Real life bunbun

[dominoandcopper]

My cat just raided a bunny nest and brought one home XD. Its tiny, but has its eyes open and stuff! it looks like this!. Anyone have tips on raising it? I think i'm gonna keep it as a pet!

[Summerbreeze]

My tips: If it gets away shut all doors and secure the area.
Keep away from pets.
Don't try feeding until doctor recommends
and last and therfore most important be shy and timid don't make loud noises and be sure to buy some books on it.

[NatureHeart]

In almost every state, it is illegal to keep wild animals as pets. If you do not have a license, you can't keep it. Not even just to raise it, then let it go. I would call a wildlife center to keep it alive and healthy. In the meantime, interact with it as little as possible.

[Summerbreeze]

Oh really? In that case you need to not brag about it at all. And hide him/her... Or do the the right thing. Your choice. Sorry I am drunk on Justin Beiber.... Talk to me later.

[StarWolf]

Yha, trying to keep a wild animal as a pet isn't such a good idea... even if they are babies.
My family was given 2 wild baby malard ducklings, who were at most 3 days old when we got them(someone found them on the side of the road and decided to give them to us).
When they were put in the nursery cage(which is covered in chicken wire), they were constantly climbing the walls in it: 2 days later we found the larger one with a broken neck on the ground, probably from falling off the chicken wire wall.
The second one somehow managed to escape the cage when it was closed(squeezed out somehow?) and then somehow found a way under a pile of clothes. It suffocated to death.
Moral of the story: Don't try to keep a wild animal as a pet. Their minds are already wired to being feral, and will stop at nothing to get away. Killing themselves is as close as some can get.

[animalguy888]

In almost every state, it is illegal to keep wild animals as pets. If you do not have a license, you can't keep it. Not even just to raise it, then let it go. I would call a wildlife center to keep it alive and healthy. In the meantime, interact with it as little as possible.

yes this is the best option. Wild animals belong in the wild. if you want a rabbit go buy a pet one from petco.

"HELP! I found a baby wild rabbit! What do I do?"

That is something rabbit breeders hear all too often, especially in springtime. In most cases, young, inexperienced baby rabbits are found shortly after the mother has kicked them out of the nest. People stumble across the babies, assume they are orphans, and try to do the right thing by giving them cow's milk and cabbage, which often is fatal for the babies.

So what should you do if you find wild baby rabbits? The answer to this question is pretty simple: in most cases you should leave them where you found them. Wild rabbits do not need human help, unless the mother rabbit has been killed. Do not handle them (or any other wild animal) unless absolutely necessary. Wild rabbits are host to fleas, ticks, lice, and other parasites that can transmit disease to humans and domestic animals alike.

How can you tell if a baby rabbit is old enough to fend for itself? Look for a white blaze on their foreheads. If they don't have the blaze, they are old enough to be outside on their own. Just leave them alone. If they do have a white blaze, they are still under their mother's care. Leave them in their nest or put them back if they're outside of the nest. If you are concerned that the mother has abandoned the babies, take two twigs and lay them in an "X" over the nest. When mother rabbit comes to feed them, she will disturb the twigs.

Wild female rabbits build shallow nests (called "forms") and only visit the nest once or twice a day to nurse. The rest of the time, they will be out of sight but probably nearby. A mother rabbit's infrequent visitations are meant to keep the nest hidden - more frequent visits would draw unwelcome attention from predators. Because the doe visits the nest typically just before dawn and just after dark, it can appear as if the babies were abandoned. If the babies have full bellies, they are being cared for, and the best thing you can do is to leave them alone.

If you know the mother rabbit to be deceased (say, a dog catches her and you find the nest) or if the nest has been destroyed, call your state Wildlife or Fish & Game department or a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Your veterinarian probably can help you locate a wildlife rehabilitator because vets typically get dozens of calls every spring like this. You can also do a search on the Internet for a wildlife rehabilitation information directory to find a wildlife rehabilitator nearest you. Rehabbers are listed by state. It is important that you get the babies to someone who is experienced in raising rabbits and is licensed by the state to do so because it is really difficult work to raise baby wild bunnies to adulthood.

In this situation, you might need to nurse the babies until you can get appropriate care arranged for them. Here's a rabbit formula you can make to feed them

http://www.rabbitweb.net/wild-babies.asp

What Do I Do If I Find a Wild Rabbit?


The original version of this article by Dianna Orr can be found at the Wild Rescue website Diana is a Wildlife Rehabilitator specializing in the eastern cottontail and other native lagomorph/hare species in Copper Canyon, Texas. This version was adapted by HRC member Morgan Avery-Sispodis, a wildlife rehabilitator in Manhattan, who claims her move to NYC is not as counter-intuitive as you may think. This article is designed to point you in the appropriate direction for the care of injured or orphaned wild rabbits — their lives depend on it. Thank you for taking the animal to someone who is trained to care for it.

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I found a nest of orphaned eyes-closed baby rabbits. What should I do?

First of all, if the babies’ eyes are still closed, they are under 10 days of age. If the nest is intact, if the babies look plump and are nestled snuggly next to each other, if there seems to be no immediate danger to them, then leave them alone! You can check to see if the mother rabbit is coming back by crisscrossing the nest with two or three strands of dental floss or thin string. If the string is pushed back out of the way in the morning, then you know that the mother has returned to her babies. If, after 24 hours, the string is still in place, then it is time locate emergency care for those babies (see below).

I have picked up the babies. Won’t my scent keep the mother away?

No — the mother will not abandon her babies just because the scent of a human is on them. If you are doubtful, then wash your hands and rub them in the grass and soil around the nest and gently replace the babies, making the nest up as it was before you disturbed it. Leave the site as soon as possible. Yes, the babies are cute, but they are not toys or pets. They can easily die of stress and fright — right now or later on. Please do not pick them up unless you are very sure they are orphans or if they are injured (see below).

My cat/dog just brought in a baby cottontail. What should I do?

A wild rabbit that has been in the mouth of a cat is in great danger. The saliva of a cat carries life-threatening bacteria and a bunny that has been in the mouth of a cat usually dies if not given antibiotics within 8 hours of the attack. Puncture marks are often nearly invisible, so don’t rely on a visual once-over to assess damage. Moreover, even if there appears to be no external wound, the teeth of a cat or dog may have easily crushed a vital internal organ. Get the baby to a wildlife rehabilitator right away. Also, please monitor your pets. Keep your cats indoors and watch your dog during baby bunny season. Take periodic walks through your yard to make sure there are no nests your pet can disturb.

The nest has been torn up and the babies have no cover. What should I do?

If the nest has been destroyed by you, a lawnmower, dog, etc., you can actually recreate a nest for the babies on or a few feet away from the original nest site. Gather dried grasses and scoop out a similar shallow form in the earth. Replace the dried grasses and bits of rabbit fur (the mother always pulls fur from her chest and abdomen to line the nest for her babies). Rub your hands in the grass and soil around the nest and gently replace the babies. Do not move the nest more than a few feet from the original site because the mother might not be able to find it again.

Why can’t I feed the babies?

Rabbits require a very specialized formula, feeding, and rehydration schedule. You must be trained to determine levels of dehydration and amounts of formula to feed — you cannot make an educated guess.
■Feeding them before they are thoroughly rehydrated will kill them.
■You cannot use water, milk, or Pedialyte to rehydrate or feed a bunny.
■You run the risk of aspirating the bunny (filling the lungs with fluid and drowning it) if you do not know how to feed it.
■Baby rabbits are incredibly fragile and do not take handling by humans well at all. Keep wild rabbits away from children, household noise (such as vacuum cleaner and so forth), domestic pets and bright light. Do not carry the rabbits around or show them to your friends, etc. A rabbit that seems “calm” is usually too scared to move or is in shock as a result of trauma (cat, dog, lawnmower, or even simply being picked up from its nest). Wild rabbits do not know you are just trying to help. They think you are going to kill them. This fear, as well as improper feeding/rehydration, will make their stomachs shut down, which will lead to an extremely protracted, painful, and unnecessary death.

IF any of the following are true:
■The nest cannot be reestablished or
■The babies are in imminent life-threatening danger or
■There is no sign of the mother (at least over 24 to 48 hours) or
■The babies are injured

THEN contact a wildlife rehabilitator right away. If you need to transport them to a rehabilitator, do the following:
■Line the shoebox with a clean soft cloth.
■Place the babies inside the shoebox and put a rubber band around the box and lid, securing it for the ride.
■Use a small container such as a shoebox. Punch air holes in the lid BEFORE putting the bunny in the box.
■Babies must stay warm (a rabbit’s body temperature is usually 101 degrees Fahrenheit). For a portable heating pad, fill a clean tube sock with uncooked rice and tie off towards the top of the sock with a piece of string. Place the sock into a microwave and heat for 1-2 minutes. Place the sock inside the shoebox and make sure the sock is not so hot as to burn the babies. The babies will crawl next to the warmth of the sock and stay there for the ride to the rehabilitator. Another option is to put a wet washcloth (wrung out) into a Ziploc baggie and microwave until warm but not hot.

If it is going to be a length of time before you can get the babies to a rehabilitator, please do the following:
■Follow the instructions above as per the shoebox or other small container.
■If you have a heating pad, set it on low and place the pad on a non-conductive surface (a bathroom counter or washing machine lid).
■Place the container with the babies half-on and half-off the heating pad. This allows the babies to move away from the heat if they need to. Or use the sock idea above, checking it hourly (be quick and quiet) to make sure it has not cooled down.

Can I keep a wild bunny as a pet? Or care for it until it can be released back into the wild?

No. It is illegal to care for or keep any wild animal – even baby bunnies – unless you are licensed with your state’s Department of Environmental Protection. Wild rabbits are one of the most difficult species to rehabilitate. The suffering of all orphaned and injured wildlife should be kept to an absolute minimum. Not knowing how to rehabilitate them will only exacerbate their suffering. And although there are books on the subject, many that you will find in stores and libraries are extremely out-of-date and filled with incorrect information. Following them will only make the situation worse.

It is cruel to keep a wild animal as a pet. They need much more room than a cage, and they need to be surrounded by others of their own kind. If you want a pet, there are thousands of abandoned animals living in shelters – you would be doing a very kind thing by adopting your next pet from a shelter or humane society

to sum this up...
Get rid of that rabbit!! You are breaking the law by keeping it. You are also deminishing its chances of is survival. On top of that you risk killing your family with major desieses!! and since it has been in the mouth of your cat.. call the vet or it will die!!!

[Alexander]

Yes, as nice it'd be to keep a baby bunny, it's illegal to keep it unless you have a license for it. I think you can call a company where they can basically take care of it for you if you don't want to just let it go. Even if you keep it or put it away, it will most likely not have a good chance of survival anyway. I suggest getting some sort of professionals to help on the case, as they'll of course know what to do and how to properly handle it.
It's clear I don't have a lot of knowledge as to what those people may be.

[dominoandcopper]

yeah, well my dad had me let it go anyways. They said it was old enought to live on its own. But hey it was cute to hold ^_^

[NatureHeart]

You did the right thing!

[Kenya]

Moved to Critter Cam and Animal News.

Very cute rabbit.