Wild Rabbit FAQs
(c) Gryph- if you repost this article, please post with a link back to my website.
Wild Rabbits – Orphaned or Not?
Wild babies are most often not orphaned! Many people mean well when they contact HRS after discovering an “abandoned” nest of wild rabbits. Often they wish to “rehabilitate” them with some advice from others. The reality is fewer than 10% of orphaned rabbits survive a week, and the care that people attempt to provide can be illegal, unnecessary, and potentially harmful. The best thing you can do is put the bunny right back where you found him, in the general area, as the mom will only come back at night to call and find him. Leave the area. If injured, please contact a wildlife rehabber or rabbit vet immediately! You can search Google for your state/country and wildlife rehabber. If you find a baby with eyes open, and he appears healthy, leave him be!! If picked up, go put him back outside. Mom only comes back at night. Please put back for her!
I/My Dog/My Cat Found a Rabbit Nest! What Do I Do?
Rabbits hide their nests in plain view, often putting them in the open, sometimes in the middle of the lawn, as well as in brush piles and long grass. If you find a nest that has been disturbed, do all you can to restore and protect it. Do NOT bring it inside. If a dog has discovered the nest, keep your dog away from the area and reconstruct the nest with grasses. If need be, you can move the nest a few feet away where safer, even up to 5-6 feet away. A moved nest should always be covered with string in a tic tac toe pattern and monitored to be sure the mother found it and came back to the babies. She will scrabble away the surface area to feed her babies beneath her and then scrabble the earth, grass, leaves, back over the nest to hide it again so it’s pretty easy to see if the string has been disturbed and if the babies are warm.
NOTE: Babies should never be put back into a nest that has been flooded with water, has bugs/ants visibly crawling in and out, or if a baby has been killed and there is blood in the nest. Use common sense. Baby bunnies who have fleas are compromised and should be immediately taken to a wildlife rehabber or humane society, rabbit vet.
Rabbit mothers nurse their babies for approximately 5 minutes a day. Both wild and domestic mothers will be in the nest early in the morning and then again in the evening. The milk is very rich and the babies “fill up” to capacity within minutes. Mother rabbits do not “sit” on the babies to keep them warm as do some mammals and birds. They build a nest with fur and grasses which helps to keep the babies warm in between feedings. For domestic/pet rabbits, do not force a mother rabbit to sit in the nest box. You can pick up the babies and see if they are feeding by checking the size of their stomachs (should not be sunken in), the pinkness of their skin and activity level (they should not be blue in color or sluggish in movement) and the amount of time that you hear them crying (baby bunnies should be quiet most of the day….if they are crying constantly then they are not getting fed). If you come across a nest of wild bunnies, and the mother is nowhere to be seen, please DO NOT disturb them. This is normal behavior. By removing them from the nest, you are greatly reducing their chances of survival. The mom will only return at night, and not if you are watching.
If your dog disturbs a nest, or you find a wild bunny with his eyes open, please put him back if not injured. Mom will be coming back at night to call and feed him only once in the middle of the night. Do not take the bunny inside or feed him! IT IS A MATTER OF HIS/HER SURVIVAL AND UP TO US AS HUMANS TO LEAVE NATURE BE AND LET THE MOM CARE FOR HER YOUNG. We often hear of mothers moving their babies and their nests, and have seen moms come back every night for up to a week to look for her missing baby. Do not take the baby from the mom or she will be frantic. Many call or write saying, “… but it is raining, etc., ” but remember, these are wild bunnies and belong out there.
I/My Dog/My Cat Destroyed a Wild Rabbit Nest! What Do I Do?Remake the nest as best you can with grasses, hay, straw in the same place. Nests can be moved to a safer place up to 10′ away from the original site and can be reconstructed if necessary. To make a new nest, dig a shallow hole about 3″ deep and put into it as much of the original material as you can recover, including the mother’s fur. Add dried grass as needed, and put the young back. Mother rabbits return to the nest to nurse only at night, staying away as much as possible so as not to attract predators. To determine if the mother is returning, create a tic-tac-toe pattern over the nest with straw, grasses or tiny twigs. Wait 24 hours to see if the twigs have been disturbed. She may be able to feed them without moving the twigs much, so double check–If the babies look healthy, are warm, then the mother is coming back. If they are cold, dehydrated, get them to a professional; do not care for them yourself. Please contact a Wildlife Rehabber or rabbit vet or Humane Society immediately.
How Do I Know If the Wild Baby Bunnies Need Help?
Very young wild baby bunnies with eyes closed and ears back rarely survive in captivity, even given the most expert human care; and so it is very important to determine whether they really need help. Try to assess whether the infants seem warm and healthy or cold, thin, and dehydrated. One test for dehydration is to gently pinch the loose skin at the back of the neck. If it does not spring back in one second, or stays in a “tent,” the bunny is SEVERELY dehydrated and needs rehabilitation IMMEDIATELY by a professional rabbit vet or rehabber. Another test is to stroke the genital area to stimulate elimination if the eyes are closed. If the pee is brown and gritty, the mother rabbit has not been there to help the bunnies urinate. The brown, gritty urine is toxic, and the infant bunny must be cared for by a professional. Please contact a Wildlife Rehabber or rabbit vet immediately.
Older baby bunnies who are found outside of the nest may not be orphaned or in need of assistance. This is most often the case. Baby cottontails are born without fur but develop a full coat in a week. Their eyes open in 10 days, and in three to four weeks they are weaned. At this age, they may explore the world outside of the nest but return there to sleep. They are not ignored by the mother but stay with the family group until four or five weeks of age. To determine whether a bunny of this age needs assistance, first see if the bunny feels cold to the touch; perform the dehydration test. Also look for bleeding, convulsing, fly larvae, broken limbs; if any, get to a rabbit vet or emergency vet immediately. If he is just out and about, leave him be. He is discovering his world, waiting for mom to return at night when we humans are asleep. Don’t assume because he is letting you pick him up, he needs help. They are prey animals, taught to freeze when a predator (or human) approaches. Leave him be!
What if the Baby Bunny is Injured?Either call or take him to your local rabbit vet, humane society or animal shelter/animal control. Call first as often they will come pick up the baby. If after hours, contact a local emergency rabbit vet or rabbit vets found here and also here. The best thing you can do for an injured wild baby bunny is to get in touch with a skilled Wildlife Rehabber by searching your state/country and wildlife rehabber, or calling your Humane Society, and or trying this link http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
Is there anything I can do to avoid orphaning wild baby bunnies?The harsh reality is that many of us who care about wild baby bunnies may be contributing to the suffering and death. House cats who roam outside will kill about every other time they go out. And unlike feral cats who hunt because they are hungry, and kill immediately, house cats maul and torment their prey, sometimes skinning baby bunnies alive. Cat owners need to provide managed outdoor habitats for their cats – such as window boxes or pens. Providing a bell on your cat will help warn the wildlife if you cannot keep him inside. Keep your dogs on a leash with you if you see a rabbit nest.
Lawn chemicals can produce convulsing death in baby rabbits. According to the Poison Control Center for Animals, lawn applications that contain herbicides are not directly toxic to small animals; but they may make toxic plants more palatable to them and may make the animals sick for a few days. Products which contain insecticides, such as Dursban or Diazinion, which are added to many lawn products to control fleas or grubs in the lawn, are toxic.
The Bunny is Wild and Really Orphaned – How do I care for it?Again, make sure you KNOW for sure the mom was killed and the bunnies are abandoned (not warm, etc.). You will not see the mom. The mom will only come back in the middle of the night to feed her babies. If the mom was killed, the best thing you can do for a wild orphaned baby bunny is to get in touch with a skilled rehabilitator. In the meantime, call your local humane society or animal control and one of these vets for a wildlife referral: Rabbit Vets and Pet Bunny Vets. Google your state and wildlife rehabbers, and also try http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
How much formula should I feed a Wild Orphaned Bunny until I get him/her to a rehabber?The following is a guideline for the daily amount to feed a TRULY orphaned wild bunny (mother was killed, etc.) Remember with wild bunnies, the mom only comes back at night to call and feed him once or so for 5 mins; please put him back for her if just found and healthy. She leaves them alone between feedings. Don’t assume they are abandoned! Wild rabbits NEED a skilled wildlife rehabber. You should not feed at home or the chances of their surviving is extremely low! Most die from bloat, wrong feedings/stress. These feedings are NOT meant to take place of an actual rehabber, but for someone only who may live too far from a rehabber and is faced with a wild mother, killed, for example. All others need to call your humane society, local rabbit vet, or google your state and wildlife rehabber. You can also check here http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
Feeding of True Orphans Age + Amount (This WILL vary SO MUCH depending on type of rabbit. It is impossible over the Internet to see your particular rabbit, so this is only approximate.) Use KMR kitten or KMR kitten plus Goat milk, regular not low fat. Add a pinch of acidophilus (aka Probiotic) to the formula to promote healthy gut flora. Formulas vary depending on region. Avoid Esbilac and any puppy formulas! FEED TWICE A DAY ONLY for healthy babies, three times if low weight. It may be easiest to start with a 3 cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Feed only with the bunny sitting UPRIGHT, and point syringe down towards bottom or side of mouth, so if too much comes out, the baby does not aspirate. At first, they may only take a few drops at one feeding until they are not stressed and used to this.
Newborn to One Week: 2- 2+1/2 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day).
1-2 weeks: 5-7 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day). (depending on bunny..may be much LESS if smaller rabbit!) Newborn babies (if eyes closed) all need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate prior to or following feeding until their eyes open. (Except Jackrabbits do not). *See how to below.
2-3 weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings). Domestic eyes open at about 10 days of age. Start introducing them to timothy and oat hay, pellets and water (always add fresh greens for wild ones).
3-6 weeks: 13-15 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings–again, may be LESS depending on size of rabbit! A cottontail/brush bunny will take so much less!! Half this at most.) Cottontails wean and release about 3-4 weeks and jackrabbits much later (9+ weeks), whereas domestic rabbits are 6 weeks.
6 weeks-9weeks for Jackrabbits only, continue up to 9 weeks with formula, gradually changing to a dish for the warm formula, replacing the formula after 9 weeks slowly, continue adding more of their natural greens and hay (dandelions, oat hay, timothy hay, Italian parsley, carrot tops, small carrots cut up) and a small water bowl. Most markets will sell these greens. They need a rehabber before release!
Wild rabbits NEED a skilled wildlife rehabber. These feedings are NOT meant to take place of an actual rehabber, but for someone who may live too far from a rehabber and is faced with a wild mother, killed, for example. Please call your humane society for referrals to rehabbers, or your rabbit vets, or google your state or country and wildlife rehabbers. You can also try here: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and by state here: http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator or http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
*After each feeding it is important to gently make the bunny defecate and or urinate (brush bunnies/cottontails only..if the eyes are not opened yet) to keep the intestinal and urinary system running smoothly (just UNTIL their eyes open). No need to do this for jackrabbits; they go on their own. Use a cotton ball moistened with warm water after eating, and gently stroke the anal area until the bunny starts producing stool and urine and keep stroking until the bunny stops. You are reproducing the behavior of the mother rabbit who would lick her young to stimulate them to go to the bathroom and to keep the nest clean. Again, ONLY if the eyes are still closed. Handle a wild rabbit only during feedings as excessive handling can be extremely stressful/potentially fatal. Wild rabbits don’t need heat if furred and healthy. Wild rabbits should not be fed at home, but get them to a professional rehabber as it IS CRITICAL for their survival and to be with their own kind. Most die from overfeeding and/or stress.
As soon as the wild bunnies’ eyes are open, you may introduce them to plain alfalfa pellets, hay, such as oat hay, timothy, alfalfa and veggies such as carrot tops, Italian parsley, dandelion greens. Dandelion greens and hay (timothy and oat hay) are extremely important for wild rabbits. You can add whole oats from a feed store, and some grated carrots. The greens must be fresh, rinsed, and replaced if not eaten in a few hours. You can place them in a cup of cold water with just the tops sticking out to keep them fresher. (For a domestic rabbit baby, see section under the Domestic heading). Wild cottontail and brush bunny rabbits should be released as soon as they are eating hay and greens and are approximately 5 inches in body length and run from you. This varies with the area, so size is not easy to say. They will be small, but the longer you keep them, the more agitated and difficult to handle they will become and the less likely their chances for survival in the wild. Release ONLY at dusk or dawn. Jackrabbits (hares) are not ready until 9+ weeks.Make sure they get exercise daily. Jackrabbits mature much slower than the brush/cottontails and need to develop strength. If they are ready, earlier, they will let you know.
WARNING: Jackrabbits really NEED a skilled wildlife rehabber as they can run from you, throw themselves into walls to get away; many have died or severely injured themselves in captivity as they are so very wild. Please DO NOT raise them if you are not a skilled wildlife rehabber. This is vital. Noises and sounds easily frighten the jackrabbit and they are not able to be handled after 9 weeks. Often, sadly, we get reports of how a well-meaning person who tried to raise a wild rabbit, only to find it literally died of fright or got injured inside the cage. They are wild and belong with their own kind, out in the wild.
Jackrabbits really enjoy being raised together, whereas cottontails/brush bunnies may fight and do fine alone. Give them a carrier as their place of privacy (line with thick towels) with plenty of fresh hay and greens described above and water bowl. Again, wild rabbits need a skilled wildlife rehabber; it is critical to their survival.
The Bunny is DOMESTIC (i.e., pet rabbit, NOT wild) and Really Orphaned – How do I care for a domestic baby?Baby Domestic Agouti Bunny
Baby Domestic/Pet Agouti rabbit baby
Remember that both the domestic pet rabbit and wild bunny moms only feed their young usually once in the middle of the night. Don’t assume the mom is not caring for them if you don’t see her nurse them. Check their tummies to see if they are round and the babies are warm in the morning–this means she is caring for them. In the rare situation that you have an orphaned domestic bunny, such as when a domestic rabbit mom is sick or refuses to care for her young, you will need to feed the babies. Overfeeding is a leading cause of death in these youngsters which results in fatal intestinal disease.
If truly orphaned, use KMR KITTEN powder formula (can also use Meyenberg Regular Goat milk found at Safeway in the milk section or Whole Foods until you can find the KMR KITTEN formula), and follow the directions on the can. It may be easiest to start with a 3 cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Some use pet nurser nipples on the end of a luer lock syringe, or a teat cannula on the end of a syringe. Feed only with the bunny sitting UPRIGHT, and point syringe down towards bottom or side of mouth, so if too much comes out, the baby does not aspirate! For those who are slow to learn nursing, SC fluids may be necessary to prevent electrolyte imbalance or dehydration (check with a vet on this only!!). Domestic buns with closed eyes should be fed 2 x a day, and the number of feedings gradually decreased until they are weaned. If their eyes are still closed, you need to stimulate their bottoms with a warm moist towel after feedings to help them to pee. (Domestics are weaned about 6 weeks compared to wild bunnies who are weaned about 3-4 weeks for cottontails and 9+ weeks for jackrabbits). Bloat is commonly associated with too frequent feedings and too much at one time.
Feeding Amounts for DOMESTIC/PET Orphaned babies*: Feed twice a day up to these amounts: Newborn– 2.5 cc/ml each feeding. One week old: 6-7 cc/ml each feeding. Two weeks old: 12-13 cc/ml each feeding. Three weeks to six weeks: Up to 15 cc/ml each feeding (a.m. and p.m.). Note this is for DOMESTIC, NOT WILD bunnies. Each bunny varies. If this is a smaller rabbit, he will consume much less. Do NOT overfeed! Contact an HRS contact, rabbit vet, to be sure.
*After each feeding it is important to make the bunny defecate and urinate (if the eyes are not opened yet) to keep the intestinal tract and urinary system running smoothly (only UNTIL their eyes are open). Use a cotton ball moistened with warm water and gently stroke the anal area until the bunny starts producing stool and urine and keep stroking until the bunny stops. You are reproducing the behavior of the mother rabbit who would lick her young to stimulate them to go to the bathroom and to keep the nest clean.
Provide a soft nest area in a box with clean towels, and cover the babies so it is dark until their eyes are open. Do NOT provide extra heat if the room temperature is at least 65 to 70 degrees F because excessive heat can be fatal. If the room is cooler, then you may place a heating pad on a low setting under no more than HALF of the nest so the bunny can move to a cooler area if it gets too warm, and be sure there is no way the mother rabbit can get to or chew the electrical cord!
For domestic rabbits, if you have a healthy adult rabbit at home and you can collect cecotropes (the soft, chain-like droppings that the rabbit usually eats) then these can be mixed with the KMR to give the baby bunny normal bacteria for its intestinal tract. Only one cecotrope per day for 4-5 days is needed. This is particularly important for rabbits under one week of age. Also good is to sprinkle a pinch of acidophilus powder, also called “Probiotic” from human capsules in the milk a little each time for healthy flora for both wild and domestic bunnies.
As soon as their eyes are open, you may introduce the bunnies to plain alfalfa pellets, hay, such as oat hay, timothy, alfalfa. Please refer to the handout Care of Rabbits for more information on diet for domestic, pet rabbits. You may reach care@rabbit.org for domestic/pet rabbit questions. Below is the email for wild rabbit questions: wildbunnyrehab@gmail.com (wild) (If links above did not answer your question).
(See above for wild rabbits). For all rabbits, avoid ANY regular milk, puppy formulas, etc. Use KITTEN formulas like KMR. Avoid Esbilac. Feed only upright. Less is better than more! Overfeeding will cause bloat and pain and possible death. Please get to a rehabber.
Sources: Caring for Cricket – What Not To Do When You Find a Wild Baby Bunny by Julie Smith and Handout by Midwest Exotic Animal Hospital, and additional wild bunny info by M. Wilson (HRS educator and rehabber). For questions not answered about wild rabbits above, email: wildbunnyrehab at gmail.com
Is the rabbit injured?
Eastern Cotton TailA baby rabbit has the best chance of survival when it is cared for by its mother. Before intervening, we want to make sure the rabbit really needs our help. Cottontail rabbits nest from March through September and may have as many as four litters per year. The average litter contains four to five babies. Young rabbits disperse from the nest at 15-20 days old. By three weeks of age, they are on their own in the wild and no longer require a mother’s care. This means that young rabbits found on the ground may be completely healthy. Even though they look small, they are not orphans and do not need any human intervention.
A baby rabbit needs to be rescued for the following reasons:
Found a juvenile rabbit?
Juvenile Eastern Cottontail
Found an infant rabbit?Infant rabbits are very small, have a very thin layer of fur, and their eyes are closed or may have just opened. Their best chance for survival is to be reunited with their mom.
If I had a dollar for every person who's said they found an abandoned baby rabbit in their yard, I'd be a wealthy man. It happens every year. People mow the lawn and find a nest of baby rabbits. Kids find them and bring them home, begging mom and dad to let them keep the little fur balls. Your dog lunges at something, you restrain him, and see that his intended victim was a baby rabbit.
People post pictures all over social media showing adorable baby bunnies they "rescued," often with text that reads something like, "I don't know what to do with it. I think the mother abandoned it. Maybe I should try to raise it myself."
As a matter of fact, that last bunny and dog example mentioned above is exactly what happened to me a couple years ago. And yes, I did post pictures of the little cottontail on Facebook (as well as a short video...I am hanging my head in embarrassment right now).
But as much as I wanted to keep the tiny cotton ball--and I really did have a hard time letting it go--I knew it wouldn't be the smart move. Here's my advice for anyone who has thought about "rescuing" and raising a baby cottontail rabbit: don't.
Don't do it. For the sake of the rabbit, just throw that idea in the trash bin straight away. Wild rabbits are very difficult to raise to adulthood. It can also be a bad idea for your own sake. Chances are that your efforts will be for naught and the baby rabbit will die while in your care. That's heartbreaking.
Young wild rabbits are hard to raise and quick to die when removed from their natural environment.
The babies (called kits) expire for any number of reasons. They are extremely sensitive to stress. They often have not built up sufficient reserves of the natural antibodies or necessary intestinal bacteria they get from their mother's milk. As such, they aren't equipped to cope with stressful environmental conditions, and anything outside of their natural outdoor environment is stressful.
Wild animals generally need to grow up in the conditions they were intended to live in as adults. It's rare for a wild animal raised in captivity to survive when released.
The good news is that a great many of the baby rabbits that people find are already big enough to get along without your help.
David SmithThe picture of the whiskery fellow holding the baby bunny above is me. I'm holding the rabbit kit that my dog lunged at (yes, I saved its life!). A kit that size is probably between two and three weeks old. At that age they are, in fact, able to survive and grow to adulthood all by themselves, barring the usual accidents or dangers that all rabbits face.
Their internal protections and reserves will be stressed and weakened by being in an alien environment (like a shoebox in your house). They will be able to strengthen their immunities and natural defenses on their own in the wild.
There's more good news to reassure you that leaving the bunny outside is usually the best course: Chances are it's not an orphan at all. It's quite rare to find a mother rabbit with her nest of babies during the day.
Mother rabbits typically visit the nest intermittently during the night or in the early morning, and only for a few minutes at a time to quickly nurse the kits. If you don't see a mother rabbit near the nest, don't assume that the kits are abandoned.
David SmithWhen I was a kid we were told that once a human touches a baby animal its mother won't have anything to do with it. The theory was that once handled, the baby has acquired human scent and the mother will automatically abandon it.
That's not necessarily true. It is the sight and physical presence of humans that concerns animals. After all, rabbits, squirrels, deer and other wild animals live in and move through our world constantly. If they're making nests in our yards and stealing from our gardens, it's a good bet that human scent isn't going to scare them from their mothering duties.
So what should you do with that baby rabbit you found or that your children brought home? After explaining to your children that it's probably best for the rabbit to be returned to the wild, you should do just that. Put the kit back where you or they found it, cover it with some grass and walk away.
If you returned the baby to a spot in your yard and you have a dog or cat, keep them away from the area until the rabbits are gone. We leashed our dog and took him to another area of the yard to do his business. It only took a day or two before the little rabbits had moved out.
We saw one of them running along the fence the next day. Remember, at the age most young rabbits are found they are able to get by on their own and have probably already been exploring and checking out the area before you found them.
If the nest has been destroyed by a lawn mower or perhaps by a dog digging it out, you can relocate the rabbit to a field or area with long grass. It should be able to adapt to the new location.
Finally, it's worth bearing in mind that not all rabbits are meant to survive. It is natural and healthy for the rabbit population that a good many kits do not survive. Rabbits also perform their duty as food for other animals. It's a necessary circle of life scenario.
End note: If you do decide to try to raise a found baby rabbit, you should read as much as you can on how to properly care for the kit. There are a great many variables to consider that can determine your success or failure in the project. Temperature, cleanliness, handling, what to feed, what not to feed, when to feed, how much to feed, watering, dealing with illness, when to release, how to release, where to release, and a host of other considerations need to be addressed.
You can find a number of good online wildlife rescue sources that detail how to care for baby rabbits. But remember, attempting to raise a wild rabbit requires a significant commitment.
And don't think you'll be able to make the rabbit a pet. Besides being illegal, it won't work out. If you want a pet rabbit then purchase a domestic rabbit bred to be a pet. You and the rabbit will be happier.
You’ve found a rabbit nest in your yard, a park, a schoolyard, or anywhere else. You accidentally dug up the nest, uncovered it, or ran over it with a lawnmower.
Are any of the baby rabbits injured?A baby rabbit with any of the following signs is injured and needs medical attention:
If the other babies in the nest are not injured, it may still be possible to reunite them with their mother. Read on.What’s normalWe’re used to seeing rabbits in storybooks and in cartoons nesting underground in holes. Eastern cottontail rabbits (the most common species in southern Ontario) don’t nest like that.
Instead, the mother digs a shallow depression (almost like a bowl) in the ground. Usually it’s in the grass, but it might be in a planter or a landscaped area with wood chips. She lines the nest with dry grass, leaves, and fur she pulls from her body. Once the babies are inside, she covers them up with more dried grass and fur. The nest is very well camouflaged and the babies have no scent, so it’s often weeks before it is discovered.
If the nest has been disturbedRecreate the nest as best you can, in the exact same spot it was originally in. Use any remaining nesting material. If you need extra you can use some dried grass. Tuck the babies back in the nest and make sure they are covered up with nesting material.
The string testMother rabbits don’t want to attract predators to their babies, so they mostly leave them on their own, hidden and camoflaged. Mom will come back a few times a day, usually between dusk and dawn, to feed the babies. Feeding may only take 2-3 minutes, so unless you’re watching 24/7 you will probably miss it!
To see if the mother rabbit is coming back to a recreated nest, you can do the “string test”. Take a few pieces of yarn or light cotton string, and place them over the nest in a tic-tac-toe pattern. It can help to take a photo of this, so you can compare it later. Leave the string overnight, and check in the morning. Was the string moved? That’s great — it means mom came back overnight and fed the babies.
If you tried a string test and the string was exactly the same in the morning as you left it, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.
Great! The mother came back overnight!
Leave the nest aloneIf you’ve done a string test and you know the mother rabbit is coming back to feed the babies, leave the nest alone. Cottontail rabbits do very poorly in captivity – their best bet at survival is with their mom.
The good news is that cottontail rabbits grow up really quickly! They start leaving the nest as early as 3 weeks old, and soon disperse from their mother’s territory.
Can I move the nest to a better spot?No. Rabbits are very specific about the location of their nest. Moving it even a foot or two away will cause the mother to abandon it. Mother rabbits are also one of the only mammals who cannot pick their babies up to move them to a better spot.
I don’t want my pets to hurt the rabbitsA mother Cottontail will often choose to nest in a backyard with big dogs. We think that’s because she knows her babies will be safer there from natural predators, like raccoons, skunks, or opossums. Smart mom!
Remember that cottontail rabbits grow up really quickly – they leave the nest at about 3 weeks old. If the babies have their eyes open they are at least 10 days old, meaning they’ve been in your yard for two weeks without you even noticing! It might be inconvenient, but keeping your dog leashed for those 3 short weeks is the best thing you can do to keep baby rabbits safe and with their mother. You can use temporary fencing to cordon off the area with the nest – just make sure there is a hole at ground level big enough for the mother rabbit to get through.
Cats can also be a threat to baby rabbits. We love cats at Toronto Wildlife Centre, but are big advocates of transitioning them to indoors-only. Visit our friends at Cats and Birds Canada for tips on how to help your cat make the big change!
Should I leave food or water for the mother rabbit?No. Leaving food or water near the nest runs the risk of attracting predators like raccoons, skunks, or outdoor cats. If you want to help the mother rabbit out, hold off on mowing the grass for a few weeks. You could also stop pulling up dandelions. Dandelions are one of a rabbit’s favourite foods!
The nest is in a busy areaIt might still be possible to keep the babies with their mother. Talk to someone in charge – school administrators, park stewardship organizations, property managers, etc. They might be willing to cordon off the area with the nest, or put up signage to keep people cautious and away from the nest. Remember that cottontail rabbits do poorly in captivity, so keeping them with their mother is really their best chance at survival.
MYTH! If you touch a baby rabbit, its mother will not usually abandon it. Rabbits are excellent moms. All they want is their baby back.
If you feel the nest is in a spot where you can’t possibly leave the babies until they’re big enough to leave on their own, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.
If you have found a wildlife baby of ANY kind, first assess the baby’s well being with the following questions:
*Regardless of species or time of year, ALWAYS make sure that babies are WARM to the touch before attempting to reunite. A water bottle with hot water with a sock over it will work to warm babies, or a heating pad will do as well. You can make your own heat source for babies by taking a clean tube sock, filling it with uncooked rice, tie the end of the sock so it won’t spill and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Place the warm sock in with the babies and let them decide if they want to be on it or away from it. If you decide to use a water bottle, make absolutely sure that you do not not let that bottle get cold! Once the bottle is cold it will suck heat away from babies instead of warming them. NEVER feed or give water without instruction from a rehabber! We are available 24-Hours, 7 days a week – If you think baby needs food or water, call us first PLEASE!
After you have assessed that the bunny or bunnies are uninjured follow the steps below to best assist baby bunnies.
Step 1. Determine age of rabbits
The simplest way to determine age is to answer the following questions:
Signs that bunny is NOT old enough or large enough to be on its own:
Step 2. Find the den site.
The ONLY way to reunite baby bunnies with Mom is to get the bunnies back in the ORIGINAL den. You CANNOT move the den to a more ‘suitable’ area. Mother rabbits have been known to not return to babies when the den is moved even 2 inches from the original location! Yes, we know that Mom sometimes picks really awful places to put her kids.
Examples of Some of the Places a You Might Find a Cottontail Nest:
*Note: It is OKAY that you have touched these rabbits with your bare hands. Mom does NOT care. We don’t abandon our kids when they smell funny, and neither do Momma Rabbits!
Step 3. Determine whether or not these babies truly are orphaned.
Your kids or dog found a nest of baby bunnies. Now what?A shallow hole in the ground. A covering made from loose grass and soft fur. And a handful of baby rabbits with closed eyes, wiggly noses, and delicate little bodies.
Even when the discovery of a rabbit’s nest comes as a bit of a shock, most people are much happier to discover baby bunnies on their property than, say, baby opossums or raccoons. Still, humans who find them are often left wondering how to proceed. Should they just leave the kits alone? Should they actively guard the nest until the mother returns? Should they assume that the babies are orphans and therefore need assistance?
The answer is a bit complicated, so here’s a step-by-step guide:
(1) Check for any obvious signs of injuryThis is especially important if it was your dog who first found and uncovered the babies, as even the friendliest pooches can accidentally harm tiny animals when they get excited! Before you do anything else, take a quick peek at the little ones to make sure that everyone’s okay. Red flags include:
(2) Fix the nest.The good news is that, even if you don’t see the mother rabbit around, the kits are probably not orphaned or abandoned. Mother rabbits tend to leave their babies unattended for long periods of time, only returning a twice a day (at dawn and dusk) to feed, groom, and check up on them. You could have a nest of kits in your backyard for weeks and never once see their mom!
So, unless you’re certain that there’s a problem, the best thing you can do is try to restore the nursery to the way it was before someone disturbed it. Put the babies back (if they’ve been picked up and handled) and try to find the grass/fur drape that originally hid them. Either cover them with that, or—if it’s been destroyed—just shred some dry grass and camouflage the babies as best as you can.
Don’t hang around the any nest longer than you need to. While it’s not true that mother rabbits will reject their babies if humans or dogs leave their scent on them, you run the risk of attracting undue attention to the area. And doing so may encourage animals (especially predators) to come take a look, putting the kits in real danger. Just take care of business and then walk away!
(3) Make a MarkYou can, in good conscience, be “done” with the nest at this point, and that’s an easy attitude to have if the nest was in the woods or some kind of public area. But if the nest was in your yard or garden, then you may have a burning desire to continue to see to the kits’ safety and well-being.
Don’t try to monitor the nest 24/7; this will almost certainly do more harm than good. What you can do is take measures to verify that the mother is still checking on the nest as usual. Here are two common tricks:
(4) If Worse Comes to Worst…Unfortunately, Mother Nature can be a harsh mistress, so it’s entirely possible that the kits are orphaned. And if the kits are still so young that they’re dependent on their mother, then they likely won’t survive without human intervention. Signs that it may be time to take action include:
If it’s absolutely necessary, gather up the kits and as much of the original nest as you can. Place them in a small box with a lid (and air holes), and bring them inside so that they can stay warm and safe. Give first aid to anyone who’s bleeding.
(5) …Call in an ExpertUnless you’re a trained professional or have a lot of experience in this department, do not attempt to foster the kits yourself! Baby bunnies are notoriously difficult to hand-rear. Even expert care and supervision won’t guarantee (or give them a very high probability) of survival. And don’t even think about keeping them as pets! They’re wild animals who will never be fully content with living in captivity.
If you really want to give them a fighting chance, then call animal control or a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in your area. Explain the situation; they’ll be able to give you advice and, more than likely, take the bunnies off of your hands so that they can be cared for properly. With hard work (and a bit of luck), the kits will be able to return to the wild within a week or two!
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No doubt about it: baby rabbits are super cute, and the nests that their mothers build for them can be fascinating to look at. When you come across a bunny nursery, your first instinct may be to interact with the kits or even try to “adopt” them. But please resist the urge to do this! As with most forms of wildlife, keeping your distance is usually the best thing you can do for them.
…Unless, of course, they overstay their welcome. In that case, it’s probably best for everyone if you have the little critters relocated!
Photo courtesy of Chepner on Flickr
Wild Rabbit 911“I found a nest of orphaned, eyes-closed baby rabbits. What do I do?”
If the babies’ eyes are still closed, it is under 10 days of age. If the nest is intact, the babies look fat and plump and are nestled snuggly next to each other, and 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 to the nest by doing the following: Make an X over the nest with strands of dental floss or other thin string. If the string is pushed back out of the way in the morning, then you know that mom has returned to her babies. If after 24 hours the string is still in place, then we need to think about emergency care for those babies.
Another method is to sprinkle cornstarch, flour, or other unscented powder around the nest. You will see the mother’s footprints in the powder in the daylight. Again, you will then know that she has returned to her nest and her babies should be left undisturbed.
NEITHER METHOD IS ALWAYS A GUARANTEE – so be sure to check the babies for plump tummies before determining that the mother has not come back.
"How do I tell how old a baby cottontail is?”
So you’ve found a baby cottontail. But how do you tell how old they are? Why, with this handy guide, of course! We’ll walk you through the stages of cottontail development so you can deem whether your cottontail is old enough to go back into the wild, or whether he still needs the care of mom or a rehabilitator.
Newborn: Cottontails have a dark grey-black body with a light pink or white transparent underside. Their eyes are closed and their ears are closed and flat against their head. They weigh 16-23 grams and are about 2″ in length. Newborns cannot survive without their mother’s milk, and it is important to determine whether these babies are still being cared for by mom (chances are high if she just gave birth), or if they have truly been abandoned and need the care of a rehabber.
Newborn cottontail
Four to Five Days Old: By now the fur has turned from black to agouti (natural colored) and they’ll start looking more like baby rabbits than rats. Their fur is slick and flat against their bodies. Their eyes are still closed, but their ears are starting to come away from the body. They should weigh between 23-25 grams and be about 3″ in length. At this age, the cottontails still cannot live without mother’s milk.
3 day old cottontail (right) next to 14 day old cottontail (left)
Seven to Nine Days Old: Similar to a 4-5 day old cottontail, there should not be too much difference at this stage. Eyes should be beginning to open and may look like little slits. Ears start to come away from the body and the ear canal opens, meaning the cottontail can now hear. Fur should still be slick against the body. Their weight should now be 35-40+ grams and should be 3″ or longer. In this picture, a 7 day old cottontail is compared against a 5cc syringe. At this age, the cottontails still cannot live without mother’s milk.
Ten Days Old:Eyes are now open, and ears are away from the body and starting to stand up. The cottontail can ear and see well now. Their fur is still slick against their body. They should now weigh 40-55+ grams and be longer than 3″ — he should fit in your palm but not fill your hand. At this age the cottontails are still very much dependent on mother’s milk, but they will start nibbling on dried grasses.
10 day old cottontail
Two Weeks Old: The fur should be starting to stand up and be less slick against the body. Eyes and ears are wide open. They should weigh 55-70+ grams and be 4″ or longer — he should fit in your palm but not fill your hand.
Two and a Half Weeks Old: Cottontails should begin to look “fluffy” at this stage. They should weigh 70 grams or more, and be over 4-4 1/2″ long – he should fit in your palm but not fill your hand. At this age the cottontails are still very much dependent on mother’s milk, but they will nibble on dried grasses.
Three Weeks Old: At this age, their fur should be standing up a little more off their bodies and they should start to appear to have normal rabbit fur. Cottontails at this age should be eating natural foods — grasses, weeds, fruits and vegetables — and should now weigh 70-80+ grams. They should be 4-4 1/2″ long — he should fit in your palm and almost fill your hand. They should still be able to be handled without shrinking from your hand too much. Though they may look like small versions of adults, they are not yet ready to be released back to the wild. Cottontails at this age will start leaving the nest to find food, but will still remain in the area and return to their nest at night.
Three and a Half Weeks Old:Cottontails at this stage should have fur that stands out from their body, eyes and ears bright and alert. Their ears should stand straight up from their head. They are now fully weaned and eating natural foods – grasses, weeds, fruits and vegetables. They should weigh 80-120+ grams and be 41/2-5″ long, approximately the size of a tennis ball. They are now at the age where they can be released back into the wild. Rabbits still in their nest should be roaming around outside of their nests and should be left alone if found unless they appear injured or otherwise compromised (if brought in by your dog or cat, for example).
Four to Five Weeks Old:Cottontails at this age should very much look like a small version of an adult. Fur stands off the body like an adult rabbit, ears stand straight up from the head, eyes are bright, and they should appear alert and wary of humans. They should weigh 150+ grams and measure about 5-7″ long — bigger than a softball, and filling both hands.
Adult: Cottontails weigh 2-3 pounds and are usually 15-20″ long. They should be very much wary of humans and are now at reproductive age.
“I have found a baby cottontail outside of its nest. Is he okay?”
Baby conttontails go mobile between three and four weeks of age. If the cottontail is roughly the size of a baseball, it is old enough to be fully on its own and there is no need to take any action. If the cottontail’s eyes are closed or it is smaller than a baseball, simply find the nest and renest it. The nest is usually located close to a house or other sheltered environment in shallow holes lined with dried grasses and fur. If the nest is disturbed, gently replace the baby and put the nesting material back in the nest. Your human smell will not deter Mom from feeding them. Monitor the nest and the babies over the next day or so. If the nest has been disturbed a little, mom has most likely come to feed her babies. You can find out by picking up each baby and turning him over to see if his belly is plump and full. Mom comes to feed at dusk and at dawn, so checking during the middle of the day or in the morning is the best time. If the babies look thin, dehydrated or injured at all, contact us for further information.
“How do I know if the babies are old enough to be released?”
Baby rabbits leave the nest at approximately 3-4 weeks of age (sometimes older). If the rabbit is as big as a tennis ball (or fully fills your hand), then it is able to survive in the wild. If it fits within your hand or is obviously small or injured, then it needs to be re-nested or taken to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible.At 3-4 weeks of age, their instincts to survive in the wild are fully intact. They know how to camouflage themselves, what natural foods to eat, and what a predator is and how to behave around it. They automatically know to run away from a predator in a “broken path” pattern, thus making it hard for a predator to catch them, or to freeze in the “you can’t see me” position.
“How often does the mother feed the babies?”
The mother rabbit usually feeds her babies under cover of darkness – early in the morning before sunrise and in the evening after sunset. This is so that a predator cannot easily “see” the mother returning to her nest. She feeds two to three times within 12-hour timeframes. The babies flip over onto their backs and nurse upside-down. The mother stands over them, ready to flee the nest at the first hint of a predator. It only takes a minute or so for the babies’ stomachs to fill and for the feeding to be complete.
“The mother has not returned to the nest – what do we do now?”
Remember, mom stays away from the nest during the day. She does not stay with her babies except to feed, stimulate and clean them. Follow the instructions regarding the use of dental floss to criss-cross the nest. If the mom does not return after 24 hours, or if the nest is destroyed and so forth, then it is time for human intervention.
“The nest has been torn up and the babies have no cover. What do I do?”
If the nest has been destroyed by you, a lawnmower, a dog, etc, you can actually recreate a nest for the babies on the original nest site or 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 to get rid of any residual human smell, and gently replace the babies in the new nest you’ve made.
If it is impossible to reestablish the nest or create a new one; if the babies are in imminent danger; if there is no sign of the mother for over 24 hours; or if the babies are in any way injured, please contact us or your local state-permitted wildlife rehabilitator.
“I’d like to renest the babies, but they won’t be safe outside; how can I help them naturally?”
Click here for detailed information on how to help healthy babies that cannot be renested.
“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 before gently replacing the babies, making the nest up as it was before you disturbed it.
“I’ve determined that a rescue is necessary. What do I do now?”
If after having read the information on the 911 for Wild Rabbits page you have determined that a rescue is absolutely necessary, here are some instructions for preparing the rabbit(s) for transport to the rescue center. Use a container such as a small cardboard box or shoebox. Punch air holes in the lid. Line the container with a clean, soft cloth or old t-shirt that you do not mind giving up. Place the rabbit inside the container and put a rubber band around the box and lid, securing it for the ride.
Babies must stay warm! Fill a clean tube sock with uncooked white rice and tie it off towards the top of the sock with a piece of string or a good knot. Place the sock in the microwave and heat for less than a minute. Place the sock inside the shoebox and put a washcloth or other piece of clean cloth over the sock. You don’t want the sock to be so hot that it could burn the babies. The babies will crawl next to the warmth of the sock, and they can move away if it is too warm. Another option is to put a wet washcloth (wrung out) into a ziplock baggie and microwave until warm but not hot. This acts as a portable heating pad and should be placed underneath the cloth at the bottom of the shoebox.
If it is going to be a length of time before you can get the babies to a rehabilitator, please do the following:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED THE BABIES – TO DO SO COULD CAUSE THEIR DEATH!
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 (your bathroom counter or washing machine lid will do just fine). Place the container with the babies half-on and half-off the heating pad. This will allow the babies to move away from the heat if they need to.
Wild rabbits require a specialized formula. Rehabilitators have been trained to offer the formula appropriate for this species and know the correct feeding schedule and protocol for rehydration. You also run the risk of aspirating the baby (accidentally letting him breathe the fluid instead of swallowing it) by using an incorrect feeding utensil. Baby rabbits are incredibly fragile and do not take handling by humans well. They will die of stress if handled improperly or kept in a cage for too long. Keep baby birds away from children, household noise (such as vacuum cleaners and so forth), domestic pets and bright light.
If you determine that a rabbit needs to be seen by us please call us at 972-891-9286; be prepared to tell us the number of animals found, the physical condition of the animal, under what circumstances the animal was found, and your location. We field dozens of calls a day from all over the country, so please be as succinct as possible during your call. Click here for detailed information on how to safely transport babies. Animals can be dropped off at our center in Denton, TX Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 8:00pm and Sunday from noon to 6:00pm. We also have drop-off locations in Plano and Lewisville available Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Contact us for location information. We are a small, non-profit center – any donation you can give to help with the animals care is greatly appreciated!
Wild babies are most often not orphaned! Many people mean well when they contact HRS after discovering an “abandoned” nest of wild rabbits. Often they wish to “rehabilitate” them with some advice from others. The reality is fewer than 10% of orphaned rabbits survive a week, and the care that people attempt to provide can be illegal, unnecessary, and potentially harmful. The best thing you can do is put the bunny right back where you found him, in the general area, as the mom will only come back at night to call and find him. Leave the area. If injured, please contact a wildlife rehabber or rabbit vet immediately! You can search Google for your state/country and wildlife rehabber. If you find a baby with eyes open, and he appears healthy, leave him be!! If picked up, go put him back outside. Mom only comes back at night. Please put back for her!
I/My Dog/My Cat Found a Rabbit Nest! What Do I Do?
Rabbits hide their nests in plain view, often putting them in the open, sometimes in the middle of the lawn, as well as in brush piles and long grass. If you find a nest that has been disturbed, do all you can to restore and protect it. Do NOT bring it inside. If a dog has discovered the nest, keep your dog away from the area and reconstruct the nest with grasses. If need be, you can move the nest a few feet away where safer, even up to 5-6 feet away. A moved nest should always be covered with string in a tic tac toe pattern and monitored to be sure the mother found it and came back to the babies. She will scrabble away the surface area to feed her babies beneath her and then scrabble the earth, grass, leaves, back over the nest to hide it again so it’s pretty easy to see if the string has been disturbed and if the babies are warm.
NOTE: Babies should never be put back into a nest that has been flooded with water, has bugs/ants visibly crawling in and out, or if a baby has been killed and there is blood in the nest. Use common sense. Baby bunnies who have fleas are compromised and should be immediately taken to a wildlife rehabber or humane society, rabbit vet.
Rabbit mothers nurse their babies for approximately 5 minutes a day. Both wild and domestic mothers will be in the nest early in the morning and then again in the evening. The milk is very rich and the babies “fill up” to capacity within minutes. Mother rabbits do not “sit” on the babies to keep them warm as do some mammals and birds. They build a nest with fur and grasses which helps to keep the babies warm in between feedings. For domestic/pet rabbits, do not force a mother rabbit to sit in the nest box. You can pick up the babies and see if they are feeding by checking the size of their stomachs (should not be sunken in), the pinkness of their skin and activity level (they should not be blue in color or sluggish in movement) and the amount of time that you hear them crying (baby bunnies should be quiet most of the day….if they are crying constantly then they are not getting fed). If you come across a nest of wild bunnies, and the mother is nowhere to be seen, please DO NOT disturb them. This is normal behavior. By removing them from the nest, you are greatly reducing their chances of survival. The mom will only return at night, and not if you are watching.
If your dog disturbs a nest, or you find a wild bunny with his eyes open, please put him back if not injured. Mom will be coming back at night to call and feed him only once in the middle of the night. Do not take the bunny inside or feed him! IT IS A MATTER OF HIS/HER SURVIVAL AND UP TO US AS HUMANS TO LEAVE NATURE BE AND LET THE MOM CARE FOR HER YOUNG. We often hear of mothers moving their babies and their nests, and have seen moms come back every night for up to a week to look for her missing baby. Do not take the baby from the mom or she will be frantic. Many call or write saying, “… but it is raining, etc., ” but remember, these are wild bunnies and belong out there.
I/My Dog/My Cat Destroyed a Wild Rabbit Nest! What Do I Do?Remake the nest as best you can with grasses, hay, straw in the same place. Nests can be moved to a safer place up to 10′ away from the original site and can be reconstructed if necessary. To make a new nest, dig a shallow hole about 3″ deep and put into it as much of the original material as you can recover, including the mother’s fur. Add dried grass as needed, and put the young back. Mother rabbits return to the nest to nurse only at night, staying away as much as possible so as not to attract predators. To determine if the mother is returning, create a tic-tac-toe pattern over the nest with straw, grasses or tiny twigs. Wait 24 hours to see if the twigs have been disturbed. She may be able to feed them without moving the twigs much, so double check–If the babies look healthy, are warm, then the mother is coming back. If they are cold, dehydrated, get them to a professional; do not care for them yourself. Please contact a Wildlife Rehabber or rabbit vet or Humane Society immediately.
How Do I Know If the Wild Baby Bunnies Need Help?
Very young wild baby bunnies with eyes closed and ears back rarely survive in captivity, even given the most expert human care; and so it is very important to determine whether they really need help. Try to assess whether the infants seem warm and healthy or cold, thin, and dehydrated. One test for dehydration is to gently pinch the loose skin at the back of the neck. If it does not spring back in one second, or stays in a “tent,” the bunny is SEVERELY dehydrated and needs rehabilitation IMMEDIATELY by a professional rabbit vet or rehabber. Another test is to stroke the genital area to stimulate elimination if the eyes are closed. If the pee is brown and gritty, the mother rabbit has not been there to help the bunnies urinate. The brown, gritty urine is toxic, and the infant bunny must be cared for by a professional. Please contact a Wildlife Rehabber or rabbit vet immediately.
Older baby bunnies who are found outside of the nest may not be orphaned or in need of assistance. This is most often the case. Baby cottontails are born without fur but develop a full coat in a week. Their eyes open in 10 days, and in three to four weeks they are weaned. At this age, they may explore the world outside of the nest but return there to sleep. They are not ignored by the mother but stay with the family group until four or five weeks of age. To determine whether a bunny of this age needs assistance, first see if the bunny feels cold to the touch; perform the dehydration test. Also look for bleeding, convulsing, fly larvae, broken limbs; if any, get to a rabbit vet or emergency vet immediately. If he is just out and about, leave him be. He is discovering his world, waiting for mom to return at night when we humans are asleep. Don’t assume because he is letting you pick him up, he needs help. They are prey animals, taught to freeze when a predator (or human) approaches. Leave him be!
What if the Baby Bunny is Injured?Either call or take him to your local rabbit vet, humane society or animal shelter/animal control. Call first as often they will come pick up the baby. If after hours, contact a local emergency rabbit vet or rabbit vets found here and also here. The best thing you can do for an injured wild baby bunny is to get in touch with a skilled Wildlife Rehabber by searching your state/country and wildlife rehabber, or calling your Humane Society, and or trying this link http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
Is there anything I can do to avoid orphaning wild baby bunnies?The harsh reality is that many of us who care about wild baby bunnies may be contributing to the suffering and death. House cats who roam outside will kill about every other time they go out. And unlike feral cats who hunt because they are hungry, and kill immediately, house cats maul and torment their prey, sometimes skinning baby bunnies alive. Cat owners need to provide managed outdoor habitats for their cats – such as window boxes or pens. Providing a bell on your cat will help warn the wildlife if you cannot keep him inside. Keep your dogs on a leash with you if you see a rabbit nest.
Lawn chemicals can produce convulsing death in baby rabbits. According to the Poison Control Center for Animals, lawn applications that contain herbicides are not directly toxic to small animals; but they may make toxic plants more palatable to them and may make the animals sick for a few days. Products which contain insecticides, such as Dursban or Diazinion, which are added to many lawn products to control fleas or grubs in the lawn, are toxic.
The Bunny is Wild and Really Orphaned – How do I care for it?Again, make sure you KNOW for sure the mom was killed and the bunnies are abandoned (not warm, etc.). You will not see the mom. The mom will only come back in the middle of the night to feed her babies. If the mom was killed, the best thing you can do for a wild orphaned baby bunny is to get in touch with a skilled rehabilitator. In the meantime, call your local humane society or animal control and one of these vets for a wildlife referral: Rabbit Vets and Pet Bunny Vets. Google your state and wildlife rehabbers, and also try http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
How much formula should I feed a Wild Orphaned Bunny until I get him/her to a rehabber?The following is a guideline for the daily amount to feed a TRULY orphaned wild bunny (mother was killed, etc.) Remember with wild bunnies, the mom only comes back at night to call and feed him once or so for 5 mins; please put him back for her if just found and healthy. She leaves them alone between feedings. Don’t assume they are abandoned! Wild rabbits NEED a skilled wildlife rehabber. You should not feed at home or the chances of their surviving is extremely low! Most die from bloat, wrong feedings/stress. These feedings are NOT meant to take place of an actual rehabber, but for someone only who may live too far from a rehabber and is faced with a wild mother, killed, for example. All others need to call your humane society, local rabbit vet, or google your state and wildlife rehabber. You can also check here http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
Feeding of True Orphans Age + Amount (This WILL vary SO MUCH depending on type of rabbit. It is impossible over the Internet to see your particular rabbit, so this is only approximate.) Use KMR kitten or KMR kitten plus Goat milk, regular not low fat. Add a pinch of acidophilus (aka Probiotic) to the formula to promote healthy gut flora. Formulas vary depending on region. Avoid Esbilac and any puppy formulas! FEED TWICE A DAY ONLY for healthy babies, three times if low weight. It may be easiest to start with a 3 cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Feed only with the bunny sitting UPRIGHT, and point syringe down towards bottom or side of mouth, so if too much comes out, the baby does not aspirate. At first, they may only take a few drops at one feeding until they are not stressed and used to this.
Newborn to One Week: 2- 2+1/2 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day).
1-2 weeks: 5-7 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings per day). (depending on bunny..may be much LESS if smaller rabbit!) Newborn babies (if eyes closed) all need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate prior to or following feeding until their eyes open. (Except Jackrabbits do not). *See how to below.
2-3 weeks: 7-13 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings). Domestic eyes open at about 10 days of age. Start introducing them to timothy and oat hay, pellets and water (always add fresh greens for wild ones).
3-6 weeks: 13-15 cc/ml each feeding (two feedings–again, may be LESS depending on size of rabbit! A cottontail/brush bunny will take so much less!! Half this at most.) Cottontails wean and release about 3-4 weeks and jackrabbits much later (9+ weeks), whereas domestic rabbits are 6 weeks.
6 weeks-9weeks for Jackrabbits only, continue up to 9 weeks with formula, gradually changing to a dish for the warm formula, replacing the formula after 9 weeks slowly, continue adding more of their natural greens and hay (dandelions, oat hay, timothy hay, Italian parsley, carrot tops, small carrots cut up) and a small water bowl. Most markets will sell these greens. They need a rehabber before release!
Wild rabbits NEED a skilled wildlife rehabber. These feedings are NOT meant to take place of an actual rehabber, but for someone who may live too far from a rehabber and is faced with a wild mother, killed, for example. Please call your humane society for referrals to rehabbers, or your rabbit vets, or google your state or country and wildlife rehabbers. You can also try here: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator.html and by state here: http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator or http://www.owra.org/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator
*After each feeding it is important to gently make the bunny defecate and or urinate (brush bunnies/cottontails only..if the eyes are not opened yet) to keep the intestinal and urinary system running smoothly (just UNTIL their eyes open). No need to do this for jackrabbits; they go on their own. Use a cotton ball moistened with warm water after eating, and gently stroke the anal area until the bunny starts producing stool and urine and keep stroking until the bunny stops. You are reproducing the behavior of the mother rabbit who would lick her young to stimulate them to go to the bathroom and to keep the nest clean. Again, ONLY if the eyes are still closed. Handle a wild rabbit only during feedings as excessive handling can be extremely stressful/potentially fatal. Wild rabbits don’t need heat if furred and healthy. Wild rabbits should not be fed at home, but get them to a professional rehabber as it IS CRITICAL for their survival and to be with their own kind. Most die from overfeeding and/or stress.
As soon as the wild bunnies’ eyes are open, you may introduce them to plain alfalfa pellets, hay, such as oat hay, timothy, alfalfa and veggies such as carrot tops, Italian parsley, dandelion greens. Dandelion greens and hay (timothy and oat hay) are extremely important for wild rabbits. You can add whole oats from a feed store, and some grated carrots. The greens must be fresh, rinsed, and replaced if not eaten in a few hours. You can place them in a cup of cold water with just the tops sticking out to keep them fresher. (For a domestic rabbit baby, see section under the Domestic heading). Wild cottontail and brush bunny rabbits should be released as soon as they are eating hay and greens and are approximately 5 inches in body length and run from you. This varies with the area, so size is not easy to say. They will be small, but the longer you keep them, the more agitated and difficult to handle they will become and the less likely their chances for survival in the wild. Release ONLY at dusk or dawn. Jackrabbits (hares) are not ready until 9+ weeks.Make sure they get exercise daily. Jackrabbits mature much slower than the brush/cottontails and need to develop strength. If they are ready, earlier, they will let you know.
WARNING: Jackrabbits really NEED a skilled wildlife rehabber as they can run from you, throw themselves into walls to get away; many have died or severely injured themselves in captivity as they are so very wild. Please DO NOT raise them if you are not a skilled wildlife rehabber. This is vital. Noises and sounds easily frighten the jackrabbit and they are not able to be handled after 9 weeks. Often, sadly, we get reports of how a well-meaning person who tried to raise a wild rabbit, only to find it literally died of fright or got injured inside the cage. They are wild and belong with their own kind, out in the wild.
Jackrabbits really enjoy being raised together, whereas cottontails/brush bunnies may fight and do fine alone. Give them a carrier as their place of privacy (line with thick towels) with plenty of fresh hay and greens described above and water bowl. Again, wild rabbits need a skilled wildlife rehabber; it is critical to their survival.
The Bunny is DOMESTIC (i.e., pet rabbit, NOT wild) and Really Orphaned – How do I care for a domestic baby?Baby Domestic Agouti Bunny
Baby Domestic/Pet Agouti rabbit baby
Remember that both the domestic pet rabbit and wild bunny moms only feed their young usually once in the middle of the night. Don’t assume the mom is not caring for them if you don’t see her nurse them. Check their tummies to see if they are round and the babies are warm in the morning–this means she is caring for them. In the rare situation that you have an orphaned domestic bunny, such as when a domestic rabbit mom is sick or refuses to care for her young, you will need to feed the babies. Overfeeding is a leading cause of death in these youngsters which results in fatal intestinal disease.
If truly orphaned, use KMR KITTEN powder formula (can also use Meyenberg Regular Goat milk found at Safeway in the milk section or Whole Foods until you can find the KMR KITTEN formula), and follow the directions on the can. It may be easiest to start with a 3 cc/ml syringe or an eyedropper. Some use pet nurser nipples on the end of a luer lock syringe, or a teat cannula on the end of a syringe. Feed only with the bunny sitting UPRIGHT, and point syringe down towards bottom or side of mouth, so if too much comes out, the baby does not aspirate! For those who are slow to learn nursing, SC fluids may be necessary to prevent electrolyte imbalance or dehydration (check with a vet on this only!!). Domestic buns with closed eyes should be fed 2 x a day, and the number of feedings gradually decreased until they are weaned. If their eyes are still closed, you need to stimulate their bottoms with a warm moist towel after feedings to help them to pee. (Domestics are weaned about 6 weeks compared to wild bunnies who are weaned about 3-4 weeks for cottontails and 9+ weeks for jackrabbits). Bloat is commonly associated with too frequent feedings and too much at one time.
Feeding Amounts for DOMESTIC/PET Orphaned babies*: Feed twice a day up to these amounts: Newborn– 2.5 cc/ml each feeding. One week old: 6-7 cc/ml each feeding. Two weeks old: 12-13 cc/ml each feeding. Three weeks to six weeks: Up to 15 cc/ml each feeding (a.m. and p.m.). Note this is for DOMESTIC, NOT WILD bunnies. Each bunny varies. If this is a smaller rabbit, he will consume much less. Do NOT overfeed! Contact an HRS contact, rabbit vet, to be sure.
*After each feeding it is important to make the bunny defecate and urinate (if the eyes are not opened yet) to keep the intestinal tract and urinary system running smoothly (only UNTIL their eyes are open). Use a cotton ball moistened with warm water and gently stroke the anal area until the bunny starts producing stool and urine and keep stroking until the bunny stops. You are reproducing the behavior of the mother rabbit who would lick her young to stimulate them to go to the bathroom and to keep the nest clean.
Provide a soft nest area in a box with clean towels, and cover the babies so it is dark until their eyes are open. Do NOT provide extra heat if the room temperature is at least 65 to 70 degrees F because excessive heat can be fatal. If the room is cooler, then you may place a heating pad on a low setting under no more than HALF of the nest so the bunny can move to a cooler area if it gets too warm, and be sure there is no way the mother rabbit can get to or chew the electrical cord!
For domestic rabbits, if you have a healthy adult rabbit at home and you can collect cecotropes (the soft, chain-like droppings that the rabbit usually eats) then these can be mixed with the KMR to give the baby bunny normal bacteria for its intestinal tract. Only one cecotrope per day for 4-5 days is needed. This is particularly important for rabbits under one week of age. Also good is to sprinkle a pinch of acidophilus powder, also called “Probiotic” from human capsules in the milk a little each time for healthy flora for both wild and domestic bunnies.
As soon as their eyes are open, you may introduce the bunnies to plain alfalfa pellets, hay, such as oat hay, timothy, alfalfa. Please refer to the handout Care of Rabbits for more information on diet for domestic, pet rabbits. You may reach care@rabbit.org for domestic/pet rabbit questions. Below is the email for wild rabbit questions: wildbunnyrehab@gmail.com (wild) (If links above did not answer your question).
(See above for wild rabbits). For all rabbits, avoid ANY regular milk, puppy formulas, etc. Use KITTEN formulas like KMR. Avoid Esbilac. Feed only upright. Less is better than more! Overfeeding will cause bloat and pain and possible death. Please get to a rehabber.
Sources: Caring for Cricket – What Not To Do When You Find a Wild Baby Bunny by Julie Smith and Handout by Midwest Exotic Animal Hospital, and additional wild bunny info by M. Wilson (HRS educator and rehabber). For questions not answered about wild rabbits above, email: wildbunnyrehab at gmail.com
Is the rabbit injured?
Eastern Cotton TailA baby rabbit has the best chance of survival when it is cared for by its mother. Before intervening, we want to make sure the rabbit really needs our help. Cottontail rabbits nest from March through September and may have as many as four litters per year. The average litter contains four to five babies. Young rabbits disperse from the nest at 15-20 days old. By three weeks of age, they are on their own in the wild and no longer require a mother’s care. This means that young rabbits found on the ground may be completely healthy. Even though they look small, they are not orphans and do not need any human intervention.
A baby rabbit needs to be rescued for the following reasons:
- It is bleeding, has an open wound, or has a broken bone.
- It has been in a cat’s or dog’s mouth.
- It is covered in fly eggs (these look like small grains of rice).
- It is cold, wet, or crying nonstop.
Found a juvenile rabbit?
Juvenile Eastern Cottontail
- Is the rabbit fully furred?
- Are its eyes open?
- Is it larger than a baseball?
Found an infant rabbit?Infant rabbits are very small, have a very thin layer of fur, and their eyes are closed or may have just opened. Their best chance for survival is to be reunited with their mom.
- In order to reunite an infant rabbit with its mother, the baby must be warm. Place uncooked rice or bird seed in a sock and warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Wrap the sock in a soft towel and place it next to the baby to warm it up.
- Next, attempt to locate the nest and put the baby back. A rabbit’s nest looks like a shallow depression in the ground, possibly lined with rabbit fur and/or grass; cottontail rabbits do not burrow.
- Place the baby back in the nest and sprinkle the area with flour or cross two twigs over the nest and check back in 24 hours. It is unlikely that you will see the mother return because she does not want to draw attention to her babies, but you will likely notice other signs of activity.
- If there are rabbit footprints in the flour or the twigs have been moved it is likely that the mother rabbit has been reunited with her baby!
- If there are no signs of activity, take the infant rabbit to a wildlife rehabilitator. Keep the baby warm, but never attempt to give an orphaned rabbit any food or water. Rabbits have very sensitive digestive systems and giving the baby anything without the proper training can be fatal.
If I had a dollar for every person who's said they found an abandoned baby rabbit in their yard, I'd be a wealthy man. It happens every year. People mow the lawn and find a nest of baby rabbits. Kids find them and bring them home, begging mom and dad to let them keep the little fur balls. Your dog lunges at something, you restrain him, and see that his intended victim was a baby rabbit.
People post pictures all over social media showing adorable baby bunnies they "rescued," often with text that reads something like, "I don't know what to do with it. I think the mother abandoned it. Maybe I should try to raise it myself."
As a matter of fact, that last bunny and dog example mentioned above is exactly what happened to me a couple years ago. And yes, I did post pictures of the little cottontail on Facebook (as well as a short video...I am hanging my head in embarrassment right now).
But as much as I wanted to keep the tiny cotton ball--and I really did have a hard time letting it go--I knew it wouldn't be the smart move. Here's my advice for anyone who has thought about "rescuing" and raising a baby cottontail rabbit: don't.
Don't do it. For the sake of the rabbit, just throw that idea in the trash bin straight away. Wild rabbits are very difficult to raise to adulthood. It can also be a bad idea for your own sake. Chances are that your efforts will be for naught and the baby rabbit will die while in your care. That's heartbreaking.
Young wild rabbits are hard to raise and quick to die when removed from their natural environment.
The babies (called kits) expire for any number of reasons. They are extremely sensitive to stress. They often have not built up sufficient reserves of the natural antibodies or necessary intestinal bacteria they get from their mother's milk. As such, they aren't equipped to cope with stressful environmental conditions, and anything outside of their natural outdoor environment is stressful.
Wild animals generally need to grow up in the conditions they were intended to live in as adults. It's rare for a wild animal raised in captivity to survive when released.
The good news is that a great many of the baby rabbits that people find are already big enough to get along without your help.
David SmithThe picture of the whiskery fellow holding the baby bunny above is me. I'm holding the rabbit kit that my dog lunged at (yes, I saved its life!). A kit that size is probably between two and three weeks old. At that age they are, in fact, able to survive and grow to adulthood all by themselves, barring the usual accidents or dangers that all rabbits face.
Their internal protections and reserves will be stressed and weakened by being in an alien environment (like a shoebox in your house). They will be able to strengthen their immunities and natural defenses on their own in the wild.
There's more good news to reassure you that leaving the bunny outside is usually the best course: Chances are it's not an orphan at all. It's quite rare to find a mother rabbit with her nest of babies during the day.
Mother rabbits typically visit the nest intermittently during the night or in the early morning, and only for a few minutes at a time to quickly nurse the kits. If you don't see a mother rabbit near the nest, don't assume that the kits are abandoned.
David SmithWhen I was a kid we were told that once a human touches a baby animal its mother won't have anything to do with it. The theory was that once handled, the baby has acquired human scent and the mother will automatically abandon it.
That's not necessarily true. It is the sight and physical presence of humans that concerns animals. After all, rabbits, squirrels, deer and other wild animals live in and move through our world constantly. If they're making nests in our yards and stealing from our gardens, it's a good bet that human scent isn't going to scare them from their mothering duties.
So what should you do with that baby rabbit you found or that your children brought home? After explaining to your children that it's probably best for the rabbit to be returned to the wild, you should do just that. Put the kit back where you or they found it, cover it with some grass and walk away.
If you returned the baby to a spot in your yard and you have a dog or cat, keep them away from the area until the rabbits are gone. We leashed our dog and took him to another area of the yard to do his business. It only took a day or two before the little rabbits had moved out.
We saw one of them running along the fence the next day. Remember, at the age most young rabbits are found they are able to get by on their own and have probably already been exploring and checking out the area before you found them.
If the nest has been destroyed by a lawn mower or perhaps by a dog digging it out, you can relocate the rabbit to a field or area with long grass. It should be able to adapt to the new location.
Finally, it's worth bearing in mind that not all rabbits are meant to survive. It is natural and healthy for the rabbit population that a good many kits do not survive. Rabbits also perform their duty as food for other animals. It's a necessary circle of life scenario.
End note: If you do decide to try to raise a found baby rabbit, you should read as much as you can on how to properly care for the kit. There are a great many variables to consider that can determine your success or failure in the project. Temperature, cleanliness, handling, what to feed, what not to feed, when to feed, how much to feed, watering, dealing with illness, when to release, how to release, where to release, and a host of other considerations need to be addressed.
You can find a number of good online wildlife rescue sources that detail how to care for baby rabbits. But remember, attempting to raise a wild rabbit requires a significant commitment.
And don't think you'll be able to make the rabbit a pet. Besides being illegal, it won't work out. If you want a pet rabbit then purchase a domestic rabbit bred to be a pet. You and the rabbit will be happier.
You’ve found a rabbit nest in your yard, a park, a schoolyard, or anywhere else. You accidentally dug up the nest, uncovered it, or ran over it with a lawnmower.
Are any of the baby rabbits injured?A baby rabbit with any of the following signs is injured and needs medical attention:
- There are obvious wounds or blood on its body
- It has had contact with a cat – even with no obvious injuries, this is a medical emergency for baby rabbits
- It is lying on its side and cannot right itself
If the other babies in the nest are not injured, it may still be possible to reunite them with their mother. Read on.What’s normalWe’re used to seeing rabbits in storybooks and in cartoons nesting underground in holes. Eastern cottontail rabbits (the most common species in southern Ontario) don’t nest like that.
Instead, the mother digs a shallow depression (almost like a bowl) in the ground. Usually it’s in the grass, but it might be in a planter or a landscaped area with wood chips. She lines the nest with dry grass, leaves, and fur she pulls from her body. Once the babies are inside, she covers them up with more dried grass and fur. The nest is very well camouflaged and the babies have no scent, so it’s often weeks before it is discovered.
If the nest has been disturbedRecreate the nest as best you can, in the exact same spot it was originally in. Use any remaining nesting material. If you need extra you can use some dried grass. Tuck the babies back in the nest and make sure they are covered up with nesting material.
The string testMother rabbits don’t want to attract predators to their babies, so they mostly leave them on their own, hidden and camoflaged. Mom will come back a few times a day, usually between dusk and dawn, to feed the babies. Feeding may only take 2-3 minutes, so unless you’re watching 24/7 you will probably miss it!
To see if the mother rabbit is coming back to a recreated nest, you can do the “string test”. Take a few pieces of yarn or light cotton string, and place them over the nest in a tic-tac-toe pattern. It can help to take a photo of this, so you can compare it later. Leave the string overnight, and check in the morning. Was the string moved? That’s great — it means mom came back overnight and fed the babies.
If you tried a string test and the string was exactly the same in the morning as you left it, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.
Great! The mother came back overnight!
Leave the nest aloneIf you’ve done a string test and you know the mother rabbit is coming back to feed the babies, leave the nest alone. Cottontail rabbits do very poorly in captivity – their best bet at survival is with their mom.
The good news is that cottontail rabbits grow up really quickly! They start leaving the nest as early as 3 weeks old, and soon disperse from their mother’s territory.
Can I move the nest to a better spot?No. Rabbits are very specific about the location of their nest. Moving it even a foot or two away will cause the mother to abandon it. Mother rabbits are also one of the only mammals who cannot pick their babies up to move them to a better spot.
I don’t want my pets to hurt the rabbitsA mother Cottontail will often choose to nest in a backyard with big dogs. We think that’s because she knows her babies will be safer there from natural predators, like raccoons, skunks, or opossums. Smart mom!
Remember that cottontail rabbits grow up really quickly – they leave the nest at about 3 weeks old. If the babies have their eyes open they are at least 10 days old, meaning they’ve been in your yard for two weeks without you even noticing! It might be inconvenient, but keeping your dog leashed for those 3 short weeks is the best thing you can do to keep baby rabbits safe and with their mother. You can use temporary fencing to cordon off the area with the nest – just make sure there is a hole at ground level big enough for the mother rabbit to get through.
Cats can also be a threat to baby rabbits. We love cats at Toronto Wildlife Centre, but are big advocates of transitioning them to indoors-only. Visit our friends at Cats and Birds Canada for tips on how to help your cat make the big change!
Should I leave food or water for the mother rabbit?No. Leaving food or water near the nest runs the risk of attracting predators like raccoons, skunks, or outdoor cats. If you want to help the mother rabbit out, hold off on mowing the grass for a few weeks. You could also stop pulling up dandelions. Dandelions are one of a rabbit’s favourite foods!
The nest is in a busy areaIt might still be possible to keep the babies with their mother. Talk to someone in charge – school administrators, park stewardship organizations, property managers, etc. They might be willing to cordon off the area with the nest, or put up signage to keep people cautious and away from the nest. Remember that cottontail rabbits do poorly in captivity, so keeping them with their mother is really their best chance at survival.
MYTH! If you touch a baby rabbit, its mother will not usually abandon it. Rabbits are excellent moms. All they want is their baby back.
If you feel the nest is in a spot where you can’t possibly leave the babies until they’re big enough to leave on their own, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.
If you have found a wildlife baby of ANY kind, first assess the baby’s well being with the following questions:
- Does Baby feel cold and lethargic?
- Is Baby covered with parasites (fleas, fly strike or ticks)?
- Has Baby been in a dog or cat’s mouth?
- Does Baby have a broken limb or other obvious injury?
- Does Baby have abrasions?
- Is Baby having difficulty breathing (gasping, gurgling)?
- Is Baby’s coat matted and/or patchy?
- Does Baby have a head tilt and cannot hold its head straight?
- Is Baby exhibiting odd behavior (circling, falling over, etc.)?
- Is Baby bleeding?
- Did you find what you believe to be Mom dead?
*Regardless of species or time of year, ALWAYS make sure that babies are WARM to the touch before attempting to reunite. A water bottle with hot water with a sock over it will work to warm babies, or a heating pad will do as well. You can make your own heat source for babies by taking a clean tube sock, filling it with uncooked rice, tie the end of the sock so it won’t spill and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Place the warm sock in with the babies and let them decide if they want to be on it or away from it. If you decide to use a water bottle, make absolutely sure that you do not not let that bottle get cold! Once the bottle is cold it will suck heat away from babies instead of warming them. NEVER feed or give water without instruction from a rehabber! We are available 24-Hours, 7 days a week – If you think baby needs food or water, call us first PLEASE!
After you have assessed that the bunny or bunnies are uninjured follow the steps below to best assist baby bunnies.
Step 1. Determine age of rabbits
The simplest way to determine age is to answer the following questions:
- Are baby’s ear standing up, or attached to the back of the baby?
- Is baby bigger than a golf ball when cupped in your hand?
- Is baby bigger than an extra large egg when cupped in your hand?
- Is baby 4-5 inches or more in length?
Signs that bunny is NOT old enough or large enough to be on its own:
- Is bunny BLACK in color or dark grey?
- Is bunny screaming?
- Can bunnies be flipped over and so you can SEE through the abdomen’s skin? Look for a ‘milk line’ where you can see the milk inside the baby’s belly.
- Are the bunnies lying down with feet out behind them, not tucked under? Bunny should ‘ball’ up easily, especially when picked up.
Step 2. Find the den site.
The ONLY way to reunite baby bunnies with Mom is to get the bunnies back in the ORIGINAL den. You CANNOT move the den to a more ‘suitable’ area. Mother rabbits have been known to not return to babies when the den is moved even 2 inches from the original location! Yes, we know that Mom sometimes picks really awful places to put her kids.
Examples of Some of the Places a You Might Find a Cottontail Nest:
- Shallow depression in the middle of a yard
- Patch of grass or even plain dirt
- Potted plants
- Flower boxes
- Parking lots that have been broken up by grass growth – in tiny patch of grass
- Doghouses with dirt bottoms
- Under a piece of wood (long forgotten in the yard) or door, piece of siding, etc.
- Pile of leaves or grass clippings
- Manure piles
- Basically anywhere that Mom could have squatted for ten seconds to have her kids!
*Note: It is OKAY that you have touched these rabbits with your bare hands. Mom does NOT care. We don’t abandon our kids when they smell funny, and neither do Momma Rabbits!
Step 3. Determine whether or not these babies truly are orphaned.
- It’s always possible that Mom fell prey to a predator or car and is truly not coming back to feed her babies. The simplest way to check to see if babies have been fed lately is to check for dehydration. Pinch the baby’s neck skin to see how quickly it springs back into place. Bunnies dehydrate quickly, so if it springs back or you can’t tell, chances are that baby is fine. You can also take a piece of napkin, paper towel, or a cotton ball with some warm water and run the cloth over the baby’s genitals. If the urine is clear or yellow, baby is fine. If the urine is dark brown, baby needs help.
- You can use two pieces of string, yarn, sticks, or thread of some sort to make an “X” over the top of the baby’s den. If the X is disturbed, Mom came back when you were not watching. Mother Cottontails feed babies for as little as FIVE minutes per day. Mom lies on the top of the hole, placing her abdomen right above the babies. The babies lay on their backs, open their mouths and nurse upside down. This process can take as little as two minutes! Mom will nurse at dawn and at dusk, twice per day.
- If you can see through the baby’s belly (on very small baby bunnies), look for a milk line. In very young rabbits, the skin on their belly will be translucent and you will be able to see the pink belly skin turn to white toward the bottom of the abdomen. This is actual milk inside the baby’s belly. If you can see this, Mom has been by to feed the babies very recently and will surely return again to feed them that night.
Your kids or dog found a nest of baby bunnies. Now what?A shallow hole in the ground. A covering made from loose grass and soft fur. And a handful of baby rabbits with closed eyes, wiggly noses, and delicate little bodies.
Even when the discovery of a rabbit’s nest comes as a bit of a shock, most people are much happier to discover baby bunnies on their property than, say, baby opossums or raccoons. Still, humans who find them are often left wondering how to proceed. Should they just leave the kits alone? Should they actively guard the nest until the mother returns? Should they assume that the babies are orphans and therefore need assistance?
The answer is a bit complicated, so here’s a step-by-step guide:
(1) Check for any obvious signs of injuryThis is especially important if it was your dog who first found and uncovered the babies, as even the friendliest pooches can accidentally harm tiny animals when they get excited! Before you do anything else, take a quick peek at the little ones to make sure that everyone’s okay. Red flags include:
- Bleeding wounds.
- Twisted or gnarled limbs.
- Frequent crying or whining, especially when they’re touched.
(2) Fix the nest.The good news is that, even if you don’t see the mother rabbit around, the kits are probably not orphaned or abandoned. Mother rabbits tend to leave their babies unattended for long periods of time, only returning a twice a day (at dawn and dusk) to feed, groom, and check up on them. You could have a nest of kits in your backyard for weeks and never once see their mom!
So, unless you’re certain that there’s a problem, the best thing you can do is try to restore the nursery to the way it was before someone disturbed it. Put the babies back (if they’ve been picked up and handled) and try to find the grass/fur drape that originally hid them. Either cover them with that, or—if it’s been destroyed—just shred some dry grass and camouflage the babies as best as you can.
Don’t hang around the any nest longer than you need to. While it’s not true that mother rabbits will reject their babies if humans or dogs leave their scent on them, you run the risk of attracting undue attention to the area. And doing so may encourage animals (especially predators) to come take a look, putting the kits in real danger. Just take care of business and then walk away!
(3) Make a MarkYou can, in good conscience, be “done” with the nest at this point, and that’s an easy attitude to have if the nest was in the woods or some kind of public area. But if the nest was in your yard or garden, then you may have a burning desire to continue to see to the kits’ safety and well-being.
Don’t try to monitor the nest 24/7; this will almost certainly do more harm than good. What you can do is take measures to verify that the mother is still checking on the nest as usual. Here are two common tricks:
- Take a few pieces of unflavored dental floss and very gently lay them over the nest in the shape of an “X” or a tic-tac-toe board / hashtag.
- Sprinkle a small circle of unscented baking soda on the grass around (not on!) the nest.
(4) If Worse Comes to Worst…Unfortunately, Mother Nature can be a harsh mistress, so it’s entirely possible that the kits are orphaned. And if the kits are still so young that they’re dependent on their mother, then they likely won’t survive without human intervention. Signs that it may be time to take action include:
- The floss or baking soda remains completely undisturbed for more than a day or two.
- One or more kits is visibly injured (refer back to Step 1) or dead.
- You find a dead adult rabbit relatively close to the nest.
- The babies appear weak, lethargic, or skinny.
- Checking the babies right after sunrise reveals sunken-in, empty bellies. A kit that has just been fed will have a round, full belly.
- A skin-pinch test suggests that the babies are dehydrated. Remember: if you gently pinch the skin on the scruff of a kit’s neck, the skin should “snap back” into place immediately. If it remains pinched or tented, then the kit isn’t getting enough fluids.
If it’s absolutely necessary, gather up the kits and as much of the original nest as you can. Place them in a small box with a lid (and air holes), and bring them inside so that they can stay warm and safe. Give first aid to anyone who’s bleeding.
(5) …Call in an ExpertUnless you’re a trained professional or have a lot of experience in this department, do not attempt to foster the kits yourself! Baby bunnies are notoriously difficult to hand-rear. Even expert care and supervision won’t guarantee (or give them a very high probability) of survival. And don’t even think about keeping them as pets! They’re wild animals who will never be fully content with living in captivity.
If you really want to give them a fighting chance, then call animal control or a licensed wildlife rehabilitation center in your area. Explain the situation; they’ll be able to give you advice and, more than likely, take the bunnies off of your hands so that they can be cared for properly. With hard work (and a bit of luck), the kits will be able to return to the wild within a week or two!
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No doubt about it: baby rabbits are super cute, and the nests that their mothers build for them can be fascinating to look at. When you come across a bunny nursery, your first instinct may be to interact with the kits or even try to “adopt” them. But please resist the urge to do this! As with most forms of wildlife, keeping your distance is usually the best thing you can do for them.
…Unless, of course, they overstay their welcome. In that case, it’s probably best for everyone if you have the little critters relocated!
Photo courtesy of Chepner on Flickr
Wild Rabbit 911“I found a nest of orphaned, eyes-closed baby rabbits. What do I do?”
If the babies’ eyes are still closed, it is under 10 days of age. If the nest is intact, the babies look fat and plump and are nestled snuggly next to each other, and 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 to the nest by doing the following: Make an X over the nest with strands of dental floss or other thin string. If the string is pushed back out of the way in the morning, then you know that mom has returned to her babies. If after 24 hours the string is still in place, then we need to think about emergency care for those babies.
Another method is to sprinkle cornstarch, flour, or other unscented powder around the nest. You will see the mother’s footprints in the powder in the daylight. Again, you will then know that she has returned to her nest and her babies should be left undisturbed.
NEITHER METHOD IS ALWAYS A GUARANTEE – so be sure to check the babies for plump tummies before determining that the mother has not come back.
"How do I tell how old a baby cottontail is?”
So you’ve found a baby cottontail. But how do you tell how old they are? Why, with this handy guide, of course! We’ll walk you through the stages of cottontail development so you can deem whether your cottontail is old enough to go back into the wild, or whether he still needs the care of mom or a rehabilitator.
Newborn: Cottontails have a dark grey-black body with a light pink or white transparent underside. Their eyes are closed and their ears are closed and flat against their head. They weigh 16-23 grams and are about 2″ in length. Newborns cannot survive without their mother’s milk, and it is important to determine whether these babies are still being cared for by mom (chances are high if she just gave birth), or if they have truly been abandoned and need the care of a rehabber.
Newborn cottontail
Four to Five Days Old: By now the fur has turned from black to agouti (natural colored) and they’ll start looking more like baby rabbits than rats. Their fur is slick and flat against their bodies. Their eyes are still closed, but their ears are starting to come away from the body. They should weigh between 23-25 grams and be about 3″ in length. At this age, the cottontails still cannot live without mother’s milk.
3 day old cottontail (right) next to 14 day old cottontail (left)
Seven to Nine Days Old: Similar to a 4-5 day old cottontail, there should not be too much difference at this stage. Eyes should be beginning to open and may look like little slits. Ears start to come away from the body and the ear canal opens, meaning the cottontail can now hear. Fur should still be slick against the body. Their weight should now be 35-40+ grams and should be 3″ or longer. In this picture, a 7 day old cottontail is compared against a 5cc syringe. At this age, the cottontails still cannot live without mother’s milk.
Ten Days Old:Eyes are now open, and ears are away from the body and starting to stand up. The cottontail can ear and see well now. Their fur is still slick against their body. They should now weigh 40-55+ grams and be longer than 3″ — he should fit in your palm but not fill your hand. At this age the cottontails are still very much dependent on mother’s milk, but they will start nibbling on dried grasses.
10 day old cottontail
Two Weeks Old: The fur should be starting to stand up and be less slick against the body. Eyes and ears are wide open. They should weigh 55-70+ grams and be 4″ or longer — he should fit in your palm but not fill your hand.
Two and a Half Weeks Old: Cottontails should begin to look “fluffy” at this stage. They should weigh 70 grams or more, and be over 4-4 1/2″ long – he should fit in your palm but not fill your hand. At this age the cottontails are still very much dependent on mother’s milk, but they will nibble on dried grasses.
Three Weeks Old: At this age, their fur should be standing up a little more off their bodies and they should start to appear to have normal rabbit fur. Cottontails at this age should be eating natural foods — grasses, weeds, fruits and vegetables — and should now weigh 70-80+ grams. They should be 4-4 1/2″ long — he should fit in your palm and almost fill your hand. They should still be able to be handled without shrinking from your hand too much. Though they may look like small versions of adults, they are not yet ready to be released back to the wild. Cottontails at this age will start leaving the nest to find food, but will still remain in the area and return to their nest at night.
Three and a Half Weeks Old:Cottontails at this stage should have fur that stands out from their body, eyes and ears bright and alert. Their ears should stand straight up from their head. They are now fully weaned and eating natural foods – grasses, weeds, fruits and vegetables. They should weigh 80-120+ grams and be 41/2-5″ long, approximately the size of a tennis ball. They are now at the age where they can be released back into the wild. Rabbits still in their nest should be roaming around outside of their nests and should be left alone if found unless they appear injured or otherwise compromised (if brought in by your dog or cat, for example).
Four to Five Weeks Old:Cottontails at this age should very much look like a small version of an adult. Fur stands off the body like an adult rabbit, ears stand straight up from the head, eyes are bright, and they should appear alert and wary of humans. They should weigh 150+ grams and measure about 5-7″ long — bigger than a softball, and filling both hands.
Adult: Cottontails weigh 2-3 pounds and are usually 15-20″ long. They should be very much wary of humans and are now at reproductive age.
“I have found a baby cottontail outside of its nest. Is he okay?”
Baby conttontails go mobile between three and four weeks of age. If the cottontail is roughly the size of a baseball, it is old enough to be fully on its own and there is no need to take any action. If the cottontail’s eyes are closed or it is smaller than a baseball, simply find the nest and renest it. The nest is usually located close to a house or other sheltered environment in shallow holes lined with dried grasses and fur. If the nest is disturbed, gently replace the baby and put the nesting material back in the nest. Your human smell will not deter Mom from feeding them. Monitor the nest and the babies over the next day or so. If the nest has been disturbed a little, mom has most likely come to feed her babies. You can find out by picking up each baby and turning him over to see if his belly is plump and full. Mom comes to feed at dusk and at dawn, so checking during the middle of the day or in the morning is the best time. If the babies look thin, dehydrated or injured at all, contact us for further information.
“How do I know if the babies are old enough to be released?”
Baby rabbits leave the nest at approximately 3-4 weeks of age (sometimes older). If the rabbit is as big as a tennis ball (or fully fills your hand), then it is able to survive in the wild. If it fits within your hand or is obviously small or injured, then it needs to be re-nested or taken to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible.At 3-4 weeks of age, their instincts to survive in the wild are fully intact. They know how to camouflage themselves, what natural foods to eat, and what a predator is and how to behave around it. They automatically know to run away from a predator in a “broken path” pattern, thus making it hard for a predator to catch them, or to freeze in the “you can’t see me” position.
“How often does the mother feed the babies?”
The mother rabbit usually feeds her babies under cover of darkness – early in the morning before sunrise and in the evening after sunset. This is so that a predator cannot easily “see” the mother returning to her nest. She feeds two to three times within 12-hour timeframes. The babies flip over onto their backs and nurse upside-down. The mother stands over them, ready to flee the nest at the first hint of a predator. It only takes a minute or so for the babies’ stomachs to fill and for the feeding to be complete.
“The mother has not returned to the nest – what do we do now?”
Remember, mom stays away from the nest during the day. She does not stay with her babies except to feed, stimulate and clean them. Follow the instructions regarding the use of dental floss to criss-cross the nest. If the mom does not return after 24 hours, or if the nest is destroyed and so forth, then it is time for human intervention.
“The nest has been torn up and the babies have no cover. What do I do?”
If the nest has been destroyed by you, a lawnmower, a dog, etc, you can actually recreate a nest for the babies on the original nest site or 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 to get rid of any residual human smell, and gently replace the babies in the new nest you’ve made.
If it is impossible to reestablish the nest or create a new one; if the babies are in imminent danger; if there is no sign of the mother for over 24 hours; or if the babies are in any way injured, please contact us or your local state-permitted wildlife rehabilitator.
“I’d like to renest the babies, but they won’t be safe outside; how can I help them naturally?”
Click here for detailed information on how to help healthy babies that cannot be renested.
“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 before gently replacing the babies, making the nest up as it was before you disturbed it.
“I’ve determined that a rescue is necessary. What do I do now?”
If after having read the information on the 911 for Wild Rabbits page you have determined that a rescue is absolutely necessary, here are some instructions for preparing the rabbit(s) for transport to the rescue center. Use a container such as a small cardboard box or shoebox. Punch air holes in the lid. Line the container with a clean, soft cloth or old t-shirt that you do not mind giving up. Place the rabbit inside the container and put a rubber band around the box and lid, securing it for the ride.
Babies must stay warm! Fill a clean tube sock with uncooked white rice and tie it off towards the top of the sock with a piece of string or a good knot. Place the sock in the microwave and heat for less than a minute. Place the sock inside the shoebox and put a washcloth or other piece of clean cloth over the sock. You don’t want the sock to be so hot that it could burn the babies. The babies will crawl next to the warmth of the sock, and they can move away if it is too warm. Another option is to put a wet washcloth (wrung out) into a ziplock baggie and microwave until warm but not hot. This acts as a portable heating pad and should be placed underneath the cloth at the bottom of the shoebox.
If it is going to be a length of time before you can get the babies to a rehabilitator, please do the following:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED THE BABIES – TO DO SO COULD CAUSE THEIR DEATH!
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 (your bathroom counter or washing machine lid will do just fine). Place the container with the babies half-on and half-off the heating pad. This will allow the babies to move away from the heat if they need to.
Wild rabbits require a specialized formula. Rehabilitators have been trained to offer the formula appropriate for this species and know the correct feeding schedule and protocol for rehydration. You also run the risk of aspirating the baby (accidentally letting him breathe the fluid instead of swallowing it) by using an incorrect feeding utensil. Baby rabbits are incredibly fragile and do not take handling by humans well. They will die of stress if handled improperly or kept in a cage for too long. Keep baby birds away from children, household noise (such as vacuum cleaners and so forth), domestic pets and bright light.
If you determine that a rabbit needs to be seen by us please call us at 972-891-9286; be prepared to tell us the number of animals found, the physical condition of the animal, under what circumstances the animal was found, and your location. We field dozens of calls a day from all over the country, so please be as succinct as possible during your call. Click here for detailed information on how to safely transport babies. Animals can be dropped off at our center in Denton, TX Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 8:00pm and Sunday from noon to 6:00pm. We also have drop-off locations in Plano and Lewisville available Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Contact us for location information. We are a small, non-profit center – any donation you can give to help with the animals care is greatly appreciated!
