I bought my daughter a baby bunny last year. It is just a regular rex rabbit. She named her nibbles. I did not have a bunny hutch. So, we stuck her in the garage in my big brooding pen. Right away, she decided that all new chicks in the brooder are her babies. She has mushed a few by sitting on them, but overall, she is a great mother hen! She washes them, and at night, she'll gather them up in a little group. They walk on her, sit on her and snuggle beside her. It is a weird little relationship between the two species, but hey it works! Here is a picture of mom and the gang:
I know it is just the cutest thing! I really believe that she thinks that caring for chicks is her, 'job'. When I put new chicks into the brooder, she gets so excited. Literally, she jumps up, and she kicks up her heels.
Great picture and story.. Amazing how nature works.. We had a male Dachshund who LOVED our cat and her kittens.. The cat had 8 kittens in our bedroom closet.. Each time momma would leave the box, Spike would 'slither' into the box and bath and cuddle the kittens.. As soon as he heard the doggie door open, he would 'slither' out and into his crate where he could watch the closet door and watch over the kittens!! IT worked greatt UNTIL the kittens were about 6 weeks old and they would follow him into his crate. and momma cat would whipp his skinny rear end for 'stealing' her babies... By the time they were weaned --they were sleeping w/ him full time and only visiting mom at meal time..
