They frequently live in the edges of towns and feed in gardens and flower beds. In the daytime they rest in beds in nearby thickets or in underground burrows and small culverts. The food is variable with the season. They feed on a variety of grasses and forbs but when such vegetation is scarce, they eat the twigs and bark of shrubs and small trees. These rabbits are not sociable and are seldom seen feeding together.
Eastern cottontails are prolific breeders.
In southern Texas the breeding season is year-long, although the frequency of breeding does fluctuate throughout the year. Breeding activity is stimulated by environmental factors, such as temperature and rainfall, which affect the growth of vegetation. The gestation period is 28-29 days. Young females born early in the year may mature sexually and produce young in their first summer but ordinarily, they do not breed until their second summer. These cottontails are known to be preyed upon by hawks, barn owls, opossums, coyotes, foxes, and weasels.