Unneutered rabbits of different sex are likely to be kept separated as much as able to prevent the creation of babies. However, many owners prefer keeping their rabbits in separate cages, therefore they wonder if rabbits can mate across a fence or cage.
Rabbits can breed through a cage, although it’s unlikely they’ll be able to successfully mate through a fence. Be sure to keep the cages a few inches apart in order to avoid unwanted contact between them. When your rabbits are attempting to mate, you may see them claw, bite, or gnaw their way through their cages.
There is a concern with rabbits since they are extremely prolific and may reproduce rapidly. As far as we can determine, the rumor that they’re known for “breeding like rabbits” is true. Rabbit mating as well as how to tell if your doe is pregnant will be covered in this article, so join us.
Can Rabbits Mate Through A Fence Or Cage?
Putting the rabbits next to each other in separate cages increases the likelihood that they’ll try to find a way into each other’s homes. Those critters are quite tenacious.
When bunnies are able to breed, there is a high probability that they’ll be successful in doing just that. In most situations, 95% of mated rabbits will get pregnant on their first try. More than that, rabbits are quite strict about the length of time they spend between pregnancies.
Babies don’t come every few months or even every year for us humans. In contrast, rabbits may produce up to 12 liters in a calendar year! Even after giving birth, they are able to get pregnant right away again. Breeders should avoid mating their rabbits at this rate since it might put a lot of stress on the females.
A male and female rabbit should not be kept together unless you plan on becoming the happy owner of many more bunnies. Each rabbit must be kept in a separate cage to prevent them from mating until you are ready.
Additional considerations include separating the cages from each other and making sure the cages are separated by a couple of inches. This will prevent them from mating through the cage and giving you a surprise litter.
How To Tell If A Rabbit Is Pregnant
In the event that your rabbits mate through the confines of a cage or fence, there is the possibility that your doe might conceive if they are in close proximity to each other. However, because bunnies are only pregnant for 30 to 31 days, it might be difficult to discern if they are pregnant. Owners of bunnies are frequently surprised to learn that their mother is pregnant until after their pet has given birth to a brood of little ones.
There are, however, a few things you may check for to see whether your rabbit is pregnant. An ultrasound is the best way to detect if your rabbits are pregnant when they’ve been in close enough proximity to one other. But if this is not possible or practical, you can attempt any of the following advice:
- In the third week of pregnancy, female rabbits begin to nest. This is for the safety and comfort of the newborn bunnies, who are born without fur. Often, rabbits may begin scavenging bedding and even their own hair to build a nest in an area of their cage that is undisturbed.
- A rabbit’s instinctive reaction when she becomes pregnant is to defend herself and her unborn young. There is a good chance that rabbits will be hard to identify because they are naturally cautious animals. Any notable changes in your pet’s behavior, such as grunting if you get near her or shunning human contact, should be kept in mind if you think your doe is pregnant.
- When a rabbit is pregnant, it will typically gain weight quickly. There is just a brief period of time during which a rabbit is pregnant, thus the weight growth might be noticeable at any given point. Although the rabbit won’t gain much weight, it will make a noticeable change in its weight on the scales when weighed.
- You may begin to see movement from the outside of your rabbit’s womb throughout the last week of her pregnancy. Look for kicks in the rabbit’s belly, which may indicate the presence of kits.
- Finally, approximately 10 days after the bunny is presumed to have bred, you may gently palpate her abdomen to check for the presence of any newborns. This might be tough to discern if you have never done this before and you must always ensure that your rabbit isn’t in any suffering during this procedure. Let her go right away if she does this. After all, you don’t want to hurt her or the babies!
Can Bunnies Be Bonded In Separate Cages?
Bonding bunnies might take some work but once a duo is bonded, that relationship should not be destroyed. The Animal Humane Society says bonded rabbits really shouldn’t be separated since there is a possibility that once they are reunited, anything as minor as a new fragrance might drive them to fight.
The bunnies should be introduced to each other in a neutral environment and kept in separate cages until they are completely bonded. Even when a strong link has been developed, there may come a period when it is impossible to keep them together for long.
Close proximity between the two rabbit hutches is essential in this situation. The rabbits will be able to detect and smell one other, reducing the stress of separation.
We prefer keeping our rabbits in a colony instead of cages as they are easier to take care of and the rabbits seem happier in general. However, that is just our preference and isn’t right for everyone.
Is It Bad To Keep A Rabbit In A Cage?
It is perfectly safe to keep your rabbit in a cage. Many rabbit breeders do it, however, it’s not for everyone. As stated above, we prefer to keep our rabbits in a colony setting. We raise our rabbits for meat although we do still have certain ones that are our pets.
If you do keep your rabbits in a cage, be sure to make sure that the cage is large enough for your bunny to get some exercise and lounge around. It is not safe or healthy to keep your rabbit in a cage that is too small for it for very long.
In Conclusion
Yes, your rabbit can mate through a cage or fence, however, it is very unlikely that it will happen. Be sure to keep your cages a couple of inches apart from each other to help make sure that this will not happen.
There are a few ways to check if your rabbit is pregnant if you suspect they did mate through the cage. My favorite way is palpating the rabbit’s abdomen. However, when the doe starts growling at me when I get close or lunging at me when I stick my hand in the cage when she normally doesn’t do that, it is typically a dead giveaway.
