Cottontail Rabbit

A cottontail's nest is typically a shallow cup scraped into the soil, lined with some of the mother rabbit's fur and dried grasses. In human residential areas, these nests are often in unusual locations, such as the middle of a lawn, by a sidewalk, on a playground or in a garden. To avoid attracting the attention of predators to her nest, a mother rabbit does not stay with her young but only visits the nest briefly at dawn and dusk for quick feedings.

The young cottontails, called kits, open their eyes at one week old and begin exploring outside the nest for short periods to nibble on the grass at about 2 to 3 weeks. A cottontail rabbit is about the size of a softball (4-5 inches long) with eyes open and the ability to hold its ears upright. It should be capable of being on its own and should be left alone. Cottontails can have multiple litters each year so that kits may be encountered anytime from spring through fall.

Tip: If a nest is disturbed by a pet or child or because of lawn work, the nest can be rebuilt, the kits replaced in the nest, and the mother will likely return. To determine if the nest is abandoned, you can place multiple grass stems or very fine twigs in a crisscross pattern over the nest and check it the following morning. If the pattern has been disturbed, then you know the mother has been there to feed the kits. After you have determined that the kits are not orphaned, do not keep visiting the nest, as your scent could lead predators to the nest.