How to care for a wild bunny

Video: Can You Keep a Wild Rabbit as a Pet? | Pet Rabbits

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare a place for the rabbits
Part 2 of 3: Feeding the rabbits
Part 3 of 3: Freeing the Rabbits
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

With the increasing population of wild rabbits in urban areas, the likelihood of finding a mink with newborn rabbits is higher than ever. Unfortunately, burrows that appear to be abandoned are actually not, and wild rabbits recovered from their burrows by humans are unlikely to survive without the help of a veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitator. In many countries, it is illegal to care for wild rabbits unless you are a licensed rehabilitator. If you need to take care of an orphaned bunny before arriving at the vet or wildlife rehabilitator, read this article for help.

Steps

1 Rest assured that the rabbits really need grooming. The mother of rabbits is very secretive, she leaves the hole in the daytime to keep out predators. She did not give up her children. If you find a burrow with rabbits, leave them alone. If it is obvious that they need help (for example, their mother died on the road), you should take them to a veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitator.

Part 1 of 3: Prepare a place for the rabbits

1 Prepare a place for the rabbits to remain there until assistance is received. A wooden or plastic box with high sides is ideal. Fill the box with pesticide-free soil and then a layer of dry hay (not wet cut grass).
- Dig a round hole in the hay for the rabbits to stay in. If you can, fill it with disinfected fur (if you have a pet, you can leave a bunch of hair from its comb in the sun for a few days to kill bacteria). If you don't have a pet, fill it with a thick layer of cloth.
- Place one end of the box on a hot pad, heated bed, or incubator to keep warm.
2 Move the rabbits gently into the hole. Use leather gloves while holding rabbits. They can carry disease and can bite into blood. Also, don't let them get used to the human smell.
- Carefully place some fur (or fabric) on top of the rabbits.
3 Make a hole at the top of the box to prevent them from jumping out, as rabbits are very adept at jumping. So they can stay in it for several weeks!

Part 2 of 3: Feeding the rabbits

1 Mom feeds the rabbits at dusk and dawn for 5 minutes, so your pet (depending on size and age) may need to eat twice a day. Do not overfeed them, as bloating is a leading cause of death in wild rabbits.You can use puppy milk (from PetSmart) and add a small amount of probiotics for the health of their tummies. Heat the milk a little and feed the bunny with a pipette in a sitting position so that the bunny does not suffocate! DO NOT USE COW'S MILK!
2Be gentle and take your time, and soon all the rabbits will start eating.
3 Newborns up to 1 week old: 2-2.5 cc for each feeding (2 times a day). 1-2 weeks: 5-7 cc. per feeding (depending on the size of the baby. The amount can be much less if the rabbit is small!) Newborns (American rabbits) need to be stimulated to urinate and void after feeding. Wild black-tailed hares do not need to be stimulated. 2-3 weeks: 7-13 cc. for each feeding (2 times). Start introducing them to timothy, oats, pellets and water (always add fresh herbs for wild rabbits). 3-6 weeks: 13-15 cc for each feeding (2 times). The amount again can be MUCH LESS depending on the size of the baby. American rabbits eat a lot less. They are weaned and released at 3-4 weeks of age, and black-tailed rabbits much later (9+ weeks). 6-9 weeks: for black-tailed rabbits only. Continue feeding with the recipe for up to 9 weeks, gradually replacing it with chopped banana and apple slices.
- If they are so small that their eyes are only partially open, it may be helpful to wrap them in a small warm piece of cloth that covers the eyes and ears so as not to intimidate. Tilt them back slightly and give them a nipple between their side teeth. Please note that you cannot give it directly between the front teeth!
- After the nipple is between your posterior teeth, slide it towards your anterior teeth. Squeeze the bottle lightly to give a small amount of content, and within a couple of minutes, the bunny should start sucking.
- Continue to feed him this pattern for 3-4 days TWICE a day, serving the second meal at about dusk, as his mother would. If possible, let them sleep in or next to the bed for the first 3 days in a shoebox, then move them to a small cage in another room, such as the living room.
4 Allow them to spend time outdoors to eat herbs. Allow them to spend a few hours in a wire cage on the lawn every day, once the little ones learn to walk.
5 On the fourth day, place a small container of water or a small container of food in the cage. Watch the rabbits and you will be surprised that they eat and drink water.
- Check the cage for moisture, in case they have spilled food, and at the same time, check the amount of food eaten and water drunk. Refill both containers and check that the contents are gone by morning.
6 Continue this process for the next four days, adding:
- Freshly harvested grass
- Dry hay
7 Supplement their diet with slices of bread, clover hay, timothy beans, apple slices, and oats. Make sure they always have fresh water.
8 When they are on their own, wean them off their familiar food and set up a wire cage (with a canopy) outdoors. Make sure the bottom is wired to allow them to graze and check that all holes are small enough so that they cannot slip through.
- Change the cage to a large one and continue to feed them extra vegetables twice a day. Breaking the habit is preparation for releasing them into the wild.

Part 3 of 3: Freeing the Rabbits

1 Release them to a safe place when they are 2.5 to 5 cm long in a seated position. If they are not independent, take care of them a little more, do not let them mature in captivity. If your rabbit cannot support itself, call your local environmental office. They will tell you what to do in your specific situation.

Tips

Feed the babies in the same place every time.They will begin to associate this place with the need for food, which will make each meal easier than the last.
Use the lid to cover the top of the cage. Its weight will make it easy to install and remove, but rabbits will not be able to knock out the cover.
Make sure they can breathe. If it's a plastic cover, make sure there is a hole in it.
Keep their environment as quiet and human-free as possible.
It is dangerous to give them names, as this will make you addicted and possibly lead you to keep them.
If it is difficult to know which rabbits you are bottle feeding, paint each rabbit a tiny dot on the tip of the ear with colored varnish. Then you will always feed them in a certain order (for example, in the order of the colors of the rainbow).

Warnings

Do not feed them spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, or similar foods. Such foods will cause diarrhea or painful gas for rabbits. Remember that rabbits cannot tolerate gas, so these foods will cause stomach enlargement!
Do not overheat food when feeding rabbits. They will not drink hot or sour milk.
Be extremely careful when handling any wild animal. They can carry many diseases.
Make sure the incubator is not too hot to ignite the tray.
Never keep any wild animal in captivity longer than necessary.