Rabbits

Baby Rabbits:

If you come across a nest of bunnies in the wild and the mother is no where to be seen, please DO NOT disturb them...this is normal. By removing them from the nest you are greatly reducing their chances of survival.

Rabbits are independent animals, not orphans, if they are:

• More than four inches long
• Have full fur, open eyes, and erect ears

Rabbit nests are usually found in a shallow, furlined depression in the grass. If you come upon furless young who are out of the nest, return them to the nest. Reform the nest if it has been destroyed, cover the young rabbits with loose grass, and then mark the nest with an X using sticks or natural colored twine or sprinkle flour around the nest area.

Female rabbits only feed their babies at dawn and dusk, so you are unlikely to see the mother return. If she returns, she will move the marker when she enters the nest. If the marker remains undisturbed and the baby rabbits’ abdomens appear sunken the next day, then the mother has not returned to feed them, and you should contact a rehabilitator. Young rabbits easily succumb to stress, so you should handle them only as a last resort.

• Put the rabbit in a closed escape-proof container with a soft ravel-free cloth.
• If the eyes are closed, it will require a small amount of heat. You may put the box half on and half off a heating pad set on low. Monitor it so it does not get too hot, the rabbit should feel warm, but not hot to the touch. Older rabbits will not require heat.
• Cover the box with a towel, and put it in a quiet place away from children and pets.

Adult Rabbits:

• We often get calls for injured rabbits.  Generally they have been hit by a car, cat caught or hawk caught.  Many of these are successfully treated and released back into the wild. 
• If you find an injured rabbit, please contain in by placing it in a box with a soft cloth in a quiet place away from children or other animals. Cottontails are easily stressed and will die from fright very easily.
• Rabbits caught by cats need immediate veterinary care to reduce infection.  

Food & Water
Do not attempt to feed babies. Rabbits only eat every 12 hours, and it will not hurt the animal to wait until you get it to a qualified caretaker.

Call the Project Wildlife Hotline 619-225-9202 to get more information.

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