations.
To help keep the nest dry during heavy rains/storms, you can implement temporary cover over the nest. Place a wheel barrel, kayak, fire pit cover or some similar object over the nest. Make sure there is a space big enough to allow the mother to come and go.
How to Collect and Transport a Cottontail
An adult cottontail that can be captured by people is in serious trouble. Quick transport is essential and proper handling and quiet are mandatory if the animal is to have a chance for recovery.
To secure an injured adult, place a towel gently over the rabbit, carefully scoop it up, place it into a cardboard box, and secure the lid or opening with masking or duct tape. Avoid disturbing noises such as talking, radios, dog barking, etc.
If you are not comfortable collecting the animal, in the KC metro area you may call KC Pet Project at 816-683-1383. If you are outside the KC metro area, call your local Animal Control
If the cottontail must be kept overnight until it can be transported to the Nature Center, place the cardboard box in a warm, quiet location away from people and pets.