If you’ve seen and heard baby rabbits screaming, you understand how stressful it sounds. Sometimes, screaming can be compared to a cry, grunt, or whimper. We’ll help you find out the reasons whenever you’re wondering why they’re doing that.

There are numerous reasons why baby rabbits scream; they may be scared or in pain, much worse, are about to die. Sometimes, it’s an indication that they’re starving.

Read further to know more about why baby rabbits are screaming!

Facts About Rabbits

Rabbits don’t produce tears, but you know they cry if they make sounds.
In case you see rabbit tears, it’s an indication that it’s suffering from an allergy, dental disease, or an infection.
Whenever rabbits are lonely or sad, they usually don’t scream or cry
Instead of crying or screaming whenever rabbits are sad, they just stop grooming

Why Do Rabbits Scream?

There are four various reasons why rabbits cry, including:

#1. Fear

Whenever rabbits see a predator, they cry. It’s because they are taken by surprise or do that out in terror. Whenever they experience extreme fear, they cry because they think they will die.

#2. Extreme hunger

You can see baby rabbits screaming whenever they experience extreme hunger. So if you hear them cry, make sure you feed them immediately. Well, it’s not advisable to let them become very hungry. Learn here why do male rabbit eat their babies

#3. Pain

Just like us human beings, rabbits also cry whenever they’re in pain. It’s not because they’re broken-hearted, you silly; it might be because of some diseases, such as Urinary Tract Diseases. Rabbits do cry when passing urine if they have UTD.

#4. Upcoming death

When a rabbit is about to die, it screams. My friend has a rabbit who has just died, and he heard a whimpering, soft sound before his pet died. But wait, don’t bury your rabbit immediately. Rabbits can play dead, especially if they sense danger.

Do Rabbits Have Tears?

As mentioned above, rabbits can’t produce tears whenever they cry. Yes, rabbits have ducts found in lower eyelids—these ducts aid in draining excess moisture from their eyes.

But, whenever they are lonely, scared, hungry, or in pain, they never cry tears. Whenever you see their eyes look gunky and wet, it’s a sign of some medical issues instead of emotional problems.

Baby Rabbits Screaming When Hungry

Whether a rabbit is domestic or wild, it will sometimes cry. When Thumper was just a little, I heard him scream. It’s quite cute, yet tarrying to hear. I asked a few friends and did a little research on why, and I found out that it may be due to fear or hunger.

When I fed him, he stopped screaming. The good news is screaming can be normal, depending on the cause. But if it’s prolonged, it should be given attention as it may be due to some serious concerns.

Before you should investigate the situation, be extra careful as interference may lead to danger than good. Let’s delve deeper about screaming baby rabbits when they’re hungry:

Mother rabbits should feed baby rabbits once a day. About dusk, the mother rabbit would go back home to let the baby eat in the wild.

When it’s feeding time, and the mother is still not there, it’s normal for a baby rabbit to scream. If the screaming is heard all day, the baby is most likely hungry- very hungry. Well, it’s just the same with human beings.

Then again, make sure that the baby is truly hungry. Feeding them while they’re still full may lead to overfeeding, which can also be detrimental to them. An overfed baby rabbit may die.

How To Determine If Baby Rabbit Is Hungry

I guess you’ll be scared when you hear baby rabbits cry. And you want to know if they’re really hungry so you can feed them, just in case. Here are just the steps to determine a hungry baby rabbit.

Step #1. Look at the tummy

If the stomach of your pet is slightly caved in, it indicates that it’s hungry. In the wild, you would know that it’s hungry, and it’s orphaned when it’s crying for a long time, and the stomach is caved in.

Step #2. Pinch the fur

You’ll know a rabbit is dehydrated if its skin doesn’t ping back into place immediately after it’s pinched. To know when it’s hungry and dehydrated, pinch the fur found at the back of your pet’s neck; this process should be done gently.

Step #3. Call the experts

In case a wild baby rabbit is extremely dehydrated, call for assistance from a wildlife rehabilitation service. If it’s your pet, make sure to feed it or ask aid from experts too.

Step #4. Check if mother rabbit is feeding baby rabbit

There are times when a mother rabbit rejects her babies. If this happens, then the baby rabbit will most likely be malnourished. It’s for the reason that it’s crucial to check if the mother is really feeding the baby daily. Otherwise, the baby can’t get the nutrition it needs.

Baby Rabbits Screaming When Scared

Do you know that they bleat whenever they feel scared? Other people find baby rabbits cute whenever they noise. But, that’s not a good feeling for them; it’s an indication that they’re stressed.

When you pick them up, they will cry or bleat frequently. That’s the reason why you should not try to hold a wild baby rabbit unless required.

The first two months of a rabbit’s life are quite crucial, so it’s best not to handle it. After such a time, you can gently handle it. In case you scare it, it will most likely cry.

The best thing to do is to sit beside the rabbit for some minutes. Let it sense the feeling of comfort and peace.

What To Do When Rabbits Scream

At some time, Thumper screams. Usually, it’s because he is hungry. Here are the tips on what to do whenever you hear your pet scream:

First, give your pet support and comfort while finding for signs of trauma or injury. Your initial instinct may be to take it to the vet. But it’s a good idea to assess the situation before doing so.

Evaluate the circumstance, then wait ’til your pet calms down. Don’t immediately bring it to your vet. Like for instance, it’s just distracted by a loud noise or a neighbor’s dog. How do you calm it?

Bring it near you, and stroke it gently. The best method to calm your pet is to whisper and soothe it quietly. When you know where the stress comes from, get rid of it.

If the cause of the screaming in pain, you can give comfort to your pet. In case it’s suffering a lot, then it’s best to bring it to your vet.

Final Words

You may be worried about baby rabbits screaming, especially if it’s your first time hearing such. When you know the scream’s cause, you can perform the appropriate means to stop them. There are four main causes- fear, hunger, pain, and dying.

If you can’t determine what makes your pet scream, better seek immediate help from an expert, such as your vet. Maybe, the baby rabbit is just hungry; well, it’s the usual reason why Thumper cries and screams. Assess and take note of things that you should do.

Hopefully, this article is a good help for you!

Baby Rabbits Screaming: 4 Reasons Why, What To Do!